Now, my understanding of eternal security from several teachers and preachers over the years is such that I find a little inconsistent with what I've read in the bible. In as much as I am a believer and product of the gospel of grace which was a revelation unveiled by Apostle Paul to the church, I just feel some teachers haven't balanced certain things properly or are on one side of the divide.

Heb12:15 Looking diligently lest any man FAIL OF THE GRACE OF GOD; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

What I've read from those that teach 'ES' is that ' a Christian cannot backslide and if he does, that means he wasn't a Christian in the first place'. The scripture above is a proof that a man can fail of the grace of God. Note that the book of Hebrews and other scriptures quoted from the Epistles were written to the believers and even most of the words spoken by Jesus was directed to his disciples(we are inclusive).

Also, some have positions that since our salvation is eternal, a Christian have the liberty to behave anyhow and no matter what a Christian does, he cannot lose his salvation neither can he miss heaven. Now, if what I've just written above is the true position of 'ES' teachings, I have some scriptures I'll be glad you meditate on very well even the words of Paul&Jesus. It is wrong to think that the Pauline revelations exist independently without a validation from either the words of Jesus or other Apostles.

SOME ETERNAL SECURITY TEACHINGS


1- They don't believe a Christian can go back or backslide.

Heb10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. KJV

Demas was a companion of Paul, he was saved by grace through faith without works but in 2Tim4:10, Paul made it clear that the guy went back into the world. Now, you must understand that there's a man-ward side to Christian living which is what God expects of us. The God-ward side has been done and dusted on the cross but when men fail in their own part, they can fall by the way side. Phil2:12 said we should work out our salvation with fear&trembling. That was written by Paul, and he wrote that to Christians like you and I. He wasn't suggesting that you should maintain your salvation with works because you weren't saved by works in the first place. To do what that scripture said, you just need to obey the word&Spirit. Obedience to God remains a non-negotiable aspect of our faith which I've seen 'ES' preachers down-play.

Luke9:62- Jesus made it clear that no man having put his hand in the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom.

2- 'ES' teachings hold on to John10:28-29 saying that we can't be plucked from the hands of God. Yes, that is absolutely true because no man can do that when you're in God's hands but that's only IF you chose to abide, remain or stay in his hands.

I think Adam and Eve still remains one of the most privileged in the OT to relate with God physically. We could say that they were literally in God's hands because his shekinah presence was in the garden of Eden but Adam&Eve didn't cooperate with God. They exercised the power of Choice and fell into sin.

John15:2,6 said we should abide(remain) in Jesus( which means it is possible for a Christian not to abide). If we don't abide, that scripture says such a fellow would be thrown into the fire. Read it. That means, when a man is saved by grace and didn't fulfil Phil2:12- which enjoins us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling), such a believer is gone.

To work out one's salvation is to mortify the works of the flesh through the Spirit:

Rom8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but IF YE THROUGH THE SPIRIT DO MORTIFY the deeds of the body, ye shall live. KJV


Rom6:12-LET NOT SIN( that's God giving us the responsibility of not allowing sin to rule us because it is our choice) therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Emphasis mine.

Note: Paul was talking to believers in all of these scriptures.

3- We cannot die If we have eternal life. John11:26.

Yes, we cannot die if we have eternal life and I believe it because the scripture say so but looking at other scriptures, we know that if you are not walking in love, the bible said such a fellow abideth in death. 1John3:14-15. To be balanced in doctrinal subjects, one must compare scriptures with scriptures and interprete a particular scripture in the light of another. You don't build doctrines on a verse and start a conference on it.

There are believers who claim that they are living in the reality of eternal life yet, they live in hatred. You must note that whatever the scripture has said about us as new creations MUST NOT be in contrast to our life style. The 'ES' teachings have played-down on the issue of Christian life style and doesn't have regard for holy living. I once heard a popular American preacher asking 'If God said without holiness no man shall see the Lord?'.

4-' The gifts of God Are without repentance. Rom11:29.

