Eternal Security

[*Light*]

What does the bible say about Eternal Security? Are true believers genuinely secure?

The bible is the inerrant word of God and has no contradictions, and this passage irrefutably proves the the a Child of God cannot lose their salvation. Any conditional security passage would posit a contradiction, thus they would have to be reconciled. The truth is that there are NO passages in scripture which can exegetically prove that a Child of God can lose their salvation.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:27-29)

First lets deal with The Recipients (SHEEP).

The Recipients

[*Light*]

Those who continue to reject the Doctrine of Eternal Security will more than likely continue to do so. But to those who have ears to hear, let them hear. I'd like to begin with the purpose of the WARNING passages regarding Apostasy in scripture:

When God warns believers of apostasy, does He do that because believers can actually apostasize? Already converted, redeemed, justified, saved people cannot apostasize, but that does not mean that in this age that the warning of apostasy is not an appropriate motive for continued obedience of God's word. God uses the possibility of apostasy as a motivation for believers to overcome and persevere in the faith. The effort of a believer to hold fast in the faith is not, however, his basis for continuing, but the power of God that keeps a believer (1 Peter 1:5). Some will apostasize, but these are those were never saved in the first place (1 John 2:19; 3:6). They had some experience of the grace of God, but not in a saving capacity, so that they turned away.

ETERNAL SECURITY IS NOT A LICENSE TO SIN!!!!, WHY?

[*]1 John 3:6 "Whoseover abideth in him sinneth not:whoseover sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." [*]The save person ("whoseover abideth in him") does not habitually sin ("sinneth not:). [*]The person who does sin as a lifestyle ("whoseover sinneth") has never been saved ("hath not seen him, neither known him."). [*]People who live a lifestyle of sin were never saved in the first place; they never saw the Lord or knew the Lord (cf. John 17:3) Believer do not characteristically "yield" to the flesh". (Rom, 6:16)[/list:u] Why the Bible teaches Eternal Security:

• Salvation is of the Lord
  

[*Light*]

Eternal Security on Peter 1:

• Those begotten again have an inheritance in heaven reserved for them, leaving them with a lively hope (vv.3,4)
  

[JJJ4given]

Here is another one people try to use:

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

However, he that overcometh is described in 1 John 5 which very easily puts this one to rest.
1 ¶ Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

(Same John that wrote Revelation and 1st John)

[Guest Guest]

I used to believe eternal insecurity till I was shown eternal security from the Bible, praise God!

Katy-Anne

[Jerry]

Here is another one people try to use:

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Also, Revelation 3:5 is a promise, not a threat. He will not (ou me - ie. no never!) blot out their name - it is in the book of Life eternally.

Still reading the rest of the posts, so cannot comment on them at this point in time.

[Madeline]

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21:6,7)

This is another passage which confuses me. Why does in verse 6 God says that Eternal Life is free then in the very next verse says that in order to get this, we must overcome?

Love,
Madeline

[Jerry]

How does someone overcome? Through faith in Christ.

How do we receive salvation? Through faith in Christ.

It is the same thing from different angles. True believers are overcomers in Christ Jesus. We may not overcome every single thing we face - but in the light of eternity, we overcome because we are in Christ.

All true believers are overcomers.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

[jdunagan]

Salvation is a gift from God, so how could man lose the very salvation that he did not earn in the first place.
If a person believes that he can lose his salvation, then it is no longer through grace but a person must earn his salvation and that is hersey.
Eternal security does not give us a warrant to sin(Rom.6).True salvation should be followed by a change because a saved person is a new creature(2 Corinthians 5:17).
Eph.2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

[IM4given]

How about various members of the clergy, priests, and preachers who fall by the wayside? Is the Pope saved? Are the Purpose Driven Pastors saved? Aren't they treading on some very dangerous ground when they decide to preach another gospel? Have they lost their salvation, or were they ever really saved to begin with?

Proverbs 28:10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: ...

Proverbs 17: 15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.

Galatians 1
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.
7 Which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so I say now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have recieved, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

[Samer]

The pope was never saved to begin with. That's not a matter of eternal security.
It almost sounds like you're questioning eternal security, but the scriptural evidence is clear. Saved people don't all of a sudden start preaching a Galatians 1:8 false gospel.

[Madeline]

edited - wrong passage. I was thinking of Gal. 5:4 instead of Gal. 1 I better stay out of this thread.:ooops

[IM4given]

The pope was never saved to begin with. That's not a matter of eternal security.
It almost sounds like you're questioning eternal security, but the scriptural evidence is clear. Saved people don't all of a sudden start preaching a Galatians 1:8 false gospel.

Actually I am a very firm believer in eternal security. I agree that it does not stand to reason that saved people would preach a false gospel. I therefore question the validity of preachers who have been behind the pulpit for many years who fall into this Purpose Driven Quagmire - is it possible that they never were actually saved to begin with? Otherwise why would they start altering the gospel that they present to their audiences until there is nothing left that resembles the gospel of salvation? A drop of black impurity here and another drop of impurity there until the whole can of white paint is changed completely?

The danger lies in people who have been following a certain pastor for a number of years, and this seeker sensitive stuff starts creeping into the messages and worship services like a frog in a kettle on the stove. The heat is turned on so gradually that the frog barely even notices it until the frog is completely cooked without ever jumping out of the pot. Folks do not realize that they are being preached a false gospel until it is too late. Is this a form of "bewitchment" as described in the Bible?

The Bible calls such people "foolish" and "bewitched" in Galatians 3
1 O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, recieved ye by the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

[lettheredeemedsayso]

Matter of fact the entire chapter carefully explains it.

[Jerry]

There are wolves in sheeps' clothing that sneak into the flock and gradually turn them away - turn them from the truth to error, including the error of being a Willow Creek church. We have seen that happen in some churches in my city. The new pastor that took over a church preached exactly like the old pastor, until he told a hold of the ruling board in the church, then he got rid of those who wouldn't follow along, and made the church another one of these seeker sensitive churches. This happened in 2 or 3 churches in Kelowna where I live. The older folks didn't see it coming - until they were left without a sound church.

Though to be blunt, those older folk had been to busy being ecumenical and wishy washy - and it is their fault they didn't see the junk that was slowly creeping in! It is too easy to accept anything as Christianity as long as it has that label - and the slide is slow, but eventually they cry out when it goes too far. They should have cried out and woken up when the slide first started - when the pastor made his first departure!