Eternal Insecurity?

 

Eternal Insecurity

          A man on Facebook proclaimed that the “once saved, always saved” doctrine of eternal security is “leading people to hell!”  He didn’t give any reasoning for his statement, but is there any truth in his words?  A man hears a sermon, says a sinners pray and the preacher states “once saved, always saved”.  Then for the next 30 years, he doesn’t return to church.  The fruit of the spirit are not seen in his life.  He does not reach out to God because he thinks his ticket has been punched for the pearly gates.  He takes the preachers word on it.  Is he trusting in God or trusting in a mere procedure?  Do procedures save?

          Does our friend fall into the Ezekiel 18:24?  “But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live?  All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.”  Is our salvation-confident friend hell-bound?

          Is he in the lukewarm category?  Revelation 3:16 says, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  Is our friend going to be spat out and rejected?

          Is our friend in the “never knew you” category?  Matthew 7:21-23 states, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

          Romans 8:35-39 tells us that circumstances do not separate us from the love of God.  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?.... neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Is it possible to be always loved by God and on the fast track to hell at the same time?  Can we have unconditional love for those who are going the wrong way?

          So what about the preacher’s words?  A man raised his hand, walked the aisle, repeated a sinner’s prayer and the preacher stated “once saved, always saved”.  Is this saying, inadvertently, leading our overly-confident, complacent friend to the gates of hell?

Eternal Security vs Free Choice

Photo by Francois Olwage on Unsplash

Eternal Security vs Free Choice

      Eternal Security (once saved always saved) vs Free Choice are important doctrines for many people in the church today!  But, outside of church, people probably don't really care.  I think people outside of church would be more likely to care about Ezekiel 33:12-19.  In Ezekiel 33:12, the prophet proclaimed, "...The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneh from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth."  Ezekiel continues to expound on this in Ezekiel 33:13-19.  I think this is extremely interesting to people outside the church.  Can the righteous actually become wicked and can the wicked actually become righteous?  

      Pre-millennial vs post-millennial rapture is another very important doctrine to people inside the church.  Again, I do not think most people outside the church really care about it.  But people outside the church would be likely to care about 1 John 3:6-10!  "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for  the devil sinneth from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."  So do you love your brother?  Are you a righteous person from Monday through Saturday.  I think this is very interesting to those who are not in church.

      King James version, NIV, NKJV or Holman Christian Standard?  This choice is very important for some people, but do people outside of church really care?  Probably not.  I do think people on the outside would care about John 14:15.  "If ye love me, keep my commandments."  Do we really love God?  Do we keep his commands?

      What about hymns vs worship songs?  Is one more worshipful than the other?  Here is the question: Is what we think is important really that important?  It is easy to get focused only on things inside the church.  God has called us to "go unto all the world".