Yes, a true believer can lose their salvation.......by becoming an ex-believer. I've made this abundantly clear.
This is hard for the church to grasp because we have been indoctrinated to the point of deafness about this subject. No matter how many times I explain it, and in no matter how many ways, people in the church still can not hear any argument outside of their own argument that Christians can not lose their salvation.
Evening Mr Phart my friend.
How you doing?
To be honest the argument you make can be reciprocated on the other side of the coin.
One calls heads and the other calls tails.
Truth is this, one day when Jesus calls time we will find out whether heads or tails is correct.
I think for me either side of the equation it can lead to two ways.
Those who say you can lose it are saying you must work to keep it. Do good works, don’t drink don’t smoke and so on.
The reverse is that it seems that you can drink and smoke and it’s ok.
I think a true mature believer can balance it out.
And I have to say that in part I agree with you (you know me well enough with regards my thoughts on OSAS)
I know that you beleive a genuine believer can become an ex-believer. That they reject Jesus fully and therefore his atonement for our sins. In effect they say Jesus wasn’t actually the Son of God who died and rose again.
Basically a liar.
I also know that you believe a believer can struggle with sin, be ensnared by it yet hate it and ask for forgiveness and ask for help. So I don’t think you are a don’t drink don’t smoke man.
Your a man who would encourage someone struggling who is seeking God for help and wants help is still a believer.
But I think you do align with those of the OSAS persuasion in the sense if one struggles yet seeks help and wants it then they are still saved.
To me a true believer will cling on to God, despite what they struggle with, the guilt they feel and helplessness.
For me I can’t tell who is a true believer or not. Only God knows that.
However If a person confessses to be a true believer yet struggles or goes MIA, we need to come alongside.
Never write someone off.
We have a duty to do this.