eternal security – La Vista Church of Christ

No One Can Snatch Them

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 01:00:35 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

In John 10:28, Jesus points to the safety of staying within range of the Shepherd's voice. “My sheep hear my voice,” and this hearing sets the stage for the next claim: “no one shall be able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” The Father’s hand is the pen, the zone of safety. Can any of the sheep wander away? That is a different concept from the idea of another “snatching” them out. Can a sheep develop “an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God?” (Hebrews 3:12). They are in the pen for greater safety. The concept is that the pen is the Shepherd’s safety zone from predators. They are all in the owner's hands when they are brought into the holding pen. They are in range of the Shepherd’s voice, and they know they are safe here in this holding pen. No one can “snatch” them here. Does this passage argue that a sheep cannot escape or get themselves out of the pen, the holding place? Is the metaphor so tight that it never allows for a sheep to look for and find a way out of the holding pen?

It is not an argument about the inability of the sheep to tune out and escape the safety pen, but about where the safety zone is that keeps the sheep safe from predators “snatching” them like they can when they are out of the pen in a grazing situation. Out of the owner's hand or pen, when they are out wandering, a wolf or lion can quickly “snatch” them in the open fields. If they wander out of range of the Shepherd's voice, there is even more danger of being snatched. Can they be snatched in the owner’s holding pen? No! Can a sheep find a way out of the pen, the “holding” area, and increase the danger to itself? He may indeed! But that is not the point Jesus was making. Two things in the context bring great security to God’s people:

Continual “hearing” or “listening” to the Shepherd’s voice, which means being careful not to wander out of range. This keeps the sheep more secure. The further out of range of “hearing” one wanders, the greater the danger of being “snatched” by the predators.
Staying in the pen, the “holding” zone of the owner, makes it almost impossible for the predators to “snatch” them out of the owner’s hand.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life…” (John 10:27–28).

Jesus gives eternal life to those who are presently hearing and following. The grammar is continuous action (present tense): hearing and following are ongoing. The security applies to the sheep, not to those who stop following. One becomes a sheep by starting to hear and follow, and if one continues to do so, one is safe. Thus, the text does not address what happens if someone ceases to hear and follow. Can one stop hearing and following? Can we reverse the process that made us become sheep? If one were not a sheep and then became a sheep, can one cease to be a sheep? The answer is a definite “yes!” We were not “snatched” from non-sheep to suddenly becoming sheep, and it is certain that we cannot be snatched from being sheep to becoming non-sheep. A process moved us from one status and nature to the other and that can be reversed if we are not very careful to continue to hear our Shepherd.

Using a different metaphor, John mentions in chapter 15 the vine and branch comparison. The sheep and hand (pen) metaphor did not mention that one could die on the vine, but in this different metaphor He shows us that it takes more than physical association. It takes actually drawing your spiritual sap from the Vine. “Abide in Me,” he said (John 15:6). That is like “abide in His hand.” It means you can cease to “abide”. If you abide, you will be drawing your spiritual energy from the Vine and will be alive, growing, producing. If you make a mental and spiritual disconnect, you quit drawing the sap of His love and strength into yourself like a branch connected to the vine, then you can die on the Vine and be cut off and thrown into the fire. The metaphor was designed to show that it can happen. It doesn’t mean the branch never was a branch or never was connected to the Vine. It just means that the branch can, for whatever reason, stop drawing energy from the Vine and then die on the Vine. “If you abide in Me” presupposes that you have the ability to either abide or not abide. Security is not a forced matter, it is something we can ensure for ourselves or forfeit for ourselves. Continue to hear the Good Shepherd and stay in the owner’s hand are the equivalent of “abide in Me” (the Vine). You can “wander” off and then get “snatched” by predators, or you can stay in the safety zone where you will not be snatched. You can “abide in Him” as a branch on a Vine, or you can cut off drawing your spiritual sap and die on the vine, then be cut off as fruitless branches and thrown into the fire. Neither metaphor speaks of the impossibility of apostacy, ceasing to be a sheep or of the inability to quit drawing spiritual sap from Jesus and dying on the Vine. In fact, both metaphors speak of how to ensure your safety: Sheep can continue to hear the Shepherd and stay in the owner’s holding pen and as a branch connected to the Vine we can continue to draw our energy from the Vine. There are ways to ensure our spiritual safety and growth, and there are ways we can exit the safety zone and enter danger zones. Neither metaphor teaches the impossibility of apostacy and spiritual danger. You can do things to “make your calling and election sure” (II Peter 1:5-13), or you can do things that can get you “cut off” and “thrown into the fire.” Be wise!

