Charles Stanley, a pastor often taught of this doctrine of "ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED". He often quoted that a Christian who backslides will not be forfeited of heaven itself, only the rewards of it. Let us examine carefully what he always says in his sermon. He has an interpretation regarding the parable of the Talents, that the Christians who do not work out their salvation will still be saved and he has a wrong interpretation regarding the "outer darkness" in Matthew 25:30:
“Where is this place represented by the ‘outer darkness’ in
Jesus’ parables? To be in the ‘outer darkness’ is to be in the kingdom
of God but outside the circle of men and women whose faithfulness on
this earth earned them a special rank or position of authority. The
‘outer darkness’ represents not so much an actual place as it does a
sphere of influence and privilege.”
But note: The punishment given by the master to the servant is an outer darkness. Let us reread again the passage of Matthew 25:30 in the light of the original context:
Matthew 25:26-30
"But his master
answered him, 'You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know
that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not
winnowed? Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest.So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.
And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth'"
See? The outer darkness is not Heaven, it sounds like Hell! Why? Because it is Hell. Let us read another passage from the same book of Matthew wherein Jesus said something like this:
"But those who belong to the Kingdom will be driven out into the OUTER DARKNESS, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12)
There is no "OUTER DARKNESS" in Heaven. Why? Let us read from the book of Revelation 21:23,
"The City will have no need of the sun or the moon to shine on them BECAUSE THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHINES ON THEM AND THE LAMB IS ITS LAMP"
See? Outer Darkness cannot be Heaven because The Lord's Glory and the Lamb's lamp is with them. So, the possibility is Hell itself because "OUTER DARKNESS" means separation from God's presence. I don't know if Mr. Stanley really studied and understood Matthew 25:14-30. This verse DOES NOT support Eternal Security, but rather, Conditional Security which the Catholic Church is teaching for over 2000 years prior to the Reformation.
That's the effect if you have accepted Christ as your Savior and still living in sin unless you repent.
2 Peter 2:20-22, "If people have escaped the corruptions of this world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then again caught up by them, such people are in worst shape in the end than they were at the beginning. It would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command given to them. What they are doing only shows that the proverbs are true, 'A dog goes back to what it has vomited' and ' A pig washed already is back to roll in the mud'"
This is the image of Charles Stanley, an Eternal Security teacher
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