A friend recently asked me if I thought Solomon was saved? It was an excellent, thought-provoking question. Why? Because most Christians assume he was saved. After all, he was no lightweight. He wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. He was David’s son. God also promised him great wisdom.
However, my friend asked this question because he realized the subject is nuanced. “Although in the last analysis, only God knows for sure,” I answered, “I didn’t think Solomon was saved.” Why would I say that, and what issues does my answer raise?
Rationale
What was my rationale for this pessimism? First, Solomon’s absence from the Hebrews-eleven roll call of believing saints is conspicuous. Although he was a major Old Testament character, he is omitted. Was that an accident? I don’t think so.
The writers of the New Testament understood that only those who persevere to the end of life in faith and repentance are saved. “But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:2). “Note then the kindness and severity of God…kindness to you provided you continue in his kindness” (Romans 11:22). “In due season we will reap if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). “If we endure we will also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12). “We have come to share in Christ if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:14). “The one who conquers and keeps my works to the end to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelations 2:26).
Solomon did not persevere to the end. His disobedience started early. The law warned him not to “multiply wives lest they turn his heart away” (Deuteronomy 17:17). Ignoring this, Solomon married seven hundred wives, mostly from foreign nations, then added three hundred concubines. Most egregiously, they were from the nations of whom God warned Israel not to marry. The result was ugly. He ended his life building temples to their dreadful gods—Chemosh, Ashtoreth, and Molech. Most of which required worship by child sacrifice—throwing screaming infants into raging bonfires to appease their demonic appetites. Tragically, these temples remained in Jerusalem for almost three hundred years, only being removed at the end of the seventh century BC by King Josiah.
Problems
This analysis raises some important questions. What about once saved, always saved? 1 Kings 3:3 tells us that Solomon “loved the Lord.” Does this mean he was saved? If so, did he lose his salvation? No, once saved, always saved is correct. New birth is a permanent change of nature. It cannot be reversed. But the evidence of new birth is increasing fruit—good works, faithfulness to the one true God, and increasing Christlikeness. “Everyone who practices righteousness is born of him” (1 John 2:9). “Whoever practices sin is of the Devil…No one born of God makes a practice of sinning…Little Children, keep yourself from idols” (1 John 3:8-9, 5:21). This was not Solomon. He went from good to bad ending his life in the spiritual gutter. I must conclude, therefore, that he was never saved.
Another problem is the obvious. How can someone write a big portion of the Bible and be unregenerate? Answer: If you can do miracles and be unregenerate, why not write books of the Bible? Think of Balaam prophesying under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Judas performed miracles with the apostolic band (Matthew 10:7-8). Jesus even described men like Solomon who did not do his will, crying out on the last day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'” (Matthew 7:22-23).
Another way to say this is that knowledge by itself is no test of new birth. You can have a Ph.D. in theology, and believe the Bible is true, and not be regenerated. Again, new birth is evidenced by spiritual fruit, not knowledge. I’m not saying that knowledge is unimportant. Knowledge matters greatly, but by itself, it is no evidence of new birth. There is no new birth if knowledge doesn’t travel the 14 inches from the mind to the heart. When the Holy Spirit does this everything changes, and spiritual fruit follows.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24
So What?
First, don’t make Solomon’s mistake. Christianity is a marathon, not a sprint. Only those who persevere to the end are saved. And here is the Good News. We can trust God to help us do that. “And I am sure of this,” boasted Paul, “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the Day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). This implies a balancing act. On the one hand, we exert ourselves to persevere to the end. But, on the other hand, we trust God completely to motivate us to persevere to the end.
Second, don’t have a superficial approach to new birth. A person can warm a pew for years, memorize the creed, and smile broadly Sunday morning, and never be saved. Fruit is the only acid test, and fruit grow slowly over many years.
Third, don’t pick spiritual leaders based on their degrees. When searching for pastors or church employees what is the first thing we look for? Academic accomplishment—M Div, PhD, books published, etc. Where did he or she go to school?
It would be false to say that education has no relevance. It has relevance, but that relevance is entirely secondary, not primary. Instead, we should look with great diligence for spiritual fruit. That is the only leadership qualification in the Bible (1 Timothy 3:1ff). But because fruit is hard to detect in the short run, it is problematic. We only see it, or its lack, as we watch a man interact with his wife, discipline his children, pay his bills, control his temper, and most importantly, express humility or arrogance.
This means it is almost impossible to really find out about a man through a few job interviews. Therefore, it is best to raise up pastoral leadership from within your church. That way you know the person. You see him. You have watched him long term and you know what you are getting.
