The Inseparability of Eternal Security from Daily Sanctification and the Perseverance of the Saints
There is the common accusation of by the proponents of conditional security regardless who they are that I am teaching a license to sin whenever I stress the eternal security of the believer along with preachers like John Calvin, John Bunyan, George Whitfield, Arthur Pink, Charles Spurgeon, John Macarthur, Paul Washer, Robert Charles Sproul, D. James Kennedy and Ray Comfort. However they are nothing more than people who want to take credit for their own works in keeping them saved, rather than giving God the credit for any good works that the Christian may perform.
Here is one truth- eternal security is a Biblical reality and it does not mean staying saved regardless how one lives rather it is inseparable from the truths of daily sanctification and the perseverance of the saints. As said, it's all God's work and God's work makes the believer do good works. John Macarthur also stated in "The Gospel According to Jesus" page 211:
"... In other words, sanctification is a characteristic of all who are redeemed, not a condition for their receiving salvation. Those whose faith is authentic are certain to become holy and those who lack true faith can never become holy. They have no hope of seeing God except to stand before Him in judgment."
Quotes from historic theologians of the Protestant Reformation that repeals the Roman Catholic Church's accusation of them trying to separate justification from sanctification:
"When we have thus taught faith in Christ, then do we teach also good works. Because thou hast laid upon Christ by faith through whom thou art made righteous begin now to work well. Love God and thy neighbor, call upon God, give thanks unto Him, praise Him confess Him. Do good to thy neighbor and serve him, fulfill thine office. These are good works indeed which flow out of faith."- Martin Luther
"We dream not of a faith which is devoid of good works nor of a justification which can exist without them... Would ye then obtain justification in Christ? You must previously possess Christ. But you cannot possess Him without being made a partaker of His sanctification: for Christ cannot be divided... Thus it appears how true is that we are justified not without and yet not by works."- John Calvin
"By faith we apprehend the righteousness of Christ which alone reconciles us to God. This faith however you cannot apprehend without at the same time apprehending sanctification for Christ 'is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). Christ therefore justises no man without also sanctifying him."- John Calvin
From historic Baptist preaching:
"The foundation of sanctification is laid in regeneration as it is a holy principle, it is first formed in that; the new creature or new man is CREATED IN RIGHTEOUS AND TRUE HOLINESS and it appears in effectual vocation which is a holy calling,and is to be seen in conversion, which is a turning of men from their iniquities and that holiness which is begun in regeneration and is manifest in effectual calling and conversion is carried on in sanctification which is a gradual and progressive work and issues and is furnished in glorification."- John Gill
"Another proof of the conquest of a soul for Christ will be found in A REAL CHANGE OF LIFE. If the man does not life differently from what he did before, both at home and abroad, his repentance need to be repented of and his conversion is a fiction. Not only action and language, BUT SPIRIT AND TEMPER MUST CHANGE. . . There must be a harmony between the life and the profession. A Christian professes to renounce sin; and if he does not do so, his very name is an imposture. . ."- Charles Spurgeon
The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith says this about saving faith and good works:
By this faith a Christian believes to be true whatever is revealed in the Word because this Word has the authority of God Himself. Also, by this saving faith, a Christian apprehends an excellency in the Word which is higher than in all other writings and everything else in the world, because the Word shows forth the glory of God, revealing His attributes, showing the excellency of Christ's nature and offices, and also the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in His workings and operations. - So the Christian is enabled to cast his soul upon the Truth he has believed, and to see and respond to the different kinds of teaching which different passages of Scripture contain. Saving faith equips him to perceive and obey the commands, hear the threatenings with fear and respect, and to embrace the promises of God for this life and the life to come. - But the first and most important acts of saving faith are those directly to do with Christ, when the soul accepts, receives, and rests upon Him alone for justification, sanctification and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.- Section 14, Article 2
Good works, performed in obedience to God's commandments, are these: the fruits and evidences of a true and living faith. By these believers express and show their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, Whose workmanship they are; created in Christ Jesus to perform good works, and to have fruits of holiness which lead to eternal life. Their ability to do these good works does not in any way come from themselves, but comes wholly from the Spirit of Christ. To enable them to do good works, alongside the graces which they have already received, it is necessary for there to be a further real influence of the same Holy Spirit to cause them to will and to do of His good pleasure. But believers are not, on these grounds, to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless given a special motion by the Spirit, but they must be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them. -Section 15, articles 2-3
Now for some truths on the inseparability of eternal security from daily sanctification and the perseverance of the saints:
1.) The sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ are not only given eternal life and they NEVER PERISH but they also hear His voice, they know Him and they FOLLOW Him and obedience is the result of that eternal security (John 10:27-30). First and foremost, those verses are used to justify conditional security but it DOES NOT but rather it shows the inseparability of eternal security from daily sanctification and perseverance of the saints. In John 10:26, Jesus warned that if people did not believe in Him, it's because they are NOT His sheep. In fact, Matthew 1:21 has Jesus that He will save the people FROM THEIR SINS. Matthew 7:21-23 and 25:32-46 is also explained further that those who were cast aside were NOT SAVED to start with because Jesus said in Matthew 7:23, "I NEVER KNEW YOU!"
