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Kept for Jesus
Can Christians lose their salvation? This question has perplexed―and distressed―believers for centuries. When faced with our sin and shortcomings, sometimes we’re tempted to conclude that we’ve strayed too far and that God no longer loves us. In Kept for Jesus , pastor Sam Storms addresses common concerns that Christians have related to their eternal security, offering hope and assurance from the Bible. Examining every New Testament passage that speaks to this important issue, this book charts a biblical course between those who say that Christians can lose their salvation and those who carelessly declare, “Once saved, always saved.”
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2015
18 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Sam Storms
79 books138 followers(Some early works written as C. Samuel Storms)
Sam has spent 39 years in ministry as a pastor, professor and author. He was visiting Associate Professor of Theology at Wheaton College from 2000-2004, and is currently Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City. He has authored 22 books and founded Enjoying God Ministries. He's a graduate of The University of Oklahoma (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M) and The University of Texas (Ph.D.). He and his wife Ann have been married for 40 years and are the parents of two grown daughters and have four grandchildren. On a more personal level, Sam loves baseball, books, movies, and anything to do with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Sam has spent 39 years in ministry as a pastor, professor and author. He was visiting Associate Professor of Theology at Wheaton College from 2000-2004, and is currently Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City. He has authored 22 books and founded Enjoying God Ministries. He's a graduate of The University of Oklahoma (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M) and The University of Texas (Ph.D.). He and his wife Ann have been married for 40 years and are the parents of two grown daughters and have four grandchildren. On a more personal level, Sam loves baseball, books, movies, and anything to do with the Oklahoma Sooners.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 22, 2019
Superb treatment of the doctrine of assurance from a thoroughly biblical perspective. Anyone looking to better understand/teach this doctrine biblically should definitely use this as a resource.
August 30, 2017
Classic Storms: detailed and clear exegesis of all of the difficult texts that speak about eternal security and salvation. He states upfront his Calvinistic perspective through which he is reading, however he still offers great humility and acknowledges difficulties in the passages which seem to align with an Armenian view. He states that he's okay with this tension and welcomes it because of how it focuses us into closer reading of Scripture. There can be tensions without contradictions.
His summary is that the weight of scripture is for eternal security but at the end of the day only God knows who is his. This book is a great resource for whenever teaching on one of the key texts of salvation.
His summary is that the weight of scripture is for eternal security but at the end of the day only God knows who is his. This book is a great resource for whenever teaching on one of the key texts of salvation.
March 19, 2015
Introduction
There are few issues in Christian theology that stir more debate, confusion, and even ire than that of whether a genuinely born again Christian can lose his or her salvation. Sam Storms has provided in his book, Kept for Jesus, not merely a well-reasoned approach to this question, but one that is both pastorally helpful and respectful to those with a different perspective.
The Contents
In the Introduction Storms states his purpose for writing the book:
“My aim in the pages ahead is twofold. First, I want to convince you who embrace either the Arminian or antinomian view that you are mistaken in your belief. I make no apologies for that. Second, I want to deepen everyone’s confidence in the supremacy of God’s saving and preserving grace. I want you to conclude each chapter more joyful and grateful than when you started reading, because you know that your sins are forgiven and that God will never, ever leave you or forsake you.”
Whether this book proves to be fruitful in convincing Arminians or antinomians of the reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, we will have to wait and see. However, I must say that I have come away from Kept for Jesus with both a more profound biblical grasp of the issue and a greater love for God because of His great abiding love for me.
For the sake of clarity, as stated above, Storms argues from a reformed perspective. While the reformed perspective is quick to assert that a genuine Christian can never lose his or her salvation, it is equally quick to assert that one of the marks of genuine salvation is perseverance in the faith unto the end. So while Storms spends a great deal of time arguing for the ultimate security of the believer, he also spends a great deal of time engaging passages which warn the professing Christian against the danger of possessing a non-persevering, and thus a non-saving, counterfeit faith.
It is tempting to dig into all of the particulars of Storm’s argument. For the purposes of this review I will list what I found to be the greatest strengths of the book.
