Free Grace,
You seem to be the opinion that Jn 10:27-28 is a slam dunk for your particular interpretation of OSAS or ES. Yeah, it isn't.
Well, it sure is. Couldn't be any more clear.
Let's read the verses in context:
"27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (Jn 10:27-28)
You are trying to deduce from this verse that even Apostate Atheists can be saved, provided they once believed for a while.
Excuse me, but I'm NOT "deducing" anything. I simpy believe what Jesus said, which, apparently, you do NOT.
Your conclusion, which is unique to you, does not follow.
It is not unique to me. Many people clearly understand what Jesus said and meant. And it does follow, whethere you can follow or not.
Let's read the 3 conditions again, and see how Apostates fail all.
Oh, excuse me again, but there aren't "3 conditions" anywhere in the verse. That is WHY you aren't understandinga " what Jesus said.
He didn't give ANY conditions in either verse.
1. The First Condition: His Sheep hear His Voice. Do Apostates and Atheists do this? Absolutely Not. They don't. So a fail.
Your conclusion is a BIG fail. What you ERRONEOUSLY call a "condition" is just a description.
[And even if you argue it is only a "description of what His Sheep do", atheists who were once Christians still fail it]
It is STILL not a condition. So it is YOU who fail this reading assignment.
2. The Second Condition: I know them. The word know here means communion and fellowship with the Lord. Again, fail.
No, YOU fail again. knowing them isn't a condition, but rather a description.
3. The Third Condition: They follow Me. How in the world do Apostate Atheists follow the Lord? Absolutely, they do not.
And this is YOUR third fail. You are on a roll. Again, rather than a "condition" as you erroneously think, it is a description.
v.27 is a statement about what Jesus' sheep DO, or OUGHT TO DO. There are NO WORDS that create any kind of "condition" that leads to a result.
Therefore, Apostate Atheists do not have eternal life, because they have sinned unto death by their apostasy and atheism.
I suppose you actually have a verse that says what you opine here? No, you don't. Your opinion fails.
Jesus told us in John 5:24 WHO possesses eternal life: whoever believes. So, from the MOMENT one believes, they POSSESS eternal life.
Then, in John 10:28, Jesus said that recipients of eternal life shall never perish.
Rather than a "conditiion", we have a CAUSE and EFFECT.
The CAUSE of possessing eternal life is Jesus who gives it.
The EFFECT of possessing eternal life is the recipient shall never perish.
And here are 3 other verses which clearly confirm that your doctrine contradicts the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles.
1. "To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life." (Rom 2:7)
2. "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." (Heb 10:39)
3. "If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first." (2 Pet 2:20)
Are you aware that Rom 2:6-8 teaches that ONLY perfect people will earn eternal life. And Paul then goes on in Rom 3:9,10, 20,23 that NO ONE can do that. Because all are sinners. Note esp 3:20. He flat out states that no one will be justified by the law.
To whom will the Lord give Eternal Life on Judgment Day?
Another reading FAIL. John 5:24 is very clear. Believers POSSESS (have) eternal life. They possess it the MOMENT they become believers.
To those who persevered in doing good, in seeking immortality.
Right. Good luck with trying to do that. Paul already noted that NO ONE can.
Whom are they who are saved? Not those who draw back unto perdition. But only those who believe unto their salvation.
According to Jesus, John 5:24 says those who believe POSSESS eternal life. Do you believe Jesus?
And the final verse is the clincher: The argument against Free Grace's Eternal Security (which I'm calling FGES for now, you can cite me any reputed Christian Pastor who has held it, if there are any, and I'll update the name) can be summarize as a logical syllogism like this:
Major Premise from 2 Pet 2:20: Those who apostatized after knowing the Lord are in a worse condition than unbelievers.
Minor Premise (from the Bible in general): But unbelievers in general, as we know e.g. from Mark 16:16 will be lost.
Conclusion: Therefore, the True Doctrine of Jesus Christ, is that apostates are in a worse state than ignorant unbelievers.
And....your FINAL "conclusion" is one big failure.
2 Pet 2:20 isn't about loss of salvation, but rather, the believer who does turn back will experience his life on earth worse that it was before he was saved. Do you know why? No, of course you don't. So I'll tell you. God's discipline is painful. Heb 12:11. Such a believer will be miserable. And read 1 Cor 11:30 for the usual sequence of how God's discipline is meted out.
And this conclusion is also provable from the clear words of Jesus Christ Himself in the Gospel:
"42And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food [h]in due season? 43Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
45But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Luk 12:42-48)
What does the verse say?
I guess you want to prove that Jesus has contradicted himself. But I'm not going to let you. What you quoted is a parable. Not a doctrinal statement. If you want to know what Jesus taught doctrinally, read John 5:24 and 10:28.
Your views directly contradict and conflict with what Jesus taught. You are very confused when you read the Bible.
Jesus said, in the clearest of words, that those He gives eternal life to, which is WHEN they believe, they shall never perish.
That, in the clearest of words, is the doctrine of etenal security. You are free to mock, belittle, reject, etc what Jesus taught.
But what you CANNOT do is twist His words in either John 5:24 or 10:28 to make it appear to say something other than what it actually says.
