Copyright © 1996-2009 Global Alphabet, Inc. All rights reserved.
BigchurchSM and Big ChurchSM are service marks of Global Alphabet, Inc.
BigchurchSM and Big ChurchSM are service marks of Global Alphabet, Inc.
 | Blogs > reallysaved > From Where I Sit > Eternal Security |
Eternal Security
Last Read: |
There has been a debate going on here in Blogland about the teaching of Eternal Security. I have responded to a couple of the blogs about this subject, but thought that I would add an article to my own blog stating my opinion on this subject. Disclaimer: this is only my opinion based upon the light that God has granted me so far. I only see "as in a mirror dimly" just like everyone else on this earth. I do not claim that I am infallible in any of my beliefs and I would be extremely nervous about someone who does. I don't think a Christian can lose their salvation, but I do think that they can give it or throw it away. People are talking in Blogland here about how dangerous the teaching of Universalism (that every person who ever lived is going to heaven)is. I feel that the Eternal Security teaching is dangerous, also. If I know that I am saved no matter what, because I said the prayer of salvation at one time, then I would no longer have to work out my salvation with fear and trembling as the Word says to do. I could do whatever I wanted, treat others any way I pleased and I would still go to heaven. That just isn't so. The Word says that not every one who calls Christ "Lord, Lord" will enter heaven, only those who do His will. That is a pretty strong statement that bears some meditation. Hebrews 10:26-39 says this: "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. "Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, 'He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.' But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." The following phrases stick out to me: "only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God" "But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed" That sounds pretty severe to me. That sounds like Hell to me. |
||||
 1/14/2006 7:35 pm |
Hebrews 10:14 - For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Hebrews 10:26 - For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, Please note, sanctified and knowledge of the truth, are these one and the same? No, once sanctified, always sanctified, for even satan has knowledge of the truth, is he sanctified also?
.
| ||||
1/15/2006 12:16 am |
My, my, haven't we opened up an interesting can of worms here? Sister Jean, I think you presented your case quite completely. But without even opening The Book to lay out about 300 Scriptures, I had an immediate thought come to mind. I have never even thought about this as relating to Eternal Security. But "don't ask the Father anything even in just a pondering thought" because if you listen, He will be right there with the answer. Okay, the case in point is The Prodigal Son. Bingo! He was already in the family...hello..or he would not have started off being called a son. Before I accepted Christ I was not "a son" and HE was not my Father...but I know who was. Now, when I accepted Christ in my heart, I became "a son" with all the rights to the Eternal inheritance. As the Prodigal story began..."the son" was already "a son". It was not until he got huffy and demanded his part of the family inheritance that there was a parting of the family waves. He split and went off to serve the world. Goodbye, Daddy Dearest! It sounds a little too close to my own life. I did the same thing. I made excuses to God, my Father, about why His Way was bo..or...ing! I took the talents and gifts He had given me and went off into the world to show them who was in charge. As long as I was willing to give the world all my talents and gifts everytime they demanded more, the world loved me and I prospered bigtime. But when the Prodigal ran out of cash, the fair weather friends dumped him and he ended up slopping the hogs. When my personal life got too complicated because I was spreading myself too thin with a demanding world of admirers and my health went into the dumpster, I began to run out of things to please the world who formerly loved me. For me, at that time, slopping the hogs would have been a step up. Let's review: THE SON...who could have held status quo by obeying his Father turned away "to do his own thing" which is called...disobedience aka backslid by choice into a hell on earth soon to become a hell in hell. For me and the Prodigal, it did fit just like a glove. Now, when the Prodigal and yours truly got down to lusting over what the hogs were eating and thinking about the buffets Dear Old Dad was feeding even the lowest of His Servants, we both decided...ENUFF! And then we headed home...WAIT A MINUTE! Why return if no matter what I have ever done or will ever do makes no difference as to whether I can kick back and rule and reign forever with Dear Old Dad back at the ranch...THAT I CHOSE TO LEAVE ON MY OWN...professing never to come back again or to show Dad any respect or honor since I already got what I wanted? But the taste of "dirty hog slop" can bring "a son" to his senses..especially when he has personally DISOWNED his Father by walking away...the Father did not want him to leave...the Father loved him so much that he even gave him his part of the inheritance knowing "the son" was splitting from the family. The story does not mention "the son" was adopted...it clearly presented a "REAL SON". Finally when the Prodigal and yours truly had run out of options and excuses, we both RAN back toward The Father's House hoping maybe we could shine the boots of His lowest servant because we knew that is what we