th 513

1. ARRINGTON, FRENCH
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY II
PPt by Mark E. Hardgrove, PhD, DMin

2. TH 513 Systematic Theology II
Read this article, attached to folder Week 6
Arrington, French (1993). Christian Doctrine: A Pentecostal
Perspective, Vol. 2. Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press, pp. 185-190
Attachment title in the folder is:
“Refuting Unconditional Eternal Security”

3. A. The Possibility of Falling
Away
Jesus spoke to His disciples, who obviously
were true believers, saying, “He who endures
to the end shall be saved” (Mk. 13:13). The
parallel passage in Matthew 24:11-13
indicates that some will not endure.
The parable of the sower (Lk. 8:4-15) warns
believers about the danger of falling away.
There are those “who believe for awhile and
in time of temptation fall away” (v. 13).

4. A. The Possibility of Falling
Away
The passage used to support unconditional
eternal security (Jn. 10:27-29), in fact
provides two conditions—hearing and
following.
Also, John 15:1-7 says that branches
(believers, disciples) which do not continue
abiding in Christ are “cast out” and thrown
into the fire.

5. A. The Possibility of Falling
Away
Eternal life is a present possession of
believers, but for it to become one’s eternal
possession, perseverance in the faith is
required.
Apostle Paul warned that after his departure,
“savage wolves” would come among the
Ephesian believers “to draw away the
disciples after themselves” (Acts 20: 29, 30).
He said that even after preaching to others,
he himself could be “disqualified” (1 Cor.
9:27).

6. A. The Possibility of Falling
Away
A concern for Paul with regard to the Galatian
believers was that they were turning so soon
from Him who called them in the grace of Christ
“to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6).
He said to those who were trying to be justified
by keeping the law, “You have fallen from grace”
(5:4).

7. A. The Possibility of Falling
Away
In Hebrews, there are five warning passages.
The first warns believers not to “drift away”
from the gospel they had heard (2:1-4).
The second warns against the evil of
unbelief, which can cause individuals to
depart from the living God (3:704:13).
The third passage warns against apostasy
and urges believers not to fall away (6:1-20).

8. A. The Possibility of Falling
Away
In Hebrews, there are five warning passages.
The fourth passage describes the severity of
divine judgment for apostasy (10:19-39).
The fifth emphasizes personal responsibility
for one’s self and for other believers (12:1-
17). The danger is that any who fall short of
the grace of God could defile other believers
(v. 15).

9. B. Conditional Security
1. Scripture teaches that the power of choice
remains for believers
The straw-man argument is to say that
Wesleyan Theology teaches that we can be
“unborn.” This is not what is taught. What is
taught is that according to 1 John 5:16, it is
possible for a Christian to die a spiritual
death (cf. also Rom. 8:13).

10. B. Conditional Security
2. Christians are saved by grace, which they
accept through faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8); and
they maintain their salvation by a life of faith.
Because saving faith leads to and results in
obedience, they are more to be more and more
conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ (Rom.
8:19; Phil. 3:10).
The security of the believer’s salvation is sure,
but it rests on faith in both the receiving and
keeping of salvation.

11. B. Conditional Security
3. The practice of sin affects adversely the
faith of Christians.
The apostle Paul rejected that somehow more
sin is a way to demonstrate more grace. He
asked, “Shall we continue in sin that grace
may abound” (Rom. 6:1). His answer is
“Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin
live any longer in it?” (v. 2). According to 1
John 3:8, 9 those who practice sin are not of
Christ, but of the devil.

12. In Conclusion
God has given salvation to believers in
Christ, but the only safe way for Christians to
live is in continuing faith and obedience to
Christ. Scripture recognizes that believers
can forfeit their salvation. It is possible to
believe for a while and in time of temptation
fall away (Lk. 8:13). Eternal life can only be
possessed by those in union with Christ.
Therefore it is necessary to abide in the
Savior who alone makes life available to us.
~Arrington, p. 190

13. Assurance
Despite the possibility that believers can fall
away and utterly reject the gospel, we can,
nevertheless have a deep and settled
assurance about our salvation and great
confidence that we are the children of God.
Unlike the picture sometimes portrayed by
Calvinists, the Wesleyan position is not that
God is looking for a reason to exclude people
from His presence. Indeed, He has done and
continues to do everything, short of excluding
freewill, to insure that we will make it.

14. GEISLER, NORMAN
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY II
Chapter 63 “The Assurance of Salvation”

15. Geisler’s Terms for Assurance of Salvation
Perseverance: Illustrates the strong Calvinist
belief that those who are truly among the elect
will persevere in faith unto the end.
Eternal Security: Used for the certainty of
salvation, used by moderate Calvinists to
show that a true believer has more than
present assurance of salvation. Christians can
have current confidence that they will never
lose their salvation—they are eternally secure.

