I find it interesting that those who e-mail me about eternal security or perseverance of the saints often will speak of God’s great love for us, that His promises are sure, that He will not take back what He has given to us in saving us, that God desires to receive us unto Himself, etc. but they speak little about the awfulness of sin. They speak little of God’s absolute holiness that demands nothing less than perfection to enter into His presence. I am aware that in Jesus Christ we are sanctified and being sanctified (Hebrews 10:10, 14) but I am also aware that God calls us to holiness (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16). God’s call to holiness is not “if you feel like doing this” but is a command from God Almighty just as He gave to Abram in Genesis 17:1. Even 1 John 2:1-2 balances the call of the child of God to holiness as well as seeing that we have an Advocate with the Father.
However, it seems that many want the assurance of their salvation while holding on to their sins. They want to know that they will go to heaven and yet still look at pornography. They want to know that they are children of God all the while living like the world and like Satan. They want to claim to be disciples of Jesus all the while wasting time watching television or other fleshly amusements instead of reading and studying the Word of God. They say they love God but their actions don’t reveal that (Titus 1:16). Jesus said in John 14:21 that whoever keeps His commandments show that we love Him (John 14:15; cf. 1 John 2:3-6).
Holiness, on the other hand, produces that sweet assurance that we are Jesus’ disciples. When we strive to be like Jesus in all that we say or do (Colossians 3:17), we have that promise from our Lord Himself in Matthew 5:8 that we will see God face to face. When we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to help us overcome our sins (Galatians 5:16-17), He does so (1 Corinthians 10:13). Our God is not weak. Our God is strong and He is able to deliver us completely from sin. Am I arguing for perfection? Well yes in the sense that our goal is to be like Jesus who was perfect in every way (1 Peter 2:21-24). We are to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1-2) and we should be able to say with Paul the Apostle to others to follow our example as we follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:9). Do you want people to imitate you as you compromise the gospel or do you want them to pray, evangelize, and pursue God’s presence as you do?
I had a Calvinist professor in college once say to his class that I was in, “Students, there are no promises of assurance of salvation given to those living in sin.” I agree. You can search high and low but you’ll never find assurance of your salvation apart from holiness. The call of God for you is holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7). Forsake the world (1 John 2:15-17). Forsake compromising (James 4:4). Forsake living in sin. Cry out to Jesus to deliver you and He will and along with His deliverance will come the sweet assurance that He is with you (Psalm 91:14-16).
© 2011, Matt. All rights reserved.
