Debate Review III

In my last speech in the affirmative I brought up some verses from the Gospel of John and some other miscellaneous verses from the epistles. 

Gospel of John

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."  (John 6: 37-40)

From this passage I argued that all who come to Christ and enter into him will not be cast out and this is because it is the Father's will that they be kept and that Jesus cannot fail to ensure that the Father's will is executed.  Once one is "in" Christ, he cannot be cast "out."  The will of the Father is that none of those who are given to Christ and come to him be lost.  I stated that the position of those who believe that some of those who come to Christ will be lost involves the consequence of affirming that the will of God and the work of Christ fails.  My opponent did not refute this clear affirmation of the preservation of all the saved.

"And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."  (John 17: 11)

Jesus prays that those given to him be all preserved unto final salvation.  I argued that every prayer of Christ is heard and granted by the Father as Jesus said that the Father hears him always.  (John 11: 42)

"And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."  (John 10: 4-5)

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."  (vs. 27-29)

From this passage I argued that none of those who are sheep fail to follow Christ and that none of them hear the voice of the stranger.  If some of the sheep lose salvation, however, it could not be said that none of them hear the voice of the stranger and fail to follow Christ.  I argued that once in the Father's hand they are secure.

From The Epistles

"And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."  (II Tim. 4: 18)

This is a clear affirmation that God will surely keep his chosen and called people.  Unlike the view of my opponent, I offered such clear and express statements of eternal security.  I challenged my opponent to produce clear passages which state that someone lost his salvation but never got such evidence.  Paul said that God would preserve him to complete and final salvation.  There are no ifs or buts.  The God who had delivered Paul would continue to do so.  The only way Paul could speak so certainly is because he believed in the eternal unconditional security of all the chosen and called.

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."  (I Thess. 5: 23-24)

This is another clear statement that God will preserve his people safe and secure so that they will not lose what they have been given.  Paul says God "also will do it." 

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."  (II Cor. 1: 21-22 NIV)

The deposit given to those who are saved is God's guarantee that he will save them in the end.  When a man asks God to save him from his sins, God promises to do so and God will never go back on his word.