Answers to objections¶
These are the rejoinders you are most likely to hear, stated at their strongest and answered in the same spirit. The goal is not a knockout; it is a conversation that moves toward the text.
The pages¶
| Objection | Short answer | Page |
|---|---|---|
| "You teach salvation by works." | Continuing faith is a means, not a merit. | You teach salvation by works |
| "If I can lose it, I can never be assured." | Assurance is confidence in Christ, not a guarantee independent of him. | If I can lose it |
| "Eternal life is eternal." | The adjective describes the life; the possessor must remain in the Son. | Eternal life is eternal |
| "Nothing can separate us." | The list is external powers; the passage addresses those who love God. | Nothing can separate us |
| "They were never really saved." | Sometimes true; not a universal rule (1 John 2:19). | They were never really saved |
| "Hebrews 6 is hypothetical." | The description is strong; the impossibility is the absence of another sacrifice. | Hebrews 6 is hypothetical |
| "Hebrews 10 is loss of reward." | The language is judicial and penal, not reward-based. | Hebrews 10 is loss of reward |
| "The prodigal was still a son." | The father says he was dead and lost; the parable is about repentance and welcome. | The prodigal was still a son |
| "Peter denied and was restored." | Yes — through repentance; Judas is the control case. | Peter denied and was restored |
| "What about the thief on the cross?" | Real faith at the point of death; not a license for a careless life. | The thief on the cross |
| "What about Romans 7?" | The struggler hates the sin and cries for deliverance; that is not surrender. | What about Romans 7? |
| "You make God weak." | God keeps his people through means; a real response is not a threat to sovereignty. | You make God weak |
How to use this section¶
Read the objection first and let it land. Then read the answer, and notice what it concedes. The strongest answers are not the ones that deny everything; they are the ones that grant what is true and then show why the conclusion does not follow.