Perseverance of the Saints: Does Eternal Security Encourage Complacency?

ByMarc LaClear

Introduction: The Calvinist Claim

Calvinism’s Perseverance of the Saints (also known as “Eternal Security”) asserts that true believers will persevere in faith until the end, as their salvation is guaranteed by God’s sovereign grace. James White, in The Potter’s Freedom, defends this doctrine as an expression of God’s sovereignty, ensuring that no true believer will ever fall away. He writes:

“It is not man’s efforts, but God’s power, that ensures salvation to the end” (p. 285).

While this doctrine offers assurance to believers, critics argue it risks encouraging spiritual complacency or even antinomianism (the belief that moral law is unnecessary for believers). This article evaluates the validity of those concerns and examines biblical warnings against apostasy, such as Hebrews 6:4-6 and 2 Peter 2:20-21, to challenge the Calvinist interpretation.

What Calvinism Teaches on Perseverance of the Saints

  1. Calvinist View:
    • Eternal Security: A person truly regenerated by God will never fall away from faith.
    • God’s sovereignty sustains the believer, and human effort plays no role in maintaining salvation.
    • White emphasizes:“Those whom Christ has died for cannot be lost without undermining the perfection of His atoning work” (p. 289).
  2. Critique:
    • By removing human responsibility, does this doctrine risk undermining the believer’s motivation to pursue holiness?
    • Does this lead some to believe they can live in sin without consequence?

Biblical Warnings Against Falling Away

  1. Hebrews 6:4-6
    • “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit…[and then] fallen away, to be brought back to repentance.”
    • Key Question: Does this refer to true believers or those who only appeared to have faith?
      • Calvinist interpretation (White, p. 291): These are not true believers but those who had outward experiences of grace without genuine conversion.
      • Counterargument:
        • The text explicitly describes people who experienced the Holy Spirit and heavenly gifts.
        • It warns of apostasy as a real danger for those who have truly partaken in the faith.
  2. 2 Peter 2:20-21
    • “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior… and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.”
    • Key Question: Can one truly “know” Christ and still fall away?
      • Calvinist interpretation: These people only had superficial knowledge of Christ.
      • Counterargument:
        • The word “knowing” (Greek: epignosis) suggests experiential, relational knowledge of Christ, not mere intellectual assent.
        • The passage warns of the graver judgment awaiting those who turn back after experiencing salvation.
  3. Matthew 24:13
    • “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”
    • Key Implication: Salvation is contingent on perseverance, suggesting the possibility of falling away if one does not remain faithful.

Theological Critiques of Eternal Security

  1. Encouraging Complacency
    • If salvation is guaranteed without effort, is there motivation for spiritual growth?
    • Contrast with Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 2:12: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” This implies active participation in faith.
  2. Antinomianism
    • Critics point to potential abuse of eternal security, where some believers might think they can live sinful lives without consequences.
    • Romans 6:1-2: Paul explicitly warns against this: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound? By no means!”
  3. Synergism vs. Monergism
    • Calvinism’s monergistic approach denies human cooperation in salvation. Critics argue the Bible presents salvation as both God’s work and human responsibility (synergism).
    • Hebrews 3:14: “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” This conditional statement implies human participation.

Practical Implications

  1. Assurance vs. Complacency
    • Calvinism provides assurance of salvation but risks fostering passivity. Believers might neglect ongoing repentance and faith.
    • Contrast the balance in 2 Peter 1:10: “Make every effort to confirm your calling and election.”
  2. Warnings as Motivations
    • The numerous warnings in Scripture against falling away (Hebrews 10:26-27, Galatians 5:4) must be taken seriously.
    • Arminian theology emphasizes these warnings as means of grace to spur believers toward faithfulness.
  3. Living in Holiness
    • True perseverance involves striving for holiness: “Without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
    • The Bible considers perseverance a collaborative effort between God’s grace and the believer’s persistence.

Counterarguments to Calvinist Rebuttals

  1. “True Believers Will Never Fall Away”
    • Calvinists argue that those who fall away were never truly saved (1 John 2:19).
    • Response: The warnings in Hebrews and 2 Peter are meaningless if addressed only to “false believers.” The texts presume the risk of genuine believers turning away.
  2. “God Ensures Perseverance”
    • Calvinists cite Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”
    • Response: God promises to sustain believers, but this does not negate human responsibility or the possibility of rejecting God’s grace.
  3. “Apostasy Proves They Were Never Saved”
    • White repeatedly emphasizes “false professions” (p. 288), but this interpretation discounts the experiential language (e.g., “shared in the Holy Spirit” – Hebrews 6:4).
    • The Bible teaches that God enables perseverance, but believers can reject this grace (Galatians 5:4).

Conclusion: A Balanced View of Perseverance

While Calvinism’s Eternal Security offers assurance to believers, it risks fostering complacency by minimizing the role of human responsibility. The Bible emphasizes both God’s sustaining grace and the believer’s call to perseverance. Hebrews 6:4-6 and 2 Peter 2:20-21 warn against falling away, challenging the Calvinist claim that true believers cannot abandon their faith.

Believers must embrace a balanced view of perseverance:

  • Trust God’s sustaining power while actively striving for holiness.
  • Heed biblical warnings as means of grace to avoid complacency.
  • Live out Philippians 2:12-13, working out salvation with God’s enabling grace.

As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Perseverance requires an active, ongoing faith that responds to God’s grace with steadfast devotion.