2.) Romans 4:5 is not a support for Antinomianism but rather shows that genuine faith is counted for righteousness. It is not the work of man but the work of God which includes sanctification. In Romans 4:11 one can see that a seal of righteousness is given seeing God has declared the lost sinner righteous not by superficial belief but rather by pisteon in Greek which means full reliance on God. In verse 20 up to 25 one can see that Abraham's faith was not stagnant but rather he was fully persuaded of God and was able to perform, that is do good works out of that faith counted for righteousness.
3.) 1 Corinthians 6:11 declares not only the sinner's forgiveness but also their washing, sanctification and justification. That is first prior to their Christian lives they were once wretched, vile sinners and yet God in His love and mercy just didn't save them, He also washed them of their sins, granted them sanctification and gave justification. That is, such people with the lifestyles of verses 9-10 of the same chapter who were once such dirty sinners change from dirty sinners defying God to forgiven saints who are now dedicated to God. True Christians may fall down but they do not live lifestyles of sin because in eternal security comes daily sanctification and perseverance of the saints.
4.) 2 Corinthians 4:16 says that the inward man is renewed DAY BY DAY. If one is saved and cannot lose salvation therefore the inward man is at a daily renewal. If one will lose their salvation, then the inward renewal is also lost which comes along with salvation. But instead, the Apostle Paul declared that Christians faint not because of the renewal of the inner man at a daily basis. That is sanctification happens at a daily basis.
5.) Galatians 3:24-25 reveals that the law was the schoolmaster that brings us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Martin Luther would describe the Law as a hammer that shatters our self-righteousness and a whip that drives us to the cross of Christ.
6.) Ephesians 2:8-9 must never be taken out of context, verse 10 reveals that every Christian though not saved by their good works have been made unto the workmanship of Christ Jesus unto good works which God had foreordained for them to walk therein. That is, though a Christian's salvation is not dependent upon one's effort for holy living YET one's holy living is a determinant whether or not the person is a Christian. Holiness is given upon every believer as said, "Be ye holy for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16)
7.) Philippians 2:13 says that it is the work of God in the believer. In Philippians 3:8-9 the Apostle Paul declares that he has not his own righteousness but the righteousness which is of God by faith. That is his good works were not enough to win Christ yet they are evidence of authentic faith.
8.) Titus 2:11-15 declares that the grace of God that brings salvation changes men. Those who possess eternal security will be by God's grace denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously and godly in this present world becoming a peculiar people ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS. Antinomianism violates the reality of God's grace that a Christian can do what they want and live the way they want, no way... a Christian lives differently from the rest of the world but by God's grace.
9.) Hebrews 9:14 declares that by the blood of Christ purges the conscience from dead works TO SERVE THE LIVING GOD. That is saved individuals are given the desire to serve God and the ability to serve God therefore by God's grace, their service to God is eternal.
10.) Hebrews 11 is highlighted by its theme in verse 6 for without faith it is impossible to please God. The whole chapter details on the mighty works of faith like Abel offering a better sacrifice, Noah's building an ark not caring what the people said about him, Abraham's leap of faith and obedience to God though he also fell down, Jacob having blessed both of Joseph's sons, Moses choosing to suffer affliction than the pleasures of sin for a season, Rahab's conversion and the judges... are evidences of true faith resulting to good works. James had verified Hebrews 11 with James 2 to which he and Paul DO NOT contradict each other.
11.) James 2:14-26 shows that genuine faith that continues and not just a moment of faith will always result to GOOD WORKS. If one claims to have faith in God and YET does not produce any good works, such person has a dead faith, not a living faith, that faith CANNOT save because it is not real faith to start with and since God's work is present, works will come out as a result. I do not buy the garbage of "carnal Christians" or "saved and still living like devils" because even those who are young to the faith may fall into carnality BUT they do not become carnal for the rest of their lives. They will not be believe once and still continue being a sinner by profession (ex. homosexuals, adulterers, thieves, etc. by lifestyle) but rather there is the radical change. Then by mentioning Abraham, James affirms Romans 4:20-25 and the whole chapter of Hebrews 11.
12.) 1 John 2:19 reveals that those who "once believed" and then "stopped believing" are not saved to start with. That is there is NO such thing as an ex-Christian but rather, every deserter is like Judas Iscariot. They were NEVER saved to start with. These were just false Christians, they claim to be believe the Bible, they call Jesus as Lord but He is not the Lord of their lives, He is not their Master and why would he be their Lord and Master if He wasn't even their Lord and Savior to start with? True Christians will not depart nor apostasize, rather apostates are pretend Christians not real Christians. In fact their lifestyles can prove just how much of unsaved people they are and were never really saved to start with. Paul Washer frequently affirm the reality with this reality that a true believer will never completely fall away but will certainly endure to the end, Ray Comfort says from "Hell's Best Kept Secret" and "True and False Conversion" that a born again Christian can NEVER truly die and for John Macarthur that "professing believers" who then rebel were never saved to start with. And also suicide has become one of the major hallmarks of false conversions too.
As said, I REFUSE to take any credit for any good work or godliness that may be manifest in me but rather to God be the glory for all for all the good works I will be doing for His glory.