Eternal Security

WOW!! I've read many books on the subject of Believer's Eternal Security but I have to say this book topped them all hands down! Thank you and God bless you Dr. Stanley for writing this eye (and heart) opening book. For those of you who are sincerely seeking the truth about the security of your Salvation, this is the book for you! It will bless you!

For any Christian who still has many doubts about his salvation, this is a book which should calm your fears. After reading 200 pages on this topic, author Charles Stanley should have you convinced God is not going to give you something that important (your salvation), and then take it away (and keep doing that). Stanley, to back up the "once saved, always saved" thelogogy, argues it with many Scriptures and just common-sense statements. If one wants to read a book giving the opposite viewpoint, that's fine. I've that, too. It's a difficult debate. I suggest you weigh both sides, pray about it, and take it from there. Personally, I liked Stanley's arguments better. They make more sense about the nature of God and convinced me. I now have peace about this important issue.

Although I was raised in church, I WAS NOT raised under the teaching of eternal security. Far from it. My Grandfather preached the Gospel for nearly 60 years and, in fact, preached very hard AGAINST such doctrine. Under my Grandfathers preaching, I was born again in 1990. All was well for several weeks. I was full of joy and faith in the Lord. I finally had a "peace that passes all understanding". It didn't take long, however, for the enemy to attack. First, He attacked the validity of my salvation. "How do you know you're saved? Can you be sure? What if you're not?" I was hounded, day and night, by these questions. Soon, you guessed it, my joy was gone. Sadly, I slipped back into sinful habits. But, this time it was different. I found myself committing these old sins again, but not to the enjoyment I previously had. I actually hated them! I was miserable. Under the doctrine I was raised in, I now was "lost" again, and needed to be "re-saved". But, somehow, that made no sense at all. How could I, or anyone, be "un-born" after they were "born again"? I WAS SO CONFUSED!!! While at a Christian bookstore one day, I saw Dr. Stanley's book. I flipped through the pages. Could this "eternal security" be true? Well, I decided to spend the money and buy the book. It's teachings were totally the opposite of all the doctrine I had been taught all my life, but I saw myself on every page. Wanting to do good, but falling short. (Paul had this same problem in Romans 7.) The book in no way condones sin, but it does condone the Grace of God that is greater than any sin. To make a long story short, besides the Bible, Dr. Stanley's book "Eternal Security" has helped me more than any! Thank you Dr. Stanley for teaching the Truth, knowing it wouldn't be accepted by many. (Just read some the other reviews listed here!) By the way, I now Pastor a church and am truely discovering that "He will never leave us, nor forsake us"! Things have changed a lot since I gave my life to the Lord in 1990, but I've discovered that He's not a quitter. He is Faithful and True and will not deny Himself. Eternal security does not free us TO sin, as some mistakenly believe, but rather, it frees us FROM sin! The Truth makes us free!

This book is a must-read for anyone hung up on religious rules & regulations! The book is easy to read and understand, and Mr. Stanley's practical approach is sure to touch anyone that has any doubts on their eternal salvation!

As a Charismatic in theology, I was raised in an atmosphere that was conditioned upon the belief that it was possible for a born-again christian to fall away and lose the salvation they had. Although it wasn't constantly spoken about, the belief lurked in the theological background as a sort of warning to luke-warm believers. Interesting thing that I have noticed is that not one preacher who believes this can state exactly at what point and what degree of sin will cause this precious loss. Interesting. I had had nagging doubts about "conditional security" for many years and the theological contradiction that goes with it. Then I found Dr. Stanley's book.Charles Stanley has done a masterful job of tackling tough scriptures and dealing with the issue from both sides - exploring every nuance. Although I differ slightly on his handling of Heb 6:4-6, I am in agreement that it does not refer to losing one's salvation (but that is splitting hairs and being bald, I don't have many to split with!)In general, if you believe in the unconditional eternal security of the believer, you will find this book a refreshing and vibrant polemic against "maintenance-based" salvation. If you do not believe in eternal security, still this book provides a foundation as to why those of us who are fear-free in regards to our security believe this way.