Eternal Security

[Van]

In a recently closed thread, the claim, or viewpoint, was presented that "Once Saved, Always Saved" was unbiblical false doctrine.

Here is a snippet:

You are not defending what eternal security theology teaches. It teaches that believers do not have to continue hearing and following Christ in order to continue being saved.​

Once Saved, always saved does NOT teach born anew children of God will not stumble, it teaches we will stumble but not fall. John 6:37 says once a person is "given" to Christ, meaning transferred spiritually into Christ's spiritual body, we will not be cast out. And no one can snatch us out, not even ourselves. Why

1 Peter 1:3-5 says when God causes us to be born anew, He protects our faith such that we will inherit eternal life. Thus even when we are doing sinful things, in our heart's we still love Jesus.

Once Saved, Always Saved is supported throughout scripture, and no verse or passage, properly understood, supports loss of salvation.

 

[Van]

Here is one of the passages often cited by those who believe we can lose our salvation:

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Hebrews 6:4-6​

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come​

and then have [fn]fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, [fn]since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.​

The "loss of salvation" proponents think "enlightened," "tasted the heavenly gift," "made partakers" and "tasted the powers of the age to come," refers to being born anew, saved, transferred into Christ. This assumption to facilitate their loss of salvation viewpoint, does not stand up to study. Enlightened can refer to hearing and understanding the gospel, yet not embracing it such that God credits the faith as righteousness.
Tasted does not mean swallowed, but simply knowing the desirable flavor of God's promise. When we understand God's word, provided by the Holy Spirit's inspiration, we have become "partakers" of the Holy Spirit. Ditto for "tasted God's good word. And God's word comes through the testimony of Christ's disciples, who will be powers in the age to come. Nothing in the passage indicates the person has been born anew.

Now let us turn to those "who have fallen away" or committed apostasy or have renounced their faith. These are like soil #2 of Matthew 13, they superficially accepted the promise of the gospel, but had not a deep root of commitment within themselves such that they would be willing to walk through fire for Christ. These then God did not credit their faith as righteousness, and therefore were never actually saved.