This subject has vexed me since I became a Christian and every avenue I have gone down to try and understand is has not helped at all. Most of the explanations I hear sound false. I don't like people using the word 'security' when they are talking about our salvation. It sounds more like 'free-pass' to me. The other thing is, why would GOD encourage us not to be lead astray so adamantly if we can't lose our salvation due to us being saved? Here is something I read from a site I looked at:
"I am a believer (has accepted Christ). I used to believe as you that once saved always saved. And I think I still DO believe that. However, recently, a man a work who belongs to Assembly of God church tells me that we can lose our salvation and have our names blotted out of the lambs book of life. He says that if you are back-slidden and don' repent you will NOT go to heaven, and that you WILL LOSE your salvation. He states Revelation 17:8 and Revelation 3:5 pertaining to "those blotted out" are believers, otherwise their names would not have been written in the book. Please decipher this message for me. Now, all of a sudden, I feel that I have lost the joy of my salvation and am extremely worried that sins I have committed or am going to will make me lose salvation" (Guided By Truth: Can a believer's name be blotted out of the book of life?)
My first thought was, well if you have unrepented sin in your life, maybe you should be worried, but don't wallow, just repent. If you don't than you have no reason to wonder because GOD's people are not meant to fear. I believe we can give up our inheritance of Salvation if WE so choose. No one else can snatch us away, but we can leave. But, I can't be sure. I believe that when Yahshua says "I will not lose any of HIS that HE has given me" that HE is referring to those who will remain in the Book of Life even after death. My dad and his side of the family say that they are Christians and my dad even says that he has the baptism of the holy spirit and I believe that he does, but he lies, he hates, he doesn't forgive, he bares false witness, he divides his family, and he gives way to his selfishness. I do not see GOD in him. That pretty much describes his whole side of the family. I do not believe any of them get a free pass because they were saved. It is not because I am angry at them that I believe that, it is because it would literally make no sense. It is not scriptural. The closest I came to maybe getting some understanding was this article: 4.3. Names Blotted Out Commentary - A Testimony of Jesus Christ There being three different Books of Life would make sense as to why GOD would even make mention of blotting someones name out of the Book of Life, right? But I see no evidence of three books. They mentioned Psalms 69:28 as talking about the Book of the Living, "May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.", but that says that the righteous are in that book, too, so that's not right. Unsaved believers are no different than unsaved nonbelievers because that are both unsaved and have both been presented with the same Truth and the opportunity to be saved. I don't see three Books of Life anywhere. So, the only explanation is that, those who get erased are those who gave up their inheritance.
"I am a believer (has accepted Christ). I used to believe as you that once saved always saved. And I think I still DO believe that. However, recently, a man a work who belongs to Assembly of God church tells me that we can lose our salvation and have our names blotted out of the lambs book of life. He says that if you are back-slidden and don' repent you will NOT go to heaven, and that you WILL LOSE your salvation. He states Revelation 17:8 and Revelation 3:5 pertaining to "those blotted out" are believers, otherwise their names would not have been written in the book. Please decipher this message for me. Now, all of a sudden, I feel that I have lost the joy of my salvation and am extremely worried that sins I have committed or am going to will make me lose salvation" (Guided By Truth: Can a believer's name be blotted out of the book of life?)
My first thought was, well if you have unrepented sin in your life, maybe you should be worried, but don't wallow, just repent. If you don't than you have no reason to wonder because GOD's people are not meant to fear. I believe we can give up our inheritance of Salvation if WE so choose. No one else can snatch us away, but we can leave. But, I can't be sure. I believe that when Yahshua says "I will not lose any of HIS that HE has given me" that HE is referring to those who will remain in the Book of Life even after death. My dad and his side of the family say that they are Christians and my dad even says that he has the baptism of the holy spirit and I believe that he does, but he lies, he hates, he doesn't forgive, he bares false witness, he divides his family, and he gives way to his selfishness. I do not see GOD in him. That pretty much describes his whole side of the family. I do not believe any of them get a free pass because they were saved. It is not because I am angry at them that I believe that, it is because it would literally make no sense. It is not scriptural. The closest I came to maybe getting some understanding was this article: 4.3. Names Blotted Out Commentary - A Testimony of Jesus Christ There being three different Books of Life would make sense as to why GOD would even make mention of blotting someones name out of the Book of Life, right? But I see no evidence of three books. They mentioned Psalms 69:28 as talking about the Book of the Living, "May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.", but that says that the righteous are in that book, too, so that's not right. Unsaved believers are no different than unsaved nonbelievers because that are both unsaved and have both been presented with the same Truth and the opportunity to be saved. I don't see three Books of Life anywhere. So, the only explanation is that, those who get erased are those who gave up their inheritance.