1. Interaction with Scripture. Often times theological works engage Scripture without really letting Scripture dictate the structure of the argument. The greatest strength of this book was that it consisted of about 30 separate expositions of individual passages. Before approaching the book I had a list of passages in my head which I expected Storms to engage in detail. He engaged every single one of them separately and in their own context (and then some!) by the end of the book. I believe this book will be (or at least should be) a standard bearer on this subject for some time simply because of his unique approach to the issue.
2. Emphasis on God. The one key that Storms hit again and again is God’s role in the perseverance of the saints. One cannot go away from this book without a greater appreciation for the person of God Himself. He argues that perseverance is primarily the product of God's activity. He says, "We are eternally secure in our salvation not because we are faithful but because God is.”
3. Pastoral concern. Although Storms is an academic, he clearly wrote this book with the average Christian in mind. This book will both inform the mind and feed the soul. I will provide just one example from when Storms was commenting on the words, “much more” from Romans 5:9-10. Here's the text:
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Storms exhorts the readers to cling to the enduring love of God in the midst of the difficulties and uncertainties of life:
“When you find yourself depressed and fearful that God has abandoned you, take yourself in hand and shout aloud to your soul: Much more! Much more! Much more! Awaken passion, joy, and peace in your soul with the logic of God’s love.”
4. Difficulty and humility. While Storms passionately argues from a reformed perspective, he was careful to assert the difficulty of this issue. There are problem passages for the reformed position (e.g. Matthew Matthew 12:22-32; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31; etc.). Storms doesn’t try to skirt around the difficult passages by explaining them away. He addresses these passages head on and is not afraid to express ignorance or uncertainty when the correct interpretation is difficult to ascertain within a reformed paradigm. He states,
“If there is anything we can learn from this study on the subject of eternal security and apostasy, it is that we should avoid arrogant dogmatism. Although I am persuaded of the truth of eternal security and am quite passionate in my defense of it, I also recognize that certain biblical texts are problematic.”
Can Christians disagree on this issue of theology? The answer must be a resounding, Yes. However, where one lands on this issue has massive implications on the way one understands the character of God, the way one relates to the gospel, the way we counsel fellow professing Christians, and the way the Christian lives the whole of his or her life. Debatable? Yes! Inconsequential? Far from it!
Conclusion
I was thoroughly blessed by reading Kept for Jesus. As a pastor, I will be purchasing a number of copies to pass out at church. I cannot recommend this book too highly. I close with a hymn by William Gadsby that compliments the wonderful truths so helpfully and pastorally detailed by Storms in Kept for Jesus.
The Love of Christ
The love of Christ is rich and free;
Fixed on His own eternally;
Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove;
Long as He lives, His own He’ll love.
His loving heart engaged to be
Their everlasting Surety;
‘Twas love that took their cause in hand,
And love maintains it to the end.
Chorus
Love cannot from its post withdraw;
Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, nor law,
Can turn the Surety’s heart away;
He’ll love His own to endless day.
Love has redeemed His sheep with blood;
And love will bring them safe to God;
Love calls them all from death to life;
And love will finish all their strife.
He loves through every changing scene,
Nor aught from Him can Zion wean;
Not all the wanderings of her heart
Can make His love for her depart.
At death, beyond the grave, He’ll love
In endless bliss, His own shall prove
The blazing glory of that love
Which never could from them remove.
*I received a free copy in exchange for an unbiased review*
There are few issues in Christian theology that stir more debate, confusion, and even ire than that of whether a genuinely born again Christian can lose his or her salvation. Sam Storms has provided in his book, Kept for Jesus, not merely a well-reasoned approach to this question, but one that is both pastorally helpful and respectful to those with a different perspective.
The Contents
In the Introduction Storms states his purpose for writing the book:
“My aim in the pages ahead is twofold. First, I want to convince you who embrace either the Arminian or antinomian view that you are mistaken in your belief. I make no apologies for that. Second, I want to deepen everyone’s confidence in the supremacy of God’s saving and preserving grace. I want you to conclude each chapter more joyful and grateful than when you started reading, because you know that your sins are forgiven and that God will never, ever leave you or forsake you.”
