Tag: Assurance

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  • Does the Gospel of John Teach Perseverance of the Saints?

    Does the Gospel of John Teach Perseverance of the Saints?

    In The Gospel According to Jesus, John MacArthur turns to John 9, the account of the man born blind. He treats it as a key text for his theology of saving faith. In particular, he uses it to support the perseverance of the saints. For this reason, his reading deserves a close look. It shows a pattern that runs throughout the book: importing a theological conclusion into a text that was never built to carry it.

    MacArthur’s Two Points

    In chapter 6, MacArthur makes two basic moves using John 9.

    First, he argues that the man’s early response to Jesus is not yet real, saving faith. This includes defending Jesus before the Pharisees and confessing Him as a prophet. For MacArthur, saving faith only arrives at the end of the chapter. At that point, the man falls before Jesus and worships Him. MacArthur calls this moment “full faith in Christ.” He defines it (p. 81) as “full surrender of the heart, soul, mind, and strength.”

    Second, MacArthur argues that salvation is a work of God, so it cannot be deficient (pp. 86, 88). A true work of God will always produce fruit and lasting change in a person’s life. Therefore, he draws a larger thesis from this. The genuine believer will persevere in faith and good works until death. In his view, a believer cannot fall away and die in an unregenerate state.

    Put together, MacArthur’s logic runs like this. Faith in Christ is not real faith unless it is full surrender. That surrender includes commitment, obedience, perseverance, and works. And since salvation is God’s work, genuine surrender cannot ultimately fail.

    The Problem: The Text Doesn’t Say That

    Here the argument runs into trouble. Look at MacArthur’s own reading. Everything admirable the blind man does happens before he is born again. He shows courage before the Pharisees. Over time, he grows in theological clarity. He even accepts expulsion from the synagogue for Jesus’ sake. Only in the final scene, when he worships Jesus, does MacArthur place the moment of regeneration and “full surrender.”

    But if that is true, John 9 tells us almost nothing about what happens after that moment. Instead, the chapter simply ends. It gives no account of the man’s later life. It records no ongoing obedience and no endurance through trial. The text simply doesn’t go far enough to show perseverance.

    So a natural question follows: how can John 9 establish the Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, when the chapter never tells us about the man’s life after his conversion?

    It can’t. The text holds no data for that conclusion. MacArthur presents it as an exegetical finding. However, on inspection, it is a theological assumption read back into a story that stops short of the question. This is eisegesis: imposing a doctrine on the text rather than drawing it out. MacArthur makes this move again and again throughout The Gospel According to Jesus.

    Why This Matters

    This isn’t a minor technicality. MacArthur’s larger argument depends on proving two things from Scripture. First, saving faith is inseparable from ongoing obedience. Second, the genuine believer cannot fail to persevere. Moreover, John 9 is his flagship text for that claim. If it lacks the evidence he needs, his argument must stand or fall on other grounds. It cannot lean on this passage.

    A careful reading of John 9 simply notes what the text does say. A man receives physical sight. Over several interrogations, he grows in his understanding of who Jesus is. In the end, he worships Him as Lord. The text says nothing about how long that faith lasted over the rest of his life. After all, it was never trying to say it. To read perseverance into that silence makes the text answer a question it was never asked.

    A Concluding Thought

    Good exegesis lets a passage say what it says. At the same time, it resists the temptation to make it say more. John 9 is a rich story about progressive spiritual sight. A man moves from ignorance, to partial understanding, to worship. It is a wonderful text on how a person comes to faith. But it is not a text about staying in the faith, because it never goes there. Whatever one believes about the perseverance of the saints, that doctrine must find its support—or its refutation—somewhere other than John 9.

  • The Distinction Between Justification and Sanctification

    The Distinction Between Justification and Sanctification

    Confusing justification with sanctification can lead to profound spiritual uncertainty, making people doubt their salvation even after they’ve placed their faith in Christ. This distinction is not a minor theological point; it’s fundamental to understanding the Christian faith and finding true assurance.

