Thus, according to you, Christ's love is conditional and able to be withdrawn. That's not security; that's manipulative and temportal.
Eternal security is knowing that if God knows everything, He already knows who will sit with Him in heaven and who won't. So in God's mind, it is set in stone. If we are graced by God's touch to know Christ and follow his lead, we realize Christ's sacrifice has allowed us to be counted among those with God.
That's security. And it's eternal.
It is not based on what we do after we believe. It is based on the fact that we do believe.
BTW Doc, how do you know that you are elect? What process did you go through so that you knew you that you had done what is necessary to convince yourself that you were one of the "elect"?
And how do you KNOW that you have eternal life?
Is it based on the fact that after you believed that you have managed to live a good life? Is it based on the fact that after you believed you are able to keep his commandments? Or is it based on the fact that after you believed you fulfilled your end of the promise (you believed) and now it is God's responsiblity to give you the eternal life that He promised to those who believe?
The 'conditional' aspect of salvation ends when we accept the free gift of salvation (Rom.6:23), offered to all men (Jn.3:16).
Once we respond to God's love, then God's love becomes unconditional based on the new relationship that has been entered into.
Eternal security is knowing that if God knows everything, He already knows who will sit with Him in heaven and who won't. So in God's mind, it is set in stone.
That God knows who would freely respond to His free offer is not contested.
If we are graced by God's touch to know Christ and follow his lead, we realize Christ's sacrifice has allowed us to be counted among those with God.
And we know that Christ promised to draw all men to Him and tasted death for all men.
Thus, all man has to do is accept the gift offered to Him by a merciful and loving God.
If they do, they cannot be lost (in the Church Age), but if they do not, then the wrath of God does fall on them (Jn.3:36) because they rejected God's love.
That's security. And it's eternal
Were the Old Testament saints 'predestinated' to this eternal security?
Not according to Exodus 33:32 they weren't!
Eternal security is a New Testament doctrine based on Union with Christ, becoming the Body and Bride of Christ, not unconditional election.