The never really saved, false convert or never a Christian responses comes from eternal security proponents when their doctrine is rightly being exposed as a license to sin. For a person to say that a professing Christian was never a Christian and always a false convert, if he turns away from God to sin, is fallacious in at least 7 different areas. If you are a Christian, carefully ponder the following so you can help others see the dangerous folly of the never a Christian and false convert declarations cited by once saved always saved advocates.
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:10)
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil. (1 John 3:7,8)
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3,4)
The Bible is crystal clear that we can know them by their fruit (Mt. 7:16,17) and there is observable evidence of God's saving grace:
News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. (Acts 11:22,23)
To say a professing Christian who turns away from God to wickedness was never saved is to ignore at least 26 Scriptures in the NT. They show people who previously were disciples and followers of Christ later fell away, turned away, went back, etc. and not once in those 2 dozen plus passages do we read because they became apostates by backsliding, that was evidence which proves they were never Christians. Scripture shows it happens far too often for followers of Christ to turn to wickedness, get deceived into believing a false gospel, etc.
To say a professing Christian who turns away from God to wickedness was never saved is also to teach you can never know if anyone is a Christian brother or sister, including the preacher himself who taught you this never a Christian absurdity. Maybe he is just a false convert too.
Their doctrine would have us believe another's salvation can't be known as long as one remains alive, because as long as they remain alive they might apostatize and thereby prove they were never saved. If you can't tell if another is a Christian then you can't consider someone to be a spiritual leader or a possible spouse to marry, since both require true Christians.
The first is Mt. 7:23 where Jesus tells continuous tense evildoers "I never knew you."
Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I NEVER KNEW YOU. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Mat 7:21-23)
The context shows the religious ones referred to there were never saved but were continuous tense evildoers. Those religious-but-continuous evildoers never had evidence of saving grace, that is, a freedom from sin addictions which occurs when one contacts the blood of Jesus at true conversion (Rom. 6:22; John 8:34-36; Rev. 1:5; etc.), but that doesn't mean others who had a true conversion can't shrink back, as the Bible shows has happened many times. Christians must remain alert and self controlled for their own spiritual protection.
But he replied, “I tell you the truth, I don't know you.” (Mat 25:12)
Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, “Sir, open the door for us.” But he will answer, “I don't know you or where you come from.” (Luke 13:25)
But he will reply, “I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!” (Luke 13:27)
Jesus didn't tell them, I never knew you, like in Mt. 7:23, but instead I don't know you. In other words, Jesus didn't say they were never a Christian, but that they once previously were! The I don't know you phrase implies they were once known (saved), but later lost their salvation. This is especially clear with the 10 Virgins teaching (Mt. 25:1-13).
The second Scripture typically misused by the never a Christian OSAS crowd for support is 1 John 2:19, which refers to people who did not believe Jesus was the Christ, as shown in 1 John 2:22:
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.
Their doctrine clearly excluded them from being a Christian. They too had no evidence of saving grace since they denied Jesus was the Christ.
To say a professing Christian who turns away from God to wickedness was never a Christian is also cited as an argument to conceal the license for immorality that the once saved always saved doctrine shows itself to be. When their doctrine gets exposed as the security in sin gospel by inferring there are Christian adulterers, Christian drunks, Christian thieves, etc., most proponents tend to mention their contradicting, inconsistent, double message with no Scriptural support—the never saved absurd argument.
With some people, that tactic has actually succeeded in confusing the issue enough to conceal the glaring wickedness and salvation security in sin being taught through eternal security.
There are well over 100 relevant Scriptures which refute the never saved argument. They only have 2 verses, which are both misused and misapplied. Which will you believe?
One more point: Calvinist John MacArthur is one of the leading proponents (along with Ray Comfort) of this absurd unscriptural never a Christian (or false convert) argument. Yet MacArthur clearly teaches, at times, there are Christian adulterers, Christian drunks, Christian thieves, Christian liars, Christian murderers, etc.
Please consider getting our 801 page book refuting eternal security entitled, The Believer's Conditional Security: Eternal Security Refuted. There is MUCH in it that can help you better understand this salvation related subject. That NO Eternal Security Book is a whopping 801 pages in length!
The Believer's Conditional Security is the most exhaustive and comprehensive refutation to eternal security ever written. [Remember the never a Christian (never saved) or I never knew you argument is not solidly based on Scripture, neither is it consistent!]
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