“Once save is forever saved.” This is the very short statement to summaries the discussion of perseverance of the saints and yet it depicts the sovereignty of the Almighty God. However many people have failed to understand this statement. In fact those who do not embrace the teachings of Calvinism have made this statement as a mockery to say that after having known that Christians forever be saved, there will be need of preaching the gospel or doing the will of God. This happens because a little knowledge of Calvinism they comprehend.
The Arminians definitely disagrees to the statement “Once save is forever saved”. To them, salvation is obtained because of the efforts or contribution of man and therefore to maintain salvation it requires the human effort as well. Failure to do so, the salvation can be lost because the salvation is based on the faithfulness of man to uphold his faith. In any case he neglects his faith, he may lose his salvation. Khoo rightly commented, “There is therefore no assurance of salvation for the Aminian. He must always be on his toes. There is no such thing as a backslidden Christian. A person who becomes cold towards his walk with God loses salvation. He needs to reconfess Christ and be saved again.” In other words, man’s response is a determining factor in the assurance of salvation.
The Calvinism on the other hand says, “all those were chosen by God, redeemed by Christ and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved.” The Scripture truly gives many supports on this truth. As John wrote, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (Jn. 6:39). In another occasion Jesus said, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (Jn. 10:28-29). Paul also wrote, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35). If the salvation is based on the ability of man to uphold it, then no one will receive eternal life for man knows that he does not always succeed to tackle the many temptations he faces. True believer does not mean having a life of sinless perfection. It is not an easy road for Christian to live in this world. As a result there will be a time of up and down in the spiritual life. If salvation is not based on the faithful of God, no one will ever enter heaven.
The Bible uses the term “justification” to depict the condition of man who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. A person whom God justified is not a sinless perfective believer but rather a sinner whom God pardons his sins because of his faith in Christ Jesus. The righteousness of Christ is imputed unto sinner who believes. God sees such sinners as if he never sins, and he is like clothed by the righteousness of Christ. Whenever God sees that sinner, he sees the righteousness of Christ on him which clothed by Christ’s righteousness. Steel rightly said, “True believers do fall into temptations, and they do commit grievous sins, but these sins do not cause them to lose their salvation or separate them from Christ.” Therefore the assurance of salvation is not based on the ability of man to preserve his faith but solely upon the faithfulness of God.
CONCLUSION
The five points of Arminianism are (1) Free Will/ Human Ability, (2) Conditional Election, (3) Universal Redemption/ General Atonement, (4) The Holy Spirit can be effectually Resisted and (5) Falling from Grace. These five points are without supports from the Word of God. It is the human logical understanding. Those who hold to this view will not be able to harmonize his interpretation of the word of God but rather will make the Bible contradict itself.
Whereas the five points of Calvinism that formulated by Synod of Dort in 1619 are (1) Total Depravity, (2) Unconditional Election, (3) Limited Atonement, (4) Irresistible Grace, and (5) Perseverance of the Saints. These five points are truly rooted and summarized from the Word of God. Though it might not be easy to understand yet the Bible teaches about them as the truth that believers should know and teach in the churches.
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