Eternal Security and Continual believing to be saved??

Must a Christian continually believe in order to be saved? Many out there argue that the word "believe" is in the present tense and that means continually. Free grace believers have accused such people of making faith a work. They feel that this is unfair since they say that they are exercising the same faith that we are but that they do not believe that only a moment of faith saves but a life of continual faith saves. However, are they really exercising the same faith? Why would their faith be a work and our not?

Those that teach that "believe" is in the present tense and that it must mean "continual" either do not know Greek or are a first year Greek student. You will find that the Greek present tense is just like the English present tense where the context and qualifying words help determine whether something is continual or not. I am typing this, but how many here would view the present tense word "typing" as meaning unending? If I were to say, "He that kills another man (singular) commits murder." Now "commits" is in the present tense but did I mean one act of murder or continuous?

The problem with saying that the present tense in Greek means continuous is that the present tense is the second most used tense in Greek next to the aorist. I believe over 700 words in the New Testament are in the present tense so that would mean that in every case it would have to be continuous. Here are some examples in Scripture of the present participle in Greek that clearly does not mean continual:

"But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face" (Matthew 6:17). The word "fastest" is in the present tense but if you were to continually fast then you will certainly die.

"But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth" (Matthew 6:3). So, who here gives continuous alms? That's in the present tense in Greek too.

"Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away" (Matthew 5:42). The word "asks" is the present participle in Greek so does this mean that we are only to give to those that don't shut up asking something from us?

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). The word "says" is in the present tense so are we to assume that such a person is continually saying "Lord Lord"???

"And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever" (Matthew 8:14). The word "sick" is present tense in Greek so does that imply that she was continually sick or presently sick?

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). The word "looketh" is in the present tense so does that mean that I have to continually look upon a woman to lust after and only then have I committed adultery with her in my heart? Does the word "looketh" imply a glance or not? It can be a long gaze or a short gaze but not continually as though it never ends.

Now I only used a few verse very close to each other. The present tense is very common in the New Testament and rarely means continual. These people that believe you can lose your salvation prey upon your ignorance of the Greek. People are made to assume that the Greek present tense must differ from the English so ever instance of a present tense word for "believe" must mean continual. Yes, the present tense is what you would use to stress continual but the context or qualifying words will determine that just like in English.

Acts 16:31 says,

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." The word "believe" here is not in the present tense but in the aorist tense.

We have Scripture that speaks of believing in the past tense. Look at Ephesians 1:13b:

"in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." You were sealed not by continually believing but as the result of having believed before.

John 3:16 has been altered to say this, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever continually believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life if he endures to the end believing." Doesn't sound good does it? Doesn't offer much hope. Puts all the work in the hands of man. Man is now his own savior.

Here is the big problem with making John 3:16 to mean "continually believe." Look at verses 14 and 15 and see what Jesus compared himself too:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

The Old Testament reference was the brazen serpent that was lifted up on a pole and all that looked were healed. In the Old Testament passage, the look there was a moments glance that would heal and not a continuous look. Some people like John MacArthur Jr. try to argue that these people had to crawl and place themselves in a position so that they can see the serpent and be healed. This is nothing short of heresy as he is only seeking to add words to Scripture to keep his heretical Lordship salvation beliefs. They call what I believe as "easy believism" or "cheap grace." I beg to differ, it is not I that cheapen grace but it is they, for my God offers grace freely at His expense and their god offers grace at an expense on your part. If it is "easy believism" then why do so many stumble over the simplicity that is in Christ? He is a stumbling block to them. It is easier to believe that you have to do something for your salvation (works) but it is not so easy to rest your entire case upon another that has done it all for you.

That moment glance that heals is being compared to Christ being lifted up on the cross and whoever looks upon Him will be healed once and for all eternally. Continually believe is not taught in the context, but a glance is. The message is LOOK AND LIVE!!!!

