OUR COMMON FAITH - A Believer's Security
by Pastor Ron Gatrelle

From the human standpoint scrambled eggs can't be unscrambled but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). So, with God's help, let's try to unscramble a doctrinal scrambled egg.

One of the most hotly debated doctrines is that of "eternal security." The debate concerning this doctrine is centered in whether or not a person who is "saved" can ever again become lost. The debate over whether one's salvation is conditional or unconditional is probably the biggest point of contention between "Calvinists" and "Methodists." Yet, amid all the contradicting verbiage I see each side believing many of the same things about a believer's security in Christ.

My feeling is that a lot of doctrinal disagreement is more the result of a failure to communicate than substantive. I'm persuaded that if each faction will look beyond the differing verbiage they may be surprised to find that their main meaning is the same.

For example, I know of no Christian group that is trying to make their flock feel insecure in Christ or wants its adherents to end up in hell. All Christian denominations teach that people should live moral lives and that God's perfect will is for a saved person remain saved.

All Christians want to be forgiven if they sin and to always remain in right relationship with God. Any Christian would be crazy if he didn't want to always stay saved. All Christians agree that there is security in Christ, only in Christ, and that that security should endure through all eternity.

But what if...?

Uh-uh, debate centers in the "what ifs." The unscrambling centers in finding our common faith. There is a place for debate and we should take a stand. But our stand must be centered in a positive identification with the whole of the family of God based upon our common faith. Our stand, our identity, can not be based in debate or what we are against.

Doctrine is very important because what we believe is what we are. But unless a doctrine is truly heretical it should never be allowed to break the bonds of love and Christian family unity. Christians do not worship doctrine, they worship Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (Ephesians 3:14-17).

I'm aware of and thankful for my security in Christ, even as a "Methodist." In the heat of debate, let's not forget that at the bottom line we all believe that there is eternal security only in Christ and that once an individual is saved they ought-to-always-be-saved. This is our common faith.