Once Saved Always Saved - Part VII

So far in this series we've gone through a number of arguments the Scriptures make for Once Saved Always Saved:

1. Men naturally hate God, so salvation must be in the hands of God from the very beginning.
2. God doesn't revoke the gift of faith and repentance He grants to men.
3. God is faithful to shepherd His elect to eternal life.
4. The whole point of Jesus coming, dying, and praying, was and is to save His sheep.
5. The Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers as a guarantee of their salvation.
6. Salvation has always depended on God pronouncing forgiveness.

Now there are two more things I'd like to point out before bringing the positive arguments for eternal security to a close. The first is a modest defense of it from a common objection, and the second is the proper way to understand it.

1 JOHN 2:19 

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." 

Once when I debated a Church of Christ man over Once Saved Always Saved he objected to it strenuously, saying that if it was really true there should be at least one verse that said those fall away never were saved to begin with. He didn't appreciate it when I brought this passage to his attention.

If all of those false teachers who once seemed so sound in the faith really were Christians then they would have persevered until the end. But they didn't. They got tired, quit, and fell away, so that it would be evident to everyone that true Christians persevere. False Christians, those who have a said faith that never made it past their mouth into their hearts, will eventually fall. When they do it's manifestly obvious to all that they were not among those who were born again from above and given the Spirit as a lasting inheritance.

MATTHEW 7:23-24

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

That day here refers to the final day of judgment where God separates the sheep from the goats. On that day many of the professing Christians will appeal to Him on the basis of their good works, (rather than on the merit of His Sons blood) crying out in anguish and anger "But I did all those good things!" What is God's response? I never knew you. Not "it's over between us", or "but you fell away", but "I never knew you." It strongly proves the point that those who are saved are always saved, and those who fell away were never saved to begin with.

TURNING THINGS RIGHT SIDE UP

In my dealings with skeptics I've found that the most common objection to Once Saved Always Saved comes from people who are simply fearful. They dread to accept it because they think that were they to believe, it would act like a deadly poison on their pursuit of holiness. And to be fair, since many of them pursue holiness through legalism, they'd be right about that. This doctrine is indeed caustic to legalism and pride.
But when you are humbled enough into accepting the handout of free grace, Once Saved Always Saved no longer seems so threatening. It starts looking sweet even. The man who has nothing to lose casts everything on Christ only to find Once Saved Always Saved to be the greatest comfort of all.That's how the Apostles used it--as a warm reminder that God would be there for them no matter what, and as an expression of His inexhaustible love that catches you when you fall. Let me show you.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:10 

[He has] delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver [us]; we trust in Him that He will still deliver us.”

When has God ever let you down? When did it ever become about how tightly you grip Him when He's gripping you? How much has He already guided you though? Don't you think that if you could fall away you would have by now? Then trust in Him to continue to deliver you.

2 THESSALONIANS 3:3

"But the Lord is faithful, He will establish you, and keep you from evil.”

Paul comforts the Thessalonians with these words, with the reminder that God is faithful. Because He is faithful. And if this means anything it means He will not only establish you, but keep you. He will bring you close to Him and hold you like a Father holding his baby. There is not an evil that can stand against His love for you Christian.

1 PETER 1:5 

“[You] who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

In his letter to the exiles one of the first things Peter does is reassure them by reminding them to take comfort in God's character. He points out of the consequence of casting their cares upon Christ--they're kept until the end. Just because it hasn't been revealed yet doesn't mean there is anything to be concerned about. "Do not fear little flock, your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom."

2 TIMOTHY 1:12

“I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day.”

Do you remember the song set to these words? God is willing to save. He is able. He is already keeping your salvation under lock and guard. So Paul boasts that he won't be ashamed, or fear, or lay awake at night sweating in bed worrying about keeping his salvation, because he's committed everything to God in faith. Paul knows His power, he knows His faithfulness, and is fully persuaded that He is glorious enough to handle all his sins. It is no less true for those of us who are tempted to panic. God is guarding for us what we cannot guard for ourselves.

