Bible Studies

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Here in Part 2 we continue with the discussion under Eph. 5:5, which includes the powerful warning aimed at Christians that "no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."

I'll quote a paragraph from what Clinton E. Arnold says under Eph. 5:4c and 5:5 ("Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament" [Zondervan, 2010], page 325). I just purchased this commentary, and I haven't had the opportunity to spend much time reading it, but it was written by an evangelical scholar, and I believe it is a quality commentary, but Arnold believes that born-again Christians cannot lose their salvation, and it effects his interpretation of this verse. The reason I want to quote this paragraph is because it illustrates a serious problem that has been concerning me for a long time: Many (but probably not the majority of) Christians who believe the doctrine of eternal security often teach the doctrine in a way that explains away the warnings in the New Testament, very much including the warnings that Christians must repent with a high priority where repentance is required. The warnings, having been explained away, no longer function as the warnings that God intended, the warnings that must be taken seriously if we want to understand the balanced truth of what the New Testament teaches. This problem is all the more serious since the level of righteousness and holiness is at a dangerously low level in much of Christianity in our day, not to mention the absence of a healthy fear of God that is required under both the old and new covenants.

Right in the middle of one of the more powerful warnings (Eph. 5:1-7) of a large number of such warnings in the New Testament that Christians must make victory over sin a top priority, where the apostle Paul even warns Christians that they must not be deceived, because if they live as "sons of disobedience" they will inherit the wrath of God instead of the kingdom of God, Arnold tells us, for one thing, that "this clause (4:5b [5:5b, referring to the words at the end of Eph. 5:5 about not having an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God]) does not, then, function as a warning to believers that they should be aware of their actions lest they forfeit their inheritance. It has the exact opposite force. Paul wants them to be assured that they are heirs of the eternal kingdom." (I'll include Arnold's entire paragraph in the paragraph after the next one.)

The apostle Paul (along with the other writers of the New Testament) did not want his readers who were living in sin and/or believing things that do not line up with God's Word (especially the gospel) to feel secure or "to be assured that they are heirs of the eternal kingdom." He wanted them to repent with a top priority! The New Testament is packed with passages that prove my last sentence. For one thing, see my paper, "Once Saved, Always Saved?" that is on my internet site (Google to Karl Kemp Teaching). I made it a priority to try to present the balanced truth of what the Bible teaches on that topic in that paper. We desperately need the balanced truth of what the Bible teaches! Many Christians put all the emphasis on a set of verses that fit their viewpoint and then spend a lot of time and energy minimizing or trying to explain away all the verses that don't fit their viewpoint. This happens to one degree, or another, on essentially all of the topics where Christians disagree. Many of us Christian ministers need to humble ourselves before God and seek Him for the balanced truth of what the Bible teaches. We desperately need to hold, and teach, the balanced truth of what the Bible teaches!

"Paul claims that those whose lives are characterized by these vices will not have a share in the kingdom. [Arnold agrees with this statement, and he exhorts Christians to live right, but he doesn't believe Christians can lose their salvation.] Paul has already made it clear, however, that believers will have an inheritance with God because they have been sealed by the Spirit (1:13). He, in fact, prays that they will become increasingly aware of their identity as heirs (1:18). This clause (4:5:b [5:5b]) does not then function as a warning to believers that they should beware of their actions lest they forfeit their inheritance. It has the exact opposite force. Paul wants them to be assured that they are heirs of the eternal kingdom. Because of that they should now live like kingdom people and serve their loving and merciful God with a heart full of gratitude."

The apostle Paul wanted every Christian to make it top priority to believe and to live in agreement with the Word of God on a continuous basis (which includes repenting where repenting is required), by grace through faith, and "to be assured that they are heirs of the eternal kingdom." He did not teach that there was no way that born-again Christians could lose their salvation. He (along with the other writers of the New Testament) warned his Christian readers that they could lose their salvation. See my paper, "Once Saved, Always Saved?" For one thing, believers can become unbelievers!

Six paragraphs later (still under Eph. 5:4c and 5:5) Arnold qualifies what I quoted above to some extent (for which I'm thankful), but not nearly enough in my opinion: "...this passage is not a warning to believers [I totally disagree with this statement] but a reaffirmation of their new identity as a basis for the exhortation to godly living. [I agree that the apostle Paul often exhorted his readers to live righteous and holy lives in the truth of God, by grace through faith, on the basis of what God has done for them in Christ.] ... ...there is a secondary implication to the passage, as O'Brien ["Ephesians" (Eerdmans, 1999), page 363] rightly observes, 'Those who have given themselves over to immorality, impurity and greed, even if they call themselves Christian, show that they are excluded from eternal life.' "

Most evangelical Christians who believe that it is impossible for born-again Christians to lose their salvation will acknowledge that if a person has "given themselves over to immorality, impurity and greed" and are characterized by sin will not inherit eternal life, because (they say) their being characterized by sin now demonstrates that they never became born-again Christians. Also, the words "being characterized by sin" is a very subjective measurement. By some Christians' definitions you would have to have a lot of sin to "be characterized by sin."

