Greetings and welcome to the Highway. Phil Johnson is one of my bosses, so I find it nice that his bookmarks are making an impact out there in cyberworld.
Periodically, from time to time, individuals log on to this page pointing us to supposed Bible verses that they believe refute the doctrines of Grace. Your challenge is not new here. In fact, this subject is a horse that has been so beaten that the carcass is unrecognizable.
I will be happy to discuss these passages with you, as well as others who frequent here. I would personally suggest that you point to the one verse or set of verses that you think is absolutely unanswerable by the Reformed faith, and with out a doubt affirms conditional perseverance.
Also, I have discovered that the one challenging the biblical doctrines of Grace often cites his pet proof texts out of context. In other words, there is no application of sound exegesis brought to the passages in question so as to discover what the author was truly saying. So I hope that if some discussion does occur, that there will be the application of sound Bible study methodology.
Further, let me ask you this: are you familiar with what has already be written on this subject by the defenders of Reformed soteriology? Often times, the critics of Calvinism write as if they exist in an historic vacuum. John Gill, for instance, has written a massive exegetical treatise that is a rebuttal to a book by an Arminian pastor in his day that provide sound answers to the passages you raise as proof texts. In fact, you can look at it on line here:
The Cause of God and TruthWhat I mean to say is that the literature is vast and well written and many of us here are quite familiar with it and the arguments of those who would desire to contradict us. My hope is that your inquiry has taken that into consideration and that you are not under the impression that we are ignorant of the various arguments against the five points, particularly the perseverance of the saints.
Then lastly, I think there are some fundamental presuppositions that need to be laid out in the open. That being that those who hold the conditional security/perseverance of the saints as a belief, normally have as a starting point the belief in libertarian free-will. More times than nought, it is taken as a never questioned assumption and is articulated in one form or another by its proponents. It is my opinion that this is a key issue to address first before we can even begin wading through the various passages that supposedly teach conditional perseverance. How serious do you believe sin has affected men? is a good question to ask. I can tell you at this point that I believe the Bible clearly teaches that sin has so impacted man that his will, emotions, thinking, his entire being, has been enslaved to sin. That he can do nothing pleasing to God, including believing upon the gospel by faith, UNLESS, the Lord first does a regenerative work in man's heart. When the Lord does that work, it will be effective. In other words, it will not fail, nor can the person so regenerated choose to reject that work initially, or walk away from it at some future time. Thus, the one who had no ability to gain salvation to begin with, has no ability to forfeit salvation. I can provide passages to support my core presuppositions if you so wish to see them.
At any rate, I hope I wasn't put offish with my post, but I do hope you see, at the same time, the need to address these core issues that will define any future discussion.
Fred