2 TIMOTHY 4:18  

"The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

This is the special doctrine Paul took to his chest to hold tightly. Not the Lord has rescued, which would be true, but the Lord will rescue. Once Saved Always Saved was the soft bedding that he would lie down upon in times of distress. Was life tough? God is strong. Was he weak? God is faithful. Was he worried about not making it into heaven? No, God is going to bring him safely into His glorious kingdom. Amen and amen.

Moving On

Let's now turn from how the doctrine is a personal comfort to the passages that seem to present the opposite side of the argument: that men can lose their salvation.


Next: Part VIII - An Introduction to the Warning Passages

Once Saved Always Saved - Part VI b

Last time we came to the conclusion that the Old Testament saints were saved when God said they were--at the moment of their belief in His promises. When they believed He imputed to them righteousness and forgave their sins. In other words,

“We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.”

This time we’ll look at how the New Testament agrees that we are saved in the same way, namely that we are justified by faith. Obviously the concept presupposes a number of things, but I think we’ve done a good enough job to this point establishing the fact that man is fallen, that God is angry at our sins, and that there is no amount of perfect record keeping we can do to win His favor back that we don't have to go over. It’s enough, I think, just to just point out that it’s too late for man to be involved in the process of salvation, since the only thing he’s bringing to the table is his need for forgiveness. As New Testament says:

“But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident: for, ‘the just shall live by faith.’”

With the possibility of being saved or kept by works gone, the only remaining solution is to plead for charity. But God has promised to honor this, so if we do give up working and just believe, we will be saved. For it is written,

“But to him who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

And because salvation works this way, because we're declared righteous by an official once-for-all pardon, we can be secure in our salvation. Once we are saved, we are saved. As it is written,

“Being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

It was the same for Abraham and David, and it's the same for us. They were saved by believing in what Christ was going to do, we have the richest, fullest expression, and know that we are saved by believing in what Christ has already done. The glorious word that captures this is justification.

JUSTIFICATION IS SALVATION

As it has already been shown, salvation is what happens when we are justified, when we are declared righteous. Justification does not mean we are actually sinless, but that we have been counted as sinless. I can do no better than to simply quote the Scriptures at this point to define what salvation is and how one gets there:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? No: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law… [for God] shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

With that being said, we’re ready to look at the Scriptures which prove our salvation is by declaration alone, accessed by faith alone, by the work of Christ alone, and because of that cannot be ruined or lost.

Romans 8:33

Who shall lay a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

It was this particular verse that brought my whole Pelagian worldview crashing to the ground all those years ago. I was sitting at a white table in the Family Life Center before service wrestling with it, trying to force it to mean what I wanted it to at the eleventh hour because I was due to teach on it shortly. I pressed it and twisted it, trying to get it to say somehow that justification means we are infused with righteousness, rather than declared righteous. But I couldn’t. It defied me, knocked me down, and humbled me. It only means one thing: God has an elect people, those whom He chose before the foundation to be holy and blameless in His sight, and when they believe in His Son God the Father declares them righteous. Who shall say “no” to God against them? Who has the power to tell Him it simply isn’t so? Once God has made a royal pronouncement that a man is pardoned, who shall call it into question? They are justified, once for all, their sins blotted out, who shall bring against them? It is impossible; therefore they are no less secure than those who have gone into heaven before them.

Galatians 2:6

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

What brings fear and doubt into the heart of a man? What motivates him to kick against the doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved? Is it not because he believes he has not done enough to placate a holy God and wants to yet do more? Does his fear not lie in the tension that he pretends he’s good enough to work his way back into God’s presence through deeds, and yet knows deep down that God is too holy for that? Is the solution for him to accept the help of Christ and go on trying to earn or merit eternal life as if nothing else had changed? Are we saved by grace and then go on to keep it through good works for ourselves? God forbid, for then we wouldn’t have been saved by grace.
The fact is, there is simply no law that can make us or keep us pure before God. There is no good deed or act that can compel God to declare us sinless. There is only the spilt blood of the savior made ready for us by faith, that if we but believe we shall be cleansed of our guilt and unrighteousness. And that’s the all of salvation. Christ before us, Christ behind, Christ above us, Christ beside. Christ our cleansing, and our pardon be. For it’s enough that He has died, and He has died for me.
Tell me where you shoe-horn your good works into that and I’ll show you where you’ve lost not only your security but your salvation. Leave Christ’s work alone and I’ll remind you that not only have you been justified already, but are even now a co-heir with Christ, and will be so for all eternity.

