At first, let’s look at the often-quoted verses in support of Calvinism’s “eternal security”:
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
“See,” says the eternal-security believer, “it says here quite plainly that all those who are justified
will be glorified. God predestines certain men to glory, and these He justifies. Thus, we can know that once we are justified, we will enter Heaven.” But is that so?
Not at all. First, we know that even though “many are called, [only]
few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Eternal-security Protestants read this passage as if it said “those whom he called, he also predestined,” whereas, in truth, the passage says “those whom he predestined, he also called.” Let’s not confuse the cause with the effect.
Secondly, the most obvious contradiction to the eternal-security interpretation of Romans 8:29-30 is the fact that the passage is in the* past *tense. St. Paul does
not say, “those whom God justifies, He *will *also glorify,” and he certainly doesn’t say, “those whom God justifies at one point, He
will glorify eventually, no matter what.” Rather, it makes much more sense to recognize that Paul is probably talking about Christians who have already lived and died in a state of grace, and thus their predestination, calling, justification, and glorification is already completed. Why even mention that, one might wonder? Well, this assures “present believers on earth that if they are faithful, God can and will do the same for them” (Sungenis,
Not By Faith Alone, p. 419, n.8). In fact, just a few verses earlier, St. Paul emphasizes that this is what he means: “If [we are] children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:17). So what does our glorification depend on? Our
suffering with Him!
Thirdly, it seems obvious from even a marginal reading of Roman 8:29-30 that Paul is referring to the same body of people throughout his one sentence about predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. Those who were justified had also been called, Paul says, but that leaves enough room to admit of people who are justified but not called and hence fall away again. So the mere justification at one instant within one’s life means nothing. It does not guarantee glorification in Heaven, and Romans 8:29-30 does not state the contrary.
Thus, the text merely says that those who were predestined by God were also called by God, and those, then, were also justified by Him, and then glorified. Nowhere does this passage even remotely hint at the Protestant understanding that somehow anyone who is ever justified for a little while will necessarily remain such till his death. It only talks about particular predestined people who had died up to that point, that these people were predestined, called, justified, and eventually glorified. This will happen to all the predestined, but this doesn’t mean that everyone who is justified at one point will be glorified. It means that those who were called were eventually glorified–and that is an unchanging truth the Catholic Church has always affirmed. bless you all
