Index To All Sections Part 1: An Introduction to John Calvin and his Doctrines of Grace Part 2: Introduction to the acronym T.U.L.I.P - each letter stands for one of the five fundamental tenets of Calvinism.
2A. Total Inability
2B. Unconditional Election
2C. Limited Atonement
2D. Irresistible Grace
You Are Here  2E. Perseverance of The Saints Part 3: When the Gospel Becomes a Lie
Part 4: God’s Sovereignty and Character
Part 5: Hypocrisy Unlimited
Part 6: Conclusion Part 7: The Sins of Augustine. Part 8: Calvinism in the First 1500 Years Calvinism And The Book of Romans HERE
ON THIS PAGE
Perseverance of The Saints
Perseverance of the Saints is the belief that truly regenerated believers will remain constant or persist in their faith to the end of their lives. If they fall away or go astray it is assumed that they were never truly saved in the first place. How Calvinists View Those Who Abandon The Faith
Calvinists believe that if a person falls from the faith or goes astray their conversion could not have been genuine. Verses Commonly Cited
There are some Scriptural verses that (on the surface) seem to support the idea that believers will persevere to the end. Manipulation of Some English Translations
Does God "guarantee" that the true believer will not lose their salvation? The Repeated Warnings To Believers About Not Falling
On the one hand the warnings are part of God's word and have to be taken seriously.
On the other hand, if Calvinism is Biblical these verses are 'hypothetical' or do not apply to the "saved" person. Confused Teachings
Leading Calvinists contradict themselves in two consecutive statements Exhorting Believers to Make Their Election Sure
One would imagine that after people had come to faith in the Gospel the apostles could put their feet up, confident in the "Efficacious Grace" of their God. Instead... Footnote I - Erroneous and Deceptive Translations
Driven by pre-bias the translators endeavored to put forward what they believed to be true. In doing so they have led people away from what the Scriptures actually say.
Perseverance of The Saints
Perseverance, represented by the fifth and last letter of the acronym TULIP, means persistence under discouragement and contrary pressure. It is the belief that everyone truly regenerated by God's grace will never fall away and perish. Although it is similar to the doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved (both have security in salvation in common) they take dissimilar paths to get there.
Perseverance of the Saints
Perseverance of the Saints emphasizes that through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit God keeps or preserves truly regenerated believers throughout their lives. If the believer falls away it is a given that they were never truly saved in the first place. Once Saved Always Saved
On the other hand, proponents of Once Saved Always Saved believe that once a person has made the once and for all decision to "accept" Christ as savior, they are in the enviable position of being eternally secure in their salvation since there is not the slightest chance of slipping from His hand. Some carry this doctrine to ridiculous lengths even teaching that since they cannot be ‘unforgiven’ believers can live the rest of their lives just as they please and still remain saved. The only repercussions would be losing a reward or two. See Eternal Life: Promise or Possession? The Assurance of Salvation The Judgment Seat of Christ and Rewards in Heaven. Part VII of What And Where is "Heaven"?
How Calvinists View Those Who Abandon The Faith
Calvinists believe that if a person falls from the faith or goes astray their conversion could not have been genuine. Although the person appeared faithful, their belief must have been flawed in some way and they never truly turned to Christ. A couple of verses in John's first letter are often used in support of this idea.
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:18-19 NASB)
There is little question that John definitely viewed the secessionists as never having really belonged to the Christian community however, those who simply fall away from faith usually do so individually - not in groups. If a number of people leave together it usually is because a different doctrine has been introduced into the church. In fact, there is strong indication that the first two of John's three epistles were prompted by the same or a similar situation. Both letters referred to people who had withdrawn from the community and "gone out into the world". It was not that these people had a minor difference of opinion, but that they did not acknowledge Jesus' earthly incarnation - a matter so serious that John called the defectors antichrists - a very harsh term quite unlikely to have been applied to people who had simply walked away Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. (1 John 2:22-23 NASB) For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. (2 John 1:7 NASB) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; (1 John 4:1-2 NASB)
This teaching was so potentially damaging that John even warned against allowing the false teachers into their house (either private residence or the house where Christians congregated together), where they would have had ample opportunity to spread their false teachings. Moreover they were not even to acknowledge these false teachers as brothers. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2 John 1:10-11 NASB)
In other words, 1 John 2:18-19 is not a spiritual principle that can be applied to anyone who just drifts away.