1 Corinthians 6:11

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

There were a lot of problems with the first century church in Corinth: there were factions, boasting, pride, sexual immorality, lawsuits, improper divorces, drunkenness at the Lords supper, improper gender roles, abusive of spiritual gifts, because the church was filled up with people who were idolaters, slanderers, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, and swindlers, to name a few. But for all that Paul says in this verse that that’s what they were, not are. What happened? They were regenerated by the Spirit of God, called by the effectual call, washed clean and given a new heart. They were sanctified, given a new pattern of behavior; a new way of living, a new focus. But most precious of all they were justified. They passed out of condemnation when God forgave their sins once for all, reckoning them as righteous by the finished work of His Son when they believed. They begged for mercy from their sins which had swallowed them up, they looked to God’s ransom, His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and found forgiveness there. God pronounced them “not only not guilty, but perfect in righteousness” and they passed out of condemnation forever. If the worst, most worldly behaved Christians were secure in the power of God, then it is no less true for us as well.

CONCLUSION

Does anything more need to be said? If salvation is by God issuing a pardon can mans works be involved? If the same God who spoke the universe into existence says “it is so” then how shall it be otherwise? Is this not what the Scripture says?

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!...Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from wrath through him.”

What more can I add ? What more shall I say with pleadings and groaning to persuade you to take hold of that which is by rights yours? How else must I persuade you to lay down your empty notions of works and keeping your salvation and cast yourself wholly upon Christ?

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one! Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.”

Next: Part VII– Our Confidence in Christ

Once Saved Always Saved - Part VI A

In a previous post on John 10:28 we argued briefly that saved means saved. In this section we'll expand on what that means in the Old Testament, and in the next post, we'll look at what it says in the New Testament.

A Fallen Humanity

Because every man is born sinful (Ps 58:3, Rom 5:12) and demonstrates the reality of their corrupted inner nature by sinning (Ecc 7:20, 1 John 1:8), there is no chance of successfully coming into the presence of an offended and Holy God. If man is going to be restored to a right relationship with Him then it's going to be because God forgives them for the sins they've already committed against Him. 
That's important, so I'll say it again: because everyone has already committed deliberate sins against a thrice holy God the only way they can be saved is if He pronounces a pardon upon them. The chance to earn salvation has passed. The chance to beg Him for mercy has arrived. Away with the notion that we start out on a neutral playing field and God loves us because we're good; the truth is that we're by nature children under wrath (Eph 2:3) and there is no one good but God (Mark 10:18).

Salvation in the Old Testament

The children of Israel had learned this lesson well. They knew that because they were sinful there could be no reconciliation apart from God pronouncing forgiveness. But they also knew that because God was just He could not simply wave His hand and dispose of sin. They had no idea how to reconcile those two things, but the more observant ones knew the animals sacrifices had something to do with it, being a shadow of the thing to come.
So they begged for mercy, put their faith in God that one day He would open the way for them to be saved, and waited upon the Lord. They died in faith, not knowing how it was all going to work out, but confident it would, and for that reason they are commended.
They believed God Himself, alone, would deal with their sin, just as He said, because they were completely unable to. That's why all the places which speak of salvation it speak of God forgiving sins.

Genesis 15:5-6

And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness. 