    Many sincere believers struggle with this, often because well-meaning teachers blur these lines. They might unintentionally suggest that your ongoing obedience or visible spiritual growth is what proves you are truly saved. This approach, however, often shifts focus from Christ’s finished work to our imperfect performance, creating a heavy burden.

    Understanding the difference between being declared righteous (justification) and the lifelong process of becoming more like Christ (sanctification) is crucial. It clarifies the path to salvation and the nature of Christian living, offering a foundation of peace rather than perpetual self-examination.

    Two Separate Acts: Justification and Sanctification

    When we talk about justification, we’re discussing a single, decisive moment. It’s when God declares a sinner righteous, not because of anything good they’ve done, but purely because they have believed in Jesus Christ. This act happens instantly.

    It’s like a judge declaring you “not guilty” based on someone else paying your fine. Your record is cleared, and you are made right with God, all through faith.

    On the other hand, sanctification is a process. It’s the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life, helping them to grow, to become more like Jesus, and to live a life that pleases God. This process starts at the moment of justification and continues until we die or Christ returns.

    It involves daily choices, spiritual growth, and often, struggle against sin. Think of it as a journey of becoming more and more like the person God intends you to be, but it’s a journey that takes a lifetime.

    The critical point here is that these are distinct. One is a legal declaration by God, while the other is a progressive transformation within the believer. Conflating them creates a system where salvation seems dependent on our performance, which is a dangerous path.

    The Error of Lordship Salvation

    Some theological viewpoints, often called “Lordship Salvation,” tend to merge justification and sanctification. A prominent example is the position taken by Dr. John MacArthur.

    His view, in essence, argues that true belief in Jesus as Savior must immediately include surrender to Him as Lord, meaning a commitment to obedience and discipleship. In this framework, visible, ongoing obedience becomes a prerequisite for salvation itself, or at least the primary evidence that one is truly born again.

    This perspective fundamentally misunderstands the condition for eternal life. The Bible, particularly John 3:16, states clearly that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV). The condition is belief, not a commitment to perfect future behavior. An advisor once warned against this very issue, noting that proponents of lordship salvation treat justification and sanctification as inseparable, which can lead to profound confusion for those seeking assurance.

    Such teaching places an impossible burden on individuals. It implies that if your behavior isn’t consistently excellent, you might not have truly believed in the first place, or that your salvation isn’t secure. This shifts the focus from Christ’s perfect work to our imperfect human effort.

    Biblical Clarity: Faith Alone

    The Bible consistently emphasizes faith as the sole condition for receiving eternal life. Colossians 2:6 beautifully illustrates this order:

    Notice the sequence. You first receive Christ (justification), and then you walk in Him (sanctification).

    This distinction is vital. Receiving Christ is a one-time event based on belief. Walking in Christ is the ongoing life of discipleship that flows from that reception.

    It’s not the other way around; you don’t walk in Him first to receive Him. The assurance of salvation should rest solely on Christ’s completed work on the cross and His promises, not on our fluctuating spiritual performance.

    Some might argue that true faith will always produce good works. Genuine faith should lead to a changed life, and God desires that every believer grow in good works. But works are neither the condition nor the guarantee of salvation. To make works a condition is to subtly introduce a works-based salvation, which is antithetical to grace.

    Where True Assurance Resides

    If we look inward for proof of our salvation, examining our own behavior for signs of spiritual transformation, we will always find reasons to doubt. Our walk with Christ is rarely perfect. We stumble, we fall, and we often feel we don’t measure up.

    True assurance of salvation comes from trusting completely in Christ’s finished work at Calvary. It rests on His fidelity and His payment for our sins, not on the observable quality of our Christian walk. The Lordship Salvation perspective, by encouraging an inward search for the Holy Spirit’s transforming activity as primary proof, can inadvertently undermine this assurance.

    Instead, our confidence should be in the promise of God, who grants everlasting life to all who believe in His Son. Our assurance is found in Christ’s unwavering promise, not in our fluctuating obedience. This means focusing on what Christ has done for us, not what we can do for Him, to secure our place in heaven.