Proponents of eternal security are quick to quote 1 John 2:19: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us." This supposedly proves that if someone falls away and returns to a life of sin they were never saved in the first place. I have some problems with this notion and I'd like to examine it more carefully.
First, it says they "were not of us." The whole basis of the argument rests on this phrase. So what does it mean, really? I don't think it's conclusive that John meant they weren't saved at one point. It could very well mean they were saved but didn't have the same level of commitment and when trials and temptations arose they fell away.
Second, think about the implications. If falling away and returning to a life of sin means a person was never saved to begin with, then no saved person would ever succumb to sin.
Third, how does someone know the people described in 1 John 2:19 were never saved? Because they succumbed to sin? You can say they were never saved, but where in this passage does it indicate these people were never saved? You can't just speculate, you have to follow the text.
For these reasons we have to reject arguments for eternal security based on 1 John 2:19.
First, it says they "were not of us." The whole basis of the argument rests on this phrase. So what does it mean, really? I don't think it's conclusive that John meant they weren't saved at one point. It could very well mean they were saved but didn't have the same level of commitment and when trials and temptations arose they fell away.
Second, think about the implications. If falling away and returning to a life of sin means a person was never saved to begin with, then no saved person would ever succumb to sin.
Third, how does someone know the people described in 1 John 2:19 were never saved? Because they succumbed to sin? You can say they were never saved, but where in this passage does it indicate these people were never saved? You can't just speculate, you have to follow the text.
For these reasons we have to reject arguments for eternal security based on 1 John 2:19.