The Christian is encouraged by the precious and exceeding great promises found in God’s Word. For example, Jesus said, “that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life” (John 3:15). As Christians, if we walk in the light of God’s Word, we have the promise of continual cleansing from sin by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). We might say that we have blessed assurance.
While we rightly believe in the security of the believer, at the same time, we understand that many of God’s promises (including salvation) are conditional. To reap the benefit, we must comply with God’s conditions to become Christians; man must comply with God’s terms of pardon. To Christians John wrote, “whosoever is begotten of God [becomes a Christian] doeth no sin [does not continue in the practice of sin] because his seed [the Word of God] abideth in him…” (1 John 3:9; Luke 8:11). Remember what John had taught in 1:7 about our responsibility of walking in the light. Peter told those of a like precious faith that “if these things [Christian graces, 2 Peter 1:5-7] are yours and abound they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful …for ye do these things, ye shall never stumble” (2 Peter 1:8-10). Obviously, the opposite is true too. Christians are secure in their salvation when the Word of God abides in us and when we do the things the Lord has commanded. Though “God gave unto us eternal life” and “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus,” man must initially meet the requirements, and once a Christian, continue in faithful obedience to be saved eternally (1 John 5:11; Romans 6:23).
The writer of Hebrews warned Jewish Christians to give heed to the teachings they had heard “lest haply we drift away” (Hebrews 2:1). He illustrates this truth with a story from the Old Testament where the disobedient were not able to enter into the promised land because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18-19). In 3:12, the plain and simple warning is “take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God.”
If it is impossible for the child of God to so sin as to be lost eternally, why then the warnings against such? It is evident that God wants man to be saved (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:3-4) It is equally certain that God is not going to allow believers to be tempted beyond their ability to resist (1 Corinthians 10:13). Yet, at the same time, God warns us of the possibility of falling away (1 Corinthians 10:12). It is possible for a Christian to fall from grace (Galatians 5:4). For example, Demas, who had been a fellow-worker with Paul, forsook him later, “having loved this present world” (Philemon 2:4; 2 Timothy 4:10). Peter clearly describes the possibility of apostasy (Read 2 Peter 2). This one passage alone defeats the doctrine John Calvin popularized of “once saved, always saved.” Let us hold fast the faithful Word that we might be saved eternally.
