Is a Gradate of Northwestern University in 1911
4. USING PASSAGES IN FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE TO FORMULATE A DOCTRINE.
A SERIOUS ERROR committed by those who deny eternal security is to use passages that are in figurative language to prove the contention that one who has been saved can be lost. It is only after a given interpretation of a figurative passage has been fully authenticated by other scripture that it can be used as proof. To use interpretations not so authenticated is to base doctrine on purely human thinking and reasoning. Doctrine, which is truth, in order to be true must be a divine revelation.
A SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW
The parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) is an outstanding example of this class of passages. It is claimed that the seed that grows in the stoney ground and among the thorns represents persons that are saved, but who became backsliders and are lost. This interpretation is never sustained by other scripture texts. In the first place, such interpretation directly denies salvation by grace through faith and all the other truths considered in chapters 5-17 and therefore must be dismissed.
There is a key word in this parable, the significance of which is learned from several passages. That word is "fruit." There were two kinds of growth, that which bore no fruit and that which bore fruit. In connection with the first use of the word fruit (Genesis 1:11), it is said that it contains the seed. Therefore, according to the law of first mention where there is fruit, there is seed and where there is no fruit, there is no seed. That which grew among the rocks and the thorns, bore no fruit hence it had no seed in it, while that which bore fruit did have seed. As has been previously mentioned, all who are born again (ie. saved) are born "not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, thought the living and enduring word of God" (First Peter 1:23), and that seed remains in them (First John 3:9). Thus the Bible clearly makes the continuing presence of seed a sign of new birth. The absence thereof becomes a sign that regeneration has not occurred. Natural man and all the moral development and the so-called Christian culture, apart from regeneration is flesh which is as the grass and the flower of it that withers. Jesus speaking of himself said: "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." ["much fruit" (KJV)] This "much fruit" are those who are saved through his death and resurrection. Note carefully, they are "fruit" or the "seed" - not the blade and the stalk which withers.
The life that is in the seed of any grain today is the same life as was in the seed, of that same kind of grain, that God made and put into the earth on the third creation day. Therefore, seed means the enduring life and stands for the eternal life of a saved person; whereas the stalk which has a life of a very limited duration, represents flesh or the earthly life of a man.
It is very interesting to notice that to the perfect creation before the fall, God gave to the beast "every green plant", but to man he gave "every seed-bearing plant" and "every tree that has fruit with seed in it Here seed undoubtedly stands for spiritual food, whereas green plants represent mere bodily food. In the light of these different texts, harmonizing with each other, it seems only reasonable to conclude that only that which bore fruit represents saved men and women. That which bore no fruit represents merely natural men who have either been stirred emotionally with outward signs similar to spiritual evidence or who have only been morally improved due to hearing the teachings of the word. That the word of God is a great influence for human uplift, even in the lives of people who are not born again, cannot be denied. Considerable space has been given to this passage not only because of its important, but also because the same issue arises in the next passage for consideration.
THE VINE AND THE
In John 15:1-6 is the record of the words of Jesus concerning the vine and the branches. This passage is a particular favorite of those who claim that someone who has been saved can be lost. It is said that every branch in Jesus is a saved person and the branches that are cut off are saved persons who are lost.
Much can be said to refute this interpretation. All agree that there are two kinds of branches; those not bearing fruit and those bearing fruit. It has already been shown at considerable length in the discussion of the previous passage that fruit and seed are a sign of being born again. As the unfruitful branches do not have this sign, it is only reasonable to conclude that they cannot represent saved persons.
On the other hand, the fruitful branches have seed and are children of God. But the Father Husbandman cares for these branches in a special way - he purges them. He removes part of the woody growth so that they will bear more fruit. This is exactly what the "Father" does with every one who is born of imperishable seed - everyone who is his child.
"The Lord disciplines [or chastens] those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son" and, "If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons" (Hebrews 12:6, 8). And significantly enough, the purpose of this chastening is exactly the same as the purging of the fruitful branches, to bear more fruit in the form of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).
The unfruitful branches are not purged. Thus in two ways, the two kinds of branches are identified by other scripture passages. The unfruitful branches cannot be saved persons, because they definitely lack the two indispensable signs of son ship, having seed in them and being chastened.
It is still contended that the expression, "in me," can only mean a saved person for, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (Second Corinthians 5:17). This would be true if the words "in me" had the same meaning as "in Christ," but there is much to show that they don't. The message of the gospel of John is "the Word was made flesh" -the Son of God becomes the Son of Man and in him is life - life both in a universal sense for all men, and in an individual sense only for those who believe.
It was as the Son of Man that he became identified with the whole human race. He said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (John 12:32). That he said this of himself as the Son of Man is clear from the immediately preceding statement, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (verse 23) and an earlier statement, "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up" (John 3:14).
By the drawing of "all men to" himself, life went from him to all men. Death entered the human race by sin (Romans 5:12). On the cross the Son of Man took away all sin, for he was "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Thus that by which death entered the human race (Romans 5:12) was removed, and life was brought back to the human race. That he gave life to all is clearly taught in John 6:33, "For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world" (John 1:4, 9).
There is still another statement as to life in the Son of Man that applies to all men. "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his [the Son of Man's] voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned" (John 5:28, 29). This is the bodily resurrection of all men which was made possible only by the death and resurrection of the Son of Man. "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (First Corinthians 15:21). Thus in he who said, "every branch in me," there is life in a universal sense. It is for all men. This life is on a purely human plane. It is not divine [of God], nor is it eternal. In the figure, it is represented by the perishable wood and leaves of the branches.
