Theodicy Soteriology, Hermeneutics

SOTERIOLOGY : M. M. NINAN
FIFTH HEAD: PARAGRAPH 5. Who teach: That withouta special revelation we can have no
certainty of future perseverance inthis life.
For by this doctrine the sure comfort of the true believersis taken away in this life, and the
doubts of the papist are again introducedinto the Church, while the Holy Scriptures constantly
deduce this assurance,not from a special and extraordinary revelation, but from the marks
properto the children of God and from the very constant promises of God. So especiallythe
apostle Paul: "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesusour Lord (Rom 8:39)." And John
declares: "Those who obey his commandslive in him, and he in them. And this is how we
know that he lives in us:We know it by the Spirit he gave us (1 John 3:24)."
FIFTH HEAD: PARAGRAPH 6. Who teach: That the doctrineof the certainty of perseverance
and of salvation from its own characterand nature is a cause of indolence and is injurious to
godliness, goodmorals, prayers, and other holy exercises, but that on the contrary itis
praiseworthy to doubt.
For these show that they do not know the power of divinegrace and the working of the
indwelling Holy Spirit. And they contradictthe apostle John, who teaches that opposite with
express words in his firstepistle: "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will
behas not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shallbe like him, for
we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hopein him purifies himself, just as he is
pure (1 John 3:2-3)." Furthermore,these are contradicted by the example of the saints, both
of the Old andthe New Testament, who though they were assured of their perseverance
andsalvation, were nevertheless constant in prayers and other exercises ofgodliness.
FIFTH HEAD: PARAGRAPH 7. Who teach: That the faithof those who believe for a time
does not differ from justifying and savingfaith except only in duration.
For Christ Himself, in Matt 13:20, Luke 8:13,and in other places, evidently notes, beside this
duration, a threefolddifference between those who believe only for a time and true
believers,when He declares that the former receive the seed on stony ground, butthe latter in
the good ground or heart; that the former are without root,but the latter have a firm root; that
the former are without fruit, butthat the latter bring forth their fruit in various measure, with
constancyand steadfastness.
FIFTH HEAD: PARAGRAPH 8. Who teach: That it isnot absurd that one having lost his first
regeneration is again and evenoften born anew.
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