16. Geisler’s Terms for Assurance of Salvation
Once Saved, Always Saved: Many Calvinist
believers use this term in lieu of eternal
security.
The Assurance of the Believer: Another
contemporary phrase in some circles, for
eternal security. Assurance deals with a
feeling or sense or experience that one is
saved.

17. Geisler’s Biblical Arguments for Eternal Security
Geisler states that Christians can have true
assurance of eternal salvation as evidenced
by Paul’s exhortation, “Examine yourselves
to see whether you are in the faith; test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ
Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail
the test?” (2 Cor. 13:5).

18. Geisler’s Biblical Arguments for Eternal Security
Geisler’s use of Job 19:25-26 to defend
eternal security is weak, at best. If ever there
was an example of entire sanctification, it
would Job. God called him a perfect man.
As such, any Wesleyan would readily agree
that a person living a righteous life has the
assurance of seeing Christ someday.

19. Geisler’s Biblical Arguments for Eternal Security
Geisler’s use of Ecclesiastes 3:14 and his
assertion that it assures eternal salvation
undermines his own “moderate” Calvinist
view which holds that it is possible to
“appostasize.” If Geisler was correct in his
use of Ecclesiastes then he is incorrect in his
view of “moderate” Calvinism.

20. Geisler’s Biblical Arguments for Eternal Security
Geisler’s use of John 3:18 fails to appreciate
the tense of the Greek verb “is not
condemned,” which is present tense and not
future or perfect tense. Every Wesleyan
could agree that if one is believing and
continues to believe then he is currently in a
position of forgiveness and grace and not of
condemnation.

21. Geisler’s Biblical Arguments for Eternal Security
Geisler’s use of John 5:24 again, the verb
tense is important. The word “believes” is a
present active participle. It indicates faith
that is active an ongoing. Again, Wesleyans
would agree that anyone in a state of
believing (which is reflected in true
repentance, i.e., turning from a sinful
lifestyle) is able to claim the promise that
follows: “. . . Has eternal life and will not be
condemned.”

22. Geisler’s Biblical Arguments for Eternal Security
Geisler’s use of John 6:37, fails to explore
what is implicit in the verse. Jesus said, “All
that the Father gives me will come to me, and
whoever come to me I will never drive away.”
No Wesleyan has claimed that Jesus drives
anyone away. The fact of continued freewill
after salvation (something Geisler argues for)
suggests the possibility of someone walking
away—not being driven away—by Jesus.

23. Geisler’s Biblical Arguments for Eternal Security
Geisler goes on to use many other verses,
but as my few examples demonstrate, when
verses are taken in their context, when verb
usage and the implications of verb usage is
considered, there is no convincing argument
for the position that once one is saved he or
she cannot forsake their faith through their
freewill and walk way from the benefits of
grace, i.e., eternal reward rather than eternal
punishment.

24. Calvinists and Wesleyans
What agreement is there?
Moderate Calvinists and Wesleyan can agree on many
essential things:
1. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
2. Jesus died a substitutionary death in our place.
3. We are saved by grace through faith in the gospel, the
Good News of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
4. No one can live in habitual unrepentant sin and make it
to heaven. (The Calvinists say such a person never
was saved or apostatized, and the Wesleyans say
either they were never saved or if they were, they have
since backslidden and have forfeited their salvation
through their unbelief.)

25. Geisler’s Misrepresentation of Wesleyanism
Geisler asks, “If the performance of works is
necessary for the maintenance of my
salvation, How can I avoid the conclusion
that I am saved by my good works?”
That is a misrepresentation of Wesleyan
Theology. Though Geisler tries to connect
Arminian position with the Roman Catholic
view, Wesleyans do not argue for works as a
condition for salvation. The Wesleyan view
is the that we are saved by grace through
faith—period.

26. The Position of the Writer of Hebrews
The Wesleyan position does not believe one can be
“unborn,” but the Bible clearly speaks of “unbelief” in
terms of believing and then turning to unbelief:
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Heb.
3:12).
The reading of this text is straightforward. The Writer
calls them “brethren” a term used for people who
share the faith. He refers to “unbelief in departing
from the living God.” Nothing needs to be added or
taken away from this text to make the point that
believing “brethren” (Christians) could through
“unbelief” depart from the living God.

27. Final Point Against Geisler’s View of Eternal Security
Geisler does not even attempt to answer the
statement found in Hebrews 3:12. He
references verses 3:12-14 on page 318 and
misrepresents the verse. He uses it to
support eternal security, but fails to note the
condition:
For we have become partakers of Christ if we
hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast
to the end (v. 14).