Is it reasonable to assume a true Christian can never fall away from the faith?

These are just a few thoughts I've had on the subject of once saved always saved, eternal security, apostasy, and numerous warnings that we see in Scripture about falling away or departing from the faith. I have a feeling this will generate some comments. I know there are very sincere believers on both sides of this doctrinal issue. If you come from the "once saved, always saved" position, I highly recommend that you read the book Life in the Son by Robert Shank. It is EXCELLENT and worthwhile reading for any person who cares about this subject. It is simply a great (and very thorough) scriptural study of the doctrine of persevereance! OK. These are some of my thoughts...

1. How can we know who are our brothers and sisters in Christ? I believe that the Holy Spirit gives us discernment as to who our brothers and sisters are and who aren’t. Of course, we are sometimes fallible in our discernment but the Holy Spirit is never wrong. I have known too many Christians who have turned away from the faith and denied Christ. Those who believe “once saved, always saved” will either claim these people are still saved (in spite of any sin they wallow in) or that these people were never saved in the first place. If that is true, then we can’t ever really know who are our brothers and sisters in Christ and who are not.

I think an alternative position that aligns much better with Scripture is that some people do in fact walk away from the Lord after having confessed with their mouths that He is Lord, received Him into their hearts, and born real fruit for the kingdom while they were abiding in Him and fellowshipping with other believers.

2. We know a tree by its fruits. If a person has good fruit (the fruits of the Spirit) and then falls away from the faith (as evidenced by a denial of Christ and consistently bearing sinful fruit), how do we explain the good fruit that he once bore? If you claim it was false fruit, then we simply can’t tell a tree by its fruit as Jesus said we could.

3. Ironically (for the once saved, always saved folks) it seems to me like assurance of salvation would be impossible or an illusion if we can only truly know we (and others) were truly saved after we see if we (or they) ever fall away. The Bible clearly teaches that we can have assurance though. It is assurance that we are completely safe and secure if we abide in Him by faith.

4. Does God play games with us? Does he warn his children about things which really are not a danger? Doesn’t this make Him less than honest or somewhat deceitful? We know He is not. The alternative then is that God is not playing games with us and warning us about things which are not dangerous. Falling away is a danger.

5. If a person throws me a life saver when I am drowning and I grab onto it as he pulls me onto the deck of a rescue ship, have I saved myself? No. I have no more saved myself than a person who has chosen to put his faith in Christ and follow Him has saved himself. Rejecting the "once saved, always saved" position does not mean that one believes we somehow save ourselves. We are saved by grace through faith. It is an active, living, abiding faith though rather than a one-time event. It is important that we start the race properly but it is equally important that we finish the race (through faith) that the Lord has enabled us to run.

6. If man exercises no agency (or choice) whatsoever in entering into relationship with God, then are we not like robots? Surely man has free will and we are not simply machines or robots. The "once saved, always saved position" seems to remove man's ability to freely reject God. Love relationships are never maintained by force or removal of one's free will.

7. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Man has always had to respond to God with faith for salvation. People who lived before Christ by faith looked forward to His sacrifice. We who live after his death and resurrection by faith look backwards to what He accomplished for us. The point here is that terms of salvation have not changed. And we find examples in the Old Testament where people apparently lost their salvation. In fact, David prayed that the Lord would not take His Spirit from him. Why would God allow people in the Old Testament to lose their salvation but not allow people to lose their salvation after He died and was resurrected? I don’t think He does. I believe salvation is a free gift from God that we can accept or reject by faith. We must abide in Christ by faith. By faith, we look backwards to His death and resurrection. By faith, we abide in Him now, we fellowship, we take communion, we pray, we see people healed, and we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” By faith, we look forward to the day of the Lord in which He will come for his bride, the Church. We were saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. It is a past, present, and future reality for us but we must abide in Him by faith.

As I mentioned, an excellent book on this subject is:
Life in the Son by Robert Shank
It is really one of the best books I have ever read!