Christian people in our day seem to have a rough time believing that a popular, Bible-quoting, professing Christian could be unsaved. They apparently don't know that there is no Scripture that states that if one is a popular, Bible-quoting, professing Christian then he is saved. None. That even applies to the source of the In Touch Daily Devotional and Grace To You radio! But on the other hand, just preaching a false gospel is enough to condemn a person (Gal. 1:8,9):
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
When one notices that the real gospel of grace has a conditional security for the believer attached to it, it is even more clear, according to the Bible, that the once saved always saved teachers are spreading a false gospel and nothing less. Notice this:
By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (1 Cor 15:2)The so-called Bible Answer Man, Hank Hanegraaff, seems to especially like to promote this in house debate deception. Other eternal security teachers, at times (when it is to their own advantage) have also taught the same.
Please notice that I stated at times. By this I mean there are also other times when the once saved always saved teachers will say that Christians like myself are unsaved solely on the basis that we flatly reject their security-in-sin gospel. (We have received many emails from Calvinists and other once saved always saved proponents, who have stated or inferred such.) In other words, sometimes this doctrine is taught as an essential doctrine of Christianity (with them deciding what is essential) and sometimes it is taught as a non-essential doctrine.
If all of that is true, then how could those who reject and oppose that be Christian? If such people are not Christian, then it can't be an in-house debate, even from their perspective. It is logically impossible.
As far as the Bible is concerned, it is crystal clear that those who change grace into a license for immorality are condemned and godless, follow their own evil desires, are divisive, don't have the Spirit of God and blackest darkness has been reserved forever for them (Jude 4, 13, 16, 18, 19). Such people, therefore, can't be real Christians, yet this is exactly what the once saved always saved teachers want us to think about them. Again, that is what God said in his word about the teachers who change grace into a license for immorality.
Do you really believe the written word of God? If so, then they can't be Christians. If it wasn't an in house debate in Jude's day, why would it be today? It is just as lethal today to change grace into a license for immorality, as it was in Jude's day. Again, to think that the popular teachers are Christian because they are well-known or respected is unscriptural. To say they are sound in other areas, doesn't mean they are in this area. It also doesn't mean that preaching a false gospel won't condemn them because it will.
Finally, another way to know the eternal security teachers are in a dead spiritual condition is that they are blind to the meaning of at least 7 parables that teach a conditional salvation. Since parables are given to reveal truth to the Christians and hide truth from the non-Christians (Mt. 13:10-16), then these truths about salvation are hidden from the eternal security teachers because they are not saved. Jude said they don't have the Spirit.
Though it may seem unloving or extreme to some to say the eternal security teachers are unsaved, this is what the Bible says and is what we should believe and teach if we really go by the Bible. GOD BLESS YOU.
Spiritual Death: The Righteous Can Die Spiritually
Imputed Righteousness and Eternal Security
Evangelical Outreach Alphabetical Map
www.EvangelicalOutreach.org
www.EternalLifeBlog.com