As a former Catholic who converted to Biblical Christianity and was baptized in a Southern Baptist church, I am amazed that a Protestant could let go of his eternal security in favor of a religion that calls such assurance a “sin of presumption”. I’ve even asked a few and not one has been able to answer that question yet.
There will be a Judgment. A Particular Judgment when we die and a Last Judgment. If your ticket is already punched, that Judgment is essentially a complete waste of time. A mere formality........."Hi Jesus, it's me. Let me through. My reservation is already made, remember? Deal with these other poor shmucks."
It isn't a formality.
Jesus announced the Judgment of the last day in his preaching. During this Judgment, both the secrets of hearts and our deeds will be judged.
"For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: nor hidden, that shall not be known. For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness, shall be published in the light: and that which you have spoken in the ear in the chambers, shall be preached on the housetops."
Luke 12: 2-4
"For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved. But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God."
John 3: 20-21
"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel."
Romans 2:16
"Therefore judge not before the time; until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise from God."
1 Cor 4:5
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And yes, works are important. Our attitude to our neighbor will indicate whether we have accepted or refused God's love, as explicitly stated in Matthew's Gospel:
"But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
Matt 5:22
And again.......
"Judge not, that you may not be judged, For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
Matt 7: 1-5
The real clincher, though, comes right at the end of Matthew's Gospel when Jesus makes it plain that our actions towards our brother will determine our eternal destiny.
"And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me. Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee? And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me".
Matt 25: 31-40.
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A mere gut feeling that one has already been saved is clearly not going to cut it at the Final Judgment.
Yes, yes, I know what you're going to say. You're going to quote to me John 3:
"For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him. He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 3: 17-18
This does not mean that each man will not be judged on the last day. It means that by rejecting grace in this life, we condemn ourselves by rejecting God's love. Jesus came into the world to save, not to judge but there will be a judgment at the end.
Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1 Cor 3: 13-14
For if we sin wilfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins but a certain dreadful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire which shall consume the adversaries. A man making void the law of Moses, dieth without any mercy under two or three witnesses: How much more, do you think he deserveth worse punishments, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath esteemed the blood of the testament unclean, by which he was sanctified, and hath offered an affront to the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said: Vengeance belongeth to me, and I will repay. And again: The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10: 26-31
Until the day we die, the book of our deeds remains open. That is another reason why we cannot presume our ticket is already punched. St. Paul mentions his own fear of being lost when he talks about chastising his body:
"But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway."
1 Cor 9:27
Does that sound like a complacent man? It isn't.
"For I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me, is the Lord.
1 Cor 4:4
That's a man saying that God will judge me. My conscience does not accuse me of wrongdoing but God will be the final judge. That's the very opposite of presumptuousness.
I’ve even asked a few and not one has been able to answer that question yet.
They've answered it and you've rejected the answer.
Foolish.
"I'm already saved" is latter day heresy. A rotten fruit of the tree of subjectivism and individualism to which many cling.