A Christian Cannot Lose His Salvation

Thanks again to PRO for the great topic.I look forward to a great debate. I want to present a framework for my arguments and then move on to a point by point response to PRO’s points from round 2.1. Lets define some terms.Christian - one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ [1] Lose - 1a : to bring to destruction [2] 4b : to fail to keep control of or allegiance of Salvation - 1a : deliverance from the power and effects of sin [3] 2. Here are some situations that challenge PRO’s position. A) - A person professes belief and faith in Jesus but later claims to have changed. An example is Charles Templeton who was an evangelist and friend of Billy Graham [4][5] B) - A person who makes a profession of faith but commits terrible actions. I can not verify the accuracy, but the volume of incidents indicates that this happens [6] 3. Some scriptures for PRO to consider.Blotting names out of God’s book A) - Moses speaks of God removing names from His book - Exodus 32:32 - But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” B) - God speaks of blotting names out of His book. - Exodus 32:33 - The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. C) - David speaks of this “blotting out from God’s book of life” for his advisories in psalm 69:27-28 - And may they not come into Your righteousness. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.God’s character as seen through Ezekiel D) - God tells Ezekiel that he is a watchman for the house of Israel. Ezekiel learns that if a righteous man turns from righteousness, he will die in his sin and his righteous deeds will not be remembered. Ezekiel 3:20-21 20 Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.” E) - Check out Ezekiel 18:24-26Jesus’ words of warning F) - Matthew 7:21-2321 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ G) - Letters to churches in Revelation Rev 2:3-5 - Rev 2:10 Rev 2:25-26 Rev 3:2-3 Rev 3:11-12 Rev 3:15-16 Warnings about actions in the parables H) Matthew 18:32-35 Pro will have to explain all these scriptures for his position to be considered.4. My position A) We do not need to be afraid of making a mistake and losing salvation by some accident. B) God does remove our freedom to choose because we once decided to follow Jesus. C) Like the prodigal son, God is always willing to take us back.Let me respond to PRO’s round 2 1. John 10:27-28 - This is a classic case of quoting verses out of context. The bigger picture of John 10:22-39 is that religious people are asking “If You are the Christ, tell us plainly” - to this Jesus says “ you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.” Then Jesus clarifies that salvation includes following Jesus. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” There are two important points here. True sheep keep on following Jesus Safety is from outside attack, not from turning away or falling away or abandoning Christ.2. PRO’s point 2 was a little hard to follow. In quoting “they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” reminds me of those hard situations where people are told “they were probably never really saved” I agree with PRO in saying “Our eternal security is a result of God keeping us, not us maintaining our own salvation.” - This is not the same as saying “A Christian Cannot Lose His Salvation.”3. PRO states “ if one believes that it is possible to lose his salvation, then . . . ” I’m not sure how to respond to this characterization of either God or an opponent. Pro quotes “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” This does not directly apply to this debate. The challenge to the ideal “A Christian Cannot Lose His Salvation” is not that God will drop them by accident, but that they will reject Jesus or abandon being His disciple.4. PRO rightly states that faith is a gift of God. My contention is that some people reject salvation. The Christian way is too hard for them. They did not count the cost and then give up on Jesus.Look at Hebrews 12:14-17 - 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.Hebrews warns of falling away. Look at Hebrews 2:1-3 - 1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. . . . how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?PRO closes with 1 Peter 1. I would like to respond with God’s words through Peter in 2 Peter 2:17-21 for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. Here Peter says “it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away ”I don’t want people to live in fear of losing their salvation as though it happens easily or accidentally.I want people to know God’s character, that he is always ready to forgive and welcome us back.God allows us choice, and the sad fact is that some turn away from following Jesus. If they persist in this rebellion then the warning of Hebrews 10:26-31 is for them - “26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. God allows us great freedom, here are bad things we can do 1. Fall from grace - Gal. 5:1-4,13 2. Be led away with error - 2 Pet. 3:17 3. Err from the truth - James 5:19-20 4. Weak brother may perish - 1 Cor. 8:11 5. Fall into condemnation - James 5:12 6. Be moved away from the hope - Col. 1:21-23 7. Deny the Lord who bought them - 2 Pet. 2:1 8. Depart from the living God - Heb. 3:12 9. Can be a castaway - 1 Cor. 9:27 10. Can become accursed children - 2 Pet. 2:14[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com...[2] http://www.merriam-webster.com...[3] http://www.merriam-webster.com...[4] http://en.wikipedia.org...[5] http://www.reclaimingthemind.org...[6] http://notachristian.org...