Conditional Security

Greg

I believe in the doctrine of conditional immortality - that is, that the gift of eternal life is being granted immortality.   We are "saved", because as Christians, we will receive the gift of immortality at the resurrection.  However, I believe that Christians during their earthly lives can abandon Christ and forfeit this inheritance.  When it comes to the security of the believer, people arrive at different conclusions because they have different starting points.  I once believed and taught the doctrine of "unconditional eternal security", but some years ago I came to believe that it is unscriptural.  My change was influenced by interpretations of scripture by John Wesley, several Moral Government Theology proponents, and others.  This is what I believe about this subject:  

All followers of Christ have the promise of eternal life, on the condition that they persevere in holiness to the end of this life (Hebrews 3:14, Hebrews 12:9-15), but they can fall away from the Lord, either through passive indifference or deliberate apostasy, and perish.  Those who have submitted to the Lord and followed him may later fall (Ezek. 18:24; 1 Tim. 1:18, 19).  Those grafted into the good olive tree may later be broken off through willful unbelief (Rom. 11:16-22).  Branches that “abide not” are cast forth and burned (John 15:6).  Those who have known Christ can again become entangled in the world (2 Peter 2:20).  Those who have been made partakers of the holy spirit and have produced the fruit of the spirit may fall from God’s favor back into former pollutions (Heb. 6:4-6; 10:29; Galatians 5:4).  We are instructed to take care that we do not lose what we have (2 John 8), and to hold fast so that no one seizes our crown (Rev. 3:11).  There is reason to believe that the Christian will persevere unto the end because of God’s influence in his life, including the loving chastening of God toward his children if they err.  I believe that a Christian that gives in to temptation and becomes a backslider through disobedience, will receive God’s loving correction and repentance will result in forgiveness.  Should the believer fail to repent, I believe God will increase his chastening on his erring child for the purpose of saving his soul from eternal death (Hebrews 12:9).  God is longsuffering and eager to forgive, and he promises not to forsake his followers, therefore I do not believe that committing a sin results in the immediate forfeiture of salvation as some teach, but I do believe that a Christian that sins put his soul in danger, for if the sin is not forsaken, if he resists and hardens his heart toward God’s correction, he can become an apostate.  Backsliding can be remedied, by repentance, but it can lead to committed apostasy, from which there is no road to recovery (Hebrews 6:4-6).  God is ever merciful, but the person referred to here is the man that has decidedly set his heart against Christ and has been turned over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28-32).  This person cares nothing for following Christ, has forsaken Christ, and has been severed from Christ by God (John 15:6, Romans 11:22).  I believe in the security of the follower of Christ, but not the unbeliever, whether he was once a believer or not.  A person that follows Christ will never perish, but the person who does not abide in Christ will forfeit his inheritance.  Since man continues to have free choice, it is possible for him to fall into the practice of sin and to make shipwreck of his faith and be lost.  I also believe there are many people who profess to be Christians that have never been converted to begin with.