Verses Commonly Cited
There are some Scriptural verses that (on the surface) seem to support the idea that all believers will persevere to the end.
Believers Will Never Hunger or Thirst - John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. (John 6:35 NASB)
The parallel structure of the two parts of the verse indicate that coming to Jesus and believing on Him are the same thing. To be noted is that the Greek words translated comes and believes are present active participles - a grammatical term that refers to an action currently taking place or one that takes place repeatedly. [01] This is why Young's Literal Translation renders the verse.. "And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of the life; he who is coming unto me may not hunger, and he who is believing in me may not thirst. To put it another way, this verse is not speaking if a one time event but a continual state of believing. Salvation is not determined once and for all at the time of confession of faith but limits it to those who continue to do the will of the heavenly Father. If you stay believing, you will never hunger or thirst. *However do remember that in the Bible 'belief' is a lot more than just believing certain things. See What a "Christian" Isn't) Similarly, Young's Literal Translation correctly renders Matthew 7:21 'Not every one who is saying to me Lord, lord, shall come into the reign of the heavens; but he who is doing (Gk. poieo) the will of my Father who is in the heavens. (Matthew 7:21 YLT)
The Greek word poieo is again a present participle active verb which means it refers to an action that is currently taking place or which takes place repeatedly. To put it simply - once the believer stops doing the will of the Father he or she is not longer eligible for the Kingdom. Jesus Didn't 'Lose' Any Of Those Given To Him - John 6:37-39, 18: 8-9 etc.
The following verses are often cited as evidence that those who are chosen by God will persevere to the end. 1. All that the Father gives (GK. didosin) Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose (Gk. apollumi) nothing, but raise it up on the last day. (John 6:37-39) 2. told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way." This was said to fulfill the word "Of those whom You have given Me I lost (Gk. apollumi) not one." (John 18: 8-9 NASB)
However, these verses could not possibly mean that everyone who comes to Christ will never fall away, simply because John 6:66 that tells us that some of His "disciples" stopped following Him. In fact, Judas who was hand picked by the Savior Himself not only stopped following Jesus but became a traitor. Additionally, as we know Judas committed suicide so the Savior did lose one which He said, 3.) While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished (Gr. apollumi) but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. (John 17:12 NASB)
So what did Jesus mean when He said "all that He has given Me I lose nothing"? There are two points to be taken into consideration - Who Jesus was referring to AND the Greek word He used all three times (apollumi translated 'lose') 1.) Jesus Was Speaking About His Disciples: Much as we love to take any and all Scriptural verses and apply them to ourselves, there are plenty that were specifically aimed at certain people and do NOT apply to anyone else. In this case Christ was speaking about His twelve disciples. This is supported by the circumstances surrounding quote 2. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus He twice identified Himself as the one they were seeking and told them to let the disciples go. This was to fulfill the word "Of those whom You have given Me I lost (Gk. apollumi) not one". If any of the disciples had been arrested that day it was very likely that they would have been put to death alongside the Savior. Jesus was not going to lose a single one of His disciples to be arrested and executed. It had nothing to do with falling away or Irresistible Grace
2.) He Used The Greek Word Apollumi:
In both cases Christ used the Greek word apollumi (rendered 'lost') which means perish, kill, destroy, die - made clear by the following examples. Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy (Gr. apollumi) Him." (Matthew 2:13 NASB) They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing! (Gr. apollumi) " And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. (Luke 8:24 NASB)
Again He was not going to allow any of His disciples to be executed.