Whether this book proves to be fruitful in convincing Arminians or antinomians of the reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, we will have to wait and see. However, I must say that I have come away from Kept for Jesus with both a more profound biblical grasp of the issue and a greater love for God because of His great abiding love for me.
For the sake of clarity, as stated above, Storms argues from a reformed perspective. While the reformed perspective is quick to assert that a genuine Christian can never lose his or her salvation, it is equally quick to assert that one of the marks of genuine salvation is perseverance in the faith unto the end. So while Storms spends a great deal of time arguing for the ultimate security of the believer, he also spends a great deal of time engaging passages which warn the professing Christian against the danger of possessing a non-persevering, and thus a non-saving, counterfeit faith.
It is tempting to dig into all of the particulars of Storm’s argument. For the purposes of this review I will list what I found to be the greatest strengths of the book.
1. Interaction with Scripture. Often times theological works engage Scripture without really letting Scripture dictate the structure of the argument. The greatest strength of this book was that it consisted of about 30 separate expositions of individual passages. Before approaching the book I had a list of passages in my head which I expected Storms to engage in detail. He engaged every single one of them separately and in their own context (and then some!) by the end of the book. I believe this book will be (or at least should be) a standard bearer on this subject for some time simply because of his unique approach to the issue.
2. Emphasis on God. The one key that Storms hit again and again is God’s role in the perseverance of the saints. One cannot go away from this book without a greater appreciation for the person of God Himself. He argues that perseverance is primarily the product of God's activity. He says, "We are eternally secure in our salvation not because we are faithful but because God is.”
3. Pastoral concern. Although Storms is an academic, he clearly wrote this book with the average Christian in mind. This book will both inform the mind and feed the soul. I will provide just one example from when Storms was commenting on the words, “much more” from Romans 5:9-10. Here's the text:
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Storms exhorts the readers to cling to the enduring love of God in the midst of the difficulties and uncertainties of life:
“When you find yourself depressed and fearful that God has abandoned you, take yourself in hand and shout aloud to your soul: Much more! Much more! Much more! Awaken passion, joy, and peace in your soul with the logic of God’s love.”
4. Difficulty and humility. While Storms passionately argues from a reformed perspective, he was careful to assert the difficulty of this issue. There are problem passages for the reformed position (e.g. Matthew Matthew 12:22-32; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31; etc.). Storms doesn’t try to skirt around the difficult passages by explaining them away. He addresses these passages head on and is not afraid to express ignorance or uncertainty when the correct interpretation is difficult to ascertain within a reformed paradigm. He states,
“If there is anything we can learn from this study on the subject of eternal security and apostasy, it is that we should avoid arrogant dogmatism. Although I am persuaded of the truth of eternal security and am quite passionate in my defense of it, I also recognize that certain biblical texts are problematic.”
Can Christians disagree on this issue of theology? The answer must be a resounding, Yes. However, where one lands on this issue has massive implications on the way one understands the character of God, the way one relates to the gospel, the way we counsel fellow professing Christians, and the way the Christian lives the whole of his or her life. Debatable? Yes! Inconsequential? Far from it!
Conclusion
I was thoroughly blessed by reading Kept for Jesus. As a pastor, I will be purchasing a number of copies to pass out at church. I cannot recommend this book too highly. I close with a hymn by William Gadsby that compliments the wonderful truths so helpfully and pastorally detailed by Storms in Kept for Jesus.
The Love of Christ
The love of Christ is rich and free;
Fixed on His own eternally;
Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove;
Long as He lives, His own He’ll love.
His loving heart engaged to be
Their everlasting Surety;
‘Twas love that took their cause in hand,
And love maintains it to the end.
Chorus
Love cannot from its post withdraw;
Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, nor law,
Can turn the Surety’s heart away;
He’ll love His own to endless day.
Love has redeemed His sheep with blood;
And love will bring them safe to God;
Love calls them all from death to life;
And love will finish all their strife.
