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Sons of God May Backslide
It is important to note the difference between what a Calvinist calls a backslidden Christian and what an Arminian calls a backslidden Christian. To a Calvinist a backslider is still saved, but out of fellowship with God. To an Arminian the backslider has fallen from grace and is no longer saved. Romans 8:13-14 "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God". This sounds a lot like the scriptures discussed earlier in Ezekiel 18 and 33. But Paul is not talking about law; he is talking about the grace and love of God to save those who will do right. God never changes! God will not force any person to follow His leading. If we choose to be led by the devil's lies or the standards of the world instead of following Jesus, then we no longer fit the description of a Son of God, even though we may have at one time. Paul speaks very strongly here about our responsibility to live holy lives and to be led by the Holy Spirit. It is because of this evidence in our lives that we prove to be the sons of God. But if we choose to live after the flesh he says, “ye shall die”. For death is the wages of sin that all will pay who lived in sin. If we are sons, then we must also live like sons, or we will not receive the eternal inheritance from the Father. To die is nothing less than the same spiritual death that also leads to the second death, which is also eternal. There is no separation between the death that a sinner has in them and what a backslidden Christian possesses. Death is death, and results in the same eternal condition for all who receive it. One commonly used statement used by many Calvinists is "once a son, always a son". They will say that just as our earthly father will always be our father regardless of what we may do, so it is with our heavenly Father once we have been made a son. There is some truth in this statement. The Bible says in Jeremiah 3:14 "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion". God will not leave us nor forsake us. He still promises to save the backslider, “If they will turn” from their sinful ways. But it is we who leave or forget him. All Jews were always and still do consider themselves Sons of God. Calvinists claim that backsliders, who really got saved at some point in their lives, also share this son-ship, along with every other Christian in the world. This call to repentance in Jeremiah was to God’s chosen people the Israelites; in whom God said He was married to, because of His covenant with Abraham. The Bible does not say that the same applies to those under grace; in which “once a son, always a son” could then be true. But even if “Once a son, always a son” were true, it still does not prove eternal salvation unconditionally. It is interesting to read this story that Jesus told in Luke 16:22-25. "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented". In this story the rich man called Abraham father, and Abraham called him son. Yet the son was in hell in torments. He was an heir of salvation under the covenant that God made with Abraham. But salvation is not eternal for an individual without conditions. It is still an individual responsibility, and must be maintained.
Matthew 8:12 "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth". (KJV) Matthew 8:12 "But the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (ASV)
From looking at the scriptures, simply being a son or child of God isn't enough to secure our salvation. If our salvation is secure, it is only because we are not only called a son, but we also walk as a son should walk. This is why many of both Jews and Christians have been cut off: because of unrighteousness and disobedience to God, not walking as sons. It isn’t about the blood of Jesus or different dispensations such as “law” and “grace”. The provisions of God are not received without conditions. It is all about the heart of man and his willingness to follow God’s plan and His ways, rather than his own. A person who does things their own way instead of Gods is not walking as a son should walk. They even have never been saved to begin with, or they are a “Prodigal son” that is away from the father, and must return in order to be saved.
Galatians 4:7-9 "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" Here Paul is asking the Church of the Galatians, how it is that after they had become sons of God that they would return again unto the bondage of Idolatry that God had brought them out of. Notice also that he said they know God and God knows them. But we should know that the Bible teaches harshly against any form of Idolatry. And they were in danger of falling away, back into the same bondage they came out of, after being known of God. Calvinists would assume that these are saved and cannot lose their salvation because they are “known” by Christ. But not only does the Bible not say that one who is known cannot lose salvation, the scriptures specifically warn born again believers of falling into such sins, in which will bring definite separation between then and Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:21 says "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils". And in Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon". It should be clear to anyone that if the Galatians would have returned to idolatry, that they could not have possibly continued in salvation through Christ. They, like all Christians today, must choose their master and which cup they will drink from! In Luke 15:11-32 is the well-known parable of the Prodigal son. This is an example of a backslidden child of God, who at first lived with the father in his father’s house. This is a picture given by Jesus of our heavenly Father, and one of His earthly sons (a Christian). He was without a doubt saved, and he was a son of the father. But he chose to leave it all to go after the lusts of the world and dwell outside of the father’s house and out of His hand of protection. When he finally realized that he was in trouble and decided to return to the father, his brother became jealous when the father went all out to celebrate his return. And the father said in verse 32, “for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found”. He said he was dead, meaning spiritually, but is alive Again, because he returned with a heart of repentance to the father’s house. This shows that he was alive once before (saved), but had died to the father (backslid), being separated from him. After he realized he made a big mistake, he returned to the father’s house (Repentance). When we were dead and separated from God by our sin, Jesus opened the way so that we could have a relationship with the father, whom sin had made us dead to. But if we are saved, we are also now alive in Him and no longer dead to Him. The son, like many backsliders was not a false teacher, a hypocrite, nor had he committed the unpardonable sin. This is obvious by his willingness to return and the fathers overwhelming welcome of his return. The son was always a son, but was dead in sin, of which the penalty is death. Salvation is evident in the fact that we have been saved from our old life of sin, and able to fellowship with our Lord. If we leave that relationship and go into that life of sin, then we cannot possibly be saved. What are we saved from if we are in the same bondage? There is no salvation! Most backsliders are in a different category from those who reject Christ by their blasphemous speech and might blaspheme the Holy Ghost. Most backsliders do not normally reject Christ with such speech, but with their lifestyles, as did the prodigal son. Another problem with stating “Once a son, always a son”, is the fact that we were once ‘Children of wrath” and “children of the devil”. If once we are born into a family means that we cannot ever leave that family, then we could never be saved to begin with. We were all part of Satan’s family as his own children of disobedience. But we left his family and became children of God. In this case it is a good thing that “Once a son, always a son” is not true! But by the grace of God through faith God has provided salvation for all; but many will refuse or even walk away after knowing it.
