On his website, Arminian Perspectives, Ben Henshaw has a questions page at which he answers questions about Arminianism and Calvinism that visitors to his site pose in the comment section of the page. Here is a comment on that page by a woman named Sally in favor of “eternal security” followed by Ben’s answer:
Comment:
1 John 2:19
19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
If they had REALLY belonged to the body – THEY WOULD HAVE REMAINED
Answer:
I agree that they did not belong to the body when they left, but that does not mean they never did (prior to their defection). That is a conclusion that must be read into the text. See the following link for more: https://arminianperspectives.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/does-1-john-218-19-support-the-calvinist-never-saved-to-begin-with-view-of-apostasy/
Addendum:
Sally appealed to 10 different passages in favor of “eternal security” in one post, and we are devoting one post to each passage to share Ben’s concise, compelling replies. At the end of his reply to Sally responding to all her comments, Ben made some final comments that we are including in each of these posts that gives one of Ben’s answers:
Personally, it is not a big deal for me if you want to hold to eternal security, so long as that belief does not cause you to take your faith and relationship with Christ less seriously. I am only addressing your comments because I want you to see why such verses are not very convincing to those who reject eternal security, especially in light of the numerous warnings in Scripture to remain, continue, and endure, etc. If God causes our faith to endure irresistibly, then it would be nonsense for God to also call on His people to remain, continue, endure, etc. It would be like telling someone hooked to a respirator to “keep breathing.”
I would love to believe that God will never let believers fall away. Who wouldn’t want to believe that? The only reason I reject it is because I am convinced the Bible does not teach it.