That implies that God can't take his gift from anyone he gives it. I've also said previously that we shouldn't base doctrinal beliefs on just a verse of the scripture because it is against the law of bible interpretation.

What did Jesus say in Luke 19:26? 'For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.'

So, when you read Rom11:29 in Isolation and you don't compare it with the scripture above, the truth remains hidden. I hope you know that Judas Iscariot would have been a part of the Apostolic council in the early church but because he voluntarily sold out to the devil, he lost his place amongst the twelve and he lost it.

5-Nothing Can separate us from the love of God. Rom8:38-39.

This scripture is speaking about outside influences on our faith walk with God&not about what we ourselves can do. While nobody else can separate us from God's love, we can depart from the love relationship that God desires with us.

1Tim4:1-Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

If they were not in the faith, they wouldn't depart, that is very clear. That book was written to believers and it applies today. To say one cannot depart from the faith is to nullify the written word in the scripture because even right from the early church, there were people that departed from the faith.

The mercy of God is DEEP but men shouldn't trample on God's grace and expect the Christian life to be on auto drive.

John15:10- says 'If we keep God's commandments'. Apparently it is possible not to keep his commandments&fail to abide in His love.

6- We are born of incorruptible seed. 1Pet1:23.

The Incorruptible seed is Christ Jesus or the word(John1:1,Luke8:11).

But the underlining fact still remains that we must abide in him. John15:2,6,7,10. According the scripture above, if you don't abide, you shall be cast into the fire.

Rev22:19- Apparently shows that someone whose name was in the book of life can be removed. Read it.

7- We are sealed with the HolySpirit.- Eph1:13-14.

Truly we are sealed by the Spirit of God &adopted into his family but we are expected to bear fruit, lest we be removed. Matt25:30, John15:1-2, Rev3:5.

8- It is not the will of God to lose any of his children. John6:39.

It is also the will of God for all to be saved but we know that not all would be saved because man is a free moral agent that can make his own choice.

9-'But we are saved apart from works,lest any man shall boast'. Eph2:9.

This is 100% true and I preach this often. Our initial salvation doesn't require works but Vs10 of that same chapter made us know that we are created 'unto good works'. That is, our Christian lives must produce fruit of righteousness&goodness.

James2:20 said if our faith doesn't yield good works, it is a dead faith.

N:B- Works won't earn God's forgiveness but If our faith is genuine, it will prove itself and produce good works.


10- Salvation can't be lost.

This is also one of the teachings of eternal security and I want everyone reading this piece to read Hebrews6:1-9, Heb10:26-29,38-39.

The scriptures above gives the possibility of a Christian that is deep and has walked with God beyond the surface to lose his salvation. In fact, not all believers fall into the class listed in Heb6 because the bible is talking about those that have had unusual depths with God in our walk of faith but they lost it even without being able to come back to repentance popularly known as the unpardonable sin.


You must understand that they wilfully committed the sin. That still brings us back to the power of choice. To say that a Christian can't backslide or lose his salvation because once he is saved, then he is forever saved is a teaching I won't accept because the scripture above is clear enough.

CONCLUSION:

This doesn't mean you'll be perfect as a Christian from the day you gave your life to Christ because the Christian life is a growing process but it is also completely unacceptable for a Christian to live a worldly lifestyle after years of being in the faith which is what the teachings of eternal security or once saved always saved doesn't care about. We are to be transformed into Christ's image daily.


Cc: lalasticlala

The soul that sinneth it shall die but if any man draws back my soul has no pleasure in them

Excellent piece.
Jude vs 4 says, that certain men crept into our midst, those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.
My dear, if grace stands alone and is whole, then the new commandments of Christ is in vain. For we can disobey his commandments on love (Jn 13:34, Mtt 5.44), on murder, fornication, divorce, oath & retribution (Mtt 5:23-44) without much ado. It then means that His statement that if we love him, we should keep his commandments (Jn 14:15) will have no force. We can then glory in sin and wickedness, since grace covereth all.
Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he FALLS. 1Cor 10:12