He loves through every changing scene,
Nor aught from Him can Zion wean;
Not all the wanderings of her heart
Can make His love for her depart.
At death, beyond the grave, He’ll love
In endless bliss, His own shall prove
The blazing glory of that love
Which never could from them remove.
*I received a free copy in exchange for an unbiased review*
December 21, 2019
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
Most of Sam Storm's books are excellent and this is certainly no exception. I doubt many modern Pastors have done an 11 week sermon series on Jesus preservation of those He saves but I'm glad Sam did. He covers almost every verse relevant to this issue in the N.T. I hope to do a real review someday.
Most of Sam Storm's books are excellent and this is certainly no exception. I doubt many modern Pastors have done an 11 week sermon series on Jesus preservation of those He saves but I'm glad Sam did. He covers almost every verse relevant to this issue in the N.T. I hope to do a real review someday.
May 2, 2022
This was an excellently written and very reassuring book. The author did a great job explaining the numerous passages that assure the believer in Christ that God will preserve his/her faith until the end, and he does a solid job at appropriating the more difficult passages that seem to argue against the doctrine of eternal security… although sometimes things could get a bit confusing.
Overall though, this book was amazing!!
Overall though, this book was amazing!!
February 2, 2022
Very good treatment of the question of losing one's salvation vs. perseverance of the saints. Storms writes clearly, deals (fairly, I think) with the pertinent texts (including problem texts), and is willing to admit when a passage is not clear or its interpretation is not slam-dunk. I am not sure if the chapters were sermons first but they do read sermonic in places. Good read on the topic.
April 30, 2023
A solid, thorough and clear defense of the doctrine of perseverance of the saints. I really appreciated his tackling of all the “problem” passages for perseverance. I will probably use those chapters as a reference in the future.
Unintentionally was reading this at the same time as “Before you lose your faith” turned out to be a good companion.
Unintentionally was reading this at the same time as “Before you lose your faith” turned out to be a good companion.
November 21, 2014
Assurance of faith is double edged sword. On one hand we doubt God and his word on our salvation and on the other hand we ignore the warnings of Christ of not being in the faith. Kept for Jesus is in-depth bible study of these issues that we wrestle with. With the Arminian view versus the Calvinist view, you too will see God’s assurance of faith more clearly.
Do we need to question our salvation? I think a better question would be do I need to examine my faith? If you do question your salvation, you will be encouraged by the walk thru the scripture of God’s goodness towards you and the promise we have in Christ. Examining our faith correctly is another matter and one that is required if not to correct but also to strengthen. With false teaching, we are easily deceived by our own desires. We can have faith for all the wrong reasons that have nothing to do with genuine heartfelt repentance that compels us to love Christ and others.
Can we lose our salvation by sin? There is much on this topic however, I will be brief with my take. The question should be was salvation mine to begin with. Because the Lord is true to his namesake and his promise, I cannot. But I should always question my response to sin. Do I take sin lightly? Do I justify myself or do I find my justification in what Christ has done? Do I mourn over my sin and how do I feel about the sin of others? Do I find myself in superiority because my sin is different than yours? This is an examination of oneself on important doctrine for our good.
I love this quote…Life is not a game with no lasting consequence. The way we live our lives has eternal consequences. Life is a proving ground where we prove who we are, whom we trust, and what we cherish. Eternal life, the upward call, the crown of righteousness-all these hang on what our life says about who we are, whom we trust, and what we love. Make no mistake here! Life is not a place for proving the power of your intelligence to know truth. It’s a place for proving the power of God’s grace to show truth. Life is not a field for demonstrating the force of our will to make good choices. It’s a field for showing how the beauty of Christ takes us captive and constrains us to choose and run for his glory. The race of life has eternal consequences, not because we are saved by works, but because Christ has saved us from dead works to serve the living and true God with Olympic passion.
Our security and salvation is ultimately dependent on God’s character and commitment, not ours. Salvation belongs to the Lord. It is in God’s sovereignty that I put my faith in and my response is to glorify him.
