Several years ago I briefly attended a bible study that was going through a book called “In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life” by Sinclair Ferguson. Ferguson is a Scottish professor of systematic theology at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas. He is a follower of reformed theology. As anybody who knows me well enough knows, I strongly disagree with that theology, especially their teaching of justification. Ironically, even though Ferguson is a follower of that theology, in a chapter of his book, he writes about the assurance of salvation. This is something that is backed up by scripture that somehow, many work-based theologies (like reformed) deny and are against. I’ve heard explanations of salvation from authors, speakers, pastors, theologians, and those who buy into the reformed teaching. All of the explanations, if followed out logically, lead to someone not knowing for certain where they will spend the rest of eternity. I suspect this sad conclusion stems from their philosophically-based definition of the words “grace” and “faith” rather than the actual Greek words and definitions in their literal, grammatical, and historical context.
However, I digress… Despite the beliefs of those theologies, Ferguson’s writing comes across as very biblical and is spot on. I guess that goes to show that the Lord can work through and speak through even the most flawed teachings and theologies. All that being said, I wanted to share this chapter from Ferguson’s book.
The Greatest of All Protestant Heresies?
“Let us begin with a church history exam question. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) was a figure not to be taken lightly. He was Pope Clement VIII’s personal theologian and one of the most able figures in the Counter-Reformation movement within sixteenth-century Roman Catholicism. On one occasion, he wrote: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is _______ .” Complete, explain, and discuss Bellarmine’s statement.
How would you answer? What is the greatest of all Protestant heresies? Perhaps justification by faith? Perhaps Scripture alone, or one of the other Reformation watchwords?
Those answers make logical sense. But none of them completes Bellarmine’s sentence. What he wrote was: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is assurance.”
A moment’s reflection explains why. If justification is not by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone — if faith needs to be completed by works; if Christ’s work is somehow repeated; if grace is not free and sovereign, then something always needs to be done, to be “added” for final justification to be ours. That is exactly the problem. If final justification is dependent on something we have to complete it is not possible to enjoy assurance of salvation. For then, theologically, final justification is contingent and uncertain, and it is impossible for anyone (apart from special revelation, Rome conceded) to be sure of salvation. But if Christ has done everything, if justification is by grace, without contributory works; it is received by faith’s empty hands — then assurance, even “full assurance” is possible for every believer.
No wonder Bellarmine thought full, free, unfettered grace was dangerous! No wonder the Reformers loved the letter to the Hebrews!
This is why, as the author of Hebrews pauses for breath at the climax of his exposition of Christ’s work (Heb. 10:18), he continues his argument with a Paul-like “therefore” (Heb. 10:19). He then urges us to “draw near … in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:22). We do not need to re-read the whole letter to see the logical power of his “therefore.” Christ is our High Priest; our hearts have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience just as our bodies have been washed with pure water (v.22).
Christ has once-for-all become the sacrifice for our sins, and has been raised and vindicated in the power of an indestructible life as our representative priest. By faith in Him, we are as righteous before the throne of God as He is righteous. For we are justified in His righteousness, His justification alone is ours! And we can no more lose this justification than He can fall from heaven. Thus our justification does not need to be completed any more than does Christ’s!
With this in view, the author says, “by one offering He has perfected for all time those who come to God by him” (Heb. 10:14). The reason we can stand before God in full assurance is because we now experience our “hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and … bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22).
“Ah,” retorted Cardinal Bellarmine’s Rome, “teach this and those who believe it will live in license and antinomianism.” But listen instead to the logic of Hebrews. Enjoying this assurance leads to four things: First, an unwavering faithfulness to our confession of faith in Jesus Christ alone as our hope (v.23); second, a careful consideration of how we can encourage each other to “love and good works” (v.24); third, an ongoing communion with other Christians in worship and every aspect of our fellowship (v.25a); fourth, a life in which we exhort one another to keep looking to Christ and to be faithful to him, as the time of his return draws ever nearer (25b).
It is the good tree that produces good fruit, not the other way round. We are not saved by works; we are saved for works. In fact we are God’s workmanship at work (Eph. 2:9–10)! Thus, rather than lead to a life of moral and spiritual indifference, the once-for-all work of Jesus Christ and the full-assurance faith it produces, provides believers with the most powerful impetus to live for God’s glory and pleasure. Furthermore, this full assurance is rooted in the fact that God Himself has done all this for us. He has revealed His heart to us in Christ. The Father does not require the death of Christ to persuade Him to love us. Christ died because the Father loves us (John 3:16). He does not lurk behind His Son with sinister intent wishing He could do us ill — were it not for the sacrifice his Son had made! No, a thousand times no! — the Father Himself loves us in the love of the Son and the love of the Spirit.
