Equipping University

We are bombarded with warnings every day. Some are necessary ("Don't Pass A Stopped School Bus" and "Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear"). Others are ridiculously unnecessary ("Do Not Use Preparation H Orally"). The Bible never wastes words. Every sentence has meaning and purpose and the warning passages provide the reader a necessary benefit. We have asserted that the function of warning passages is to serve as the means by which God preserves his elect for salvation. Let us keep this function in mind as we examine various passages that provide readers with warnings and admonitions.

A proper understanding of God's intended function of the warnings and exhortations in Scripture will help determine the shape of our doctrine of eternal security and assurance. The Bible presents both the promises of God and the warnings of God. We must interpret them according to their intended purpose. The warning passages in Scripture function in unison with the promise passages to evoke faith and assurance in believers. The promise is that true believers will not fall away but will instead persevere to the end and enjoy the blessings of eternal life. Now, someone might ask why God would warn a believer about falling away from the faith if it is impossible that a believer will fall away. In other words, if it were impossible for a person to drink poison, why would I warn a person to not drink poison? The problem with such a question is that the questioner does not understand God's purpose in the warnings. In the Bible, God uses warnings as the means toward that end. The warnings serve to grab our attention

The Christian life is often compared to a race in the Bible. Winning this race is the most important thing in anyone's life. Ironically, this race is the total opposite of the races we know today - particularly marathons. In today's marathons, officials are concerned with individuals who finish the race but do not start it. In the Bible, the more pressing concern is for those who start the race but do not finish it. The New Testament is filled with exhortations to run the race well so that you actually complete the race set before you. We must maintain this biblical train of thought: the reward that we receive by faith in Christ for winning this race is based or grounded on grace alone. However, only those who exercise faith in Christ and endure in their faith to the end will receive this reward. We see this truth in the biblical presentation of the nature of the type of faith that saves.