"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life" (John 6:47).
This passage of Scripture is often used by proponents of the free grace movement as evidence that one time belief in Christ secures eternal life. The argument is as follows: if one believes, he is said to possess eternal life. Therefore, when one believes, he has eternal life, end of story. This argumentation is used in a similar way by Calvinistic Protestants who insist that justification, being a one time event, makes it such that salvation cannot be lost. This doctrine is known as "the perseverance of the saints." If the one who believes, has (present active) eternal life, then how can that be lost without defeating the meaning of "eternal life?"
This argument is made from a wide array of other NT passages that would seem to suggest that belief = eternal life. How much more clear can you get? The issue arises when you get into the Greek text. Most of the time, the word translated "believe" is the Greek πιστεύω. Like the word "has," this word is in the present active tense. The tense is actually quite important in establishing what Christ is communicating.
Rather than a mere one time belief—which would need to be in the past or perfect tense, this word indicates an ongoing reality. In other words, Christ is not asking for a one time belief. On the contrary, he is asking for an ongoing, "believING."
One could argue that the text should read "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever [believes and continues to believe] has eternal life" (translation mine). This present active tense demands that the belief is a present and ongoing reality. It does not allow for a static confession. This is why it is erroneous to suggest that salvation is a one time event—a prayer prayed, or an aisle walked.
The Bible emphasizes salvation's future tense more than any other tense. We are saved, being saved, and will be saved. What is this dependent on? Ultimately, it is dependent upon an ongoing belief. Now, to be quite clear: this ongoing belief is rooted in grace. We do not have the ability to continue in faith apart from grace. But even in the Calvinistic thinking, those who are elect are the ones who "endure to the end." Therefore, endurance in faith is a prerequisite for eternal life.
This is also the difference between a dead faith and living faith. A living faith—by nature!—endures, because trust does not cease. If it does, it is not trust!
May the Lord encourage us to hold fast to him all the days of our lives, fixing our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith. He sustains this faith that we bear witness of.
This is the first video reflection for the Great Fast.
Welcome to the Mere Catholicity Locals Community! Here, you will find like-minded Christians with a desire to live ecumenically and pursue Christ in all things.
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Friends - as I consider the various platforms that I operate, I find Substack to the most conducive to the model of online ministry that I am aiming for. Though I still plan to post here, as many of you still support me through this platform, Substack is where I will be focusing the majority of my time. If some of you wish to move your subscription from here to Substack, you are welcome to do that. Those who continue to support here, I will continue to post here — mostly the stuff that is behind the paywall on Substack so that you are getting the exclusive content regardless of where you are subscribed.
Hope you all are doing well. Lord bless you.
- Rev. Jonah
I've been gone again for a time preparing for my ordination. I was ordained a Deacon in the Holy Catholic Church on March 8th, 2025.
It was a joy beyond words. I am now back in full swing with ministry, media, and work.
I hope you all have been doing well. More to come soon.
Good morning everyone. I wanted to quickly update you on the Mere Catholicity Podcast. I’ve been posting videos on my channel, but it has been quite sometime since my channel has had a podcast episode release.
With my new job as a classical teacher, scheduling interviews has been a challenge. However, my plan is to use my summer breaks as time to double down on planning and recording new podcasts. The idea will be to record a ton of interviews that will then slowly release throughout the school year, expiring around the time the following summer arrives. This will ultimately result in a consistent once a month interview.
All that to say, the podcast will resume here in May or June of 2025 with some excellent interviews lined up!
Blessings on your Sunday!
