The idea that salvation is a one-time, one and done thing - you had faith and boom - you are in forever - is so absent from Scripture, and so absent from the early church writings.
The only way to get to it is by only looking at select parts of Scripture. My biggest problem with it, is how much I have to go AGAINST Scripture, and even the words of Jesus to agree with it.
Some concepts make no sense, like - Strive to enter through the narrow gate. Why didn't Jesus says - get saved once and you are in?
Endure to the end? Scripture would have had to say - no worries, you got saved back there - nothing you do after matters.
But it's not about works and earning salvation. It's about abiding in Christ. You can choose to abide in Him, or not. And it is about our relationship with Him. If not - that branch is cut off from the vine.
Yes, the mental gymnastics required to hold that position are astounding.
I have the John MacArthur study Bible. He firmly rejects that you can lose your salvation. His explanation for every verse that contradicts that is that those people were never really saved.
So in the parable of the seed and the sower where the Bible says that some "
believed for a while and in time of temptation fall away" -- according to him these are people who didn't have real faith. Even though the Bible says they "believed for a while."
When Jesus say that "
every branch of mine that bears no fruit" the Father will take away -- MacArthur says that's referring to people who weren't genuine believers. Which begs the question -- how did they get to be a branch "of mine" according to Jesus if they were never a believer in the first place?
When St. Peter writes ”For if,
after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For
it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” (2 Peter 2:20-21). MacArthur again says this is referring to "false" believers, not true belivers. But how could someone who was not a true believer ever have escaped the defilements of the world? How could they ever have known the way of righteousness?
Same thing when the book of Hebrews says "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance
those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.” (Hebrews 6:4-6). MacArthur says this is not speaking about true believers. How can someone who was never a true believer have ever become a partaker of the Holy Spirit? Been enlightened? Tasted the heavenly gift? Tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come?
There are probably a dozen more examples I could point to from his study Bible. It's a perfect example of starting with a position (once-saved, always-saved) and then bending Scripture to make it fit what you want to believe. Instead of allowing Scripture to form your beliefs.