Charles Stanley goes further (even though he devotes a lot of his teaching to exhorting Christians to live as Christians are called to live); he teaches (in his book "Eternal Security" [Thomas Nelson, 1990]) that once a person has accepted Christ and forgiveness and salvation through Him by an act of faith, there is no way that person could lose their salvation. He says that even if that person has abandoned the faith and is characterized by sin they still are saved. (I have a lot of respect for Charles Stanley and his ministry, but I strongly disagree with him on this topic. I was shocked when I read this book. I am confident that he is trying to help people who have no assurance of salvation, but I believe this teaching substantially hurts the Body of Christ.)

I'll include a few brief excerpts from Stanley's book, which is still being sold at amazon.com, for one place: "If abandoning the faith or falling into sin [Stanley doesn't limit the type of sin or duration of the sin, including totally abandoning the faith without repentance] short-circuits salvation, I have the ability to demonstrate unconditional love to a greater extent than God. If there is a condition - even one - attached to God's willingness to maintain a relationship with His children, it is not unconditional. ..." (page 5). "... We are declared 'not guilty.' That's it! And yet that is what some argue we can lose. But how! How can I lose Christ's payment for my sin? Can God declare me 'guilty' after He has already declared me 'not guilty' " (page 28)? "The Bible clearly teaches that God's love for His people is of such magnitude that even those who walk away from the faith have not the slightest chance of slipping from His hand" (page 72). "Faith is simply the way we say yes to God's free gift of eternal life. ... Consequently, God does not require a constant attitude of faith in order to be saved - only an act of faith" (page 77). "Forgiveness or salvation is applied at the moment of faith. It is not the same thing as faith. And its permanence is not contingent upon the permanence of one's faith" (page 78). "You and I are not saved because we have enduring faith. We are saved because at a moment in time we expressed faith in our enduring Lord. …" (page 78). It is obvious if you don't have to continue in faith to be saved, there is no limit to how much you could be characterized by sin and still be saved. Do you think Christians who believe what Stanley says in the excerpts could possible take the warnings in the New Testament seriously? (Now I'll start to quote Eph. 5:6.)]] (6) Let no one deceive you with empty words [[That is, with empty words like the following: God doesn't care all that much what you believe, or how you are living, as long as you asked Christ into your heart and call yourself a Christian. He understands your sin and He certainly could not fail to take you into His heavenly kingdom. You don't have to be too concerned with finding out what the Bible says, or with repentance, or holiness. Many Christians are even telling us we don't even have to repent if we sin. However, the apostle Paul (in these verses and many other places, along with many other writers in the New Testament) says something quite different.]], for because of these things [that is, because of living in sin/being "sons of disobedience"] the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. [[(See under verse 5.) There are many in our day who put all the emphasis on forgiveness and right standing with God, through believing in the sacrificial death of Christ Jesus and His resurrection, but who insist that repentance and obedience (a righteous lifestyle) are not required for salvation. However, the apostle Paul (and the other writers of the New Testament) consistently insisted that we are called, enabled, and required to live in the truth, righteousness, and holiness of God as "sons of obedience" through the saving, sanctifying grace of God in Christ. And if we should sin, we must be quick to sincerely repent. We must make these things a top priority. Those who are "sons of disobedience" (which is comparable with being characterized by sin) will not inherit God's heavenly kingdom that is filled with His glory.

The "obedience" of the Lord Jesus Christ (with the emphasis on His all-important atoning death) was designed to result in the "obedience/righteousness" of Christians. See Rom. 5:19, for example. Romans chapter 5 is discussed in my book, "Holiness and Victory Over Sin: Full Salvation Through the Atoning Death of the Lord Jesus Christ" and in my recently published e-book, "Righteousness, Holiness, and Victory Over Sin." Both books are available at amazon.com.

Paul didn't teach here (or anywhere else) that if a sincere Christian slips into sin he immediately loses his salvation or has become a "son of disobedience" (as a person characterized by disobedience), but he certainly required genuine repentance and he required each Christian to make it top priority (by grace through faith) to walk in a state of righteousness and holiness with the victory over all sin. As far as God is concerned, any sin (if it really is sin) is too much sin. (Sin is rebellion against God and His will.) The gospel that the apostle revealed included the good news that God's saving, sanctifying grace is sufficient. God wants to sanctify/transform us, not to condemn us.]] (7) Therefore do not be partakers [Greek "summetoxoi"] with them [[I prefer a translation like "sharers," or "fellow sharers," or "partners" (NIV), instead of "partakers." The apostle warns His Christian readers that they must not be sharers with them (with the "sons of disobedience") by living as "sons of disobedience." And, significantly, it is to be understood that if you share with them in living as "sons of disobedience," you will also share/partake with them in the wrath of God. Although there is some preliminary wrath of God against those rebelling against Him during this age, the apostle is speaking, at least for the most part, of God's wrath that will come with His day of judgment.

The only other place the Greek noun "summetoxoi" is used in the New Testament is Eph. 3:6, where Paul spoke of the Gentiles being "fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers ["fellow partakers" was translated from "summetoxoi

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