Before he had done any works of obedience, like submit to circumcision, Abraham was instructed by God to go outdoors, look at the heavens, and number the stars. He does. He goes out and tries, but is unable to count them all. So he tries again, then a third time, and finally he gives up because it cannot be done.
That's when God speaks a second time, "so shall your offspring be."
Upon hearing this, Abraham believes God. He puts his trust in Him knowing that if God said it, it was as good as done. And that's when Abraham was counted as righteous in the eyes of God. Just for believing. Just for having faith that one of his decedents would be the Christ, the savior of the world. At the moment of belief God imputed it to him as righteousness, reckoning sinful Abraham as if he wasn't sinful. Thus God did for Abraham what he couldn't do for himself, and he was saved.

1 Kings 8:30, 39, 46, 49-50

"Listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive... then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive... If they sin against you... then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion" 

When the prophet Solomon finished the temple and dedicated it to the Lord, he came before the people and prayed a prayer for the temple. One phrase stands out in particular--a request for God to forgive them of their sins. Solomon prays this several times, begging God in different circumstances to grant them forgiveness. When the armies come, forgive us our sins. When your chastisement comes upon us in the form of famine, forgive our sins. When we stray, forgive our sins. It was prophetic, because the generations to come experienced this very thing, they experienced God trying to get their attention, to make them mindful of their sinfulness, so that He could forgive them. Because it is only in God forgiving that we are free.

Psalm 32:1-2

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity."

If there was anyone who was blessed by God it was King David. From a young age God kept him safe from life threatening dangers such as wild animals, enemy soldiers like Goliath, and murderous leaders like Saul. David took wives, grew rich, sat upon the throne, had sons and daughters, and lived fully in the light of the blessings of God. But for all that he never understood real blessing, and real salvation, until he sinned with Bathsheeba. Then, and only then did he realize the stains can not be worked out. What has been done can not be undone. Left empty handed, exposed, and unable to put the broken pieces back together, the only thing he could do was fall down and beg God to forgive. And so God forgave.
And then, and only then, was he happy. David learned then that salvation is by declaration of God. Those on who God has made a pronouncement of forgiveness of know personally the abundant mercies of God. Those are the ones who are saved. 

Jeremiah 31:34 

"They shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Here in this prophetic passage God tells Jeremiah He will one day forgive their trespasses, and pardon their sins completely. The promise here points specifically to Christ, but the larger point is clear: you're saved when God makes a pronouncement of pardon upon you. In the Old Testament that was when you looked in faith to the day He could make the declaration consistent with His justice as a righteous judge.
Oh and one last thing, when God said He would remember their sins no more, He really meant it. A forgiven man is a man forever expunged of the guilt of his sins.

Micah 7:18-19

"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."

Who is like God? What man made idol is like Him? Which man would ever come up with the idea that they are by nature under wrath? Having invented that which of them would come up with the idea that God has simply forgiven them of their sins and counted them as righteous by faith? Who would have thought up a God who delights in his merciful mercy?
But it's the truth. You will see. He will be compassionate. He will grind the iniquities of His people, which they have committed in abundance into dust and cast that dust into the depths of the sea. As far as the east is from the west has He removed our sins from us.

Salvation by Grace Through Faith

If you remember that the OT is divided into the Pentatuch, the Histories, the Wisdom literature, the Major prophets, and minor prophets then you'll notice that not only is there a quote from each section, but they're all in full agreement: the people of God were saved when He forgave them, when He pronounced them pardoned.
Salvation is in God's hands. The ball is in His court. He could give us justice and condemn us as our sins deserve, or He could be gracious and forgive them. It's up to Him.
The saints of old didn't work, then wait for God to pay up. They didn't demand a quid pro quo. They didn't earn anything by doing something and expecting a return. No, they begged, from their sin, for forgiveness of their sins. And He graciously answered them by saying He would forgive. They believed, and they were saved. 

How does this prove Once Saved Always Saved? Aside from the fact that people are saved when He takes the initiative to not count their sins against them? Aside from the whole process being completely beyond man? Aside from the fact that salvation is a one time judicial pronouncement of forgiveness (remember the sins no more?) Yes? That aside, how about the words of Isaiah the prophet when discussing this covenanted promise of  forgiveness:

"As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants--from this time on and forever," says the LORD."