Those who enjoy such assurance do not go to the saints or to Mary. Those who look only to Jesus need look nowhere else. In Him we enjoy full assurance of salvation. The greatest of all heresies? If heresy, let me enjoy this most blessed of “heresies”! For it is God’s own truth and grace!”
Nick,
Something for you to think about.
Saul was a man who was changed by God himself and given a new heart.
1 Samuel 10:9-10 “9 As soon as he had turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart. And all these signs occurred that very day . . .10 From there, they came to Gibeah: and there was a group of prophets coming to meet him! The spirit of God seized on him and he fell into ecstasy with them.” and a man whom the holy spirit came upon in chapter 11:6“6 And the spirit of Yahweh seized on Saul when he heard these words,”
But Saul abandons God and is disobedient, so although the Spirit of God was with Saul, because Saul abandons God, God abandons Saul.
“1 Sam 18: 12 “12 Saul feared David, since Yahweh was with him and had withdrawn from Saul.”
In 1 Samuel 28:16 “16 Samuel said, ‘Why consult me, when YAHWEH has abandoned you and HAS BECOME YOUR ENEMY?” it is clear that Saul has become God’s enemy, through his disobedience and his necromancy. There is no hint in scripture that Saul repented, and on that basis we cannot assume he is in heaven. Saul does evil deeds, and Paul tells us that those who do evil deeds will not enter the kingdom of God. Paul says in 1 Cor 6:10 “9 Do you not realise that PEOPLE WHO DO EVIL will never inherit the kingdom of God? Make no mistake — the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, the self-indulgent, sodomites,10 thieves, misers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Saul loses the grace of God.
LikeLike
If you look at the OT the “spirit of God” was intermittent. It would come and go upon people. Samson is another good example of someone who had the spirit come and go. That didn’t have anything to do with salvation. That is very different than from when Jesus said the spirit will come and live within us in the NT.
It’s important to look at the context. The verses you quoted from 1 Corinthians are speaking to people Paul addresses over and over as people who are believers, salvation is not in view, Christian loving and walking in fellowship with God is in view.
Paul says that people who do those things will not “inherit” the kingdom of God. This has nothing to do with who is saved or not. Inheritance is for believers. Inheritance is rewards for the lives and deeds we do in service for the Lord. He is stating that people who live lives and do deeds contrary to what Jesus taught will not be rewarded for those things in the kingdom. Inheritance and rewards is not the same as being saved.
LikeLike
Nick,
Jesus disagrees with you.
Matt 25: 31,33-35, 40-42, 45-46. “31 ‘When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. ……
33 He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
34 Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, TAKE AS YOUR HERITAGE THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU since the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, ……
40 And the King will answer, “In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
41 Then he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink, ……
45 Then he will answer, “In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
46 And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.’
There are only two groups here, one whose “inheritance” is the kingdom of heaven, the other are the damned.
Matt 19:27-29 “27 Then Peter answered and said, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’
28 Jesus said to them, ‘In truth I tell you, when everything is made new again and the Son of man is seated on his throne of glory, you yourselves will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, AND ALSO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE.”
So the reward for doing good – leaving brothers, sisters, land -, is a hundred times as much,which is in addition to inheriting eternal life. Inheriting eternal life here is clearly salvation.
LikeLike
Nick,
Your example of Samson is not a good one to support your contention, as Samson turns back to God in supplication, and God, who is faithful if we turn back to him, hears him.
Judges 16:28 “28 Samson called on Yahweh and cried out, ‘Lord Yahweh, I beg you, remember me; give me strength again this once, O God,”. If we turn back to God, he will always forgive us, if we are sincere.
As to 1 Corinthians, you are absolutely right that they are believers, and Paul is warning them: 1 Cor 6:10 “9 Do you not realise that PEOPLE WHO DO EVIL will never inherit the kingdom of God?” Paul is warning the Corinthians whom he has just accused in 1 Cor 6:8 “8 And here you are, doing the injustice and the defrauding, and to your own brothers.” Paul is telling them, believers that they are, that they are risking their salvation.
The problem is that you come to this passage with the assumption of eternal security, so in order for it to make sense in your framework, you have to read something into it, namely that Paul is talking about love and fellowship with God. The context is Paul accusing the Corinthians of gross immorality, and the lesson is that they are putting their salvation at risk.
Any comment about Matt 25:25:31,33-35, 40-42, 45-46 and Matt 19:27-29″ which I raised previously?
LikeLike