“[T]he unfaithful believer will not lose his salvation … Even if a believer for all practical purposes becomes an unbeliever, his salvation is not in jeopardy. Christ will remain faithful … Christ will not deny an unbelieving Christian his or her salvation … believers who lose or abandon their faith will retain their salvation, for God remains faithful.”
– Charles Stanley (1990: Thomas Nelson), Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure?, pp. 92-4
I am unfamiliar with facebook, tweeting, but I am dealing with a severe depression. I have had many problems with my family over the years. lies have been told and terrible things have been said and done and no one ever forgives anyone. My family just pretends that none of the things have happened and expect nothing to be said. It has been going on for generations. I am at the end of myself with this. I pray to forget and forgive, but there is so much hurt and anger. And because of the length of time that this has gone on, I feel that God is never going to take this away or that I cannot be forgiven because I am having a hard time forgiving or really more so forgetting. My heart is hurt. I worry about this constantly and can find no peace. Can someone help me? Is my salvation at risk?
If there is un-confessed sin in your life that you are aware of, go straight to 1 John 1:9. The amount of time that has elapsed since the sin occurred is irrelevant; what you need to do is confess the sin and turn from it. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13).
You may find this article on apostasy helpful:
https://arminiantheologyblog.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/individual-apostasy/
It describes what apostasy is, and when it is committed.
Well, first things first: are you a believer or an unbeliever? And secondly, if you are a believer, what is it that you’re believing in for salvation?
I am a believer.
This title is very misleading. It seems to put Stanley in the boat of Universalism. Even Calvinists believe that someone who is truly saved can never be “unsaved” and that is basically what Stanley states in his quote. However, the title is way off here.
The title isn’t misleading at all.
First off the bible says the righteous shall be scarcely saved(. 1st Peter 4:18 )and it also says “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” why would it or paul say to fear ( god ) and tremble philippians (2:12)if you were eternally saved , I mean if so why worry!Rewards sorry dont think so! Or strive to enter thru the narrow gate for only a few shall enter ( nkjv) Luke 13:24or Jesus saying those who endure to the end shall be saved( mark13:13)or The apostle paul saying1st Corinthians 15:1,2 where he says if you continue in the gospel he preached to them and keep it in memory what he preached (the gospel of jesus in which is the power and savation of God) if they didnt their believing was in Vain.Jesus also stated that he does what he sees his father doing and his father hated sinhosea 7-8 chapters , noahs flood genesis , sodom and gomorrah , book of acts ananias and sapphira they obviously were saved but they were struck down for sinning againest the Lord who is the spirit. Ok I guess stanley and calvinists will say they made it , it doesnt add up with the laws of consistancy in scripture this eternal security for believers and or especially unbelievers.