We need to distinguish between two beliefs.
One theological belief is that of the persevering of the saints, who are kept by the power of God for eternity. This is sometimes known as "eternal security" or "once saved always saved." It means, because of God's unconditional grace/love, you CANNOT lose your salvation.
In the United States, this has been in the minority theological position, with more Christians subscribing to the belief that one can lose their salvation. By virtue of free will and sustained disobedience, one can turn their back on Christ, say no to his free gift, reject what had been given and walk away from grace. Hebrews 6:1-6 is often cited as one of the passages that support this.
I personally subscribe to the understanding of eternal security and do not believe one can lose their salvation.
But wait a minute before you start drawing conclusions that if you are eternally secure because God's love will be unconditional forever and ever, no matter what you do, even if you choose to live a very minimal life as a follower of Jesus - such a view IS NOT and HAS NOT BEEN the view of the great theologians who did indeed believe in the perseverance of the saints.
Here is where the second doctrine enters in and that is the theology of "assurance of one's salvation." These theologians (and I number myself among them) believe that while you MAY be saved, if you are continuing in sustained disobedience, if you do not love Christ, if you are lukewarm about Jesus (being spewed forth from his mouth according to Revelation 3:16), etc. you SHOULD HAVE NO assurance or confidence that you are saved. In fact - just the oppositve - you should conclude that you are not a follower of Jesus.
You MIGHT be...
But you might NOT BE...
And you certainly have LITTLE or NO grounds to think you are...
Read Luke 14:25-35 on the "cost of discipleship" and see Jesus clearly say if you don't do certain things - than you CANNOT be His disciple. (Hey, these are His words, not mine.)
Read 2 Peter 1:5-10 about "making your calling and election sure. For if you do these things , you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior jesus Christ.
You see, forgiving grace is also and always a transforming grace. You are not just forgiven (getting eternal fire assurance to go to heaven), you are transformed, remade in the image of Christ, and are to be about the "imitation of Christ" (Ephesiand 5:1).
The evidence of forgiving grace is transforming grace. They are a package deal and if you don't have evidence of the latter, don't assume you have the former.
For some on the journey, their struggle is legalism and a works-righteousness.
For others on the journey, their struggle is cheap grace and a cross with no cost.
Both are equally dangerous.
Both are distortions of the true gospel.
Both fail to produce genuine followers of Christ who are his missional servants to the world.
These theological matters are once again under heated discussion in the church. N. T. Wright is one who encourages us to revisit the idea of transforming grace and the essential linkage between justification and sanctification.
Brian K. Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com