“Once Saved, Always Saved” Refuted: Can a Christian Fall Away?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 01:04:17 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

Christians (those truly “saved to begin with”) can:

Depart from the faith (I Timothy 4:1)
Wander away from the faith (I Timothy 6:10)
Swerve from the faith (I Timothy 6:21)
Abandon our faith (I Timothy 5:12)
Make a shipwreck of our faith (I Timothy 1:19)
Fall from grace (Galatians 5:4)
Desert him who called you and turn to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6)
Receive the grace of God in vain (II Corinthians 6:1)
Swerve from the truth, upsetting the faith of some (II Timothy 2:18)
Drift away from the truth (Hebrews 2:1)
Have an evil, unbelieving heart, leading us to fall away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12)
Be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-14)
Fail to reach the promise of entering into His rest (Hebrews 4:1)
Fall by disobedience to enter His rest (Hebrews 4:11)
Fall away and become impossible to restore unto repentance (Hebrews 6:4-6)
Deliberately go on sinning and no longer have a sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:26-27)
Shrink back (Hebrews 10:38)
Fail to obtain the grace of God (Hebrews 12:15)
Wander from the truth (James 5:19-20)
Forsake the right way (II Peter 2:15)
Become entangled and overcome after having escaped them (II Peter 2:20-21)
Be carried away with the error of lawless people and lose our stability (II Peter 3:17)
Commit a sin leading to death (I John 5:16)

But the good thing is that we can take these warnings to heart and do things to “make our calling and election sure, and do things so that we never stumble” (II Peter 1:5-13).

Is Election Sure?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:08:25 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

I have heard Calvinists make a distinction between “salvation” and “election.” They say we can lose our salvation but not our election. One is sure and the other is not, according to their perspective. This would mean that all who are temporarily saved from sin are not necessarily elected by God (the eternally secure number), but all who are elected will be saved. Let’s explore this idea further!

If “election” is something that is unalterable, then there is no way to make it unsure. You are either elected or not, and if elected, you couldn’t lose that position of eternal security. Yet, Peter told us what we must do to “make your calling and election sure" (II Peter 1:10). “If you do these things” (adding to your faith virtue, knowledge…perseverance, love, etc.) “you will never stumble.” What if you fail to add these graces? You could surely stumble, and if you stumble by failing to “do these things,” you have thereby made your calling and election unsure. So, we can make our election sure or unsure. It is not unalterable!

Peter calls the brethren “elect according to the foreknowledge of God” (I Peter 1:2), but later says, “If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (II Peter 2:3). Could some of the “elect” be questionable on this matter? There should be no “if” about it if “elect” is the ultimate sure status that is absolute as to tasting the graciousness of the Lord.

To the Thessalonian brethren, Paul spoke of “knowing…your election by God” (I Thessalonians 1:4), but later spoke of being worried that the tempter might have tempted them, “and our labor might be in vain” (I Thessalonians 3:5). How could there be such a possibility if “election” is unalterable and sure? Paul said, “We live, if you stand fast in the Lord” (I Thessalonians 3:8). That sounds like election is not so sure because we could quit “standing fast in the Lord.”

Our conclusion is that some of the elect can indeed quit standing fast in the Lord, can be tempted so that labor for their souls becomes “in vain” (to no good ending), and they fail to make their calling and election sure. We must be wise in utilizing the great tools of victory available in Christ. Do all it takes to “make your calling and election sure.” If you do these things, you will never stumble.