"In him" there is also a divine life that becomes available to all because of the fact that he has overcome for all, the physical death which came through Adam's sin. He, on the cross, became, in his humanity, united with all men. Those who through faith in him as the Son of God become united with him in his divine being have become children of God. They are "in Christ" and have eternal life.
As the gospel of John clearly teaches the universality of life, of a human nature, in the Son of Man, so it also teaches the certainty of a divine eternal life in the Son of God for a limited number - all who believe. While he drew all men to himself on the cross, only those who receive him are born of God (John 1:12, 13) and those who believe in him as the only begotten Son of God have eternal life (John 3:16). He was the bread of God from heaven that "comes down from heaven and gives life to the world," but only "whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (John 6:33, 54).
Thus Jesus (as recorded by John) taught that there was life in him in this double sense. He also made it clear that for some the resurrection of the body was to life, while for others it was to condemnation (John 5:29). In other words, some are raised to life which is a continued union with God while others are raised to life in order to be condemned, that is separation from him. Isn't this in perfect harmony with what happens to the branches? Some are separated and some continue in union with him.
Thus this word picture of the vine and the branches, with perishable wood representing humanity, and fruit with its seed, divine life, is a perfect and full illustration of what he who was both Son of Man and Son of God accomplished for the human race. He spoke this himself at the very moment that he faced the cross by which all was to pass. What harmony there is in it all! Contrast this with that school of interpretation of scripture which never hesitates to make some difficult passage contradict the, "Verily, verily, I say unto you" (John 5:24 KJV) of the Son of God.
Much more can be said about this passage, but this is not an exposition of it, except insofar as it is used to deny the eternal security of every saved person.
There are, however, two other verses in this passage that are made to deny eternal security. The words, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you" and "unless you remain in me" are offered as a proof that someone who is in Christ can be separated from him. As the words "remain in me and I will remain in you," are addressed to people who have been declared to be clean (verse 3), they must be applied to saved people only and not to saved and unsaved as in verse two. Here is a definite command by God and the reason for it follows; but it is not an obligation placed on the saved person, as is clear from the last three words. A comparable command is found in Luke 5:13. Jesus there said to the man covered with leprosy, "Be clean." This clearly does not imply that the man was to cleanse himself. So also the command, Remain in me, and I will remain in you," does not mean that those who have been cleansed by a similar command on his part must keep themselves in him. The Lord's command to the sinner to be clean and to the cleansed person to remain in him are both brought to realization by God's own power (See chapter 16). This command then states the law of divine life in Christ as being a continuous need on the part of the one who has been washed by the washing of regeneration, to remain in continuous union with him. From his own words (recorded in the same gospel), "Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal [everlasting union with him] life and will not be condemned [separation from him]," it is clear that his command cannot be broken. It can just as truly be said that unless the sun and earth remain in their orbits, day will not follow night and spring will not follow winter as to say, "Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." No-one would say that the sun and the earth must by their own power remain in their orbits. No. They are kept there by the Creator's power. And so is every saved person kept in Christ by the power of God.
The sixth verse is also used to prove that a saved person can be lost. Those who so use it, overlook the statement that those spoken of are gathered and cast into the fire by men. [orig. 'they are gathering them up' etc., KJV 'gathered by men, and cast'.] To be lost is to be cast out by God, as in the second verse. Anything which is said to be done by men cannot by any stretch of the imagination be interpreted as meaning condemnation.
This same error is made by those who misinterpret Matthew 5:13, as teaching that a saved person can be lost. When the salt has lost its saltiness, it is trodden under foot by men. These verses deal only with an earthly condition and have nothing to say regarding the eternal state. The purpose of this passage as applied to believers is to warn them that their influence for God among the unsaved can be lost, but not that they will lose their eternal life.
The parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) is another favorite passage used by those denying eternal security to prove their contention. There are probably more different interpretations of this passage than any other. To make such a passage contradict the clear teaching of the doctrines of the grace of God is to explain the known by the unknown. It is to interpret the clear by the vague and the result can only be confusion. The very fact, that a disputed passage as this is used to deny the eternal security of the believer is a confession of weakness on the part of those who so use it.
Additional misinterpreted passages that are quoted to prove that someone who has been saved can be lost, might be quoted at considerable length, but space does not permit, nor is it necessary. Those quoted ought to be sufficient to point out that the purported scriptural support for the denial of eternal security consists only in misinterpretations of Bible passages. These interpretations deny the plain, fundamental truth of God's word. True Bible exposition demands that obscure and difficult passages be carefully studied in the light of plain teachings.
To misinterpret God's word is a strategy of Satan that started in the garden of Eden and caused the first Adam to sin and become the head of a sinful race. He used it also, though unsuccessfully, when he was permitted to tempt the Son of Man, the last Adam. Though he cannot rob them of their eternal life, he does it today to rob God's children of their assurance which brings peace and joy and a fruitful life for God. And he does this through men who are innocent of his activities.
If anyone who still rejects this precious truth feels that an insufficient number of difficult passages have been explained, let him go back and first harmonize his own position with the great doctrines of the grace of God as explained in chapter 5 to 17. When that has been done, it is time to seek explanations for any remaining difficult passages. In fact, many difficulties will then of themselves have disappeared, just as do the difficulties of the infidel, when he is willing to accept the essential truth concerning God and His Christ.
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