A Christian can not lose salvation

Thanks to my opponent for his affirmative, and I shall go step-by-step and analyze it. First off, I had inquired, "Can a faithful child of God, one who believes in Him, and becomes pardoned ... can that man ever cease to be a believer? His answer: "I reject the idea that once a person who has gained eternal salvation will cease to believe in God", and "I deny the fact that a truely born-again Christian in Christ can ever fully walk away from Him." "Then your answer is, "No."" But there was more to the question: I continued and asked, "Does that freedom of choice exist, and can it be exercised? If not, what prevents it?" I even stated that your position demands continuous miracles. I trust that an explanation will be forthcoming. You ask: "I ask my opponent how can one who gained salvation and became a new creature within Christ then become the old creature again or lose that grace?" "Why, by exercising his God-given right to think, analyze,and make his choices. In the first century, a paramount problem was the reversion to Judaism, which was and is characterized by the rejection of Jesus as the Son of God. Apparently that problem plagued the Christians in Galatia: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. (Gal 5: 1) That statement is the equivalent of saying they are saved. Now what? Well, the instructions: "be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." The yoke of bondage was Judaism. Notice that the warning implies possibility? It could happen. Continue to Gal 5: 4: "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." That is how one can "lose that grace": he can simply reject it. And if he does, then Christ "is become of no effect unto you." He once was "of effect," now he has "become of no effect." Thus, the warning which, like any warning, implies danger. Therefore, "let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (I Cor 10: 12)***"If we were to believe that we could lose salvation then that would lead us to try and keep it by works and this is not the case." "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil 2: 12)How about you re-word your statement just a tad to this: "If we were to believe that we could lose salvation then that would lead us to try and keep it by continuing to believe, and this is not the case. See? That won't work, will it? *** "Our salvation is by accepting Christ by His sacrifice and by no works of the self." Well, that's not the topic, but I'll simply point out that the statement itself is contradictory. You are telling people, "There's nothing you can do", then turning around and telling them what they have to do. Who had to "accept Christ""? Somebody did. If someone "accepts Christ", then he has done something. And if he did something, he "worked" either mentally or physically. Hear your words: "If we could lose salvation then that would mean that weare not justified by Christ blood alone but by our own actions. The only action required from us is the action of acceptance." Look at that. You attempt to prove that salvation is not maintained based upon actions. And what is your basic argument? That initial salvation was not based upon, in any way, your own actions. Then you do a two-step and say, "The only action required from us ..." "Sir, I could care less if it's one action or one thousand prior to salvation: you still conceded your entire point by saying, "The only action required ..."*** "Once salvation is given then works do follow and we see this throught the book of James." What we see in James is: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? … Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone … Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (v. 14, 17, 24) Your doctrine seems to me to be: “I was given salvation based upon a dead faith – and I can ride my dead faith on to heaven.” *** “How can we be seprated from God when the gospel suggests that nothing can seperateus?” Actually, the Bible says the opposite: “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isa 59: 2) Nothing can separate you? What if you simply forsake God? Of course, you said such was not possible, but nonetheless: “The LORD is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” (II Chron 15: 2) You might not be separated from the love of God, but you can forsake Him– and thus separate yourself from Him. *** “This clearly shows that the person did not fully lose it even if they claimed too. If the gospel tells us that we cannot perish then how does one lose salvation?” You mean to tell us that a person can renounce Jesus Christ, curse God, and engage in all manner of evil, but if he was ever saved, he is still saved? *** “God will not cast away what He hath purchased(Rom. 11:1-3).” He won’t? “if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.” (I Chron 28: 9) *** “For us to lose salvation that once was gained then the new creature would have to be reversed.” Your use of “reversed” is synonymous with: (1) Falling away, fallen from grace (2) Will not renew again unto repentance (3) Crucifying the Son of God afresh(4) Putting Him to an open shame. (5) Severed from Christ (6) Entangled again as used in Gal 5 and Heb 6. If such cannot occur, then why all the warnings? Notice that in each and every descriptor, man – not God - is the perpetrator. Yet you say, “God would have to reverse the purchase He made.” God doesn’t “have to” reverse anything because salvation is conditional in the first place. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and theblood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (I John 1: 7) Notice that pesky “if”? The blood of Christ continually cleansing you is the means of continuity of salvation. But it is conditional. And again: "By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” (I Cor 15: 2) Once again, conditional. “for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end” (Heb 3: 14) “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard …” (Col 1: 23) Why all those “ifs”? One reason: salvation, whether initial or life's end, is conditional. *** “Eternal life can not be given and then be took back if it was eternal to begin with, that would be a lie."Well, Joshua 6: 2, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho." Alright. Did the Israelites literally have Jericho at that time? Eternal life is a promise. Eternal life is a hope. “"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." (Titus 1: 2) Eternal life is rendered as a reward, a gift: "... will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: but to them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath." (Rom 2: 6-8) We have eternal life now. How? Just as Paul did when he penned Titus. In hope. By promise based upon the surety of God’s word. In glad expectation. Thus I Pet 1: 9: “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” You try to invert and put the “salvation of your soul” way back yonder at the beginning. Literally. Then claim you can’t lose it and try to formulate an argument based upon it. “... be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev 2: 10) Thanks, and I'll turn it back over to the affirmative.