The Destruction of the Believer – Disagreements with the Protestants
The lecture addresses the disagreement concerning the possibility of a believer’s perishing and emphasizes that faith at its beginning does not necessarily mean reaching final salvation without perseverance.
Pope Shenouda III explains that the Holy Bible presents examples of people who believed and then fell or apostatized, and therefore it is not correct to confuse the believer with the chosen in an absolute sense.
He refers to the parable of the vine and the branches, explaining that a branch existing in the vine can be cut off and thrown into the fire if it does not remain and bear fruit.
He also mentions the people of Israel who believed and crossed the Red Sea under God’s leadership, yet many of them perished in the wilderness and did not enter the Promised Land.
The lecture also explains that a person may fall through apostasy, sin, or being influenced by ideas that lead him away from faith.
It emphasizes that initial salvation is not enough; what matters is remaining in Christ and in faith until the end.
The lecture also discusses the meaning of being sealed by the Holy Spirit, explaining that the presence of the Holy Spirit and the believer’s being sealed by Him does not remove free will, since a person can grieve the Spirit or extinguish His work in his life.
It also explains that saying that a person is a child of God or that his name is written in heaven is not merely a title, but that this should appear in his conduct, in doing righteousness, in love, and in being led by the Spirit of God.
Therefore, the fundamental teaching is that the life of faith requires continual struggle and perseverance, and that a person should not rely merely on a good beginning or a spiritual title without living according to faith.
The lecture calls for guarding against spiritual pride and for holding fast to Christ and remaining in Him, because a person is responsible for his response to God’s grace and for the use of his free will.
Spiritual Message
The central spiritual message is the necessity of remaining in Christ and not being satisfied with merely outward faith or a good beginning.
Grace preserves a person, but he must remain in it and must not use his free will to turn away from God.
The lecture warns against spiritual pride and against believing that a person cannot fall regardless of his spiritual condition.
Educational Lesson
The lecture teaches that the verses of the Holy Bible should be understood within their complete context, and that an isolated verse should not be taken to prove an idea while the other verses that speak about perseverance, falling, and apostasy are ignored.
It also distinguishes between merely carrying a spiritual title and truly fulfilling its meaning in a person’s life, for sonship to God is manifested in righteousness, love, and being led by the Spirit of God.
Practical Spiritual Application
The believer should continually examine his life and ask himself whether he is remaining in Christ and whether his sonship to God is manifested in his actions.
He should also guard against sin, apostasy, and being influenced by ideas that weaken his faith, while holding fast to prayer, the commandments, and remaining in God.
The lecture emphasizes the importance of humility and watchfulness, so that a person does not think that he is standing and consequently fall.
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