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The NT Christians had an assurance of present-tense election which was communicated as interconnected to eternal election in the Book of Life written before the world began. God desires for men to have an assurance of their eternal election, and this is why He speaks the forevers and nevers, with all election language such as:
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Calling
Chosen Election Wisdom Righteousness The Book of Life |
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“being not yet born…the purpose of God according to election… of Him that calleth” – Rom. 9:11
“which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” – 2 Tim. 1:9 “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation” – 2 Thess. 2:13 “chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world” – Eph. 1:4-5 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” – 1 Peter 1:2 “afore prepared unto glory” – Rom. 9:23 “which God ordained before the world unto our glory” – 1 Cor. 2:7 “God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” – Eph. 2:10 “whose names were not written in The Book of Life from the foundation of the world” – Rev. 17:8 |
We know that Jeremiah had an assurance of his eternal election (Jer. 31:3). So also in the NT, eternal security is preached, and God wants His beloved Christians to know the forever eternality of His saving love, even by their eternal election being assured to their hearts, but how? Abraham is our chief example for this doctrine – the assurance of eternal election – or – the assurance of salvation.
Believe His Word! - NT Covenanted Love is the Same Message of Promise as Eternal Election
Believe His Word! - NT Covenanted Love is the Same Message of Promise as Eternal Election
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“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11-12)
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“diligently seek Him” – Heb. 11:6
“Looking unto Jesus” – “diligently” - Heb. 12:2, 15 “giving all diligence” – 2 Pet. 1:5 “give diligence” – 2 Peter 1:10 “diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD” - Ex. 15:26 “keep thy soul diligently” – Deut. 4:9 “teach them diligently” – Deut. 6:7 “Ye shall diligently keep the commandments” – Deut. 6:17 “if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments” – Deut. 11:13 “diligently learn” – Jer. 12:16 |
Just after the writer of Hebrews warned the NT regenerate Christians he was writing to of reprobation, he then affirms to them that his hope and desire in preaching this message is that they would have a biblically founded “full assurance of hope unto the end” (Heb. 6:11), or in other words, a biblically founded assurance of salvation, which is attained by, and not apart from, the “diligence” of faith, not “slothfulness”, of those who were perseverant unto the end in their own lives. The use of the words “diligent” and “slothful”, across Testaments New & Old, are used as terms for the saved or damned (see citations), and this strengthens the evidence that the writer is burdened that they would obtain a biblical assurance of salvation by diligence, rather than the self-deception that one is assured of their salvation while still abiding in slothfulness. Without “faith”, “patience” (which means stedfastness), and “diligence”, a man should not have “assurance” and “hope” he will be saved, for without these a man will not “inherit the promises” of eternal life – this is the bottom-line burden of this passage. Secondarily, the writer pointed the Hebrew Christians to “them”, desiring that they, that is, those faithful men of former generations, would serve as examples of a walk of faith that is worthy of biblical assurance by which he will obtain what he is assured for and “inherit the promises”. In pointing the reader to examples of faith by saying, “followers of them”, the writer immediately turns to the foremost example of biblical “assurance” to learn from, namely Abraham, for the remainder of the chapter.
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“For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” (Hebrews 6:13-20)
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Reader, the secret of Abraham’s sure inheritance is that he obtained it “after he had patiently endured”; it was then that “he obtained the promise”. “After”, the writer says, referencing that a certain amount of time passed wherein Abraham was tried by God, and then after this it was granted to him that he might have a “strong consolation”, or in other words, “a full assurance of hope unto the end”, or, an assurance of eternal election. The day of this great assurance of salvation which Abraham obtained was the day in which he completed the trial of his faith, whereby God said, “now I know that thou fearest Me”, when Abraham offered up his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. This instance was called, “when he was tried” (Heb. 11:17-19), “he” meaning Abraham, so this instance is exemplary and typological of the completion of the “trial of” Abraham’s faith (1 Pet. 1:7). So also, we should not have assurance and hope of eternal life if, when we are tried, or after we are tried, we did fail the trial. This experience of trial for Abraham was toward the latter end of his life, a life in which he endured continual trials of God for decades, that is until, the writer of Hebrews says he “obtained the promise” by passing this final trial. So he becomes an example of a man who obtains the promise by passing the trials. What was the significant thing that God did to make it sure to Abraham, or assure him, that he would be saved? What gave him his strong consolation?