Ephesians 2:3 “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
1 John 3:10 “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
The Apostle Paul concluded this thought by saying in Ephesians 5:8 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
Well known Pastor and writer, Charles Stanley, is known for his radio and television shows, and books he has written. He has written a book called “Eternal Security”, with the subtitle “Can You Be Sure?” Charles Stanley is a Calvinist who was raised in an Arminian Church, believing as an Arminian, until later when he converted to Calvinism. Stanley addresses many issues that I will refute later in this book. But one of the main subjects that he discusses in several chapters of his book is the subject of “Adoption”. His main point throughout these chapters is in form of a question; how can a person who has been adopted become un-adopted? This is not possible, as the whole purpose of adoption is because you want the child. Unlike an abortion, children are adopted because the person doing the adopting wants them, and just the same, God wanted us. Stanley spends a lot of time to prove that our adoption cannot be reversed. But what he and other Calvinists miss, is that Arminians do not necessarily disagree with them on this point. The Prodigal son was a son of God. The Father did not kick him out of the house, reject him in any way, nor did He ever stop loving him. It was the choice of the son to leave the Fathers house and to go after the world. Arminians have been accused of believing that the Father rejects His children and cuts them off from Himself; but this is far from truth. God allows each Christian to decide the path they will take, just like the Prodigal son. If an adopted child rebels against the Fathers wishes, then that child will suffer with the ungodly, unless he or she returns to the Father. God’s love for man and His hatred for sin have never changed. Even from the Old Testament to the New Testament, He has not changed about how He feels toward man and sin. The Jews have always been called the Children or sons of God, but even as His children, unless they turn from sin and toward Christ, they will perish for all eternity. Matthew 8:12 “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” They are God’s Children, but yet many of them will perish! How could it possibly be any different for His adopted children, if those who are considered His natural children may perish?
Romans 11:21-24 “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?” The Apostle is talking about being grafted into the Kingdom of God by salvation through Christ. He says that the Jews have been “cut off” because of their own unbelief, not through Gods judgment on them. They have always been called the Children of God, which nothing could change. But yet, they were cut off from the olive tree, and in need of being grafted back in. Paul continues to say that if we fall into the same unbelief as the Jews, then we also will be cut off; and just the same, if they will believe, then they can be grafted back in. He had mentioned that the goodness of God will be upon us, only if we continue in His goodness. God loves us so much! So much that He will always be there, He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will always be faithful to His promises. But yet He allows us to make choices ourselves. And if we would choose to rebel against His Word, then He will not violate the will He has given us to choose right and wrong. And if we choose wrong, then we could die in our sin, away from Christ and salvation. Christ will certainly keep and protect us, but only as long as we allow Him to be Lord of our lives. As long as we continue in His goodness, then we are Eternally Secure. Any person who will be called a Christian must then walk as a Christian walks, continuing in the faith whereby they were saved. If that same faith does not abide in us then we will not be able to abide in Christ as mention in this scripture in 1 John 2:24-25 “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” We can know that we are saved when we have this kind of relationship with God. There is no need to deceive ourselves into believing we are saved with a false security such as this dangerous doctrine teaches. Those who have salvation abiding in them are abiding in Christ, and they walk as He commanded them. And any true born again believer that has backslid knows that they are not right with God any longer, until they turn from their sinful ways. Most backsliders will recognize their spiritual condition, unless they have been indoctrinated with false security. Or possibly were too ignorant to understand, being a newer Christian. We need to be certain that we walk as sons of God, lest we also fall away. Those who have been misled need to know the truth that can set them free! Calvinists will insist that those who truly got saved, but returned to sin are still saved, but only “out of fellowship” with God. 1 John 1:6-7 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The argument is that if we sin we only lose fellowship with God, but not relationship. Just like the prodigal son was still a son of the father while living a life of sin away from the father. Although this can make sense in the fact that many Christians will slack off in the self-discipline to pray, study the Bible, go to Church, witness, etc., the issue here is not self-discipline, but sin. Lack of disciple in these areas can certainly affect what we know as fellowship with God. But sin separates! It has been said that a son will always be a son, therefore relationship cannot ever be lost. But if this is so then we are still children of the devil! The fact that a son is still a son, as with the prodigal son, only proves that there is still “relation”. But there cannot be “relationship” without “fellowship”. A person without the “ship” is just a “fellow”. And a Christian with only “relation” has made “ship-wreck” of their faith, losing what they once had through fellowship. There is a direct link between relationship and fellowship that allows salvation to exist in our lives. Without fellowship there can be no ongoing relationship, and therefore no salvation.
The confusion that is encountered here is once again by the use of metaphors
that are taken too far. A father/son relationship well describes the relationship
we can have with a loving father. But it in no way was ever meant to say
that salvation could never be lost! But even though many have attempted
to use them in such a way, the Bible still shows us that such cannot possibly
be true. If a person will come to the understanding of this misuse of
metaphors, and then simply look at what the scriptures say, they would
see the truth written throughout the pages of the Bible. Although I have
used metaphors in this book, they are not necessary to prove what the
Bible is saying. Yet Calvinists depend greatly on the use of these phrases
in order to prove their doctrines. The bible is clear the sons of God
may backslide, losing their salvation. I would challenge those who have
not been able to see this in the past to start afresh in their studies,
keeping in mind that the Bible alone can be our only source of interpretation,
and not metaphors such as have been used. 
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