The problem with misunderstanding what eternal security is the misunderstanding or misapplication of the words justify and sanctify.
I have been justified, It means I have been tried, and found innocent of all wrongdoing, of course, it was not because I was innocent, but because my penalty was redeemed, my freedom from guilt was paid by the blood of Christ. Basically, When God looks at me, he does not see my guilt, he sees his sons righteousness (ie, I have been imputed the righteousness of Christ on my behalf) and it is seen in the OT sacrificial system where the high priest on the day of atonement sprinkles the blood on top of the mercy seat,. When the cherub looks down, they do not see the things God has against us (the ten commands, Arrons rod that budded and the manna) They see the blood of the redemptive or atoneing sacrifice. WHich brings us to the word atonement, I have been atoned, One type of salvation (the most important part) is also found here, I have been saved eternally from thge debt of sin which I owe God. As he has perfected the one in whome ee is in the process of sanctifying
Which brings us to santify. I have been positionally sanctified (set apart) based on the above, But I also am in the process of being sanctified, as God is growing me to maturity. We grow as we learen to trust god in different areas of our lives, We are not saved as spiritually mature superchristians, We are saved as babes in christ, and we must allow God to grow us to mature adults, and this takes time, some longer than others, and some may never grow out of being a babe in Christ. For whatever reason (the church failed to help them grow by truly discipling them. I experienced this as a yong believer, The reverend billy graham said his greatest regret was failing to make sure the many who he hopes he led to christ were given the opportunity to recieve help as they have entered this spiritual warfare, We also see here another form of the term saved, as we are saved from ourselves. Saved from the problems and stresses of the world, and saved from the sin which enslaves us while we remain in these bodies (as we grow in christ and learn to trust him more.
Sadly, the problem is people mix these two things up as one iten, and not two seperate events (justification and santification, ie our justifaction depends on how we are sanctified, fail to sanctify ourself and we lose justification)
In reality, we have a third term Glorification.
The goal in sanctification is to make us more christlike, When we are glorified on the day of redemption, our sanctification will be complete. As the word says, we will see jesus as he is, and be like him. Until then, we are always riunning that race, trying to reach the prize of the high calling.
Why do we continue to run the race? If we think we have made it, we are in danger,