How Can Eternal Life Be Lost?

[elvisman]

Dear gang:

I was wondering how to respond to a Protestant friend who says that 1) eternal life is posessed by the regenerated beleiver even before he ends up in heaven, and 2) this life cannot be eternal if in fact it can be lost through mortal sin or apostasy.

And so I am asked, “How can you posess eternal life, if inf act your spiritual life can be forefeited?”

How do I answer this?

Thanks!

Ask your friend what he/she thinks of what St. Paul told the Philipians (2:12):
"So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling."

Ask him/her what they think of what Jesus Himself told the apostles: (Matt. 24-13)
"But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved."

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[mikeledes]

This is about the thrid time I post this link, but I think it is very helpful in answering this question:

ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/stewart_security_jan07.asp

This quote from that article is very interesting:

Regarding the first objection, “losing salvation” is not the termination of one’s own eternal life, but ceasing to participate in the one and only eternal life of God. It is impossible for God to give man eternal life independent of His own, as that would mean “creating God”, which is as impossible as creating a “square circle.” Thus, “losing salvation” occurs when one voluntarily rejects inclusion in the life of God by seriously violating the righteousness and holiness of His Trinitarian communion.

Regarding the second objection, while the first birth irrevocably makes man God’s image according to human nature, the second birth makes man God’s child through a share in the Divine nature, which is utterly beyond human nature (i.e., supernatural) (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). Thus man may voluntarily cease to share in God’s nature and still remain man.

Eternal life is found in Christ. As long as we are in Christ, we partake of this life that is in Him, just as a branch partakes of the life in a Vine. What ceases is not eternal life, but our partaking of it.

God Bless,
Michael

 

[NotWorthy]

Michael, thanks for re-posting that. Too often we ignore what the early Church taught on these matters.

 

[Nita]

In discussing eternal life, it’s important to understand “life” in the sense that Jesus used it. I don’t think it’s meant to be understood as equivalent to existence. We will all have eternal existence, but not all will have eternal “life”; some will experience eternal “death”.

Nita

 

[Socrates4Jesus]

The point is that Scripture, particularly John’s Gospel, depicts eternal life as something already posessed by the beleiver, in the here-and-now.

All who are born again posess eternal life, even in this life.

But how is this salvation, this eternal life, “eternal” if in fact it can be lost?

The Catholic Answers tract(s) do not answer this.

I tried explaining to my friend that we posess eternal life in seed form, as a foretaste of future glory, but I was that was just my reading into the text(s) what isn’t already there.

There were three theories posed in this discussion thread that you might find helpful:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=140139

They were:

1. 
   *]We receive eternal life now, as a present possession that we begin living now on this side of eternity and continue to live on the other side of eternity.
   *]We receive eternal life now as a future possession (like money in the bank) that we will not begin living until after their mortal bodies die.
   *]God is eternal life, therefore, when we say we receive eternal life, we are really receiving Him. When we lose eternal life we are losing Him, and He does not cease to exist even though we have lost Him. So there is no contradiction with Christ’s words in John’s gospel.
   Position (1) is the position that Protestants such as Calvinists and Baptists hold. Position (2) is the one that Catholics and some Protestants (such as Wesleyans, Methodists, and Pentecostals) hold. Position (3), which i find fascinating, was held by at least one extremely insightful Catholic at the discussion thread for which i provided a link.