Jesus Said His Sheep Will Never Perish - John 10:27-29:
Calvinists and other believers in "eternal security" argue that a born-again person cannot apostatize because Christ said that his sheep would never perish.
"My sheep listen (Gk.akouousin) to my voice; I know (Gk. ginosko ) them, and they follow (Gk. akolouthousin) Me. I give (Gk. didomi) them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:27-29).
Every one of the four verbs in the above verses are present indicative tense used to describe something that is happening at the time of speaking - now. Thus the Concordant literal version renders the verses thus... My sheep are hearing My voice, and I know them, and they are following Me." And I am giving them life eonian, and they should by no means be perishing for the eon, and no one shall be snatching them out of My hand." (John 10:27-28 CLV)
So what Jesus was saying is that as long as His sheep are listening to his voice and following Him they will receive eternal life. As Paul later did in Romans 8:38-39, Jesus was endeavoring to give the believer confidence that they could not be snatched out of the Father's hand i.e. no outside power could separate them from the love of God. However, if a person gets to the point where they cannot or do not hear His voice and are not actively following Him, they are not longer His sheep and these assurances do not apply to them. They cannot claim to have any blessing of God, much less eternal life. The same principle applies to God Will Keep You From Stumbling - Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, (Jude 1:24)
Only by taking the Word of God as a whole can a person find out who is ultimately responsible for our safe keeping. Jude does say God can keep you from stumbling, but note his word just three verses earlier. keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. (Jude 1:21 NASB)
Similarly, Paul emphasized that both God and the believer have a part to play. The believer has to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling but, at the same time, God is at in work within them. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13 NASB)
It is not only God who sovereignly keeps the believer - both parties have to work together in a partnership. In any case, Jude's short book was written for one reason and one reason only i.e to warn his readers that, unnoticed by them, "certain ungodly persons had crept in who had turned the grace of our God into licentiousness and were denying Jesus Christ." He then brought up the unbelieving Hebrews whom God had delivered out of Egypt, apostate angels, and the corrupt inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, warning them of the fate that would befall anyone going down the same path. God Will Finish What He Started - Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you (Gk. hymin) will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ
This verse has long been one of the staple texts used to undergird both the doctrine of OSAS and Perseverance of the Saints. In English we use the the personal pronoun "you" regardless of whether we are speaking to one person or a hundred. However this is not so with the Greek which has both singular and plural forms of "you". In the verse above Paul used the plural form (hymin) [02] which indicates he was not speaking about any one individual but to the Philippians as a corporate body.. the church.
Manipulation of Some English Translations
Some go as far as to say that God "guarantees" that the true believer will not lose their salvation as noted in the following excerpt from Got Questions Ministries. (All Emphasis Added)
This wonderful truth is seen in Ephesians 1:13-14 where we see that believers are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession, to the praise of His glory.” When we are born again, we receive the promised indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that is God's guarantee that He who began a good work in us will complete it (Philippians 1:6). In order for us to lose our salvation after receiving the promised Holy Spirit, God would have to break His promise or renege on His "guarantee,” which He cannot do. Therefore the believer is eternally secure because God is eternally faithful. [03] Sadly, the Calvinistic bent and clear bias of the NIV and several other popular translations is nowhere more clear than in their rendering of three verses in which the Hebrew arrhabon has been translated deposit or guarantee when it actually means earnest. However, what is even more reprehensible is that in some cases they translated arrhabon into the English deposit then added the word guarantee. Unknowingly, countless people have relied on these translations, believing that Scripture actually speaks of a guarantee when, in fact, it does no such thing. There is a world of difference between guarantee and earnest. For Details See A Deposit Guaranteeing Our Inheritance?] Note that this is not the only place where the English translation has been made to reflect the preconceived ideas and doctrinal bias of the translator(s). For example the word "hell" does not exist in the Bible and the Holy Spirit is never said to be a "He" which has to be assumed. See Footnote I
The Repeated Warnings To Believers About Not Falling (All Emphasis Added)
Which brings up the question - if people are saved because God chose them to be so from the foundation of the world why do numerous passages liberally sprinkled throughout the New Testament warn believers to be careful about not wandering from the faith and not falling from a secure position If the Father Himself is enabling believers to persevere, what exactly is the point of not only warning them, but doing so repeatedly and emphatically. Those who are genuinely saved supposedly cannot do otherwise. Ezekiel 18:24
