“What do we make of a man who claims to have placed his trust in Jesus Christ but whose present life-style is a complete contradiction of the faith he once acknowledged?” Dr. Joseph Dillow asks. “The Westminster divines had the ready answer that he was never a Christian to begin with, because the ultimate test of the reality of faith is perseverance in the faith. The Remonstrants, on the other hand, speaking from the Arminian tradition, viewed the matter differently. To them . . . it was also possible that he was genuinely born again but, due to his falling into sin or unbelief, lost his justification.

“Is there a view of these warnings and others in the New Testament which maintains, with the Calvinist tradition that justification can never be forfeited and at the same time, allows, with the Wesleyans, that justification and sanctification are not inextricably united and that there is indeed something conditional in the believer’s ultimate destiny?

“The answer to that question is yes.”

The Reign of the Servant Kings: A Study of Eternal Security and the Final Significance of Man attempts to bring together in a consistent manner many of the problematic passages related to eternal security and tie them into a comprehensible and logical whole with the eschatological applications in Scripture.

It also explains why the lordship salvation view is erroneous. Further, it provides a clear understanding of how the Calvinistic doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is misleading.

The above link is an on-line “review-summary-outline” of this highly significant work by Dr. Joseph Dillow. Using mostly direct quotes, it reduces this 650-page book down to its germane contents.

Whether you love or hate the Calvinism-Arminian debate, this is a must-read. Like no other book I’ve read (other than the Bible, of course), this one brings theology down to real life and says, “Today matters forever!”