In the NT, there is a wide variety of warning-types against eternal security.
After all, variety is the spice of life!
Please forgive me for only posting one example for each warning-type.
Warnings about losing eternal life
Luke 9:23-25 ● “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will
lose it (eternal life), but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit
is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost (eternally)?”
Hi Zachary,
I have to confess, I love these sorts of posts! It was these sorts of posts, and blogs, and books, that I set myself to for years to know the truth of this issue.
I've never found a single Scripture which anyone has offered as Biblical evidence that the born again, those who have faith in Jesus and are born from above, not one single passage of Scripture which teaches that the born again can die again.
I've looked at every single passage I can think of that relates, and every single passage that anyone I can find presents against this point of view, and there are none - not one - that actually teaches that the children of God can cease to be His children. Not one.
It was actually doing that study that left me completely convinced that we are safe in Him forever. And that knowledge is key to releasing us from our fleshy performance-driven desire to, at the end of it all, take the responsibility off of God, Who claims it for Himself, and to take it to ourselves. But that will inevitably turn into trying to keep some sort of code of behavior so that you can remain acceptible to God, and that empowers sin.
Can we look at these together? Will you be patient to hold to the course?
Warnings about gaining eternal death
Romans 6:16-23 ● “… you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether (slaves)
of sin leading to (eternal) death, or (slaves) of obedience leading to righteousness”
As children of God, we are slaves to righteousness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Your were a servant of sin, and now you are a servant of God. This passage actually teaches that we've been changed into something new, no longer slaves to sin, but now slaves of God.
So while it is completely true that the servants of sin die, we've been made servants of God, and now will receive everlasting life.
Where in this passage does God teach that the born again might die again? The only transitional state given in this passage is someone who was a servant of sin becoming a servant of God. This passage actually teaches that we have been made free from sin, not still entangled it the condemnation of it.
But there is no transitional state here for the alive in Christ becoming dead in sin.
Much love!