Hebrews Was Written to Saved People

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 22:31:20 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

The inspired writer of Hebrews is not writing to people who were almost saved and could be saved with a little more persuasion, but rather, he is writing to saved Jews on the verge of giving up and returning to their former life in Judaism. The writer speaks of how they were when they were first converted to Christ and now writes to remind them of why Christ is superior to Judaism, and “holding their confession” is what they needed to do. “Hold on” is the theme that is evident throughout the book. He is not inviting them to come into Christ finally, but to hold on to what they have already confessed.

“He had by Himself purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:3)
"Give more earnest heed to what we have heard lest we drift away” (Hebrews 2:1).
“Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (Hebrews 3:1).
Had Jesus as their “high priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1).
"Whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:6).
"We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end" (Hebrews 3:14).
"Let us hold fast our confession," (Jesus the Son of God) (Hebrews 4:14).
"Though by this time you ought to be teachers" (Hebrews 5:12). Not a lack of being saved, but a lack of maturing.
"He is a babe" (thus these had been born again) (Hebrews 5:13).
Needed to “go on to perfection” (Hebrews 6:1). They already had the foundation of Christ.
They “tasted the heavenly gift” and were “partakers of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews 6:4-6).
They had labored with love toward His name (Hebrews 6:10).
"By this will we have been sanctified" (Hebrews 10:10).
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering" (Hebrews 10:23).
"Recall the former days ... after you were illuminated" (Hebrews 10:32).
You knew you “have a better and enduring possession for yourselves in heaven” (Hebrews 10:34).
"Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward" (Hebrews 10:35).

These were brethren in Christ, under His great High Priesthood, who had been sanctified, illuminated, made the great confession of faith in Jesus, had become “partakers of Christ” and “partakers of the Holy Spirit” and had tasted the heavenly gift, but were now on the verge of drawing back to perdition.

Thus, this entire book demonstrates that one can fall from grace, and it serves as a treatise on why discouraged believers should reconsider their discouragement and move forward with faith that will carry them all the way to the end, thereby avoiding a return to perdition. If we hold fast to the confession, steadfast to the end, there is the eternal reward, but if we don’t, we become like Esau, who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. We have trampled Jesus underfoot to get back to the old life of sin and condemnation. That would be ultimate foolishness.

If we have eternal life, do we have it permanently?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:44:24 +0000

Question:

If we have eternal life, doesn't that mean we have it permanently?

Answer:

We have eternal life in promise. Just as formerly, we had eternal condemnation in promise. The promise of eternal damnation is to the unbeliever who can change their destiny by belief and repentance. Change your destiny by changing your direction and heart. “And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15). We have the eternal inheritance in promise. It hasn’t become our reality yet. In the same way, eternal destruction is the promise to the unbeliever. He hasn’t experienced it yet, but that is the direction he is going, and unless he changes his mind and direction, he is under eternal condemnation.

Can he change directions? Yes! Likewise, a believer can change directions. Hebrews 3:12 says to take heed lest you develop an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Here is a person with the promise of eternal life changing directions to the promise of eternal condemnation. So, “eternal” life does not mean you automatically keep it forever, but that under the terms of the covenant, it is yours by promise, and under the terms of unbelief, “eternal condemnation” is yours by promise, but in either case, you can forfeit the promise. "And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal” (I John 2:25). It is not a “promise” if it is an actual possession that cannot be forfeited. If we have it by possession instead of promise, then hope is no longer hope since hope has been realized (Romans 8:24f). If we have eternal life in actual possession, then we are not hoping for immortality. But if it is our promise and hope, then we can lose that hope by forfeiting the terms and conditions that give that promise and hope. That would be like selling your birthright for a mess of pottage, as Esau did. Giving up everlasting life for the temporal is certainly a foolish trade.

