The Doctrine of Conditional Security Breeds Arrogance

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In soteriology one can see two heresies namely Antinomianism and conditional security.  The Antinomian teaches that one can be saved and live the way they want.  Conditional security on the other hand teaches that first, you are saved by faith but you must keep it by works.  Some of them has gone as far as to teach that if David would have died in the state of adultery, he would have forfeited his salvation.  Again, this is not a license to sin (as they love to teach) but true eternal security is displayed by one's sanctified lifestyle.  After reading through Arthur W. Pink's book "Eternal Security" I felt compelled to also write how the doctrine of eternal security breeds arrogant behavior.

Ephesians 2:9 says, "Not of works lest any man should boast."  A Christian's good works is a result of God's grace as Ephesians 2:10 says, "For ye are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God before ordained that we should walk in them."  If a person lives a new life from a life of sin to a life of service, it's all but God's grace.  1 Corinthiasn 15:10 says, "But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain: but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I but the grace of God which was with me."  Power over sin, good works and the new lifestyle is but by the grace of God.

On the other hand, conditional security breeds an arrogant lifestyle because it is rooted upon works righteousness rather than faith in Jesus Christ.  The doctrine itself is self-centered and focused on man's selfish nature.  It does not rely on the saving power of God to create a new life for the believer, rather it forces one to do good works without the power of God.  Instead, it leaves people on their own to do good works or to stay saved, rather than the sanctifying power of God to change one's life.  If faith without works is a sham faith, works that does not come out of faith in Jesus Christ is but a dead work, not a good work.

The idea that you lose your salvation every time you sin is just as heretical as teaching that you can be saved and still sin all you want, both are equally headed to Hell.  Again, if you are saved, if you sin you do not lose your salvation, instead Hebrews 12:5-6 states, "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despite not the thou the chastening of the Lord, or faint when thou art rebuked of Him.  For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth and scourgeth every son He receiveth."  Those are very powerful words and with God's ever loving chastising, how can a Christian sin all they want?  A Christian cannot sin all they want because of God's grace and even if they do produce good works, they still know it was God's grace.

Conditional security belittles God's grace and uplifts man's merit.  If I had to do good works in order to stay saved rather than me doing good works because I am already saved, there is a difference between the two situations  In Matthew 25:31-40 we see how Christians are with the good works then the succeeding verses up to verse 46 shows the unsaved.  The Lord Jesus told them of all the good they did, notice that they do not take credit for what they do.  In Matthew 7:21-23 we also read the frightful revelation that while the unsaved claim to have done this and that for Christ, they were never of Christ and were called doers of iniquity.  Why did Jesus say, "I never knew you!" to them.  They know Christ but in name only, He did not know them at all because they refused to let Christ know them.  Christians will bloom in good works and when the Lord Jesus sees they aren't consistent, He prunes the branches while the dead branches are thrown off.

As Charles Spurgeon says, "It is not enough to do the correct thing, it must be done in a right spirit, and with a pure motive. A good action is not wholly good unless it be done for the glory of God, and because of the greatness and goodness of his holy name."  That is, you are saved, then your works for Christ are indeed good.  They continue because the motive is done for the glory of God.  On the other hand, conditional security is all about, "See God... I am doing my best to stay saved.  I am feeding the poor, I give tithes, I got baptized... etc. etc." while a true Christian says, "I can't live the way I want anymore, praise the Lord for that!  I am no longer addicted to sexual immorality because I was sanctified by the Holy Ghost.  I no longer get drunk because of God's grace.  All I do is all for God and none for my glory."

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