One of the most common arguments the eternal security embracers use is, "I know I am eternally secure because God has promised that He will never leave me and never forsake me."
This is quoted from Heb. 13:5b which is taken from the Old Testament reference of Deut. 31:6,8. Though God's promise to Israel in Deut. 31 verses 6 and 8 is that He will never forsake them, about ten verses later in the same chapter God predicts Israel will forsake Him, then in verse 17 He said,
"On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many DISASTERS AND DIFFICULTIES will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us?' And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods."[This is clearly, therefore, a conditional promise, as the whole chapter bears out, which can be nullified by wickedness. If we forsake God by turning to wickedness, He will forsake us!]
What does it mean then to be forsaken by God here? When this occurred, various calamities came upon them: wasting famine, consuming pestilence, deadly plague, wild beasts, vipers and sword, according to Deut. 32:23-25. From all of this it is apparent that eternal security proponents read into Heb. 13:5b something that is not there, for it does not even deal with an assured and guaranteed entrance into the kingdom of God at all, but instead a promise for temporal protection and well-being ONLY, which can be negated by sin!
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