Terry Wane Benton

Can You Really Lose Your Salvation?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 21:46:23 +0000

by Clay Gentry

You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “Once saved, always saved.” It’s a slogan, rooted in Calvinism, meant to express an assurance of eternal security. But then, you’ve no doubt heard the counterargument: “No, you can lose your salvation.” While the latter is said with good intentions, I wonder if this response can do more harm than good. Is it possible that the word “lose” is subjecting faithful people to anxiety and fear when the Bible offers something more assuring, even while warning against apostasy? This morning, let’s explore this question by looking at what the Bible says about the possibility of falling away and why “lose” might not be the right word for what’s at stake.

The Once Saved, Always Saved Doctrine:
1. Properly Called Perseverance of the Saints, the “P” in TULIP.
  1. Hyper-Calvinists believe it doesn’t matter how you live; if you’re saved, you’re saved.
  2. Calm-Calvinists (my term) believe that if you’re “truly” saved, you won’t sin to be eternally lost.
2. The counterargument is, “No, you can lose your salvation.”
  1. The Bible does give sober warnings about apostatizing. The letters of Galatians and Hebrews were written to confront apostasy among Christians.
  2. It may also come from a desire to prevent spiritual complacency.
Is “lose” the right word?
1. In the Bible, the word “lose” (G622) carries the idea of destruction or perishing (cf. Mark 8:34-38; Luke 15:32; II John 8).
2. However, in common usage, “lose” is to accidentally or unintentionally be deprived of something.
3. The Bible’s warnings about apostasy are intentional and concrete; it’s not an accidental choice.
Bible Terms for Apostasy Imply Intentionality:
1. Falling from Grace (Galatians 1:6-9; 5:1-4; 16-26).
  1. If they intentionally chose circumcision for salvation, they would “fall from grace.”
  2. Assurance is built on standing resolutely in God’s grace and walking by the Spirit.
2. Making a Shipwreck of Faith (I Timothy 1:3-20).
  1. Some rejected “faith and a good conscience” for vain discussions leading to sin.
  2. Steadfastness is rooted in “love from a pure heart, a good conscience, a sincere faith.”
3. Shrinking Back (Hebrews 10:32-39; 12:1-2).
  1. The phrase “shrinks back” describes a conscious act of withdrawal or retreat.
  2. Confidence is found in allegiance to Jesus for the saving of our souls.
4. Turning Back (II Peter 2:20-22; 3:17-18).
  1. “Like a dog returning to vomit” is a decisive reversal of direction.
  2. Security is nurtured by growing “in the grace and knowledge” of Jesus Christ.

So, where does this leave us? Not with the anxiety of accidentally “losing” our salvation, but with the sobering reality that we can intentionally walk away. However, in this reality, there is a profound truth: Our security is not found in a slogan, but in a Savior. He’s the one who empowers and strengthens us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). So today, let’s make a clear, conscious decision to never turn our backs on Him, nor shrink back from the challenges of faith, or walk away from the one who loves us. Let’s stand firm in the grace we’ve received, holding fast to the resurrection hope we confess. And because God is faithful to His promises, let us never be unfaithful to Him.

Eternal Security

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 18:54:05 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

The writer of Hebrews talks about "full assurance of faith" and warns about developing "an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." Therefore, a Christian can be assured of their salvation and "make their calling and election sure" (II Peter 1:5-12), while acknowledging that they can still fall away and lose their security.

There is a false doctrine of eternal security that says "once-saved-always-saved." The Bible does not teach this. A person can "fall from grace" (Galatians 5:1-4) and be worse than before (II Peter 2:20f). So, there is no automatic security that keeps you covered no matter what you decide to do. But on the other hand, we can do things that "make our calling and election sure" and "if you do these things you will never stumble" (II Peter 1:5-12).

So, if we want to be sure and secure, we can take steps to maintain our security. We can be afraid to come short of the eternal rest by being diligent to "mix" the word into our faith (Hebrews 4:1-2). If we don't keep mixing God's word into our faith, we ought to feel insecure. But combining it into our faith has a way of "building you up and giving you an inheritance" (Acts 20:32).