deserved for walking away. Yet The Father is so awesome that He not only welcomed us both back with open arms but threw a shindig for us beyond belief. HOW GOOD CAN HE BE? The point is: When the Prodigal came to the end of his folly by walking away from the Father's House, he considered that he really had messed up. What to do? See the problem as it is with the world merciless in cruelty and know that no matter how low one has to crawl back to The Father's House, a five star beating from the Father would be kinder than treatment from the world. NOTICE PLEASE: The Father did not send a limo for the Prodigal before the days in the hog pen. OH...but I thought no matter what "the son" had done or was doing, the Father considered him a real piece of work worthy to sit at the Father's table even with the hogs eating food prepared for royalty. WRONG...the Prodigal had to come to himself...Oh my, this sounds like REPENTANCE...turning around from one's sin through confession and asking the Father to forgive and put "the son" back in the Will. Amazing Grace...You Bet. He was lost and then he was found...God would never leave him or us, nor would He ever forsake us...BUT WE CAN LEAVE HIM AND FORSAKE HIM...and lose ALL of our future in the Father's Presence..because He trusts us and loves us so much that He actually gives us the Free Will to walk away...the Father wants and needs to know we really love Him. He could chain us to a building and beat us if we did not pretend to love Him...but He knows that would not be Love...and He is Love...so He knows what Love really is. One more quick example..imagine yourself the parent and you have "a son" enter your family. Everytime you do something nice for him, he SLAPS YOU. Over and over, this happens day in and day out...Slap Slap Slap...Don't you love me, Sonny Boy? Slap Slap Slap! Then he says "Give me everything you've got..FILL UP MY BAG! I HATE YOU!" Okay, Sonny, take it all and be on your way wherever you want to go and do what you want to do. I will always be here for you to love you and provide for you and protect you...Slap Slap Slap..Then he disappears. Are you going to tell me that you are going to never correct him or allow him to self-destruct or are you going to chain him in his room until he begins to love you? Now the ultimate question: If the Prodigal son had not repented and come back to The Father's House on his own but would have stayed in the hog pen until he died in the slop, do you think he would still have been considered His Father's Son held in high esteem receiving all the benefits a faithful son would receive for honoring and serving his Father for a lifetime? When we accept the Grace and Salvation of Our Heavenly Father, we have to surrender all of our personal ambitions and yield to His Plan for our lives. He will not stop any of us from running off to do our own thing. But if we do, we have to humbly return to Him with repentance to stay in The Family. We chose...we lose...He chooses us and we agree to obey His Word and it's FOREVER. He is a just God and how just would He be if He allowed those who say they love Him with lip service while living like the devil to be welcomed into Eternity in a Sinless Heaven while those who have been faithful and true through all types of challenges and trials are given the same reward? Praise the Lord, He is a just God and is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him...not those who diligently seek their own way.
| ||||
1/15/2006 11:00 pm |
When I seek to diligently serve Him, I am doing His will. Seeking to please the world derives a different pleasure than dedicated service to Him! Hallelujah!!!
| ||||
1/17/2006 7:37 am |
How can people not read and see what the bible clearly states ,,,there is a place called hell and the one called heaven,,I for one will stick to the biblical teachings, for it is God inspired by Gods hand picked men... There is a place called hades torments of hell..people get real!!!!! these false doctorines are placing yourself in the enemies hands and on dangerous grounds... 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, *rightly dividing the word of truth.
| ||||
1/17/2006 5:55 pm |
Very thought provoking post  Hugs, Sue
| ||||
1/18/2006 11:53 am |
Good Post Jean. Very true and well presented. Radio I am not sure if I am receiving your responce properly but my responce is this. No matter what my son were ever to do in this lifetime...kill, maim dishonor. It does not take away that he is my son. The man greatly loved him to give him this inheritence. That shows great love by a man who knows he had a problem child. One would say that a person in todays wourl would say...i love you but if this is what you want...dont let the door hit you in the rear. Even though this young man dishonored his father...his father knew something his son did not. The Love of money is the root of all evil. He was not in Love with the money that he had but he understood it and was a steward. I believe he trusted God that his son would return and that the Lord would deal with him. Just as it happened...but that prodical son was never not that mans son in the Fathers heart or just in the truth of things. Repentence means yes you turn from wrong but it does not mean return from disowned. Returning for that father meant having fellowship with a son that was not in fellowship with him. But he was always the son. Just as you were always your fathers son.
| ||||
1/18/2006 12:00 pm |
"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. regarding this I wonder if is just referring to people who hear of God's plan of salvation and never do it? Thats how I perceive this
|
 |
 |
 |
| Become a member to comment on this blog | ||
 |
