In his classic pamphlet, “The Twofoldness of Divine Truth,” Robert Govett (England, 1813-1901) states,

The oneness and harmony of Divine Truth as contained in the Scripture is a pleasing and profitable subject of contemplation. Though proceeding from so many pens, under such varied conditions, at dates so distant, the Bible contains but one grand scheme.

 

Yet it must not be forgotten or denied that there are continually exhibited within its pages truths seemingly opposed to each other….

 

God….[in] nature is continually acting with two seemingly opposed principles. What keeps the planets moving in beauteous order around the sun? Not one force, but two—two forces pulling each particle of matter in two opposite directions at the same instant. Leave our earth to one of these and it would fly away into infinite space. Give undivided scope to the other, and the globe would soon be drawn down to the surface of the sun….

 

It is not then to be wondered at, if two seemingly opposed principles are found placed side by side in the Scripture. “Unity in plurality, plurality in unity” is the main principle on which both the world and the Scripture are constructed.

He is saying, in brief, that in the Scripture, just as in nature, two truths often exist side-by-side which may seem contradictory at first, but which in reality balance and harmonize each other in a way that is often quite beautiful.

Perhaps this principle issues from the very nature of the Godhead itself, because the greatest of these contrasting truths is that God Himself is one, and yet, at the very same time, He is also three. How could we ever understand this? And yet, it is what the Scripture affirms.

Of course, we also see this in the person of Christ. To have an adequate view of His person we must be clear that He is the very God who was “manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16), and yet, at the same time, He is also fully human. Again, no human mind could really conceive of such a thing.

As for God’s attributes, God’s holiness is balanced by His love, while His righteousness is balanced by His mercy. And as for a question that has bedeviled (perhaps literally!) so many theologians for centuries, it is true that God is absolutely sovereign, but at the same time, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that man, as a responsible moral agent, does indeed have free will. In each of these cases there are no contradictions, but only two distinct, and balancing, truths.

In fact, one of the primary reasons for so many of the theological debates through the centuries is that students of the Bible have so often been 0ne-sided in their apprehension of God’s truth: as soon as they see that one side, they cannot and will not see the other side of the truth, even if it is clearly demonstrated to them from the Scripture.

This is certainly the case when it comes to the ongoing aspect of our salvation. The Reformers of the 1500s were so blessed to uncover the great foundational truth of justification by faith alone, so that our eternal destiny is secure in Christ; but it was not until centuries later that others, among whom Mr. Govett was a leading one, began to see the matter of the reward and discipline of the saints in the coming age, the 1,000 year reign of Christ upon the earth.

How we need both sides of the truth in this regard to be balanced in our view of salvation! If we only see the “once-for-all” side, we will easily become loose and careless in our following of Christ; if we only see the ongoing aspect, we may become overly discouraged, because we won’t have the assurance of our relationship with God. But, if we see both of these truths, we will have a sure foundation for our walk with the Lord, on the one hand, but on the other, we will also have the incentive to pursue Him in a serious way.

And yet, so many who see the “once-for-all” aspect of salvation will never consider the ongoing aspect of salvation, because to them it contradicts what they already know to be true. But in fact, rather than contradict it, it balances that great truth, as another example of the two-fold nature of divine truth in the Scripture.

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—  7 March 2026 —