I want to start by clarifying the nature of salvation and what one must do to be saved. First, the gospel message is that God came to Earth as a man and that this man Jesus died for the sins of the world, taking upon Himself the judgment that we deserve (1 Cor. 15:1-4). On this basis, God can now justify man (Rom. 3:25-26). God offers forgiveness to mankind, but commands that we must repent and trust/believe in Him (Mark 1:15). This is stated throughout the Bible, and nowhere is salvation promised to one who merely asks or says a ritual prayer. There is nothing wrong with praying and asking God for forgiveness, but unless accompanied by repentance, the words are empty.
With all this in mind, I hope it becomes clear that in the case of "Christians" who walk the aisle in their church, pray a sinner's prayer, and then live like the devil, we should not feel pressured to explain their descent back into sin. These people didn't even do what was necessary for them to be saved. They went through a silly superficial ritual that is unfortunately promoted by most of so-called Christianity. So, you see, it's not even possible for these people to have lost their salvation, because they never possessed it to begin with. In my experience, 95% of 'carnal Christians' that I meet show obvious signs that they never understood salvation. For those 5% that did at least appear to show some outward signs of repentance, it's perfectly reasonable to assume there was something going on in their heart that we couldn't see (perhaps a particular sin they weren't willing to part from). We see this clearly in 1 John 2:19, where John states that those who are truly converted would doubtlessly continue in the faith, and those who depart only reveal that they were never truly a part of the church. This easily explains what we see without invoking strange doctrines.
Now I want to explain why I call 'eternal insecurity' a strange doctrine that is incompatible with the Bible. Scriputure is clear that neither our salvation nor our continued spiritual growth is dependent on our works. As Paul puts it in Galations 3:3, "Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" It's also helpful to examine the promises that God makes regarding salvation. For example: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish" (Jn. 10:27-28), "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb. 13:5), "whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." So when you're saved, you have eternal life. By definition, eternal life can't be cut short. It's impossible to claim that someone can lose their salvation without also calling Jesus a liar in the above passages. Let me demonstrate my point again in a sort of syllogism using John 3:16 as an example:
Everyone who has been born again believes (trusts) in Jesus Christ.
Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ will not perish and will have eternal life.
Therefore, everyone who has been born again will not perish and will have eternal life.
So again, it's clear that every person who has been truly saved has God's unconditional promise that they will not perish in Hell. How could God make such a promise if it is possible for us to lose our salvation?
Additionally, this doctrine seems to make a small thing of the process of salvation. When a man is born again, he is made into a new creature to serve God (2 Cor. 5:17). He passes from death unto life (Jn. 5:24). He is no longer a child of the devil, but becomes a child of God (1 Jn 3:10). Do you suppose that men just bounce back and forth between being an old or new creaure, being alive or dead, and being a child of the devil or child of God? Furthermore, how can this doctrine mesh with the doctrine of chastening as laid out in Heb. 12? Do you believe that God's chastening is insufficient? Is God a failure of a father to those supposed formerly saved sons out there?
Finally, I'd like to take a litle time to address passages commonly considered to be in support of 'eternal insecurity'. In general, most can be understood when you consider that the people being referred to are typically those who have been associated with the church and counted among the number, but were never truly saved to begin with. Hebrews 6 is one passage that I'd like to discuss directly. Verses 4-6 are often quoted in support of 'eternal insecurity', though they are simply an aside about unconverted Jews. What they often neglect to mention is that if they are right about this passage, v.6 makes it clear that if you lose your salvation, it's impossible for you to be saved again.
How do they claim you can lose your salvation? According to the tract I got saw from the local Amish, you can lose you salvation if you neglect to forgive someone, if you aren't bearing enough fruit, if you're sinning, if you refuse to take a stand for Christ, and if you refuse to separate from the world. They even suggest that whether or not you own a TV might be the clearest test of your conversion. So how much sin is "too much"? How much of a stand do you have to take? How much fruit must you bear? James 2:10 says "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all". Sounds like one sin is too much, and would be grounds for you to lose your salvation, forever. Are you absolutely sure you were a perfect person yesterday? Have you always loved God with all of your heart and mind without fail? What about tomorrow? How certain can you be that tomorrow you won't blow it and condemn yourself to an eternity in Hell? People who believe in this doctrine should lose sleep every night.
Thankfully, that's all nonsense. If Jesus' blood is sufficient to wash away every sin in your past, then a single sin (or many) after your salvation is not going to break the deal. Of course, that's not a license to sin and everyone who has truly been saved wouldn't see it as such. Because, as shown before, salvation is a dramatic change that creates a new person who wants to please and serve God.
I don't know about you, but I'm still an imperfect creature. I lose my temper sometimes. I'm not as patient as I should be. I get frustrated with my wife and kids. I sometimes sit at home when I could be handing out tracts. I could go on. I'm just thankful that God is patient with me and continues to love, chasten, and teach me as I continue to follow Him.
In conclusion, I hope it is clear now that it's impossible for a Christian to lose their salvation. Carnal Christians are not Christians who have lost their salvation, but are simply people who made a superficial profession of faith, often the sinner's prayer, without ever being truly converted. 'Eternal insecurity' is a doctrine without Biblical support that turns salvation into a bargain that we have to keep instead of a merciful offer to those who repent. If you believe in this doctrine, reject it now. To the rest of you, I hope this has been helpful for your own edification, or as something to challenge someone you know.
