NONE of the verses you cite teach ‘unconditional eternal security’. For example, John 10:28 is taken out of context while verse 27 gets left out.
Jn 10:28 by itself tells us nothing. Verse 27 is needed to tell us who the “they” are that shall never perish. The “they” that shall never perish according to verse 27 are those who are CONDITIONALLY Christ’s sheep. Yet one cannot UNCONDITIONALLY be a sheep of Christ. One must CONDITIONALLY have a sustained hearing and following to be a sheep of Christ.
Therefore if one quits hearing and following Christ all together, then one will not be of Christ’s sheep and will no longer be of the “they” that shall never perish. The passage teaches that salvation is 100% conditional and not unconditional.
One cannot be saved if they quit hearing and following Christ. Stanley says one can quit believing and not be a disciple of Christ and yet still be saved which is totally antithetical to the gospel of Christ.
I disagree COMPLETELY.
You believe God gives a GIFT with a Yo-Yo string attached that comes and goes?
Verse 27: MY sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
These Sheep are those that have truly been saved. I believe those who you say “quits hearing and following Christ all together” were NEVER truly saved to begin with.
I have known folks who profess to be saved and walk and talk like devout Believers. It lasts for a time. Sometimes a long time. THEN they slowly return to their old ways in word and deed, bearing no fruit and exhibiting NO interest in the things of God. It isn’t that the QUIT hearing and following. They NEVER really believed.
If our Eternal Security is based on our efforts, not quitting, always following, being diligent, working as hard as we can, then WHY would Christ have had to die?
Ephesians 2:
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
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.
GRACE is UNMERITED and UNEARNED FAVOR - Not contingent on anything we do.
NOT OF YOURSELVES - Not contingent on ANYTHING we have done, are doing, or will do.
It is the GIFT of God - Not WAGES earned by our efforts to live the right way.
NOT OF WORKS lest any man should boast - Salvation is Christ Plus NOTHING. “Sustained hearing and following” and any other effort(WORK) we do has nothing to do with Salvation and Eternal Security.
With what you believe how could you ever be confident that you have really done enough “hearing and following” to satisfy God? Some people would consider “hearing and following” completely different than other people. How do we know who is doing it right?
I’ll rest in the truth of John 3:16 and the word of the Lord Jesus Christ:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God Loved.
God Gave.
I Believe.
I’m Saved.
Be VERY careful about “adding” to the word of God concerning a part you think we have in ensuring our Eternal Security.