Mixing it into our faith makes us more aware of our duties and keeps us near to God, taking advantage of His exceeding great and precious promises. When we fall into sin, we feel a need to "confess our sins" (I John 1:7-9). He is faithful to forgive us, and our assurance level continues to grow.

The word of God is powerful (Hebrews 4:12), and incorporating it into our faith gives us the power of strong conviction and "full assurance of hope" (Hebrews 6:11) and "strong consolation" (Hebrews 6:18) in God and His promises. The New Covenant of Jesus has "surety" that He "is able to save to the uttermost" (Hebrews 7:22,25).

When we know Jesus as our High Priest we can "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Hebrews 10:22). With all the benefits available in Christ, we should feel empowered to be "more than conquerors" and know we have victory even over death, victory over sin, and victory over doubt and fear.

We can live a life of security and have "boldness in the day of judgment" (I John 4:17). We can have confidence in Him (I John 5:14). That is the eternal security that God wants each of us to be diligent to have by daily mixing His word into our faith.

Once SAVED Always Saved?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 17:54:53 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

Of course, those words are never seen in the Bible. They are not stated, and they are not even implied. In fact, to believe such a doctrine, you would have to work against many clear verses, either outright denying them or outright ignoring them. Not only does the Bible say you can “fall from grace” (you cannot fall from something you were never in) (Galatians 5:1-4), but “the sow that was washed has returned to her wallowing in the mire” (II Peter 2:20f).

Peter does not describe an unsaved person. He says he is describing someone who escaped the world's pollution. How did they escape? He says they escaped “through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” That is how one escapes, if they escape at all. So, Peter is definitely describing a saved person who escaped the world's pollution. He further illustrated that this person is like a “sow that was washed.” You cannot be washed and escape the world's pollution through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and at the same time not be saved. The description is of a washed, clean individual. No person “escapes” and is “washed” clean without being saved.

A person who actually escaped the pollution of the world and was “washed clean” (thus saved) is “again entangled” in the things that made him condemned before his escape and washing. Peter did not agree with the doctrine of “once saved, always saved”. He said he is now worse off after this saved person is again entangled. “The latter end is worse than the first.” He was condemned at first, then escaped condemnation, and now he is condemned again. He is worse off now because he turned from the things that could have kept him saved. He chose to reject the salvation he had experienced in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The illustration Peter gives is disgusting. A dog vomits out what is making him sick. Thus, the dog is now unpolluted and saved from the sickness. He is rid of what made him sick but then devours what he expelled. That is disgusting, but no more disgusting than a person who got rid of sin through Jesus and then chooses to return to sin and condemnation. But “it has happened.” Therefore, it can happen, which proves beyond all doubt that “once saved, always saved” is a doctrine of demons.

The doctrine is nowhere stated, implied, and outright denied by many clear scriptures. Even Paul admitted that he could, after preaching to others, become “disqualified for the prize” if he did not run the race according to the rules (I Corinthians 9:24f). With such clear teaching, we must let God be true, and let the doctrines of men be counted as false, giving false assurance that is actually dangerous to be spreading to unsuspecting people. Beware lest confidence is based on misguided information and twisted scriptures.

Do occasional sins lead to spiritual death?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 20:13:56 +0000

Question:

Good afternoon,

I heard a preacher recently state that in Romans 6:12-18, Paul makes a distinction between presenting your members as instruments for unrighteousness (Romans 6:13) and slaves of unrighteousness (Romans 6:16) which leads to spiritual death. The point being made here was that when a Christian, on occasion, yields his members as instruments for unrighteousness that it does not bring about spiritual death, but it does when one allows themselves to be slaves or servants of unrighteousness.

When I read this passage, I don’t see the point the preacher was trying to convey. If we are dead to sin and alive in Christ to honor God (Romans 6:9-11) it seems to me that Paul is saying that now Christians are not to be either instruments for unrighteousness or slaves to sin. But is it possible that one produces spiritual death (being a slave or servant) and the other (being an instrument) does not?

