Today I was looking through the posts on WordPress that I follow. And in the. Comments section of one post I ran across this comment.

She goes on, I left some out, but you can retrieve the entire comment in Terry James post by the title shown in her comment:

I did not write this comment to which she has replied in her own comment, but her encouragement to some and challenge to others is a good lead in for my question in my title. We often use verses to support a doctrine. Julia here implies that she now knows the word of God — all of it, and she concludes that it teaches eternal security for every believer. Believing God’s word is about our eternity, and it is about our security in Christ. Jesus offers salvation to every man who ever walked the earth. He paid the price for their sin. Some actually teach this to mean that all will be saved in the end — no exceptions. Obviously Julia, nor I and I hope nor you would believe this. For her I based this on what she said here, but in effect she has lifted her verses out of context as do these, who teach that all humankind will in the end be saved. I’m sure this can bring comfort to those who believe this, but the verse they use is not all that scripture has to say. It must be understood in context.

So considering these concepts that Julia relies on to conclude eternal security, neither are the verses that she draws these concepts from all that is said concerning eternity and our security. I want you to consider just a few verses and then answer the question — just how do these verses impact the believers walk? Or do they in fact say anything of importance to us believers? First from Jesus:

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (KJV)

Then from Paul:

Acts 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (KJV)

Paul is talking here to the church, to believers; he continues:

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. 32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (KJV)

Ask yourself: why did Paul word this to believers the way that he did? Is this a challenge to your concept of eternal security? Believers are still in need of receiving the inheritance that God is able to give to those who are sanctified. I’m not trying to shake your faith, and neither was Paul. Just don’t take your gift for-granted. If you think that Paul did not mean what he said here; then listen to what he writes to Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (KJV)

Paul knows what salvation is. He teaches on it almost daily as he plants churches, so why did he tell Timothy who is saved that sticking to pure doctrine means salvation to himself and others? Is it because deviation from all of the word (the Scripture) can be false prophecy and can lead one away from salvation?

Listen to what James tells us:

James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (KJV)

First if we are truthful, we must recognize that James is speaking to his brethren, the brethren are saved. We must realize that in order to err from the truth you must first possess truth. This action on the part of one brother to another brother who has strayed from truth that he once possessed results in the saving of a soul from death.

You need to ask yourself what does it mean for a soul to die? Some tell us that the soul is eternal, if so what would it mean for a soul to die? These are your questions to answer. They were mine to answer. The verses are part of the whole Bible — all of it. We know that we are born again when saved. We possess the blessed hope. We know that our sin is paid for, but there is an unforgivable sin. It is not totally clear what it is, but I think we know. Listen:

2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (KJV)

Paul got this concept directly from Jesus:

Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. (KJV)

The suffering that Paul wrote of in 2 Tim 2:12, also came from Jesus:

Mark 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (KJV)

We are coming to a time on earth when we can see that the believer is the enemy of the world. That fact is being turned around the globe into suffering for Christ. We hear of the great courage of believers caught in those circumstances. We do not hear of those who deny Him, nor will we. But they were not left without His warning.

If this gives you pause and concern, it should, that’s what a warning is for. Our strength is drawn from Christ for the living of this life. Belief which gives us the power to stand in the evil day is based on God’s truth not upon false doctrine from false prophets. Men are faced with a decision to stand for or to deny Christ every day in this world.