SCRIPTURES USED AGAINST ETERNAL SECURITY
Pastor J. C. O'Hair
Can a person once saved lose his salvation? This has caused some very unpleasant controversies. There are certain Scriptures that seem to teach that a person may be saved and then lose his salvation. But some other Scriptures are positively against this teaching.
Those who believe that it is possible for a saved person to be lost refer to the experiences of King Saul and Judas and Ananias.
The Scriptures call Saul, the Lord’s anointed, even at the time of his death. (II Samuel 1:4 - 10 and 14). But the Scriptures say that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. (I Samuel 16:14). Then read Saul’s experience with the witch of Endor. (I Samuel 28:7 to 20).
What about the prayer of the Psalmist, “take not Thy Holy Spirit from me?” (Psalm 51:11).
We read in Acts 1:15 to 26 that Judas lost something, and that Judas went to his own place. But when the Lord Jesus chose eleven apostles and Judas, the Lord said, “have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70). When did Judas become a devil? He was the only one of the Twelve to be lost. Judas was the lost son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12). Read Acts 1:20.
Ananias lost his life; but we cannot find in Acts 5:1 to 10 that Ananias became a saint and then lost his salvation. We do read in Revelation 21:8 that all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire. Is there a difference between lying sinners and lying saints? (Ephesians 4:25). Some saints in I Corinthians 5:5 were delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that their spirits might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Some saints, in I Corinthians 11:27 to 33, because of their carnal behaviour, were chastened of the Lord, with sickness and death; but they were not condemned with the world.
The Lord does say, in Revelation 3:5, “I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life.” Does this mean that some members of the Body of Christ, new creatures in Christ Jesus who have passed out of Adam into Christ, out of death into life, do go back out of Christ into Adam, out of life into death and lose their new creation or new birth? Well there is the great “if” of salvation; the “if” of continuing in faith. (Colossians 1:23 and I Corinthians 15:2). Christ said “I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.” (John 10:28). God’s free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). If a believer once saved, loses his spiritual life, was it eternal life that he lost?
Some branches are cut off of Christ, the Vine, in John 15:6, so they must be lost after they have been saved, is the teaching of the “lose-your-salvation” Christians. And they are sure that the dog and the hog of II Peter 2:20 to 22 prove their doctrine, that many who are Christians on the way to heaven lose their salvation. But they have some difficulty reconciling this with I Peter 1:2 and Ephesians 1:4 and Romans 8:28 to 32. Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
They have the same difficulty trying to reconcile Hebrews 10:26 with Hebrews 10:2 and Hebrews 10:4, or to reconcile the falling away of Hebrews 6:4 to 5 and Romans 11:22 with the strong consolation of Hebrews 6:18 and Romans 8:37 to 39.
It is strange how many Christians in their thinking change “no more sacrifice” in Hebrews 10:26 to read “no more forgiveness.”
In Hebrews 6:4 to 6 we read that it is impossible for certain people, if they fall away, to be renewed again unto repentance. Many of the Hebrews, to whom the Epistle was addressed, wanted to offer for their sins Old Testament sacrifices after Christ had offered Himself to God as the perfect Sacrifice. Christians are told to restore a fellow-Christian, who sins. (Galatians 6:1). The “lose-your-salvation” Christians believe that back-sliders can be renewed. Therefore, Hebrews 6:6 does not refer to back-sliders.
Posted By – Cecil Spivey
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