Paula

Ryan,

As I said, I didn’t want to debate E.S. here, as it’s really off-topic. You can see my commentary on that and all the NT letters at http://www.fether.net/downloads/”>This PDF as well as my overview of salvation at http://www.fether.net/2006/12/01/2006-12-01-go-to-heaven-salvation/”>Go To Heaven! and one specifically on ES http://www.fether.net/2006/03/01/2006-03-01-eternal-security-salvation-saved/”>Here.

But I must object to the statement “The doctrine of eternal security is a dangerous teaching.” It is common to accuse ES as a “license to sin”, but in reality the “eternal insecurity” (EI) view has the same problem. Its proponents lead no better lives than those of ES, and the only difference is that when the EI repents they think they’re getting saved again, while the ES thinks they’re restoring a relationship that was strained but not severed. They both wind up doing the same things, slipping up and repenting. And since the EI can repent and be repeatedly re-saved, they too have the same “license to sin”.

And here again we see some of the difficulties in trying to make all churches draw the same line on fellowship.