The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Eternal Security

Looking for the Reformed view of the texts cited in Ezekiel below. The individual who posted the quote maintained the following:

"Clearly, a righteous person can die spiritually because of his sin, which again is the antithesis of the teaching of eternal security."


Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. (Ezek 3:20)

But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die. (Ezek 18:24)

If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. (Ezek 18:26)
If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. (Ezek 33:13)

If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. (Ezek 33:18)

I would ask your “expositor” if he understands the context of the quotes. First, Ezekiel is in question here (3:20). Second, Ezekiel like any other Christian is responsible to obey the Word of the LORD. Third, if we go to 3:17 (or 18:21f, 33:8f), to include the fuller context of the thoughts being given, we see that if Ezekiel, the watchman, fails to issue the warning that would make him accountable for all the deaths that resulted, however if the warning was given and yet went unheeded, then Ezekiel would be exonerated. This reveals the justice and impartiality of God. Even the righteous are judged. Notice though that NONE of these verses speak of the righteous as losing their soul. Each of the verses (in context) speak of physical not spiritual death. We can’t lose our righteousness for it is imputed, not infused….

Thank you. Excellent point about physical death. The expositor also piled on a number of New Testament texts where the believer is warned about the consequences of sin, walking after the flesh as opposed to the Spirit, etc.; all an attempt to prove the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints false. I believe the warnings are real; but, are part of the means the Spirit uses to guide and preserve the elect...just as the preaching of the cross is the means of effectually calling the elect.

Yes, most group in such texts as Heb 6 and 10. They look at such phrases as falling away from God thinking that it meant these had "actual faith" in God. However, a closer examination reveals it is possible, like in the OT, to be a member of the Covenant and not be saved. This is the case as you know of those in Hebrew 3:7-19. They knew of God's workings, experienced great miracles, were members of the covenant, they participated in the sacrifices, were church members, and yet they were not saved (elect). One can fall away from God to the degree that he has come close to the work of God. However, the elect's security is established in "he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6).

Michael,

Here are three good articles on the subject of "Eternal Security":

- Perseverance of the Saints, by Loraine Boettner

- An Antidote to Arminianism - Chapter IV - Of Final Perseverance by Christopher Ness

- THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS by William MacClean

In His grace,