What in your mind is the biggest debate among denominations? Do you think it's dress? What about jewelry and makeup - could that be it? Then there's always the issues of the evils of television and the Internet. So what do you think?

To me, one of the biggest issues, and possibly the most important difference among denominations, is the issue of eternal security. For those of you who don't recognize the term, eternal security is the belief that after you've said the sinner's prayer and are saved, you cannot ever lose that salvation, no matter how you live your life. Basically it means that you can sin and still go to Heaven.

Take this scenario:

A man gets saved. He was saved from a horrible past, was baptized, and couldn't wait to start a new life serving his new-found savior. He does really well the first year, slacks a little the second year but is still holding on, but by the third year is back to living how he was before. He's into alcohol and women. He ignores his Bible and his pastor's calls; he shoves aside all conviction and feelings of conscience until he feels nothing just as he did before he was saved. Is this man going to Heaven? He got saved. He was even baptized as a public display of that salvation and that turning around of his life.

Before we jump into what we all believe, let's look at what the Bible says about salvation and sin:

• Romans 2:1-10 ~ "Therefore thou art inexusable...But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this...that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? But after thy hardness and ipenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ...unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth...Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil..." (KJV)
  
• Romans 6 ~ "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?...What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (KJV)
  
• Hebrews 10:26 ~ "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, these remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (KJV)

So what do you think? From these few verses (trust me, I could have had more, but I don't think you either want to read all of it on this blog or you just plain would NOT read all of it on this blog, therefore it would be a waste) what do you gather? Is the man in the scenario above going to Heaven? Or is he destined for Hell now unless he turns his life back over to God where it was? Let's add the Scriptures we read:

The two places found in Romans that I quoted both ask questions that basically say the same thing: "Now that I'm saved, can I still sin?" What's the answer the the following verses give? "God forbid." Sounds pretty basic, doesn't it? Now, God understands if you make a mistake. Sometimes we slip up - but that's when we go to God with a truly repentant heart and seek His forgiveness. As long as we are truly sorry, He will always forgive us and keep us under that grace. However, as it says in Hebrews, if we "sin wilfully" after we're saved, then there is "no more sacrifice for sins," meaning there is no longer the protection of grace. A willful life of sin is that of one against God, and therefore it is a turning from one's salvation.

So to answer the question about the man who backslid, unless he turns back to God, he is destined for Hell. Eternal security is not found in the Bible.

Let's look at a few verses that those who believe in eternal security use as their basis:

• Romans 8:38-39 ~ "...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (KJV)

What's the key word in this section? The one I see is "love." Nothing CAN separate us from the "love of God." God loves the sinner - but He hates the sin and cannot allow that sin to enter into the Kingdom. Therefore, since the sinner is full of sin, God cannot allow him to enter His Kingdom unless he is washed in the blood and grace of Christ. And if he does come under the blood, he must keep his life in a life of holiness ("...for I am the Lord...ye shall therfore be holy, for I am holy." Leviticus 11:45, KJV). God's grace will cover his mistakes, his failures; but it will not cover his willingness to sin (Heb. 10:26). If one is to go to Heaven, he must take his life of sin and have Christ wash it clean then make it a life holy unto the Lord.

So now what do you believe? Is eternal security real? Is it biblical? Can you live however you want after salvation? Or must you keep your faith alive by the works you do in Christ in order to stay in the path of righteousness and therefore make it to eternity with Him?