Life in the Son

Life in the Son must be seriously considered as the final word on the hellish doctrine of "once saved always saved". Eternal security a.k.a. "the perseverance of the saints" is the final petal of the dying tulip of Calvinism. The teaching of "once saved always saved" is the last bastion of John Calvin's doctrine which still thrives within most of today's churches. Life in the Son correctly takes the position that God's eternal life is to be found only in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and that His eternal life is enjoined only to those who ultimately and faithfully "abide" in Christ and remain "in Him". The devilish idea that Christians can turn away from Christ and His holiness; turn back to the world and continue in sin yet still be saved and go to Heaven is a deception from the pits of Hell, where unfortunately many backslidden and apostate Christians may sadly wake up one day. Robert Shank expertly and thoroughly examines each scripture which eternal security proponents attempt to twist to fit their own philosophy. The author expertly dispels every distortion of the gospel and continually demonstrates that the clear, simple, literal meaning of scripture does not teach that believers unconditionally own eternal life in themselves, but rather that it is the sole possession of God and God alone who grants it to those who "endure until the end" (Matt. 24:13). The myth of eternal security must be exposed no matter how many would teach that Jesus did not really mean the many warnings He gave like John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." The doctrine of unconditional eternal security in which Christians are led to believe that there are no consequences to fulfilling the lusts of the flesh creates a false sense of security where some believers enter into a dangerous game of "just how much can I get away with" with the holy God who hates sin so much he sent His Son to die on a cross. Oh that men would hate sin equally. Christ's sacrifice was to release men from the power of sin, not that they may continue in it. Life in the Son truly is one of the most profoundly important books I have ever read, at so many levels. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for the truth to these eternally important questions.

Dr. Shank gives an erudite, compelling (and in my opinion, correct) treatment of the doctrine of eternal security, which is so tightly bound up in the tenets of strict reformed theology. The beauty of the book is that he relies so heavily on scripture to back his points up. In a nutshell, he rejects the doctrine; if you want to know why, you need to read it (or at least see what he does with the scriptures traditionally used to support the notion). If not, please be intellectually honest and don't assert that you know why his conclusion is wrong, having never heard his argument. Highly recommended, for proponents of the doctrine, and opponents as well.

I had personally misinterpreted many passages of Scripture on the subject of Eternal Security for many years until a friend recommended this book. Wow. Dr. Shank gives a most thorough and in fact exhaustive study, dressing down every one of my misunderstandings and showing that I was often failing to see the trees for the forest. His point ultimately is not that we must earn our salvation, of course, but that there can come a point where we can reject the gift God has given. This falls under the same heading as the "unpardonable sin" in that it takes quite a bit to get there, but once there it is impossible to renew (Hebrews 6). "Life In the Son" is not a breezy read; it is for the serious student of theology and Biblical doctrine. While the saved person will persevere regardless of his/her understanding of this doctrine, there are many baby Christians who are led into misunderstanding and thus into license. For their sake it is critical that we be doctrinally correct, espeically those of us who teach, whether in Bible school, our children, or babes in Christ. No matter what you've read on this topic, don't think you have it settled until you've read "Life In the Son."

Absolutely wonderful! This book was tremendously helpful for me as I wrestled with the question of eternal security. If anyone is seeking objective truth within the Scriptures, this is it. A book has not been written as clearly and profoundly as this. After reading this book it was clear what the Scriptures teach. An excellent book for anyone who is willing to be humble enough and accept truth. You cannot question his conclusions simply because he sticks to what the Word of God says in it's original context and language.

This is an invaluable book, particularly to Southern Baptists seeking to know what the Bible really teaches about the security of the believer. I speak as a former Southern Baptist.