In a book attempting (rather lamely) the Reformed doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints (the “P” of TULIP), Sam Storms, speaking of a hypothetical person called “Charley” who has seemingly backslidden:
But if Charley persists in unrepentant
sin and hard-hearted unbelief, he will by his lack of perseverance demonstrate that
in all likelihood, he never knew Jesus, and Jesus never knew him. (Sam Storms, Kept for Jesus: What the
New Testament Really Teaches About Assurance of Salvation and Eternal Security [Wheaton,
Ill.: Crossway, 2015], 25)
This reminds me of a recent video Trent Horn did on
Protestant theologies of salvation:
The Not-so-Simple Protestant Plant of Salvation
That Calvinism cannot truly give assurance of
salvation (in spite of claims to the contrary) can be seen in the very first endorsement
one finds in the book:
“I have wrestled
with the issue of assurance of salvation not just as a pastor counseling timid
souls but as a sinner trusting in God . . .” (Jared C. Wilson, Pastor, Middletown
Springs Community Church)
As an example of how poorly argued and thought out the book is, consider the following Storms writes concerning Matt 13:32 and the unpardonable sin (my comments follow in red):
John
Piper has wisely pointed out that Matthew 12:32 is not an exception to
verse 31. Jesus is not saying, “All blasphemies you repent of will
be forgiven except blasphemy against the Spirit.” No. He is saying, “All blasphemies
you repent of will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not
be forgiven because, by its very definition and nature, it makes it impossible
for you any longer to repent.” If a sin makes repentance impossible, then it is
an unforgivable sin, because forgiveness is promised only to those sins from
which we genuinely repent.
A sin from
which one may repent is not the unpardonable sin. Therefore, those who are most
worried that they may have committed the unpardonable sin have not. An
unforgiveable sin is one for which there is no concern, no conviction, no
anxiety, and thus no repentance. Such a sin is so hard-hearted and willful and
persistent and defiant that the one committing it couldn’t care less than he or
she is committing it. (Sam Storms, Kept for Jesus: What the New Testament
Really Teaches About Assurance of Salvation and Eternal Security [Wheaton,
Ill.: Crossway, 2015], 37) in light of Reformed
theology, this would mean that this category is zero, as (1) all the non-elect
(who have been, either actively or passively, since the eternal past, has been
predestined not to be gifted repentance and forgiveness of their sins; all the elect,
when they are effectually called, have their sins [including their then-future
sins] forgiven and can never fall away]
Compare the above with the following:
It is possible
for such unregenerate people to put themselves beyond the possibility of
repentance and thus beyond the hope of forgiveness, so I appeal to you: repent,
believe the gospel, and embrace Jesus alone as Lord. (Ibid., 39) Such people (the non-elect/reprobate) will never be
given the gift of repentance and ‘saving faith,’ ergo, they have already been beyond
the possibility of repentance since the eternal past(!)
In reality, Calvinism is a false gospel. For more on the many fatal flaws thereof, see: