ETERNAL SECURITY!

Occasionally someone will ask what I believe about "Eternal Security" and "Once saved, always save". My reply is, "Yes, I do believe in 'Eternal Security', but not 'Once saved, always save'", though most people don't see a difference between the two. There are plenty of Scriptures that present the promise of Eternal Security. But all the promises of God are based upon my faith in those promises. I am save by grace through faith (Ep.2:8-9). When I release my faith in that promise for Salvation, I am saved. As long as I believe and act upon what the Word says about salvation, I am saved. But if I cease believing in any promise of Scripture, it no longer will manifest in my life. It all hinges on what I believe (my faith). This is how all the Covenant Promises of God manifest in our lives, including healing, prosperity, protection, guidance, wisdom, etc. Below are a few Scriptures that promise that He will remain faithful to me and keep me (as long as I believe it to be so).

Rom.1:16 - "...salvation to everyone that believeth..."

Philippians 1:6 - Being confident(having faith) of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

II Thessalonians 3:3 - But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Jude 1:24 - "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence..."

He.13:5 - "...for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

So yes, I do believe in "eternal security". But no, I don't believe in "once saved always saved". There are too many passages within the Bible that I would have to ignore in order to accept that theological perspective. Below are just a few Scriptures that seem to contradict that doctrinal belief.

Rom.11:22 - "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

I Cor.9:26-27 - "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

I Cor.10:12 - "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

I Cor.15:2 states, that vain is the belief of those who go against the word of God.

He.6:4-6 - "For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the holy Spirit and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to bring them to repentance again, since they are recrucifying the Son of God for themselves and holding him up to contempt."

He.10:26-29 - "If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries. Anyone who rejects the law of Moses is put to death without pity on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Do you not think that a much worse punishment is due the one who has contempt for the Son of God, considers unclean the covenant-blood by which he was consecrated, and insults the spirit of grace?"

2 Peter 2:20-21 - "For if they, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of (our) Lord and savior Jesus Christ, again become entangled and overcome by them, their last condition is worse than their first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them."

I John 1:6 - "If we say, 'We have fellowship with Jesus', while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie & do not act in truth.

The Word of God contains enough warning to preclude any thought of presuming on the Grace of God. Followers of Jesus are exhorted to "watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation" (Mt.26:41); to "be aware lest ye also, being led away with error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness (II Pe.3:17); to "give diligence to make your calling and election sure (II Pe.1:10); along with several other similar warnings.

Above all else in our Christian life, we must have a positive assurance of our salvation. It's certainly God's will that all be saved and that they know it, beyond any doubt. Every spiritual experience, every conflict with the enemy, every prayer that is uttered, every promise that is pleaded, is based on an assurance of one's position in Christ. Whenever a Christian endeavors to do anything for God, he must be able to stand on the firm foundation of the positive assurance that he is His child. He can have this assurance now! "Our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assuance" (I Th.1:5).