What we are supposed to make of Ezekiel 18:24 that speaks of the fate of a righteous man who turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. (Ezekiel 18:21-24 NASB)
Romans 1
Several verses in Romans 1 make it very clear that men who knew and acknowledged God chose to reject Him, which caused Him to give them up to whatever they had set their minds on. (All emphasis added) (21) For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (22) Professing to be wise, they became fools, (23) and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. (24) Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. (Romans 1:21-24 NASB)
Romans 11
Paul very clearly states that because of unbelief, the Jews or natural branches, were broken off from the tree. He warned the Gentiles that although they had been grafted in they were not to be arrogant enough to presume that the natural branches were removed so that they could be grafted in. He warned that unless they walked rightly they too would be cut off. (17) But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, (18) do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. (19) You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." (20) Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; (21) for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. (22) Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. (23) And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. (24) For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:17-24 NASB)
See the uncountable number of warnings about the consequences of not persevering in the faith on
Eternal Life: Personal Possession or Promise? Jesus' Parables About Persevering to The End are HERE 2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought (Gk. agorazo) them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
Being bought with Christ's blood means He recovered ownership by paying a specified sum. In other words, the people He 'bought' were redeemed. For you have been bought (Gk. agorazo) with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20 NASB) For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave. You were bought (Gk. agorazo) with a price; do not become slaves of men. (1 Corinthians 7:22-23 NASB)
So Peter's statement that the false teachers were "bought" means that they were also redeemed by Jesus Christ. This does not tally with the Calvinist doctrine of limited atonement i.e. Christ died only for the elect. And this is not the only verse that suggests that people fell away who once knew the Lord. For example, Paul urged the Romans to not do anything that would result in their brother perishing. Romans 14
Once again using the word apollumi (destroy. kill. perish) Paul urged the Romans to not do anything that would result in their brother perishing. For if because of food your brother (Gk. adelphos) is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy (Gk. apollumi with your food him for whom Christ died. (Romans 14:15 NASB)
Brother was rendered from the Greek adelphos - used over 300 times in the New Testament most often to refer to 'brothers in Christ'. For if because of food your brother (Gk. adelphos) is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. (Romans 14:15 NASB)
This verse that completely contradicts Perseverance of The Saints makes it very clear that it is entirely possible for once redeemed people to teach heresies and bring destruction down on their own heads. Revelation 2:5 I have to wonder why the Lord specifically threatened the church in Ephesus that He would remove their lamp stand from its place unless they repented To the church in Ephesus: 'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lamp stand out of its place--unless you repent. (Revelation 2:5 NASB)
Confused Teachings
John Piper's teaching on the 'warning verses' is extremely confusing. He refers to the "many warnings in Scripture that those who do not hold fast to Christ can be lost in the end" - then contradicts himself in two consecutive statements. (Emphasis added).
It follows from what was just said that the people of God WILL persevere to the end and not be lost. The foreknown are predestined, the predestined are called, the called are justified, and the justified are glorified. No one is lost from this group. To belong to this people is to be eternally secure. But we mean more than this by the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. We mean that the saints will and must persevere in the obedience which comes from faith. Election is unconditional, but glorification is not. There are many warnings in Scripture that those who do not hold fast to Christ can be lost in the end. [04]
Piper then quotes 2 Peter 1:10 which says " Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble". He then adds that we should "be zealous to make our calling and election sure" which brings up a number of questions... a) If no one is lost from the group that are foreknown, predestined, called, justified and glorified, then how can "glorification be conditional"? b) If "election is unconditional" surely there is absolutely nothing we can do to ensure that God's election stands firm, or isn't He capable of doing that? c) If "no one is lost from this group" why do we have to make our election sure? d) If "no one is lost from this group", why does Peter say "if you do this you will never fall"? (2 Peter 1:10) e) Doesn't "no one is lost from this group" contradict "those who do not hold fast to Christ can be lost in the end"?
