Session 7 – Johnson III

This was Phil Johnson’s last address to the conference, and it was a good one….

Phil was to talk of the Trinity in glorification. He mentioned that the same factors of the Trinity involved in salvation and sanctification applied to glorification.

Glorification is the instantaneous completion of sanctification, the culmination of eternal security / perseverance of the saints.

Philippians 1:6 – sums up all of salvation, it settles definitively the guarantee of salvation.

Phil intimated that his first theological struggle was with the doctrine of eternal security. His friends said it was dangerous to even think of such a thing as ES. He grew up in Tulsa, Ok, home of charismania and an Arminian stronghold. He saw John 5:24 and thought, “if you can lose it, how is it eternal?”

The pastor that baptized him prayed with him and quoted Romans 11:29. Phil then asked his pastor if one could lose their salvation. The pastor said “no”. He spent his first year as a Christian pondering ES, going through texts such as Romans 8:1 / Jude 24 / Philippians 1:6. Phil began to see the truth about ES, and that is how he was drawn to the other doctrines of grace. At the time he was Arminian (or Armenian as he used to call it) on the other 4 points. He realized texts like John 10:27-28 / 1 Timothy 1:12 / Hebrews 7:25 / Ephesians 2:10 were pointing to this being truth. He is convinced that Romans 8:30 teaches that salvation is all of God, and it is what separates us from all other religions. In Philippians 1:6 we see that God finishes what He starts.

3 Reasons We Can Know We Are Secure

1. God began the work in you

He initiates – John 6:44, 65 / Romans 8:7 / Ephesians 1:4
God looked for Adam after he sinned
John 15:16 / 1 John 4:19 – He chooses first

The context of Philippians 1:6
In vs.5, it is about salvation, not giving to Paul or building the church – Acts 14:27
Acts 16:7-12ff. – Philippi – vs.14, God opened her heart, God orchestrated it all, our faith is the result of His work

Philippians 1:29 – saving faith itself is supernatural, real faith endures because it comes from God – Hebrews 11 / Mark 9:24 / Luke 17:5 – pray to God


2. God is still at work in you

Philippians 2:13 / 1 John 2:19 / 1 Peter 1:5 – true believers do not completely or finally fall away from Christ, yet we still sin – David, Peter, Lot (2 Peter 2:7-8) – preservation is God’s work – Jeremiah 32:40 / Psalm 125:1-2 / 2 Corinthians 3:5


3. God will complete the work in you

Romans 8:29-30 – glorified is in the past tense – Numbers 23:19 / Philippians 3:20-21 / 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 /1 John 3:2

Practical application

Comfort and encouragement

Some feel it might lead to carelessness, but it ought to do the exact opposite

Spurgeon – No rickety gospel, God is in control, not waiting to see if we will choose Him

For unbelievers

Salvation is all God’s work
You cannot atone for your own sin
You cannot will to reform,
Even if you could it isn’t enough, your inside is corrupt
Hebrews 7:25– Christ can / John 7:37 / Revelation 22:17