Growing up in a couple different General Baptist Churches, I can't really remember many discussions about theology, but I can remember that we were taught that we could lose our salvation....it follows that most Sundays we would be preached a sermon that would be described as evangelistic.....I was blessed in that the ministers I sat under growing up were good men, who didn't fall away into some immorality etc as many smaller and larger churches pastors have over the years....it took me some time to think this through but it was an obvious conclusion....IF A PERSON CAN LOSE THEIR SALVATION, THEY WILL! In fact, you'd lose it every day....So it follows that every Sunday we heard some semblance of a fire and brimstone evangelistic message .... having said that, I remember one Saturday while I was preparing a sermon, it was raining outside and I really couldn't do much of anything all day so I decided to do some research on the founder of the General Baptist denomination, Benoni Stinson....From what I can gather, he was an excellent orator and debater, and had a heart for God and evangelism.....I also think he felt it very necessary to speak out against the evils of what we would now call "hyper Calvinism" [no need for furtherance of that for now].....I read where he debated a minister named Joel Hume in Owensville, IN in they year 1863 for 5 days over the doctrine of the Atonement.....it's actually a fascinating read and can be found on various websites if you just google Stinson Hume debate.....anyhow they debated for 5 days basically over mans ability or inability to receive the doctrines of grace on his own ..... I noticed one topic they never debated in those 5 days however.....they never debated whether a man could lose his salvation.....would you like to know why?? Because Benoni Stinson, the founder of the General Baptist denomination, believed in the eternal security of the true believer, that's why.....Over the years I found out that the orthodox position of all Protestant Reformed Churches was that true believers were secure in their salvation [The Roman Catholic Church has always believed salvation is through the church itself, so of course they want you to believe you can be excommunicated ie, lose your salvation].....but over time, certain sects of different denominations and denominations altogether began to reason that one could in fact, lose their salvation.....

In 1949 the General Baptist Denomination, long after Brother Stinsons passing, went the way of other sects and denominations and rewrote their doctrine book to say that man has a free will and can give his salvation away .... 

Now I'm going to refute that notion in 20 seconds time.....if Benoni Stinson were alive, he would have slapped the committee that were putting this doctrine change together in 1949....by simply asking 2 questions: 

1. What is Salvation?

We can't use our feelings to answer this question....we can't use our experience to answer this question.....we can only use Scripture to answer this ..... 
Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV 1900) — 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
there is literally no other scriptural answer for the definition of salvation more clear than this one.....if you add anything to this, you are corrupting the Word of God 

I asked a guy who grew up in a holiness church, what is salvation....his answer was....well it is by grace through faith, and obedience.....I stopped him there....I asked, is obedience an evidence of salvation or a requirement? He said, a requirement....he gave himself away that fast

I said you realize that obedience is a work right?? And it is also very subjective....you see, people who believe things like this are the most miserable of all Christians....don't believe me? Read HA Ironsides classic book "Holiness, the false and the true" 

So, scripturally speaking, salvation is by grace through faith, not of works lest any man should boast....

what do all people who are truly saved have in common?? We would all give God the glory for saving us....we would never say something like, well I decided the Christian life was the best life.....because I like to live right and do good things.....

No! Salvation is not by works but by grace through faith.....and God always gets the glory.....

So now, for my 2nd question:

2. If Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works....I'm not going to ask you if you can lose your salvation, I'm going to ask you how can you keep it?? 

You get it?? if you say well, I keep it by praying, by reading, by witnessing, by etc etc etc......again what is salvation?? grace through faith, not by works.....these things we do BECAUSE we are saved, not to keep us saved [there will/should be evidence of salvation in true believers!]....the passage in the very beginning of my now lengthy post gives us the answer as to how one keeps their salvation:
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

see how all that works together?? It is God who keeps us.....Jesus said He'd leave the 99 and go get the one lost sheep [true believer]....our salvation is secure in Jesus Christ.....if someone says, well I lost my religion?? Let me explain to you what that person is.... not a true believer but a make believer.....that is the famous J Vernon McGee line:  "I believe in the security of the believer and in the insecurity of the make believer" 

So I can consider myself an "Orthodox General Baptist" haha.....I doubt most GB's even know that this doctrine was changed in 1949....I guarantee the 2 questions I asked above would withstand any argument from any of their "legal scholars" as though they had any....life is difficult enough as it is....I feel like we need to make the Bible as simple to understand as possible without losing the main theme.....the main theme isn't mans works, my friends....the main theme is the work of God in man through Jesus Christ....and this isn't a willy nilly here today gone tomorrow thing.....that's foolishness....this work is for eternity.....and beyond AMEN! 

