The Hypothetical Question:
[One] misunderstanding [of eternal security] is the idea that it denies the balance between human will and freedom. If our salvation is absolutely certain, does this not nullify human responsibility? And is it not logical that if my belief resulted in salvation that my unbelief or loss of faith must result in my loss of salvation, lest my own freedom and responsibility be denied?
But the doctrine of security does not deny our human will or freedom. First of all, human freedom, while real, is by definition also subject to God's sovereignty. This argument ignores the purposes of God to save His own children. Second, belief alone did not result in anyone's salvation; God's purposes did (Acts 13: 48). Our faith ultimately resulted from God's purposes in salvation. This is why Scripture says we are saved by grace -- God's unmerited favor -- but that salvation is through faith. Faith is the instrument of salvation, while God is the cause of salvation. If God is the cause, then salvation ultimately rests in His purposes, not our faith. Although no one can possibly be saved apart from faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God, faith is never the procuring cause of salvation.
. . .can Christians cause themselves to be eternally lost? What if a believer's faith should fail? Several times we have cited God's promise, "If we are faithless he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself." Further, is faith itself meritorious? Not if faith itself is a gift (Romans 12:3; Ephesians 2:8,9). In truth, we are not saved because we have the saving virtue of faith, but we are saved through faith by the saving virtue of God. Further, complete loss of faith is only a theory. Given the stated purposes of God in the life of the believer, we do not think it a genuine possibility.
The fact is that believers will remain believers because of God's power directed in their behalf. . . .Believers may temporarily fail or perhaps even temporarily "cease" to believe, at least as far as outward appearances seem, but again, God's promises remain. Cannot the believer rebel and choose to be released from Christ and eternal salvation?
But remember that the human will never acts alone (Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 2:2), and that God has promised to keep His own. Further, who would honestly wish eternal doom? One who did so would certainly be insane, and God would obviously keep and provide for any of His dear children who lose their reason.
Most of those who say a believer can lose his salvation will concede that because of the death of Christ and the power of God, neither sin nor Satan can usually cause the loss of salvation. They agree that God promises the believer that if "we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9 NASB).
But they say that there is one condition that invariably will lead to loss of salvation, and that is when a believer forsakes the faith and finally apostatizes. But, again, they must admit that this is merely a hypothetical situation. No one can actually point to a person who was indisputably a true believer but then permanently apostatized. We simply don't have enough information about a person's heart to know whether or not he truly apostatized.
The Scriptures teach that the believer will persevere. Why? Not because of his own power or goodness, but because of the power and working of God. Extremely adverse circumstances in the life of a Christian may lead to temporary rebellion or even falling away or even denial of Christ (as was true with the apostle Peter), but this is not equal to apostasy and is typically healed with the passage of time.
Further, people who claim they were saved and then say they no longer believe, and this continues for years, were probably never saved in the first place. It is easy for someone to think he is saved when in fact he is not. Those who believe for a short time and then stop believing permanently until death were obviously never regenerated because the hallmarks and characterics of regeneration were not present.
The question in all this is really whether God will permit one of His own children, a child for whom Christ died on the cross, to finally apostatize. Biblically, the answer is clearly no. But theoretically, even if a regenerated person did apostatize, this could not nullify the eternal nature of those things already accomplished at the point of regeneration, such as eternal life, imputation, union with Christ, justification, etc. It is not a question of our own ability to keep ourselves saved, but of the ability and purpose of God to keep us saved and to persevere us. If our salvation were finally dependent on us keeping ourselves saved, would anyone ever be saved? We don't think so. Thus Scripture emphasizes the keeping power of God:
The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever(Psalm 121:7,8 NASB).
Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, the name which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are(Romans 17:11 NASB).
And stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand (Romans 14:4 NASB).
Who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son (1 Corinthians 1:8,9 NASB).
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6 NASB).
The God who gives perserverance and encouragement (Romans 15:5 NASB).
[See also: Colossians 3:4; 2 Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 13:5; Jude 1:24; Luke 22:32]
Unfortunately, some Calvinistic theologians interpret the doctrine of perseverance in almost an Arminian fashion--that perseverance in faith and good works is the only guarantee of true regeneration. Therefore, a believer cannot know with certainity that he is regenerated until he has persevered until the point of death. Only until after he has been persevered--that is, maintained faith and good works throughout his life--can he know he is really saved in the first place. But this is not the gospel that guarantees the believer eternal life from the point of saving faith. The believer's trust is to be in God and His ability, not in one's own ability.