Many (but not all) people who hold to eternal IN-security link works to salvation by either teaching that salvation is obtained or maintained (or both) by works.
I have constantly asked a question on this thread. How can a believer lose their salvation due to sin, if they have no righteousness of not committing sin. It seems only fair to me to answer it. Sorry if it’s a bit long, but I have to properly explain it
You and I would agree, the believers righteousness is faith in Christ. That is our justification/righteousness before the Father, and what stands between us and hell/eternal damnation.
A person can get saved when they are dead in transgression/sin(Eph2:5) All they have to do is repent, ask Christ into their lives as Lord and saviour and they are saved. They then set out on the Christian path. Their sin is irrelevant as long as they stay on the true path. The sanctification process begins and God will deal with issues in each of our lives according to the importance of what needs to be dealt with naturally. And as long as we are looking to Christ, and seeking to live an evermore holy life in him we have peace, despite the imperfections in our flesh. Think of a traffic light, the light is green, everything is fine.
But the Christian can step outside of that path, they can stop following after the Holy Spirit in the truth of the Gospel message:
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal5:16-21
Paul has to be writing to believers here for he tells them if they are led by the Spirit they are not under law. Only believers can be led by the Spirit.
So in practical terms, what happens if you step outside of the true path you should be on and follow after the flesh, what are the implications of that? I always use this example. A convert meets a pretty woman, he sleeps with her. He has now followed after the flesh not the Spirit. Can he now say ‘’Everythings fine, I am a work in progress, Jesus died for my sins, I’m ok.’’ Of course he cannot, no born again Christian could do that. He will be struck with remorse, and his faith has suffered. He repents of his folly, not because he fears hell if he does not, but because he regrets what he has done and wants his peace back. and hopefully he gets straight back on the path he should be on. But what if he does not? What if he sleeps with the woman again? Easier to do the second time. What results? His faith suffers, and sin starts to take a hold of him in this area of his life. He continues on in such sin. He can no longer look to Jesus and in his heart trust he is saved because Jesus died for him can he, that is not how it works. He is no longer following after the Spirit in the truth of the message on the correct path but has pandered to the flesh. What is the result? His faith suffers, it becomes weaker and weaker as the flesh becomes stronger and stronger. In the end, due to living a sinfull lifestyle for long enough, he has no faith left. He can no longer trust Christ is his righteousness before the Father. Head assertion does not count, heartfelt belief has gone. He no longer has his justification in the Father’s sight. He is now in an unsaved state.
Now who would be most likely to go down this path? A person who made a commitment without counting the cost of discipleship(Luke ch14) someone who only made a shallow commitment(the second example in the parable of the sower) Someone who was willing to make a full commitment would not err to such a degree. So because a shallow commitment was made, the man gets pulled away to a lifestyle of sin, because that happens he ends up losing the only righteousness he can have: Faith in Christ. His sin we can say caused him to lose his salvation for it robbed him of his righteousness before God, faith in Christ
Have we biblical verses to back this up? Yes:
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – 23
if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel Col 1:22&23
‘But my righteous[
g] one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.’[
h]
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed
, but to those who have faith and are saved. Heb10:38&39
Both of those statements could not be written as they are if you cannot lose your faith as a believer
Concerning your 101 verses. The bible is a big book, and different things are written to different people. When the rich young ruler asked Christ what he must do to inherit eternal life, why did Jesus not respond with John3:16? Because he knew the young man before he spoke to him. Different words for different situations/people. Your 101 verses are written for those who are willing to make a full commitment to Christ, they have counted the cost, it was not a shallow commitment, the verses I am giving you are for people who have not done so.
Your choice what you believe. But as I keep repeating. Hold to one hard and fast rule for all and you will end up with a belief that contradicts part of the scriptures.
Anyway, hope I have explained now how there is no conflict between a person having