May God bless your day! Next post I will explain my theory as to why the man made doctrine of "losing your salvation" came into existence outside of the Roman Catholic Church....until then....God bless you 

Mark 9:21–24 (KJV 1900) — 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

These verses are obviously life verses for the Christian walk.....The Bible teaches us that there are 3 things that will abide: faith, hope, and charity.....faith will ALWAYS be around......so how do we answer the cynic who says that faith is nothing more than blind ambition? I should probably just answer that question with more from the Standard [the Bible].....the man above admits his faults to the Lord....he has a child that is possessed by a demon....back in those days demon possession was very rampant....Jesus came along and gave believers power over all the power of the enemy....but this Dad came to Jesus IN FAITH that the Lord could heal his son.....Jesus said if you can believe....all things are possible to him that believes! 

I want to take a moment and speak about people who take Scripture and corrupt its meaning.....true believers aren't  lustful, carnal, selfish and prideful people.....so when a so called "preacher" tells you that all you have to do to "get what you want" is believe, he himself is just believing you'll be dumb enough to send him money so he can get what he wants.....but let's take the text at it's proper context.....this man had a need [desire for his child], and he came to Jesus......this speaks volumes.....the world we live in today, people sniffle and they call the doctors office.....a child cries and it's off to the ER....now, I'm not against doctors by any means, the Gospel writer Luke was a physician, but I want to focus on the text above and priority.....Jesus said all things are possible to them that believe....but it's important to note He started off with "IF THOU CANST BELIEVE".....you see, I happen to believe that everybody can, but not everybody will.....where is faith on your list of priorities? When we feel bad, when our children feel bad, when we or our loved ones have issues, spiritual or physical....what is our first step? 

Can you hear Jesus, If thou canst believe.....

You know I trust that we all have been healed numerous times in our lives.....mention the word cancer and everybody gets nervous....I dare say every human body has a cancer growth in it somewhere.....just whether it begins to grow out of control or not is the question....let me ask you something: do you take time to thank God for any ability you have to function? 

The most important part of what Jesus said above is if we believe.....the most important part of what we are doing in our spiritual lives is the believing part....believing God is sovereign.....believing He is able.....believing He cares......yes, "all things are possible to him that believeth" ..... the most wonderful part of being a Christian is that we KNOW that no matter what we experience, His Presence will transcend our weakness in that moment.....we will die one day, nobody doubts that truth....but until we do, we live in full confidence that our Lord is right here by our sides....just a prayer away.....

So what about the cynic? Well, do you remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man? Lazarus stood at the rich mans door and begged for crumbs....he died and went to heaven [I guess he needed a good name it claim it preacher but alas, those are only in 21st century America]....the rich man died and went to hell [hades, the temporary place for those who reject Christ in the this life].....the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus down to warn his family about this hell he was now experiencing....he said please let me go and warn them, they'll believe me then.....Abraham said something prophetic....he said no they won't believe even if one were to come back from the dead.....this is prophetic in that Jesus Christ rose from the tomb....was seen of 500 witnesses.....the Romans had a centurion [huge army of killers] guarding His tomb and yet He came out....now common sense would tell us that the Romans and the Jews who killed Jesus would just admit they were wrong, am I right?? Just take the Loss on this one, and let's all worship Jesus, isn't that what should have happened??  The point.....they still didn't believe.....the cynic will always be a cynic....

​true believers know that faith isn't "blind" ... it wasn't a blind faith that caused us to change directions in life....a direction that will last for an eternity....so how about your faith and it's priority in life?? 

All things are possible to him that believes! God bless you all today