There are two paradoxical teachings in the bible regarding the possibility of Christians choosing to reject the salvation that was once theirs in Christ and falling away from the faith.
Let's pretend that we are listing verses in two columns. In the first column we will list verses that indicate that God will preserve his children to the end. (All scripture quotations in this post are from the ESV Bible.)
On the other hand, there is another column of verses to consider - those which suggest that it is indeed possible for one who was once a Christian to fall away.
These and other verses would be meaningless if it were not possible to be given faith in Christ, to believe in him for our salvation, and yet later reject that salvation. The verses above in context make it crystal clear that Christians should be warned that it is in fact possible to be a believer but then to fall away from the faith and lose ones salvation. Why else would they be included in scripture?
Confessional Lutherans traditionally (and unsurprisingly) have a rather peculiar position on eternal security. While we adhere strictly to sola scriptura, we are "both/and" theologians, rather than "either/or" theologians. We like to take the bible at its word even when it doesn't necessarily make sense to our human reason. We also don't try to speak for God when his position is not crystal clear from a plain reading of scripture (after a thorough study, of course, including looking at the writings in their original languages).
From the LCMS website FAQs:When the question of eternal security comes up, it is often helpful to look past the surface of the question itself and try to address the motivation for asking it.
There can really be only three reasons for seeking an answer to this paradox:
1) Reassurance - A Christian who fears that they may have done something so horrible as to have lost their salvation can be encouraged and comforted by verses that speak of the wonderful grace and mercy of our God who holds us by his own power in his mighty right hand.
2) Warning - A Christian who is considering doing something they fear may cost them their salvation can be warned and encouraged to abstain from evil by verses that speak of the possibility of willfully persisting in sin and error and risking falling away from the faith or being cut off from the vine.
3) Hypothetical, "what if" kind of questioning, or trying to prove that "I'm right and you're wrong". Trying to squeeze the infinite logic and reason of God into the finite logic and reason of man is a futile exercise.
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Let's pretend that we are listing verses in two columns. In the first column we will list verses that indicate that God will preserve his children to the end. (All scripture quotations in this post are from the ESV Bible.)
On the other hand, there is another column of verses to consider - those which suggest that it is indeed possible for one who was once a Christian to fall away.
These and other verses would be meaningless if it were not possible to be given faith in Christ, to believe in him for our salvation, and yet later reject that salvation. The verses above in context make it crystal clear that Christians should be warned that it is in fact possible to be a believer but then to fall away from the faith and lose ones salvation. Why else would they be included in scripture?
Confessional Lutherans traditionally (and unsurprisingly) have a rather peculiar position on eternal security. While we adhere strictly to sola scriptura, we are "both/and" theologians, rather than "either/or" theologians. We like to take the bible at its word even when it doesn't necessarily make sense to our human reason. We also don't try to speak for God when his position is not crystal clear from a plain reading of scripture (after a thorough study, of course, including looking at the writings in their original languages).
From the LCMS website FAQs:
There can really be only three reasons for seeking an answer to this paradox:
1) Reassurance - A Christian who fears that they may have done something so horrible as to have lost their salvation can be encouraged and comforted by verses that speak of the wonderful grace and mercy of our God who holds us by his own power in his mighty right hand.
2) Warning - A Christian who is considering doing something they fear may cost them their salvation can be warned and encouraged to abstain from evil by verses that speak of the possibility of willfully persisting in sin and error and risking falling away from the faith or being cut off from the vine.
3) Hypothetical, "what if" kind of questioning, or trying to prove that "I'm right and you're wrong". Trying to squeeze the infinite logic and reason of God into the finite logic and reason of man is a futile exercise.
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