“A few years ago I heard a preacher illustrate the concept of receiving salvation by drawing a comparison between getting saved and getting on an airplane. Once you have boarded the plane, the preacher explained, you will arrive at the original destination whether you still want to or not. In the same way, he argued, once you have accepted the gift of eternal life, you will end up in heaven whether you still want to or not. I hope you are as shocked reading this as I was when I heard it. In a hopefully well-intentioned attempt to protect the doctrine of eternal security the preacher actually distorted the gospel and the biblical meaning of saving faith. This illustration perpetuates the false view that you only receive a ticket to heaven, not Christ Himself, when you profess faith in Christ. And instead of a faith that embraces Jesus Christ because it sees God’s glory in His face (2 Cor. 4: 6), this illustration presents us with a “faith” that does not continue until the day of Christ (Phil. 1: 6) and therefore is not based in the power of God. This kind of one-time faith is not genuine saving faith.” (Doran, David M. For the Sake of His Name. Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, 2018, 39).
An Enduring, Saving Faith
Frank Jones
Pastor, Exhorter, Cyclist
Frank Jones is presently pastor at Faith Memorial Baptist Church in Chesterfield, Virginia.
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