And my final question is what passages of scripture would help me understand my security in Christ when I do on occasion sin? I know I am not perfect, yet I try each day to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. Are we out of fellowship with God each time we sin?

Answer:

The preacher you were listening to was trying hard to bend the passage to conform to his beliefs.

At the start of the chapter, Paul is arguing that Christians should not get involved in sin (Romans 6:1-2). His first point is that when we become Christians, we were released from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:3-7). The warning then is that Christians should not return to the practices that they were freed from. "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:11-13). The conclusion is that we cannot let sin reign over us (Psalms 19:13; 119:133). The very command implies that we have a choice when it comes to sin. Sin’s roots are in the desires of the body, which must be controlled (James 1:13-16; I John 2:15-17). We cannot give over parts of our body to be used as tools for unrighteousness (Colossians 3:5). Instead, we are to be tools of God to do righteousness (I Peter 4:1-3). Notice that Paul is not talking about an occasional slippage but allowing sin to reign over our bodies. We are not to go on (repeatedly) using our bodies to sin.

Paul's next point is that purposely allowing yourself to sin is putting yourself back into slavery. "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed" (Romans 6:16-17). The law forbids sins. Grace is given to forgive sins. Since we are not under the law but grace, Paul supposes there may be some who would conclude that we would have no obligations to be obedient to the law’s commands against sin. Paul asserts that such a conclusion cannot be drawn (Galatians 5:13; I Peter 2:16; Jude 4). To prove this, Paul points out that we serve whomever we obey. "I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification" (Romans 6:19). If we are following sin, then we are serving sin and not Christ (John 8:24; I John 2:17). You can’t serve both at once (Matthew 6:24). Thankfully, for Christians, service to sin is a thing of the past, ending when we sincerely obeyed God’s teaching.

Paul then argues that sin has never benefitted anyone, so why indulge in it? "Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death" (Romans 6:21). When we were sinners, there was no drive to do righteousness. What benefit did you gain from the sinful acts of your past? There were no true benefits, only a judgment of death (James 1:13-16). Even the thoughts of what we once did are embarrassing (II Corinthians 4:2; Ephesians 5:12; Philippians 3:19). Sin didn’t benefit us in the past. That is why we left the way of sin.

The last point is that sin earns death (Ezekiel 18:4). God’s unearned gift is eternal life that is found in Jesus Christ, who is our ruler. Why would anyone want to go back? A choice, then, must be made (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Nowhere in this chapter is Paul contrasting occasional sin with slavery to sin. The whole point is that we must fight against sin because yielding to it will eventually lead us back to slavery and death.

Paul is not saying that Christians never sin. Sin is something we must always deal with while in the world.

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world" (I Peter 5:8-9).

"This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world" (I John 1:5 - 2:2).

Paul's point is that no Christian should take an "Oh well, God will take care of it" attitude toward sin. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2). Sin will always lead you further than you want to go.

Can Psalms 37:28 be used to prove the perseverance of the saints?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 13:25:13 +0000

Question:

Does Psalms 37:28 teach perseverance of the saints and once saved, always saved? (Psalms 37:28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.) The preserved forever part.

Answer:

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, and his descendants are a blessing. Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever. For the LORD loves justice and does not forsake His godly ones; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever" (Psalms 37:25-29).

Like most questions that are based on a single verse, you usually find your answer by reading the verses around it. David is discussing the righteous and their descendants versus the wicked and their descendants. David is stating that the wicked tend to die young so they won't remain in the earth for long. However, because God cares for the righteous, they and their descendants tend to remain. Jesus said much the same thing, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).

The Jewish concept of "forever" was an indefinite, long period of time. While the Israelites remained faithful to God, God would see to it that they remained in the land of Israel. But if they turned wicked, they would be removed.

This doesn't apply to individuals, but to family lines. It doesn't state that people once declared righteous would remain righteous nor does it say that the wicked have to remain wicked. In fact, it specifically states that the wicked can become righteous and partake of the blessings. But implied in this is if the righteous become wicked that they would lose the blessings.