Here is another problem believing in the continual believing theory to be saved. Not one verse of Scripture ever says to continually believe and thou shalt be saved. Do you know that the word "continual" is available in the Greek? If God meant to stress continual faith to be saved then don't you think that He would have found one place to have written that? We have such verses that says continually such as:

"CONTINUE in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2).

"Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and CONTINUETH in supplications and prayers NIGHT AND DAY" (1st Timothy 5:5).

"These all CONTINUED with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren" (Acts 1:14).

"Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him" (Acts 12:5).

"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; CONTINUING instant in prayer" (Romans 12:12).

"Praying ALWAYS with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18).

"ALWAYS in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy" (Philippians 1:4).

"Rejoice evermore. Pray WITHOUT CEASING In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. " (Thessalonians 5:16-18).

"Giving thanks ALWAYS for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"(Eph.5:20).

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought ALWAYS to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).

If one must continually believe to be saved then it is very odd that not one verse of Scripture says that. Show one verse that says, "Continue believing and thou shalt be saved and thine house." The Bible sure is stressing the importance of "continuing" in prayer but never once says continue believing to be saved. Am I to assume that God demands continual faith in order to saved me? Why would the Holy Spirit lay such emphasis on prayer but not continual faith to be saved? Is not continually believing important?? Yes it is! However, the Bible places emphasis on Christ that is to be believed rather than the faith that knits us to Him. If we are saved by "continual faith" then where is the emphasis in salvation? Faith is resting where one comes to see that there is nothing he/she can do and it is throwing yourself in the arms of Jesus for salvation. Paul made a distinction between the faith that saves and the faith that grows. Colossians 2:6 says,

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord (by faith), so walk ye in him (by faith)."

Our faith must go on in order to grow. We received Christ Jesus (PAST TENSE!) by faith but now to walk and grow (PRESENTLY) in Him will require that we keep on with the same faith that saved us. Paul wasn't arguing here that we stay saved by believing but here it is emphasizing our walk. Faith that saves and faith to walk are two separate things coming from the same faith. Faith saves us apart from our works but we will require the same dependent faith on Christ in order to walk as people most often turn to law or the power of their flesh to grow. If faith to be saving must have works then this verse speaks a contradiction. Paul is teaching those that have believed in the past on how they are to presently grow. Lordship and conditionalists will say their clever words but the verse is crystal clear. A person clearly can believe and be saved but not be walking simultaneously as he might need later instruction on how to do so as it does not happen automatically nor does one need to do it to be saved or stay saved. The act of believing to be saved is in a category of its own and works that we need to be doing are in a category of their own. Quit mixing faith and works!

Does believing in continual faith to be saved make faith a work? Yes it does! What they fail to understand is that when the moment a person believes is when they are justified, sanctified and washed (past tense). They AFTER believing have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Our faith doesn't save us and that is why it doesn't have to be continual. If faith saves us then of course it must be continual and it will make our sustaining faith a work on our part. We can actually thank ourselves for continual believing. We now become our own savior. The focus is to be on Christ who is the object of our salvation and never faith. Who ever thanks their hand for receiving a gift? Do you thank the giver for giving or the hand for taking it? Do you take the gift once or does your hand have to stay continually extended receiving that gift? Faith allowed God to save us His way and not our way. Faith doesn't look to itself but to Christ. When Jesus bowed His head and said, "It is finished" then faith simply says, "Amen!" The earth receives the rain but takes no credit for it. We receive salvation from Christ but receive no credit for it. To say that continual faith is required is to take Christ out of the equation. The focus is now our faith and not Christ. The fact is, to believe continual faith only saves is to place your faith in Christ and in your faith. You now believe in faith and works. Get your eyes off of your faith and onto Christ. To focus on your believing is to make you doubt. You will start to wonder if your faith is a true faith and if it possesses all of the right things. Faith has its place in the believers life that has to do with our growth but never with our staying saved and that is why no "continually believe" verse can be found when dealing with the issue of salvation.