Furthermore why in the world would believers be encouraged to stay faithful?
Exhorting Believers to Make Their Election Sure
One would imagine that after people had come to faith in the Gospel the apostles could put their feet up, confident in the "Efficacious Grace" of their God. Instead they endlessly continued exhorting believers to make their election sure.
One has to remember that doctrine can not be derived from isolated verses, but Scripture as an integrated whole. It would be impossible for the Bible to cram all it's teachings on a particular subject into one verse or paragraph. Not all the passages in the Scriptures that speak of God's promises expressly mention the conditions that have to be met in order for Him to keep those promises. This does not mean that the conditions do not exist and have not been made very clear... they just aren't in the same verse. Therefore all passages that speak of or have any bearing on the subject in question have to be taken into consideration. The following numerous exhortations for us to continue in our faith do not make a whit of sense against the backdrop of the reformed belief in Perseverance of the Saints.
Acts 11:23: Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;
Acts 14:21-22 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." Acts 20:29-32 If it were certain God would cause the believers in Ephesus to persevere to the end, then there was no reason for Paul to have spent three years warning them about false teachers who would, "draw away the disciples after them". He went on to tell them that now that he was about to leave them he committed them to "God and to the word of His grace, which was able to build them up and to give them the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Vs. 32 ) Note the use of the word able.. "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:29-32 NASB)
Romans 12:1-2: Paul urged his Roman readers to Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your reasonable service (or worship). Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect (Greek teleios) will.
Everything that Paul exhorts these Christians to do is accomplished by them making a specific decision and commitment. They have to actively choose to present or offer their bodies as a living sacrifice (a metaphor taken from the Old Testament sacrifices offered on the altar), choose not to conform to the pattern of the world, and be transformed by the renewing of their minds. If God were the one renewing the minds of believers, they would automatically be transformed and would need to take no action whatsoever.
1 Corinthians 9:27 - "but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified".
1 Corinthians 10:12: Paul advised against being too sure of salvation. He said "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall". 1 Corinthians 15:1-2: Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6: Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
Galatians 5:1-4: It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Ephesians 4:13-14 mature (Gk. teleios) or perfect Christians are contrasted with children, who are credulous, easily influenced and easily led astray.. It is only the mature believer that becomes so convinced of the truth of their faith that they can withstand every wile of man or devil - the immature ones would be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature (Gk. teleios) man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (Ephesians 4:13-14 NASB)
Colossians 1:22-23: very clearly states that Jesus will present the believer as holy, without blemish and blameless if the believer continues in the faith and does not move away from the hope of the Gospel
yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach — if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard... (Colossians 1:22-23 NASB)
Colossians 4:12: In the following verse the Greek Agonizomai is the source of our English "agonizing", which accurately portrays the depth of Epaphras' fervent, earnest pleading that the saints in Colossae (V.1:2) would stand perfect before God. Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bond slave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly (Gk. agonizomai) for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect (Gk. teleios) and fully assured in all the will of God. (Colossians 4:12 NASB)
1 Thessalonians 3: 5-6: ...when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you.
2 Timothy 2:11-13 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
2 Peter 1:10-11: Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. (2 Peter 1:10-11 NASB)
In Peter's first Epistle written to believers he said that they needed to apply diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and brotherly kindness (Vs. 5-7) for as they practiced these things, they would never stumble.
Hebrews:
Although no consensus of opinion has ever been arrived at concerning the authorship of the book of Hebrews, the target audience has never been in question. The late Dr. Walter Martin, is said to have humorously remarked that the Book of Hebrews was written by a Hebrew to other Hebrews telling the Hebrews to stop acting like Hebrews. This quip, although light-hearted, was nevertheless very true. As said by commentator Albert Barnes, the book of Hebrews...
