Eternal Security is a True Christian Doctrine

Thank you, Con for your response.RebuttalFirst off I want the reader to understand that I do not think that Con would have to believe in a salvation of works to contest eternal security. Thankfully neither does Con. Con does state that it is a matter of a rejection of Jesus Christ that loses ones salvation. Rejection of Christ is a sin no doubt, which is exactly why your salvation is secure. Sin is sin is sin, and salvation forgives us of our sins. The sin of apostasy, also called falling away, or modernly called a rejection of Christ, is still a sin like all other sins in that it separates man from God. Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The free gift of God is eternal my friends, eternal is a word that does not leave any gray area. Since rejecting Christ is a sin, it is forgiven by Christ. Romans 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.But wait, can we chose to not be in Christ Jesus once we have been saved? The question sounds as though it would be logical that we could chose to reject our salvation. But the real question here is “are we stronger than God?” We know we are absolutely not. John 10:28-30I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one."The word “never” leaves no room for sometimes. The words “no one” includes one self. The idea that you can lose your salvation would come from the idea that you were responsible for getting it in the first place. Was it not God that gave you to Christ (verse 29)? I am not talking about predestination, because you could have rejected it from the start, but once you are saved you are in the hand of Christ and you can never be removed. You cannot give salvation to yourself, but you can reject it initially, and as such you cannot discard it once it has been given lest God be a liar. Your sin of rejection holds no power over the will of God. One might ask now isn’t it the faith we give to accept grace come from ourselves?Ephesians 2:8For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.So in light of this when we look at Con’s approach to the scripture of one escaping the fire; it is not that we move to a different figurative property and secure a new foundation, but that the foundation is permanent. If someone is truly saved and turns their back on Christ, to claim another worldview such as Atheism for example, lose blessings of the Lord in this world, and miss out on the love that comes from knowing Christ, but still is secured. His works that stem from his new belief will be burned in the fire as they were not for the Lord, but the foundation will remain. The foundation in the parable is the grace of God, the house built upon the foundation is the works. Works will be tested by fire as well as the foundation, so works can burn, but salvation cannot. You can deceive yourself and cover your foundation in claim of a new one, but that too will burn away exposing the grace of God. The Voice of the LordI think that one can be deceived to fall from the Lord, but still knows his voice. They still know in their heart of hearts the truth even though it has been clouded and deceived. A great example of this is when Lee Strobel, the author of “The Case For Faith”, asked John Templeton about his attitude toward Christ. Templeton’s response was “I miss him.” Notice it wasn’t, “I miss the idea of him.” Templeton’s spiritual battle is so evident in this phrase it stings to read it, but you can see that the Lord is still real to him deep down. Exodus 32:7-14 and the Power of PrayerCon gives us the great scripture in Exodus 32:7-14. If you are inclined to understand further the power of prayer I commend Psalm 107 to you. My favorite part of that Psalm being verses 10-16. This is to illustrate that I too believe that God can change his mind with the power of prayer. But God cannot change his mind when it comes to a covenant or promise because this would be God acting in a lie. Also Con’s quoted scripture tells us nothing about the afterlife and eternal salvation, but does show us how we can be punished in this life for our sins. He can punish his people, make their lives miserable, but never does he disclaim them as his people no matter how deep in sin they were. The Power of Christ’s CrucifixionIf God did disclaim us by our sin of rejection, then it would require another crucifixion to come back to him as I showed in the last round. Did Peter not reject Christ when Christ was going to be judged by the Sanhedrin? Did his faith not return and even be commended by Christ later in letting him establish the Church of Christ? Did Christ die to accomplish his initial salvation, and then die again for his reconciliation? Of coarse not! Peter when having initially accepted Christ was forever a part of Christ’s kingdom. Hebrews 3:7-19 and God’s DisciplineCon turns us to the scripture of Hebrews 3:7-19. The scripture quotes Psalm 95:8-11. The language used in Psalm 95 comes from Numbers 14:30 “Not one of you will enter the land.” God here was referring to the promised land of the Israelites. So the “rest” God talks about in this scripture is not the rest of salvation in the afterlife, but the rest of this life through his blessings. He shows us this meaning by using the analogy of the Israelites and their promised land. Again in verses 12-13 the author is referring to the blessings of this life, or as he calls it “sharing in Christ.” For example in the following verses of 16-17; we see the Israelite sinners that were under Moses’s lead being cursed for 40 years in the desert. It also talks about their bodies perishing in the wilderness, but note how nothing is said about their soul!So yes, one who is saved can turn their heart from the Lord, but the Lord will never eternally damn them for it. Furthering the Case for Eternal Security1’st John 1:10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.Is not rejecting Christ rejecting his word as well? If we do this we are saying “we have no sin, because we no longer believe in sin itself!” As we see in verse 10 if we say we have not sinned we make him a liar. As shown in last round God cannot lie and therefore negating the idea that we don’t have sin. We cannot remove our sin by ourselves as would be indicated if we said “we have no sin because there is no such thing as sin.” The sin of rejecting Christ is still an objective sin, and will be burned with the fruits that stem from it. But take heart because your soul is still claimed by God. So in conclusion I will remind the reader that Christ’s crucifixion is all sufficient. Multiple crucifixions are not needed as would be indicated if you could lose your salvation, but all your sins are forgiven under His name the first time. Take heart and stand firm in Christ. Let the knowledge of this love, the love that can even withstand rejection and spite, take hold and bring you back to his blessings in this life. Your soul has been bought by Christ, no refunds. Thank you God!