Next: Part VII b - Justification in the New Testament

Once Saved Always Saved Part III B - Predestined

For some the previous argument isn't convincing. "Yes," they say, "I can do nothing to save myself, and true, God is faithful and doesn't change His mind, but it's not like he predestined us to eternal life or anything."

My friend you have not taken the idea of the timeless immutability of God seriously enough. When He purposed to call you out of darkness and into His marvelous light you were not yet born. An for a true Christian to be lost God would have to have been flat wrong when He predestined you. Because predestined you He did, and if that means anything it means once you're saved, you're saved.

The Argument

God has made an immutable decree to save us before the foundation of the world, predestining us to eternal life.
All those whom God predestines will be saved.
Once the predestined reach the moment of faith, they can never lose it.

Acts 13:48

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."

When I didn't believe in Once Saved Always Saved I had an answer for almost every verse but this one. It defied me, requiring me to do incredible gymnastics to avoid coming to terms with it. According to my theology men believed, then as a result God appointed them to eternal life. 
But no matter how I protested I found my belief structure to be exactly backwards from what the Scriptures say here. It is clear: God appoints men to believe, therefore they believe. It is because in eternity past God predestined you personally to be conformed to the image of His son by faith that you at some point in time became a believer. Full stop. Therefore your salvation was planned a long time ago by a loving God, outside your ability to meddle and ruin. If you are a believer, it's because of God's sovereign plan.

Revelation 13:8

"And all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain."

In Revelation 13 the first beast comes out of the sea to conquer the world, and enslave those who reject Him in unrighteousness, wooing everyone to bow down to him in idolatry. Everyone that is, except the elect--those whom God chose personally, before the universe was created, to inherit eternal life. It's these who are secure in their salvation, overcoming every trap Satan laid down against them, because before time began God wrote the names of those who would live in His book.

2 Timothy 1:9

"[God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began."

I used to think God foresaw a Christians faith, then turned around and predestined them on that basis. I repent of this too. The problem with that is that's the opposite of predestination. Faith doesn't generate predestination, it exposes it, and this passage is proof.
The verse opens with the an affirmation of the effectual call, and goes on to deny the reason for it lies in us. Why did He call? Because of our good works? Because of foreseen faith? Because of our future good works? No. Because He has a purpose and a plan. Because He's gracious and loving. How do we know this? Because He predestined all of this before the ages began.

Romans 8:29-30 

"Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."

Foreknow here means something akin to 'foreloved.' He saw what He wanted us to be, and predestined us to be molded after the shape and fashion of Christ Jesus accordingly. That is to say, He didn't predestine us for salvation because of what we would go on to do, but so that Christ could have all the glory. God was determined to bring Christ glory and nothing was going to stop Him.
And once you have this doctrine pointed that way, (that is, the right way up) you can understand verse 30. All of those whom He predestined He called with that effectual, life giving call. And all who were called in this way He justified, declaring them to be absolved of their sins and blameless. And all those whom He pronounced blamelessness on He brought safely into heaven.
If these two verses don't mean exactly that then they mean nothing at all and ought to be cut from the text. They either teach that your salvation is secure in Christ or God's book ought to be thrown out.

Ephesians 1:4-5, 11

"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will...  in Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will."

Before I believed in Once Saved Always Saved I argued that the object of predestination in passages like this means "the church." God predestined the idea of Christianity, but didn't predestine individual, specific people. Today I shake my head in sorrow that I could be so committed to the idea that God could call out an assembly of people without calling out the people themselves. That you could have an individual church without being made up of individuals within in the church. Further, if predestination meant that God was calling the church in general, but nobody in specific, then this passages, and passages like it lose all their potency.
I'll refrain from defending it by explaining or expounding it. Just read it. Read it again. Read it four times. Read it until you see the glittering riches contained here for you Christian. You are blameless, adopted, predestined. You have an inheritance, and He's working out everything according to His perfect will. You cannot be harmed, or stopped, or shunted aside. Your future is the love of God, written in indestructible ink into the lambs book of life before the foundation of the world. Hallelujah, what a savior.