Let me know if you think I’m crazy. Leave your comments below. Would love to interact with you.
Couldn’t agree more. This is most convicting as I self examine.
Scott: Thanks for taking the time to read this. May God continue to richly bless you and Michelle
Thanks for making some comments to enforce the fact that true believers will bear fruit. None of us should rely on a superficial prayer that never actually led to regeneration. And of course supporting salvation security is a hope people need to hear. It’s believable because its biblical.
I however, have to take issue with your assessment of Solomon. He certainly has red on his ledger no doubt, but Solomon was indeed saved and I believe principles throughout Scripture bear that fact to be true. I really do not believe Hebrews 11 can be used as a knock against Solomon. Hebrews 11 was never intended to be an exhaustive list. Only 2 women are mentioned in this list with the exclusion of many other women of faith such as Hannah (her song of thanksgiving in I Sam. 2 is so rich), Deborah (an actual judge of Israel) Ruth and Esther. I don’t think anyone would question these women and their faith because they are not on a list in Hebrews 11. An assumption like this can be dangerous.
Secondly, saying Solomon was not saved casts an enormous shadow on what an unbeliever looks like from Scriptures perspective. The unsaved are dead, enemies of God, blind, evil, depraved and utterly unrighteous. Their chief position being “spiritually appraised” (I Cor. 2:14). This phrase means they are incapable of discerning truth. Solomon wrote 3 books of the Bible and at least 2 of the Psalms. In these books, Solomon explains some of the most profound truths about God and His person and character ever recorded in Scripture. One who is an enemy of God does not write about the beauty of God. Romans 3:18, in describing the lost, says, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” And yet Solomon concludes the book of Ecclesiastes with the words “…fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” I Kings 8 really highlights Solomon and his intentions to serve God. He just constructed a place to magnify the worship of the Most High God! He then is seen on his knees with his arms raised upward in prayer to God in the dedication of the Temple. Psalm 66:18 says God does not hear the words of men who regard wickedness in their heart. And yet it was evident God heard Solomon in his prayer of I Kings 8.
Finally, I have tried to understand how your examples of Judas and Balaam coincide with the transmission of Scripture from God to us. Numerous examples abound of false prophets in Israel. God used the Assyrians and Babylon to judge Israel for her sins against God. But it has nothing to do with inspiration. Caution has to be made here. We are talking about the authenticity of Scripture. The unsaved, as well as believers could seriously doubt these portions of the Bible to be “God breathed” if they think a pagan wrote them (II Peter 1:21; II Tim. 3:16,17).
In the latter years of Solomon’s life, he penned Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. His thrust, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, was to explain to the masses to pursue God’s glory. To obey God and to fear Him. Solomon in a sense is writing to say, “Don’t follow my example entirely.” Solomon was for sure, a man who for a long time, was not wholly devoted to God. But in his last years he came back to the One who gave him everything.
I wrote too much and probably worded things a bit coarse. Please forgive me. I would much rather talk in person than write things on a computer. One cannot sense tone or love in words alone. Thank you for all your faithfulness.
Cole:
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my blog. I love it when people make intelligent comments like this. First, I have no guaranteed certainty that Solomon is not in heaven. My hunch is no, but I would happily see him there. Second, and most importantly, you patiently argue that you don’t understand how someone could write books of the Bible without regeneration. To explain how this is possible one needs a deeper understanding of the nature of new birth.
New Birth is not known by the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge is a precedent for new birth, but more is needed, and the “more” is evidence of new birth. That knowledge must penetrate to the heart. Only the HS can accomplish this, and this miracle is prima facie evidence of New Birth. When the HS replaces the heart of stone with a heart of flesh repentance and holiness follow.
This means someone can have sufficient knowledge to write a biblical book under the influence of the HS but not be born again. i.e. their heart has not been regenerated. In the same way, one can perform miracles without regeneration (Matthew 7: 21-23). Balaam prophesied without regeneration. Judas performed miracles without regeneration. For more on this read Jonathan Edwards’ Religous Affections.
This means you can be a professor of theology, understand and believe systematic theology, and be unsaved. Ultimately, fruit is the only permanent sign of new birth, of a heart made new. Solomon didn’t appear to have this. That is my argument. Hope this helps.
A question more than a comment, you talk about people warming pews for years, if this is the case, how should we treat them, if they seem not to be regenerated.
Hope you can make sense of the question
Anne: Great question. Since we never know for sure whether “pew warmers” are born again or not, we should relate to them in love, include them in the church, and pray fervently for them.