... all along supposes that those to whom it was sent were familiar with the Jewish history; with the nature of the temple service; with the functions of the priestly office; and with the whole structure of their religion. No other person than those who had been Jews are addressed throughout the Epistle... At the same time, it is equally clear that they were converts from Judaism to Christianity who are addressed.
However, the author appeared to have been no less confused than Peter and Paul. Hebrews 2:3 asks "how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard". (Emphasis Added). I guess he never read Calvin's Institutes since he did not seem to know that it is impossible for the elect to neglect salvation, while the non-elect have no choice but to neglect it. Worse, he seemed to be under the impression that people already converted could let their salvation slide.
Hebrews 3:12-15 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, "today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me." Note carefully that the above verse is addressed to the "brethren" - regenerate saved believers who are being warned against developing "evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God". How is this possible for people who have been Unconditionally Elected and given the gift of Efficacious and Irresistible Grace? Either God's grace is not quite as efficacious as is made out to be or the author of Hebrews was talking through his hat.
Hebrews 4:9-11: So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. The context of the verse tells us that entry to Heaven is being compared with entry into the Promised Land promised to the Israelites... or His "rest". (Read 3:15 on). The verse quoted above urges "the people of God" to "be diligent" to enter into His rest but, according to Calvinism the "people of God" have already been preordained to salvation and will therefore undoubtedly enter into His rest. How can they give diligence to something that they have no control over?
Hebrews 6:4-6: For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. Hebrews 10:38-39: but My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. (NASB) These four verses from Hebrews indicate that we are responsible for our own salvation and have to be diligent throughout our natural lives to ensure that we do not fall before entering the Promised Land... just like Paul spoke of doing in
Footnote I - Erroneous and Deceptive Translations
The list is a long one. One can only conclude that a pre-bias drove many of the so called translations. What we do know is that in the effort to put forward what they believe to be true, the translators have led people away from what the Scriptures actually say. Most people who cannot speak Hebrew or Greek are forced to rely on these inaccurate translations and will never know what the Bible actually says.
Free Gift: Have you ever noticed how often Christians (rightly) make it a point to say that we should never ever add or take away anything from God's word? Yet, it is done all the time even by those we consider upstanding leaders and scholars. Deception is often very, very subtle. In Romans 6:23 and 5:15-16 the translators took the word charisma - which simply means a gift - and render it "Free Gift". "Free" does NOT exist in the original Greek. This is not a translation error, but a clear case of people intentionally adding their own thoughts and ideas to God's word. And when any portion of God's Word is changed in any way, that portion is no longer God's Word. See Free Gift?
Sin, Iniquity, and Transgression were translated from entirely separate and distinct Hebrew words for which definitions are offered without a smidgen of Biblical support. However, if you take the time to carefully study the original Hebrew words - paying special attention to how the words were used - you will see that most definitions are baseless. This is important because anyone who does not view sin as God views it is making a gargantuan mistake. See Sin Salvation: The church teaches we are saved. The Bible makes it clear that no living Christian is completely and finally saved. See The Two Phase Atonement Faith: Although the Bible does state that no one can be saved without faith, it disputes the idea that faith alone is sufficient to enter God's kingdom. See The Myth of Faith Alone The Trinity: Challenging the doctrine of the Trinity does not mean challenging the Divinity of Christ and it does not mean challenging the Divinity of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament abounds with much proof of the deity of Jesus Christ, and Acts 5:3-4 is more than enough to clinch the issue of the Holy Spirit being God. However, there is absolutely no evidence that the Holy Spirit is the 'third person of the trinity. Doctrinal bias rather than grammatical accuracy is responsible for referring to the Holy Spirit with masculine rather than neuter pronouns. See Is God a Trinity... Part