The Practical Harmony Between
ETERNAL SECURITY and PROBATION
I N regard to the doctrine of sal vation, there are those who be lieve that “ if you have it you can lose it, and if you lose it you must get it again.” On the other hand, there are those who believe that “ if you have it you can’t lose it, and if you lose it you never had it.” The first is the Arminian doc trine of probation. The second is the Calvinist doctrine of eternal security. The writer believes in eternal se curity, but the object of this article is not to prove his position. It is rather to show the great degree of harmony that exists between the two views. Logically, the two positions cannot be reconciled, but from the point of view of practical Christian experience, there is an amazing de gree of correspondence. These are days when Christians should magni fy their common beliefs rather than their differences. In this discussion the terms “eter nal security” and “probation” will be used to designate the two views, rather than “Calvinism” and “Ar- minianism.” Calvinism is a system of doctrine which includes much more than eternal security. Likewise Arminianism is a system of doctrine which includes more than belief in probation. Before noting the harmony be tween eternal security and probation, the principal objections of one sys tem against the other should be briefly discussed. Probationists charge that the doctrine of eternal security leads to license. The meas ure of truth in this charge is that any doctrine, if it is abused, may lead to license. The probationist who sins and needs to be saved over again, has exercised just as much license as the person who may sin while believing in eternal security. In either case, doctrine has been abused. In both cases, the holiness of God has been equally offended. Those who believe in eternal se curity believe that they must make their “calling and election sure” by good works (2 Pet. 1:5-10). This pro vides a motive to holiness just as compelling as that provided by the fear of possible loss of salvation. On the other hand, those who be lieve in eternal security often charge probationists with a doctrine of sal vation by works. This is just as, un fair as the charge that eternal secu rity leads to license. Probationists be lieve both in salvation by grace and safekeeping by grace. However, they
By Roy L A ldrich , D.D.
in eternal security. While he believes in the theoretical possibility of los ing salvation, he is persuaded that he himself is “not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Heb. 10:39). He also rests in the grace of God. On the other hand, how explain the statement that the true Christian who believes in eternal security must act as if he believed it not? The an swer is that the one who believes in eternal security, from the point of view of Christian experience, knows that he must make his calling and election sure (2 Pet. 1:10). He knows that such a passage as Hebrews 3:14, “ For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end,” has a warning for him as well as for the probationist. He is aware of other similar passages such as Second Peter 1:5-11, Galatians 5:19- 21, Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:26-39, and First John 3:9,10, which warn against hy pocrisy and apostasy. He knows that assurance of salvation is dependent upon faith—but upon faith that is justified by good works (James 2:21- 26). He has no more desire to test his doctrine of eternal security by living in sin than the probationist has to test his doctrine by falling from grace. With the probationist he believes in the kind of faith that must be justified by a life o f faith. Thus the true Christian, who believes in eternal security, acts as if he be lieved it not. While there is a logical and theo logical difference between the two systems, on the ground of practical Christian experience, they tend to merge. "The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every man that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19). God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are not seen as contradictory in the Word of God, but as complementary. Because they seem to contradict on the plane of human reason does not prove that they cannot be in perfect harmony on the higher plane of the wisdom of God. From the standpoint of Christian experience, the probationist and the believer in eternal security have much in common and little in differ ence. Both should walk in love and present a united front to the unbe lieving world.
believe that the keeping grace of God may be resisted to the point where the individual loses his salvation. Now note the great degree of har mony between the two positions: Both believe in total depravity. Both believe in salvation by grace. Both believe in assurance of sal vation. Both believe that real Christians can and do sin without losing their salvation. Both therefore believe in safe keeping by grace. Both believe that individual be lievers can “ backslide.” Probationists would say that in certain extreme cases of backsliding the person was lost and needed to be saved again. The person who be lieves in eternal security would prob ably say that the extreme backslider had never been truly saved. The practical conclusion is the same. Both agree that the person who lives in sin needs to be saved. The Arminian theologian, Dr. Wm. B. Pope, gives the following keen observation on the practical har mony which exists between proba tion and eternal security: "The instinct of the true Chris tian loves the dogma (eternal se curity) that he is obliged to oppose: and the same instinct makes the true Christian who holds it act as if he held it not.” ( Compendium of Christian Theology, Vol. Ill, p. 146.) Eternal security emphasizes the sovereignty of God in salvation. Pro- bationism emphasizes man’s respon sibility in salvation. The Bible em phasizes both. How does one explain the state ment of Pope that the probationist’ “loves the dogma (eternal security) that he is obliged to oppose” ? The answer is that there is a sense in which he does believe the doctrine. As an individual believer, he is per suaded that he is secure. He is aware of, and believes, the great promises of Scripture concerning se curity, safe keeping, and assurance. His spirit is wanned to praise by John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” He rejoices in such similar promises as Romans 8:28-39, Philippians 1:6, Second Tim othy 1:9, First Peter 1:5, and He brews 7:25, just as does the believer
MAY, 1947
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