At this time, after he was tried with offering up Isaac, God knew him and found him faithful according to his deeds, and thus, God vindicated His own righteousness for choosing Abraham for the Covenant, and at this time, after he was found faithful by deeds, then the Covenant was sworn to be given to Abraham. It was already promised, but now it was sworn in. This swearing of God had never happened before, nor had God ever said to Abraham, “now I know”; thus what is in view for the reader to understand is that we must be faithful in our trials by the same diligence, patience, and faith, as Abraham, and we will thus have a biblical hope, assurance, and consolation given to us by the witness of the Spirit of God. This biblical assurance of salvation and immutable, eternal election is not separate from God’s condescension by which He comes to try you to see and know you after your deeds, nor is it separate from God’s context of Judgment whereby He seeks to finally Judge you according to the comprehensibility of works righteousness (God in the ways of man). The writer of Hebrews, as I have already cited, affirms this experience to be the time when Abraham “obtained a good report” (Heb. 11:2) by perseverance, and we also must be perseverant like him (Heb. 11:13-19). Abraham kept faith to the end (Heb. 11:17-19), as did Isaac (Heb. 11:20), Jacob (Heb. 11:21), and Joseph (Heb. 11:22), unto their dying day! And if a man does not do this, then God will disown him, be ashamed of him (Heb. 11:16), and reject him. Why? James explains the point of the matter – God will be vindicated and justified in choosing who from among His people are His final chosen in the END, and it is by their faithfulness in deed, through trial, found ready today!
At this time, after he was tried with offering up Isaac, God knew him and found him faithful according to his deeds, and thus, God vindicated His own righteousness for choosing Abraham for the Covenant, and at this time, after he was found faithful by deeds, then the Covenant was sworn to be given to Abraham. It was already promised, but now it was sworn in. This swearing of God had never happened before, nor had God ever said to Abraham, “now I know”; thus what is in view for the reader to understand is that we must be faithful in our trials by the same diligence, patience, and faith, as Abraham, and we will thus have a biblical hope, assurance, and consolation given to us by the witness of the Spirit of God. This biblical assurance of salvation and immutable, eternal election is not separate from God’s condescension by which He comes to try you to see and know you after your deeds, nor is it separate from God’s context of Judgment whereby He seeks to finally Judge you according to the comprehensibility of works righteousness (God in the ways of man). The writer of Hebrews, as I have already cited, affirms this experience to be the time when Abraham “obtained a good report” (Heb. 11:2) by perseverance, and we also must be perseverant like him (Heb. 11:13-19). Abraham kept faith to the end (Heb. 11:17-19), as did Isaac (Heb. 11:20), Jacob (Heb. 11:21), and Joseph (Heb. 11:22), unto their dying day! And if a man does not do this, then God will disown him, be ashamed of him (Heb. 11:16), and reject him. Why? James explains the point of the matter – God will be vindicated and justified in choosing who from among His people are His final chosen in the END, and it is by their faithfulness in deed, through trial, found ready today!
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“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:20-26).
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What is the burden of this section in James? “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him” (James 2:14)? The burden is, are you now (present-progressively), and will you be finally, saved? How do you have the assurance of salvation now? James declares in verses 20-26 that it is not apart from “works” (James 2:24)! As it was said in Hebrews 6:13-20 that Abraham, at this time of offering Isaac, obtained the promises, so here in James 2:23, it states that the scripture was fulfilled when it said that Abraham’s faith rewarded to him imputed righteousness (salvation apart from works), or in other words, the righteousness in God choosing and saving Abraham is that righteousness was imputed to him by faith apart from works, and then he did continue in saving faith by walking in works righteousness, and thus, God is not ashamed, regretful, or repentant that He has made a Covenant with Abraham, and rather, is assuring him or any man like him that he is assured everlasting life in the everlasting potency of the promises and oaths of God! All your experience is supposed to build in you “hope, and hope maketh not ashamed” for such a man as this, for God will not take away the Holy Ghost from him (Rom. 5). If Abraham did not walk “perfect” before God (Gen. 15:1-2), which is diligent faith and patience, then God would not have given him the assurance of eternal election and salvation, nay, but rather, He would have reprobated him, been ashamed of him, repented that He had saved him, and vindicated His own righteousness for rejecting Abraham because he was not walking in works that verified his faith!
The Covenant was on the line for Abraham, to be fulfilled and performed or breached and lost, and so Abraham walked perfect and obtained the promises, fulfilled the scriptures, and so also God preaches to you promises, oaths, and scriptures in the NT which, in the same way, you are to strive after and obtain them. God will seek to persuade you of the “immutability of His counsel” and all “immutable things” in His changeless faithfulness, both in “promise” and “oath”, and the utter impossibility it is for God to lie, all for the purpose that you would trust God’s faithfulness, truthfulness, and changelessness, that you would be assured of your changeless, eternal election, but it is not apart from justifying Him for choosing you by making sure your final choosing or election, assuring yourself in this means of sureness, and laying hold upon the promises! Otherwise, you also will be cut off because you believed God was a liar, unfaithful, evil, and froward, and you rewarded for yourself reprobating wrath.