The Immutability of the Decree of Election

The elect of God are predestined by Him. The elect are chosen by Him for conformity to the image of His Son. The elect are called and kept by God. Once the elect are saved, at the moment they have true faith, they pass forever out of wrath and condemnation and into eternal life.
Once Saved Always Saved is true because, well, predestination.


Next: Part IV - The Efficacy of the Merit and Intercession of Jesus Christ

Once Saved Always Saved Part III A - Called

Last time we looked at Total Depravity and realized that if it's true eternal life and man are natural enemies, then salvation must belong totally to the Lord (Jonah 2:9) and it's entirely his His business to save. Thus we backed into Once Saved Always Saved.

Now we'll build on the consequences of man's fallenness and point out the necessity of being born again--a doctrine also known, as regeneration, or the effectual call. This provides a similar, but even stronger argument for Once Saved Always Saved because while Total Depravity argues that since man cannot even put his hand to the plow salvation must be external to him, the effectual call adds that if have tasted of salvation it means God has begun a work in us He will certainly finish. Total Depravity argues, 

"No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."

But the Effectual Call says, 

"Lazarus, come forth!"

Since this is a big topic I'll discuss the immutability and God's faithfulness of the call in this post, then prove the immutability by it's timelessness in the next.

Defined

Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, He persuades and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ as offered to us in the gospel. He gives us new hearts (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26-27) teaching us, (John 6:44-45) enabling us, (Phil 2:13) and making us alive (Eph 2:5). In other words the effectual call is when God makes us both willing and able to overcome our Total Depravity and put our faith in Jesus. This is elsewhere spoken of as God granting repentance (2 Tim 2:25, Acts 11:18, 16:14).

From This, Once Saved Always Saved Argued 

The effectual call is the necessary first step in salvation that only God can do. Quite obviously, if God intends to save someone He will need to call them, and if He calls them, then He intends to save them.
We also know that God does not change His mind (Num 23:19, 1 Sam 15:29, Is 46:10-11, James 1:17).
Therefore all of those He effectually calls go on to eternal life. Once they are saved, they are always saved. 

Romans 11:29 

"The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable."

Not much needs to be said about this verse. Our faith is generated because of our new heart, and so as long as we have that new heart we have new life. Fortunately for us the effect of the effectual call is permanent, and will not be taken back. The gift of a new heart is not going to be recalled, and those who receive a mind that leads them to faith will not have that mind removed. Therefore our faith will not fail and our hope is secure.

Philippians 1:6 

"I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

This also needs little explanation. If God has begun the work of eternal life in us then He will be sure to carry it on until the day of completion. There is actually no other way to understand this verse other than to declare that the God who began a good work will continue working until we are safely with Him.

1 Peter 5:10 

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

The effectual call always results in faith; that's why it's named the effectual call. But what about faith itself which is the result of the call, can that be broken, or lost, or tampered with? Let's jump to the worst case: suffering and persecution. If anything can do it, that can. But can suffering destroy out faith? Peter says "No!" If God has already called you to His eternal glory in Christ then why would He not see you through to the end? Even in your worst difficulties He will not fail to strengthen and establish you, for why would He quit part way through? No matter how difficult things get, even in the worst circumstances, take comfort that your salvation is securely beyond you.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."

God's purpose for the saints in Thessalonia is that they be holy, blameless, and pure from sin until the coming of the Lord. Given this, and the fact that it is God who must sanctify them from sin completely for them to be saved, it's fair to ask, will He? Given our sinfulness that's a tall order. But look at the confidence Paul has knowing that God is faithful, and if He calls someone to eternal life, He will surely do whatever else is required to save. Paul is absolutely certain that God is faithful and will surely save them, body, soul and spirit.


Next: The immutability of Election Part B