1 Sam. 16:14-23, The Security of the Believer (9)

3)    Difficult passages and problems …  In our previous post we noted a couple of NT passages that might present a doctrinal challenge to “eternal security.”  In today’s post I just want to note 3 “persons” that have been mentioned to me over the years, persons that demonstrate that you can lose your salvation.  We should be aware that narrative passages are seldom the basis for doctrine.  The biographies of people in the Bible must be interpreted by the doctrinal passages.  For example, in Dan. 4 we have the story of Nebuchadnezzar and his humiliation by the Lord.  We might be led to conclude, along with many others, that the Babylonian king became a Gentile believer, OT style, by the personal conclusion he records in 4:34-37.  But we don’t always get that kind of explanation, especially in the OT stories.          

d)   The life of King Saul, 1 Sam. 16.  I remember attending a “revival” meeting at a local Wesleyan Church in my Colorado days.  The speaker knew that there were several of us “Baptists” present, so at the beginning of his sermon he asked us to stand.  Then he told us point blank he was going to prove the error of our “eternal security” doctrine.  How did he do this?  He did it by telling the story of King Saul, and how “the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul” (1 Sam. 16:14). 

i)      Did he make his point?  In his mind he did.  But, no, he did not.  The problem is the difference between the OT and NT.  Jesus Himself pointed this out clearly for us.  In John 7:39, Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit is put this way: He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  At the “last supper” Jesus again spoke of the Spirit, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you (Jn. 14:17). 

ii)   In the days of King Saul, and all the days leading up to the cross, resurrection and ascension of Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon men, and at times was taken from men.  It was not the situation of the New Covenant when the Spirit was to indwell all believers forever.  Thus, the taking of the Spirit from Saul neither proved he was “saved” before nor “unsaved” after.  I am not sure God tells us whether or not we will see Saul in heaven, unless it’s the statement that he was not a man after God’s heart (1 Sam. 13:14) or that Saul rejected the word of the LORD (1 Sam. 15:22-23). 

e)    The life of Judas.  In the case of Judas, the assumption some people make is that he was a saved person, or the Lord would not have chosen him as an Apostle.  Thus he was saved, and then lost his salvation.  The answer to this is again rather easy.  We do know he is not considered a believer; he is the “son of perdition.”  This title for Judas was given by Christ in His prayer of intercession in John 17: none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled (17:12).  Jesus is not saying Judas was saved and then became lost.  We know this because he refers to him as “son of perdition.”  This is a title that refers to his nature.  He belongs to Satan, even as the coming “son of perdition” (the antichrist; 2 Th. 2:3).  Jesus knew the nature and destiny of Judas when He chose him, as is made clear in John 6:64: ‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

f)     The fall of Satan.  Is Satan, who is Lucifer (Isa. 14:12-15), who was created by God, the anointed cherub … perfect in your ways … till iniquity was found in you (Ezek. 28:11-19, esp. v14-15), an illustration of a saved angel who then lost his salvation?  Of course not.  Angels are never saved individuals.  As Hebrews 2:16-17 makes clear, Jesus is not the High Priest for angels but for people.  Angels, including demons, are either holy to the Lord or fallen.  There is no salvation option available for them.

Thus concludes our study of this important doctrine.  We always want to encourage one another to keep doctrine sound in the context of the whole council of God.