Preach the forevers, nevers, and God’s immutable, without repentance, changeless faithfulness and salvation – so as to persuade the believer to believe…but if the believer is deceived to be unbelieving, which is manifest by the deeds of darkness and sin, and he goes on unrecovered from this state, then God will be just to breach His forevers and nevers; He will not show the froward man His immutability but His mutability, repentance, and changes on His word of salvation for them by way of condescension. How the changeless perfectness of God in heaven (outside of time) can be reconciled with the changing, reactionary will and word by way of condescension (within time), no man can know, but at least we can understand the scriptural consistency behind how and why He does what He does when He does it.
God desires to show men His love through preaching His faithfulness, eternality, and immutability, exclaiming that falling from perseverance is an impossibility, but to believe that God is a liar so as to judge Him unfaithful, rather than to judge Him faithful (Heb. 11:11), this is an awful evil! Especially in regard to all that God has promised! God seeks to make men afraid so that they will not forget about and fail to perform the conditions to the promise, and God seeks to make men assured of His love. Consider the contrasting words:
The Covenant was on the line for Abraham, to be fulfilled and performed or breached and lost, and so Abraham walked perfect and obtained the promises, fulfilled the scriptures, and so also God preaches to you promises, oaths, and scriptures in the NT which, in the same way, you are to strive after and obtain them. God will seek to persuade you of the “immutability of His counsel” and all “immutable things” in His changeless faithfulness, both in “promise” and “oath”, and the utter impossibility it is for God to lie, all for the purpose that you would trust God’s faithfulness, truthfulness, and changelessness, that you would be assured of your changeless, eternal election, but it is not apart from justifying Him for choosing you by making sure your final choosing or election, assuring yourself in this means of sureness, and laying hold upon the promises! Otherwise, you also will be cut off because you believed God was a liar, unfaithful, evil, and froward, and you rewarded for yourself reprobating wrath.
Preach the forevers, nevers, and God’s immutable, without repentance, changeless faithfulness and salvation – so as to persuade the believer to believe…but if the believer is deceived to be unbelieving, which is manifest by the deeds of darkness and sin, and he goes on unrecovered from this state, then God will be just to breach His forevers and nevers; He will not show the froward man His immutability but His mutability, repentance, and changes on His word of salvation for them by way of condescension. How the changeless perfectness of God in heaven (outside of time) can be reconciled with the changing, reactionary will and word by way of condescension (within time), no man can know, but at least we can understand the scriptural consistency behind how and why He does what He does when He does it.
God desires to show men His love through preaching His faithfulness, eternality, and immutability, exclaiming that falling from perseverance is an impossibility, but to believe that God is a liar so as to judge Him unfaithful, rather than to judge Him faithful (Heb. 11:11), this is an awful evil! Especially in regard to all that God has promised! God seeks to make men afraid so that they will not forget about and fail to perform the conditions to the promise, and God seeks to make men assured of His love. Consider the contrasting words:
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FEAR
LOVE LOVE FEAR LOVE FEAR LOVE FEAR LOVE FEAR LOVE |
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“Ye cannot serve the LORD:” He is “holy” and “jealous”, thus He will not pardon – Josh. 24:19
“We are well able to overcome it” – Num. 13:30 (Num. 14) “The Lord delight in us,” “He will bring us”…neither fear the people; “the Lord is with us” (13:30) “stilled the people,” “let us go up at once” “Be careful to maintain good works” – Titus 3:8 “Be careful for nothing” – Php. 4:6 “wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him” – 2 Cor. 5:9 “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved” – Eph. 1:6 GOD commands – “Let Me go!”…that I might leave you Jacob – Gen. 32:26 God promises – “I will not leave thee” – Gen. 28:15 “neither will I be with you any more, except…” – Josh. 7:12 “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” – Josh. 1:5 |
We could go on, couldn’t we? Do you remember all that we have covered thus far? Therefore dear reader: Believe God to be immutable, forever, never, and therefore faithful & truthful, while keeping the conditions, and you will experience the performance of the promise presently and progressively, and thus, the Holy Ghost can give you the assurance of your salvation and eternal election. To end this writing, I must close with a section in which I preach this great LOVE which is in the NT – exactly “what manner of love” God has for us, just as it should be preached, believed, and applied, with the fearful conditions in mind of which I have spent this entire book until this point seeking to prove, justify, and make plain to the reader. The purpose of this book was not to show the love of God, but the fear of God, so that a man would rightly interpret and apply the love of God. But oh! I cannot end this book without a section on the love of God, lest my readers misplace themselves in a worldly fear (instead of a godly fear), which leads them to disbelieve God rather than believe His promises, faithfulness, and mercy.