Rebuttal to Gerry Soliman’s Eternal Security

By: Jub Alabastro CFD-Davao

Something in me tells me, or to use a rather more theological term relevant to the discussion at hand, predestines me today to type my name in google because somebody made a refutation to my article. Honest, this was how I really felt! True, enough, when I typed Jub Alabastro, Gerry Soliman was the first result! This may also have been predestined.

Before anything else, may I have this privilege of asking Mr. Soliman this personal question: ARE YOU REALLY RODIMUS OF THE BEREANS WHO CROSSED SWORDS WITH FR. ABE AND ATTY. MARWIL LLASOS? WILL YOU SIGN YOUR AUTOGRAPH TO CONFIRM THIS?

Let me move now to the serious issue. Mr. Soliman’s words are in Red, while my words are in black. I immediately read the answer of Mr. Soliman, and indeed I was quite surprised; not that his argument was substantive, but because, he was arguing for predestination! My later survey revealed the following:

For us Evangelical Calvinists, he dealt with the doctrine of Eternal Security:

Jeph said...

Wow, I never thought you're a Calvinist, too. I thought you're a Methodist (which group I presume to be basically Arminian in soteriological conviction).

April 24, 2011 10:23 PM

Gerry Soliman said...

I'm connected with a Baptist church since last year. But even I was with the Methodists I was already a Calvinist.

April 25, 2011 8:28 AM

Source: http://solutions-finder.blogspot.com/2011/04/refuting-jub-alabastro-on-eternal.html

It just make me wonder how could he miss these verses:

Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) John 6:70-71

Christ didn't say "One of you is a former devil," or "One of you will be a devil," rather it's "One of you is a devil!" Could it be that Judas wasn't saved to begin with?

According to Mr. Soliman, why did Judas get damned? Why wasn’t he saved? Christ didn't say "One of you is a former devil," or "One of you will be a devil," rather it's "One of you is a devil!" Could it be that Judas wasn't saved to begin with?

If I remember correctly, I provided two examples. Besides Judas, I also mentioned Peter. Now, applying Mr. Soliman’s own logic to the other example I gave, when our Lord said to Peter, “Get Behind Me Satan! (Mat. 16:23,) will Mr. Soliman also say, “Christ didn't say "GET BEHIND ME YOU WHO IS A FORMER SATAN," or " GET BEHIND ME YOU WHO WILL BE A SATAN," rather it's "GET BEHIND ME SATAN!" Could it be that Peter wasn't also saved to begin with?

As to losing salvation:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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 Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-29

I believe there were errors both in the Scriptural citation and understanding of Mr.Soliman. Gerry cited Rom. 8:28-29 when what he probably meant was Rom. 8:38-39.

Rom 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As to his second error,

WHAT CANNOT SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD?

• neither death nor life,
• neither angels nor demons,
• neither the present nor the future,
• nor any powers,
• neither height nor depth,
• nor anything else in all creation,

The text does not include or even suggest “SIN” as among the things that cannot separate us from the love of God.

Isa 59:2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you so that he does not hear.

Now if Mr. Alabastro will say "freewill" or man's choosing to break away from the love of God will lose his salvation, he has to contend with this:

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9:16

Simple. The passage does not speak of security for eternity, but rather the call of the OLD (Rom. 9:1-15) and NEW (Rom. 9:24-25) TESTAMENT people of God. In fact, Verse 32 later revealed the Jews’ fall from God’s call. The above passage you cited explains that the privilege of being called into God’s people originated from God’s own effort and initiative or mercy and therefore not of human origin, just as He is the source of Scripture (2Pet. 1:20.)