A special thank you Crossway, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Do we need to question our salvation? I think a better question would be do I need to examine my faith? If you do question your salvation, you will be encouraged by the walk thru the scripture of God’s goodness towards you and the promise we have in Christ. Examining our faith correctly is another matter and one that is required if not to correct but also to strengthen. With false teaching, we are easily deceived by our own desires. We can have faith for all the wrong reasons that have nothing to do with genuine heartfelt repentance that compels us to love Christ and others.
Can we lose our salvation by sin? There is much on this topic however, I will be brief with my take. The question should be was salvation mine to begin with. Because the Lord is true to his namesake and his promise, I cannot. But I should always question my response to sin. Do I take sin lightly? Do I justify myself or do I find my justification in what Christ has done? Do I mourn over my sin and how do I feel about the sin of others? Do I find myself in superiority because my sin is different than yours? This is an examination of oneself on important doctrine for our good.
I love this quote…Life is not a game with no lasting consequence. The way we live our lives has eternal consequences. Life is a proving ground where we prove who we are, whom we trust, and what we cherish. Eternal life, the upward call, the crown of righteousness-all these hang on what our life says about who we are, whom we trust, and what we love. Make no mistake here! Life is not a place for proving the power of your intelligence to know truth. It’s a place for proving the power of God’s grace to show truth. Life is not a field for demonstrating the force of our will to make good choices. It’s a field for showing how the beauty of Christ takes us captive and constrains us to choose and run for his glory. The race of life has eternal consequences, not because we are saved by works, but because Christ has saved us from dead works to serve the living and true God with Olympic passion.
Our security and salvation is ultimately dependent on God’s character and commitment, not ours. Salvation belongs to the Lord. It is in God’s sovereignty that I put my faith in and my response is to glorify him.
A special thank you Crossway, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
September 14, 2015
Really excellent look at the doctrine of perseverance of the saints from the New Testament. Storms hits all the relevant texts without making it feel like you're reading a long list of discussions on various texts. That skill is harder than it seems, trust me. He pushes back at two extremes. One is the Arminian (and yes, I'm calling it extreme) view that you can be truly saved today, but not necessarily tomorrow. The other extreme is the one that says as long as you made a "profession of faith" (aka walked the aisle or "invited Jesus into your heart"--gosh I hate that phrase), you're good to go, regardless of how the rest of your life plays out. It is called perseverance of the saints, after all. You must persevere to be saved. But all those truly saved will truly persevere!
He makes a point of addressing passages that supposedly teach the opposite, and handles them well--Hebrews 6, Romans 11:22, Galatians 5:2-4, Colossians 1:23, and many more. I thought he made 1 John 5:16-17 more complicated than he needed to, but I really found no fault with any of his exegesis.
Read this book and be strengthened in your faith of the great God who preserves us. And pass the book along to your Arminian friends!
He makes a point of addressing passages that supposedly teach the opposite, and handles them well--Hebrews 6, Romans 11:22, Galatians 5:2-4, Colossians 1:23, and many more. I thought he made 1 John 5:16-17 more complicated than he needed to, but I really found no fault with any of his exegesis.
Read this book and be strengthened in your faith of the great God who preserves us. And pass the book along to your Arminian friends!
March 14, 2015
As you can see from the list of chapters below, you can reach out to each one as you struggle wit your walk.As a struggling Christian as I am sure most of us are. We need something to remind us of what Jesus came and did for us all and what and how it all applies to our daily existence. I personally need all the help I can get as I struggle through this cold and unloving world. I see so many not even trying to focus on the lord but putting to much weight into the fate of this world and not its maker. I do try to stay current but I more try to focus on what my faith teaches me. Todays TV, media and other outlets have just gone bonkers and it is just an overload of what we should not be seeing and doing. So for me this book just further helps me to keep myself grounded and focused on where my faith and priorities are in my life and that is with JESUS. So if you struggle as I do, you need to read this enlightening and engaging book that will help keep you grounded and focused.
April 22, 2015
Excellent book. Highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews