I agree wholeheartedly with the eternal security scripture verses so long as we place them within the whole cloth of scripture. All scripture is given for correction for reproof etc.
If we believe that God has chosen before the foundation of the earth the elect without employing His foreknowledge — knowing the end from the beginning; then we are Calvinists, and even our ability to walk in belief is from God, with no personal responsibility or free will on our part. Thus men are chosen either for salvation or for damnation.
On the other hand if we believe that God gives every man the opportunity for belief because He is no respecter of persons; then we fall into the free will camp. And then our believing itself becomes the key to the acceptance of and to the continuing in or following of God’s Son who gifted to us salvation. This then means that our belief in a free will in no way is in conflict with God’s election based upon His foreknowledge of who will end well, in belief.
As a result of such belief none of the scriptures we often see listed concerning eternal security would conflict with other major warnings in scripture. Such as those listed in my latest post, “I Never Knew You”. Based on the scriptures I used there the reason God did not elect those is because He foreknew who would fall away. So free will is valid based upon scriptures teaching that when tried and tested, one has choices. He who still remains true to Him receives the crown. He is accountable. And though this means that those who remain in belief all through their Christian walk therefore are walking in eternal security, yet there still remains the opportunity for them to exercise free will, and fall away or divorce themselves from Him. And it appears obvious that some do just that; yet God foreknew all, before the foundation of the earth. Problem is — we do not possess foreknowledge and therefore —
Romans 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. (KJV)
This verse makes free will the absolute, and makes no sense if not understood based on our free will and God’s foreknowledge. This view understands predestination based on man’s end. He chooses to be either in Christ; or he chooses to not believe; or he has given away his gift and walks away in unbelief. And God therefore remains — no respecter of persons. Man is accountable to God.
And please understand this view does not make God unto an unconcerned record keeper. He loves us. He wants us to return that love. He gives us every opportunity to see and hear the truth of His word. He the Holy Spirit is the hound of heaven who David tells us will follow us even into hell in order to rescue us from ourselves, but He will not override our will. We are responsible to trust Him and follow Him in faith. He alone can do for us what we are not able to do for ourselves. The Apostate will walk away from the gifts freely given him from God. Only in Christ are we guaranteed to be eternally secure. Abide in Him. Paul says:
2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. (NET)
So free will demands that eternal Security only be in Him.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself. (NET)
The fact that Christ cannot deny Himself means that He cannot deny His word. In His word He says “if you deny me I will deny you before My Father. He also says: no man can pluck you out of My hand or the Fathers hand. So some say that you are a man so you have no free will to pluck yourself from His hand. If that be the case God then has removed your free will upon your salvation and you are no longer accountable. That makes God totally responsible for your actions — good or bad.
God gave you the power to become His sons (John 1), you are responsible. Otherwise there is no possibility that you could deny Him, but that only He could deny Himself through you, and that will never be. For He cannot deny Himself.
And Then Messiah Shall Come 
Hi Jerry,
good mornin to you.
I’ve never seen a grace lover disavow his faith.
But I have seen works salvationists go apostate. Such are those who I believe are the bad soil, those who apostacized who were never truly born again.
Tell me this please…
How can someone who’s thrilled about having been made the righteousness of God, is thrilled about having been cleansed of all their sin for the entirety of their life, thrilled about having been perfected in Christ, thrilled that they are now a holy saint,…
Who walks away from that thrilling-joy, and says “no thanks, I don’t want to be a fully forgiven saint who has been made the righteousness of God. I reject that which I love, I’d rather now reject all of that and go to hell.”
You’re not going to find such a person.
But you will find plenty of people who deny the faith who weren’t truly born again, or who based their relationship with God by their efforts.
But such is not a person who is genuinely resting in the finished work of Christ.
(I know that you don’t agree with me, and that’s okay with me).
It’s just that as you are passionate about fearing falling away, I’m passionate about proclaiming the rest that I’ve found in Christ.
We can respectfully agree to disagree, and that’s okay.
My kind recommendation for you, would be to promote the rest that is offered in Christ, (Hebrews chapter 4). And in doing so, I believe that you would accomplish helping people to not abandon their faith.
…people don’t abandon the joy & love of their life do they?
Pray on it buddy. 🙏🤠
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And Jerry, I’m not saying what you’re doing is wrong, hey I don’t have all of the answers buddy.
I’m just trying to get everyone to experience the thrilling hope that I experience.
And I can’t imagine anything that would better secure a person’s salvation than for them to truly rest in the finished work of Christ.
It is that rest in Christ that I want people to embrace.
That is my intention.
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I appreciate that in you Lee.
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Lee, you are I believe judging my faith and others based on our belief in what scripture seems to have No problem teaching. You need to explain to me what those scriptures that you disagree with me on mean rather than just ignore them. I don’t fear falling away, I have good reason not to fall. As I’ve told you before I can’t deny the written word. I post that word and can only see it fitting as I have explained it. If the Christian life is nothing but joy to you, you must remember that there are others around the world for whom it is difficult. Just how do you see the warnings such as the one I ended this post with. Did Paul and does Jesus just place these warnings here to joke around with us? Please help me to see your understanding of what this verse in Romans 11 means. Certainly I don’t think that I would ever walk away from the Lord even if under the threat of or infliction of torture, because I know that if I were to deny Him I would lose everything, but if I thought that denying Him would allow me to lessen my pain and that by so doing it really wouldn’t matter for my salvation, because I am secure even if I deny Him; then if I truly believed that and did it because of that belief, would Jesus then at the judgment seat deny His own words to me. Would He make His own words to be a lie, or would He remain faithful to His word? You see He has warned both me and you that failure to abide in Him by denying Him will lose us our place in His hand which is the only place where we are eternally secure. I love Him for providing that place.
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Read this please Jerry
https://leeposkey.wordpress.com/2019/06/14/topics-carrying-your-cross-and-denying-jesus/
Moreover,
“resting” in the finished work of Christ is the answer to the fear of falling away that you write about.
It really is as simple as that.
Rest…in His imputed righteousness.
Rest…in His imputed sanctification.
Rest…in His imputed forgiveness.
Rest…in knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ has provided everything you need to rest in, as your standing with God.
And that Romans 11 passage is referencing nations, not individuals.
The nation of Israel was cut off, not individual people, as Paul explained that he was of the tribe of Benjamin, and he wasn’t cut off.
And how does an individual abide in the vine????
The individual “rests” in Christ.
The individual “rests” in His finished redemptive work on their behalf.
Promote resting in the finished redemptive work of Christ my friend, and you will be accomplishing the work of helping people to not fall away.
Therein lies the answer to your agony…
Rest, in the risen Lord’s finished work.
🙏🙂🙏🙂
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Thanks for your comment Lee, but your need to think about your position on these verses. Dispensationalists teaching on Romans 11 has rubbed off on you. A remnant from Israel remained in the Olive tree, and we are individually added as branches. Not all Gentiles were added to this tree, but the condition for addition is belief. All of what you say here about who we are in Christ is true of our eternal position. Today we are called to abide in Christ. Was Jesus speaking to the Nation when He made that statement concerning the vine, and if so were the Apostles cut off with the Nation. Think about your statement —“The Nation of Israel was cut off, not individual people”. These individuals were part of that nation. If the nation is what Paul was speaking of rather than individuals who lost their belief, then all individuals in that nation were cut off, and Paul and the rest of Israel’s believing remnant who were part of the tribes within that Nation would have by definition been cut off also. But on the other hand if individual unbelievers who comprised most of the Nation were cut off; then the believing remnant remained, and only believing individual Gentiles were added to them, not all Gentiles. So Paul is speaking to individuals, because it is for those sinners who will believe in Him that Christ came. I also suggest that you read my comment to Steven.
And please Lee don’t presume to know my motivation for writing this blog. Only God knows that, and we are discussing what is scriptures truth, about which many disagree. We can learn from one another, but only if we stay open to the Holy Spirits leading. We both need to pray for that to happen in us. Thanks for your comment.
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You’re welcome. 🙂
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Also, since our discussion is finished, (you already know how I feel about this) please give me the courtesy of deleting my comments on this post.
(Sadly, wordpress doesn’t give us the option to delete our own comments on someone else’s site).
So I’m depending on your courtesy to do this for me, as I would happily return the favor to you.
I thank you in advance for your kindness and cooperation.
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Sure Lee, but it does interest me and to some extent puzzle me as to why you would want to be deleted? Why would you not want the reader to have an understanding of what your position is, especially if you think me to be wrong? And you obviously do.
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It’s a mystery isn’t it. God is no respecter of person and judge’s without impartiality. We will be judged according to our deeds, that means everyone as God is no respecter of person.
Free will is a truth, but I can testify and assure you, when The Holy Father draws someone unto His Son Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ reveals Himself, you can’t reject Him. You can reject teachings and testimony of Him, but you can’t reject Jesus Himself. He’s far to awesome to reject.
Unfortunately, there’s far to many proselytes who are accounted as disciples.
This is what generates so much confusion
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I agree Stephen, when the Lord revealed Himself to me many years ago, I was amazed by Him and His love for me was irresistible, and love toward Him and His people overflowed my inner man.
As years past and trials came as they certainly do and will, I found that my love wained. I thought it was His love, but it was mine.
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (KJV)
I had to reestablish that relationship. He had not moved but I had. He is always worthy but I was not.
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: 2 Thessalonians 1:11 KJV
Many prayed for me.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:36 KJV
I prayed for me. And yes He is faithful, but I must also remain faithful.
Thanks for your comment Stephen.
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You know Gerry, I meet a lot of people who are at the point of wrestling and doubting their faith. I tell them that it’s ok, Jesus Truly understands and that their doubts are irrelevant to the reality of Jesus Christ IS. Jesus does indeed understand these moments as He experienced them Himself. The scripture records Him as saying “My God My God, why have you forsaken Me”
Jesus understands and knows us far better then we know ourselves.
And as you stated, Jesus IS faithful, in-spite of ourselves.
Blessings IN the name of Jesus Christ
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Thank you brother
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Thanks for another great theological post. I always enjoy reading what you’ve written as it allows me to think deeply and logically about the Biblical facts. This post actually answers a question I was presented with over two years ago by a teen. When I don’t have an answer I will wait to answer until I have one, now I can answer this young person’s question. May God richly bless your day Jerry!
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Malinda, your words are kind, thank you. They are encouraging to me at a time when I need encouragement.
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You may notice — there had been 11 comments on this post. I was asked by a brother to delete his input. So I also deleted my own answers to him. But there is one of those answers that I want you to think about should you read this post. The gist follows. As background this brother feels that I am afraid of losing my salvation. This was expressed a couple of times. So my answer:
Brother, you are I believe judging my faith and that of others based on our belief in what scripture seems to have No problem teaching. You need to explain to me what those scriptures that you disagree with me about mean to you rather than just ignoring them.
I don’t fear falling away, I have good reason not to fall. I fear that others will fall only because Jesus says that they will. As I’ve told you before I can’t deny the written word. I post that word and can only see it fitting as I have explained it. But I don’t know everything either.
But, If the Christian life is nothing but joy to you, you must remember that there are others around the world for whom it is difficult. Just how do you see the warnings such as the one I ended this post with. Did Paul and does Jesus just place these warnings here to joke around with us? Please help me to see your understanding of what this verse in Romans 11 means. Certainly I don’t think that I would ever walk away from the Lord even if under the threat of torture, because I know that if I were to deny Him I would lose everything, but if I thought that denying Him would allow me to lessen my pain and that by so doing it really wouldn’t matter for my salvation, because I am secure even if I deny Him; then if I truly believed that to be scriptures teaching, and acted upon it because of that belief, would Jesus then at the judgment seat deny His own words warning me. Would He make His own words of warning to be a lie, or would He remain faithful to His word? You see He has warned both me and you that failure to abide in Him by denying Him will lose us our place in His hand where He now holds us tightly, as we endure, and His hand is the only place where we are eternally secure. I love Him for providing that place in which I and no one else really deserve to be. This is why I trust Him. He died for me and provided His Holy Spirit to me, that I might have the power to become a son of God (John 1). This is why I go to Him for the strength to endure.
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