Losing our religion?
June 22, 2010
I have been preaching through Hebrews which is known, in part for its warning passages. Some take those warning passages to mean that it is possible for genuine converts to Christ to lose their salvation. I certainly agree that it is possible for religious people to lose their religion. It is possible to become enthusiastic about Jesus only later to abandon Him. But I also believe that the Bible makes plain that those who are genuinely saved by God's grace are kept eternally sercure by that same grace.
Thomas Schreiner, professor of New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has written some outstanding resources on the doctrine of the saint's perseverance. His latest is entitled Run to Win the Prize.
From the Publisher:
Thomas Schreiner, professor of New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has written some outstanding resources on the doctrine of the saint's perseverance. His latest is entitled Run to Win the Prize.
From the Publisher:
Scripture's commands to persevere, and warnings of the consequences if we fail, have been met with apathy by some, and led others to doubt the state of their salvation. The fearful and eternal nature of these issues warrants careful examination of what the Bible says about perseverance. Thomas Schreiner once again tackles this difficult topic in Run to Win the Prize. Clarifying misunderstandings stemming from his more detailed treatment in The Race Set Before Us (IVP 2001), Schreiner draws together an illuminating overview of biblical teaching on the doctrine of perseverance.
Schreiner details how God directs the collective warnings and exhortations of Scripture toward believers as a means of preservation. We are to think of the call to persevere in light of the initial call to faith, both agents by which God leads us to final salvation. Those looking for a general treatment of the doctrine of perseverance will profit from the challenges and assurances in Run to Win the Prize.
