OSAS And Luke 8:13

Q

I have yet another question regarding OSAS. I own a bible that has commentary from a well known preacher. I was reading through the book of Luke. In particular, my question is, what is your interpretation of Luke 8:13. The commentary from this preacher on this particular verse, states basically that this verse refutes the doctrine of unconditional eternal security.

A

As I’ve said before, the Bible being God’s word cannot be inconsistent. It can’t say one thing in one place and something else in another. If we come across a verse that seems to contradict several other clear verses then we have to assume that our interpretation of that verse is incorrect. And so it is with Luke 8:13 which is a part of Luke’s version of the Kingdom parables. Here’s what it says.

Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

The analogy is to a seed that when sown lands on rocky ground where it can’t take root so it soon dies for lack of water. This describes a person who in the passion of the moment is swept up in the gospel and may even respond to an altar call. But the gospel never takes root in the person’s heart so when the first time of testing comes, the person quickly reverts back to his or her old ways. According to studies, this is the case with an overwhelming percentage of people who come forward at a revival or crusade where there’s lots of emotion and excitement.

By comparing this with Luke 8:15 where the word is received by a ready heart we can see that verse 13 describes a person who was never really saved in the first place.