Objection 1. To teach that grace cannot be lost will beget looseness in professors.

Answer 1. Ah! this is but the state cry of old carnality against the doctrines of grace, viz., that they lead to licentiousness. Swine may trample pearls under their feet (Mt 7:6). Ungodly men may and do turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness (Jude 4). Head- knowledge of gospel truths and holy doctrines (the man being destitute of heart experience, and a stranger to the Spirit's work) will never bring forth fruit unto God. It is in the nature of fallen man to love sin. "He drinketh iniquity like water" (Job 15:16); and it is the work of the Spirit to convince of sin, even of its exceeding sinfulness; without this conviction, no hatred of sin, no love of holiness, whatever the outward profession may be. Satan is glad to see carnal persons professing religion; they are sure (sooner or later) to disgrace that profession, and then the doctrines of grace are charged with being the cause of it; whereas they have a direct contrary tendency, even "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" (Tit 2:12). The two seeds are minutely described by their fruits in 1Jo 3:8-10.

2. Grace may be considered in the being, or well-being of it. It is, first, radical and fundamental, tending to the being of a saint, as faith, hope, and love; and second, flowing from these for his well- being only, as joy of faith, confidence of hope, zeal and fervency of love; these are the lustre and radiancy of the radical principle; the beams of the sun, as those the sap and substance. The latter we may lose, and perhaps irrecoverably (Ps 51:12); not so the former. The root remains, though reins be consumed (Job 19:27,28); it is "a well of water springing up to everlasting life" (Joh 4:14 and Joh 7:38).

3. There is a Divine purpose to be holy even to the end. This is a law written in every renewed will. There is also a Divine performance or prosecution of this purpose. This is not always found alike active in a gracious heart. This ebbs and flows according to the Spirit's influence upon us. "How to perform that which is good I find not" (Ro 7:18). Our life is not hid in ourselves, but it is "hid with Christ in God" (Col 3:3), and this requires our daily dependence on His Spirit (Php 2:13, and Php 4:13). In the practical part, a partial decay may befall our judgements, as in the bewitched Galatians (Ga 3:1), and our affections may cool, as in the Ephesian Church (Re 2:4). Christ's "spouse" may be in a drowsy frame, yet her heart awakes (So 5:2). Grace may, at times, seem to be lost to a child of God when it is indeed not so. The sun may be eclipsed, yet regain his former lustre; the tree may lose all its fruit and leaves in winter, yet have fresh buddings at spring; Israel flies once, yea twice before her enemies, yet conquer they the land of promise. A troop overcomes Gad, yet Gad overcomes at last. And wherefore all this? "Because I live, ye shall live also" (Joh 14:19).

4. Although all the sins of God's people were imputed to Christ, "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa 53:6); and although the blood of Christ has cleansed, and an application of it by the Spirit continues to cleanse from all sin (Joh 1:29); yet sin still is, what it ever was, exceedingly sinful. And if one sinful thought remains unatoned for by Christ (on behalf of His people), there is evil enough in it to sink to the lowest hell. Though God doth not disinherit us for sin, neither blot us out of the book of life, yet doth He, when we sin against Him, withdraw His favour, and embitter all our comforts. He makes relations (that should be comforts) to become scourges to us (2Sa 12:11), and fill us with anguish (Ps 38:3). Surely many of the children of God have found that the evil they have smarted under for sin, after sin hath been committed, has been fully commensurate to all the pleasure found in that sin. Could David have foreseen the evil consequences of his sin (in the matter of Uriah's wife), he might have said, "A dear-bought sin thou art like to be to me." Yea, sometimes God may add apprehensions of eternal wrath for sin, without any hope of deliverance (Ps 88:6,7). As the covenant Father of His covenant children, their transgressions He visits with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes; nevertheless, His loving-kindness is not removed, neither is His faithfulness suffered to fail (Ps 89:32,33). Upon these considerations the doctrine of final perseverance begets no looseness in those who are possessors of the grace of the doctrine, whatever it may in those who are professors only.

Return to Index