I used to belong to an Independent Baptist Church that preached the eternal security. I once accepted this false teaching as truth. It was not until I heard a traveling evangelist teach that eternal security is a false doctrine that I even began to think about the subject. After hearing this man's message I felt an intense urgency to know the truth about eternal security. I had such a strong desire to know the truth that I became almost obsessed with my need to know with certainty whether or not once saved always saved was true.
Independent Baptist David Cloud Gets The False Teacher's Award
I wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than 100% confidence that this doctrine was either true or false. I decided to begin my study by reading every word of the Bible from beginning to end and taking notes on any verse that seemed to be even remotely related to the subject. After doing this I decided I should read some of the eternal security books to see if they had any insights that would be helpful. My study lasted for about 3 years. My study lasted this long because I could not be satisfied until I was absolutely certain about the truth of this doctrine. I have to admit that I desperately wanted OSAS to be true. My mind was totally biased in favor of OSAS. However, I never allowed my biases to stop me from honestly evaluating what the Bible taught on this subject.
I don't know if it was God opening my eyes or a result of my study but after 3 years of study and agonizing uncertainty on this subject all of my false ideas about eternal security were swept away. I became absolutely certain that according to the teachings of Jesus and all of the apostles, once saved always saved was absolutely and totally false. I no longer had even the slightest doubt that it was completely false. As I began to talk to people who believed in eternal security I began to realize that none of them have even given the subject any real thought. Their ideas and explanations are shallow and without thought.
1. Reject Jesus Christ
2. Become a Satan worshipper
3. Commit sins worse than Adolph Hitler
4. Live this way for the next 50 years
5. They go to their grave blaspheming God and declaring their hatred for Him and also declare their love and loyalty to Satan.
Because no matter what they do they think in the end they'll be in heaven. This deception greatly troubles me. Sin is more deadly and more deceptive then most Christians even begin to understand. Sin deludes our thinking. Sin can make us imagine that we really aren't straying that far from Jesus. To me this is the most dangerous aspect of once saved always saved. If we do not think we can fall away then our fear of sin will be greatly diminished. Once our fear of sin is diminished we can be easily led down a path that takes us further and further away from God. Sin will keep us from seeing how far off the path we have gone. We will of course be aware of the fact we have gotten off the path but we will not be afraid because we think we can't lose our salvation. Sin will delude us into thinking that we have only strayed a little when in fact we are being systematically led further and further away from God and the truth.
This deadly two punch combination of (1) No fear of falling away to our eternal destruction; and (2) The deceptive power of sin leading us further and further away from God will lead us so far away from God and harden our hearts so much that eventually we have very little chance of ever repenting and getting back on the narrow road that leads to eternal life.
We will have rejected Jesus Christ and the gospel and yet continue to think we are still Christians on our way to heaven.
However, we also live in the flesh so will always face temptation. Understanding the dangers of allowing sin to come into our life is essential to keeping the flesh under control. When we do not fear sin the Holy Spirit is unable to convict us of sin and the need to repent. At a weak moment in our life sin can grab us and slowly lead us further and further away from God. Sadly, we probably won't even know that this is happening because we have shut down the Holy Spirit's ability to convict us of our sin and the need to repent and get back on the right path.
Thank you again for your book and your encouragement. I am learning a great deal from your book. I did not think there was anyone who understood this subject better than I do. But I am glad that God led me to you. You have taken my understanding of OSAS to a new level. I am gaining so many new insights about OSAS from your book, The Believer's Conditional Security: Eternal Security Refuted. I also feel like I am not alone. It is a blessing to know there are others who understand this vital truth. Thank you so much for everything you are doing. You have been a great blessing to me.
Sincerely,
Jeff S.
[Jeff learned that eternal salvation is only given to the obedient (Heb. 5:9).]
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