Reformed Blogging

Critics of eternal security and Antinomians tend to misinterpret the verse. One interpretation is of loss of salvation. Another interpretation is that it means that a person simply loses rewards. 1 Corinthians 3:15 says there's saved by fire or loss of rewards. However, the way John 15:6 writes it is not about a loss of reward. Rather, it's all about fake converts or those who are considered Judas Iscariot branches. It's pretty much an acid test of true conversion against a false conversion . John 15:1-11 is the whole context of the verse. Let's try and study the verses to see the context of this verse: I am the true vine, and My Father is the Husbandman. 2 Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit . 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no m...

It's been some time since I paid John 6:66 some attention. Try to notice that the verse is from Chapter 6 and it is verse 66. You get the number 666 which is the number of the Beast. Though Psalm 66:6 doesn't have a negative message. Isaiah 66:6 talks about the LORD's judgment on His enemies. In this case, the Apostle John wrote the verse that really seems to show the upcoming apostasy. However, take note that Stephen Langton created the chapters and verse system. Later on, John Wycliffe used the chapter pattern from Langton. This helped us find the verse so easily. Was it a deliberate attempt to link 666 in Revelation to John 6:66? It seems like it or it isn't. But what we can't deny is that John 6:66 addresses the negative message with the crowd. There were some members in the crowd who went to Jesus, not because of the miracles but because they were fed. They were shallow seekers (John 6:26-27). It's part of the Bread of Life Discourse in verses 22-59. There...

While reading through John 3 side by side with the ESV and the KJV, one could notice the variations of John 3:36. The whole chapter is devoted to the need to be born again or born from above. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (KJV) Meanwhile, other translations use "obey" over "believe" such as: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (ESV) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life , but will remain under God's punishment. (GNT) He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him. (RSV) This is one of the criticisms done by the KJV Only crowd. Again, I used to be in the KJV crowd though I feel something is wrong with it. Charles H. Spurg...

Matthew 7:21-23 really is a grim reality. I don't think that Matthew 25's sheep and goats judgments happens at the Great White Throne. Rather, Matthew 7:21-23 happens in the Great White Throne. Jesus gave a warning that not all who call Him, "Lord, Lord" will enter the Kingdom of Heaven except those that do the will of His Father in Heaven. What is the will of the Father? John 6:40 says that the will of the Father is to believe in Him who was sent. The evidence of this belief is in a changed life. Now, we need to consider the context of these three verses. These three verses are often used by the eternal security crowd to suggest that you can lose your salvation. However, far from it, as I would discuss why I believe Matthew 7:21-23 addresses that if you're saved then you're always saved while it attaches a warning against fake converts. Matthew 7:22 shows us the arrogance and dishonesty of these people. What always disturbed me was why are people in Hell no l...

Ezekiel 3 has verses that are used by conditional security proponents to believe that you can lose your salvation. The verses in Ezekiel 3 are as follows: 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, bec...

I remembered the time after I got saved that I was guilt-induced many times. I had an aunt-by-marriage who came from an Evangelical background who later converted to Roman Catholicism. I was told about so and so was once a Protestant, found the truth, and became a Roman Catholic. At first, I was wondering should I go back to Rome? But the more I studied the Bible - the more I realized I had to let go of past ambitions that didn't match up with it. I was told to read the book "Rome Sweet Home" which two Presbyterians became Roman Catholics later on. No one can deny that Steve Ray was formerly a Southern Baptist. Some members of Catholic.com are former Evangelicals. But does that mean that Roman Catholicism is the true Church? Far from it. If you had the Bible known to you by God's grace then you can no longer accept a lie. But these Evangelicals converted into becoming Roman Catholics. John MacArthur's book "Hard to Believe" even had some of his former se...

Solomon is a guy who gets into the argument of for or against eternal security. I had my thoughts on Solomon with this stand that in the end - he still made to Heaven and was a regenerate man. I remembered the pastor joked and said, "If you see Solomon in Heaven - you can ask why he backslid so horribly by having many wives." Solomon's story in 1st Kings 1-11 can be seen with the theme from revival to ruin . Why revival to ruin? Solomon started off as a young king who was but 20 when his father David died at 70. Solomon's parents David and Bathsheba had a very huge age gap. David was already old enough to be Solomon's grandfather because Bathsheba is that young. How Bathsheba died - the Scripture is silent.  I was thinking about Dan Corner's foolishness. Corner is a malicious man who just takes Scriptures out of context. I can agree with him that Antinomianism is indeed a dangerous Hell-bound doctrine. Yet, Corner also wrote an entire page where he tried to re...

I remembered the time I thought lordship salvation equals works salvation when it isn't. J. Vernon McGee warned about lordship salvation while he actually taught it. CARM.org also got it wrong on lordship salvation in its article " What is lordship salvation? ". Some people think they're against lordship salvation even when they agree to its distinctions. I thought of myself as an opponent of lordship salvation until early 2011. I was stuck in the controversy until I decided to read John F. MacArthur's article " An Introduction to Lordship Salvation " which placed me on the acid test. Something about it just struck me when I thought about the distinctions which I would agree on.  The distinctions as written by MacArthur are as follows: First, Scripture teaches that the gospel calls sinners to faith joined in oneness with repentance (Acts 2:38; 17:30; 20:21; 2 Peter 3:9). Repentance is a turning from sin (Acts 3:19; Luke 24:47) that consists not of a huma...

The opponents of eternal security are indeed a problem. Many of them have been citing verses after verses without knowing the context. This is not about calling a license to sin. I believe that anyone who claims to have eternal security or is once saved and always saved without any visible change in lifestyle deserves to be questioned. Meanwhile, Revelation 3:5 is a verse that is frequently used by eternal security opponents to say, "See, names are taken out of the Lamb's Book of Life!" I would like to provide my defense for the matter. Here's a bit of Bible reading from  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life , but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. What does it mean to be an overcomer? If you're born again of God then you are an overcomer. Who are those who overcome? 1 John 5:3-5  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: a...

My recent study of Hebrews with Vernon McGee's "Thru the Bible" commentary has now brought me over to the tenth chapter. I was thinking of some familiar verses that have been used to justify the doctrine of conditional security. Preachers like Dan Corner are known to take verses out of their context. I've had a headache reading through Corner's self-righteousness and forked tongued posts. Since many of these preachers tend to use the New International Version (while some also use the King James Version) - I'm going to quote from both versions of Hebrews 10:26-29 for a fuller reference than just the verse on focus.  26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishmen...