Answers in August: Part Four
Questions and Answers
By Pastor Josh Wamble
This past Sunday, we continued our annual Answers in August series. This year we are studying the doctrine of Eternal Security or the perseverance of the saints. We started this series off last week by talking about the view that it is possible for people to fall away from salvation. You can watch week one here or listen to week one audio here. You can watch week two here or listen to week two audio here. You can watch week three here or listen to week three audio here. You can watch the final week here or listen to week four audio here. Below, I want to provide a short summary of the questions and discussion we had on 8/27.
1. What Biblical passage is most assuring to you that God will keep you secure?
Romans 8:31-39
John 6:37
Ephesians 1:7-14
Hebrews 7:22-25
2. Why was this topic chosen?
This doctrine is very strengthening to believers and their faith. Often believers have questions or a lack of assurance especially as they see people who have fallen away from the church and are no longer around. Studying what the Bible says about God’s determination to save His people is very reassuring to believers.
3. How do we keep in balance what the Bible says about the need for believers to persevere and the promise that God will keep those who are His?
There is a need to read the scriptures and believe all that they say. Everything int eh Word is true. Some things are harder to understand or accept than others, but as followers of God, we need to work hard to understand all that the Bible says in light of everything else the Bible says.
4. Is there a danger in presenting salvation as “just believe and you will be saved”?
There is a danger or problem, but it is not corrected by changing the message of the gospel that we preach. The Bible does say that salvation is by grace alone though faith alone. The problem comes in when the church and individual believers do a poor job of discipleship after someone has believed the message of the gospel or a poor job of following up when someone leaves the church.
5. How should we respond to someone who seems to have fallen away from the truth?
We should be direct with them and not avoid the difficult awkward questions, but it must happen in the context of a relationship of love and trust.
6. How do we counsel and help people who are coming back from a time of sin discern whether they were genuinely saved before or are just now being saved?
Believers continue to fight against temptations and sin. It is not surprising or confusing when we see believers sinning and fighting sin. That doesn’t mean the person was never genuinely saved, but it could mean that. When we try and help people think through that situation, we should help them to ask questions of themselves and their own situation. In the end, we cannot make that decision for anyone else as we trust the Holy Spirit to convict them and assure them and convince them.
7. Should we use books, sermons, or other materials that were written by people who seemed to be faithful at the time but have since denounced the faith and rejected God?
This is a very complicated and perplexing question. If the person is known enough that their name being connected to the material could be a distraction or cause a problem, do not use that material. If the material is good and the book or resource was written long enough ago that their reputation or life situation is unknown and not likely to cause a distraction, then we should be free to use that material.
8. Can/does the Holy Spirit use unbelievers the same way He does believers?
God can and does use anyone that he wants. He can and does use the talents of unbelievers to glorify Himself and strengthen His church. In Phil. 1:15-18, Paul speaks of some who preach the gospel out of envy and selfish ambition. Even in this case, Paul rejoices because God is using this preaching of the gospel with bad motives to accomplish His purposes. However, we should be careful with these types of resources knowing that those who produce them are not seeking to honor God with them.
9. If you were going on a trip and could only take the Bible and one other book, what would the other book be?
Pilgrim’s Progress, Michael Jordan biography, book of maps
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Wendell Berry novel, large phone book (for kindling)
Church directory as prayer tool
Historical biography or other historical book
10. How should we relate to other believers/denomination who disagree with us on this doctrine?
There are some things that we can partner with and other things that we can’t. To the extent that partnering with them would cause us to compromise on what we think the Bible teaches, then we would not be able to. We could partner together for the sake of ministries such as distributing food to people who need it or cleaning up after a tornado or other natural disaster, but we could not partner together to preach or plant churches, or etc.
11. If we are visiting a different type of church with different doctrine should we participate in their worship? More specifically, should we participate in the Lord’s Supper at a church whose understanding of what the Lord’s Supper is and what it does and what it’s for is different from ours?
There are some churches whose doctrine is so different from ours that we should not participate in the Lord’s Supper. Catholic churches come to mind. Their understanding of the Lord’s Supper is so different that we shouldn’t join them in it.