III. The Grammar Original Sin: I have to wonder how many of those that profess to believe in Original Sin have given any thought to the fact that sin is not a substance with physical properties that can be transmitted from person to person like a virus. Much to the contrary, sin is a conscious, willful act performed by an individual (in thought, word or deed) that transgresses God's law. Think about it. Sin can not even exist unless a sinner makes an bad choice and follows through with it. Besides which, if sin is transferable there is absolutely no reason why virtue, goodness, and righteousness cannot also be physically transmitted. See Original Sin - Fact of Fable? However, there is no question that in Romans 5 Paul said something happened to all humanity because of Adam's sin. Which begs the question - What exactly was it that Adam passed down to his descendants? See Original Sin or Epigenetics? https://www.inplainsite.org/html/original_sin_or_epigenetics.html
Calvinism: The Reformed doctrine of Calvinism claims to adhere to a very 'high view' of scripture based solely on Gods word, but is this true? So many churches teach Calvinism, so many books and online articles are written about it that, to the average person exposed to this avalanche of skillful presentations, it may seem that this doctrine came straight from the mouths of the apostles and prophets themselves. See Calvinism Guarantee or Earnest: In certain verses (Ephesians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 1:22, and 2 Corinthians 5:5) that refer to God's promise of the Holy Spirit the NIV and several other popular translations render the Hebrew arrhabon as 'deposit' when the word actually means 'earnest'. There is a world of difference between the two words. To make matters worse, some versions not only translated arrhabon into the English 'deposit', but went on to add the word 'guarantee'. Unknowingly, countless people have been led to believe that Scripture actually speaks of a 'guarantee' when, in fact, it does no such thing. This "mis-translation" can only be accounted for by a clear and biased Calvinistic bent. See Guarantee or Earnest:
Babel / Babylon: There is clear Scriptural evidence that Babel and Babylon were the same place including the fact that both words were rendered from the same exact Hebrew word ba·bel. So the fact that they were translated into two separate English words is one of the many mysteries that surround the translation of some Biblical words. See From Babel To Babylon Hell: Just like the trinity, the belief that Hell is a place of unending torment has been so strongly held for so long that few have dared to challenge it. However, the deeper one delves into the subject the less persuasive the argument in favor of the traditional view becomes. "Hell" is used in place of not one but three separate Hebrew and Greek proper names (Sheol, Hades and Gehenna). Proper names? Who in the world "translates' proper names? In any case "hell" does not mean fire and brimstone. It comes from an old English word which means to 'cover over' that ties in with the description of Sheol found in the Old Testament i.e. The grave. When the New Testament authors quoted an OT verse that mentioned Sheol they used the Greek Hades. In other words, Sheol and Hades are the same place. So how does the Old Testament describe Sheol? And what did Jesus mean when He referred to 'Gehenna'? - Definitely not the illogical and nonsensical story about perpetually burning fires outside Jerusalem city. It goes MUCH deeper than that. See What and Where is Hell?
Heaven: Christians who believe they will spend an eternity in "heaven" seem to have little or no idea where this heaven is, what it will look like, or what they will do there. This is not helped at all by the pious gobbledygook (pretentious jargon in this case) resorted to by those who apparently know nothing about it. See What and Where is Heaven? [PLACE IN TEXT] Continue On To Part III - When the Gospel Becomes a Lie HERE
If, as Calvinism believes, God has limited to the offer of salvation to only an select few it is a lie of gargantuan proportions to stand before an audience of any size and preach that God will save them if they will believe and put their trust in Jesus. ANY attempt to persuade an unbeliever to repent and come to faith in Christ conveys the impression that he can choose to do so. This could be totally misleading since the person concerned may or may not be one of those "elected" to salvation.
End Notes
[01] https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/7.htm
[02] https://biblehub.com/interlinear/philippians/1-6.htm [03] Got Questions Ministries. Perseverance of the Saints - is it Biblical? http://www.gotquestions.org/perseverance-saints.html [04] John Piper on the Five Points of Calvinism (The Perseverance of the Saints)
https://fourpointcalvinist.blogspot.com/2007/07/john-piper-on-five-points-of-calvinism_27.html | 
