The West Hobbs Street Church of Christ is having our Spring Gospel Meeting this week, April 26-29.

I hope you will come be with us if you live nearby! Otherwise, I hope you will livestream or go back and listen to the sermons as you have the opportunity.

Meeting Times:

* Sunday (9:00 & 10:00 AM; 1:00 PM).

* Monday - Wednesday (7:00 PM).

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When we buy a new car, we are excited about it. We vow that we will take care of that car. We will have it serviced. We will wash it regularly. We will not eat in it. We will drive carefully. We will keep it new for the next 200,000 miles.

In time, the newness wears off. We do not treasure the car the way we did when we purchased it. It gets some dings. We have to eat in it from time to time. We keep it serviced, but we often stretch out the times between service appointments. If the car is dirty, we do not rush to get it washed the way we used to. The car still provides us with the same benefits. The difference is that we do not appreciate the vehicle as a treasure like we once did.

The same can happen in one’s Christian life. We have many treasures given to us to enjoy. But, over time, we don’t appreciate them the way we used to. Some examples include:

* A relationship with the Godhead

* A holy Book that contains God’s words.

* An avenue called prayer that allows us into God’s throne room.

* The cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

* A church family that can love and support us.

* Periods of worship and Bible study.

* Opportunities to serve in various capacities.

* The hope of eternal life.

This is just a short list of the treasures Christians possess. They are worth more than we can possibly imagine. However, we have a tendency to be less grateful for them than we should. They become “common” when they ought to be extremely unique.

Have you ever seen a person have an older car that was in pristine condition? You may have seen the person at the car wash. He may have had the car for 15, 20, or 30 years. That car ran well. It looked almost brand new. When you spoke with the individual, he told you he was the sole owner of the car. How did he do it? How did he maintain the vehicle?

He did so in the same way we must come to appreciate our spiritual treasures. We must have an intentional mindset. We realize we have been blessed. WE never forget what we have. We focus on it each day. In fact, we express our gratitude for our treasure(s) on a regular basis.

“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people” (1 Chron. 16:8).

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever” (1 Chron. 16:34).

Victor M. Eskew preaches for the Oceanside church of Christ in Atlantic Beach, Florida.

The church offers a variety of free Bible study courses for anyone interested in studying God’s word. They also have a large archive of videos on their YouTube channel. I appreciate Victor’s teaching in this article!

This article will conclude our study of “Avoiding Apostasy.” I hope and pray that this study has been pleasing to God, Scripturally accurate, and helpful for all who have been engaged in it.

We have discussed several passages, including Hebrews 3:12, John 10:28, and Revelation 2-3 (the seven churches of Asia). While there are a multitude of passages that emphasize the importance of staying faithful, we want to close by examining one passage in particular, as well as some practical applications that will hopefully help us:

“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble” (2 Pet. 1:10).

The Exhortation.

First, observe the exhortation. Peter is writing to “brethren.” These are Christians who “obtained like precious faith” (2 Pet. 1:1). They had received “exceedingly great and precious promises” as those who had “escaped the corruption that is in the world” (2 Pet. 1:4).

Peter emphatically encourages the brethren to grow and mature in the faith.

The Application.

Second, observe the application. Because they were faithful Christians, Peter exhorts them to stay the course by listing the “Christian Graces” (2 Pet. 1:5-9).

There are eight of these graces and they are encouraged to “add to their (1) faith (2) virtue, and to virtue (3) knowledge, to knowledge (4) self-control, to self-control (5) perseverance, to perseverance (6) godliness, to godliness (7) brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness (8) love."

The phrase “giving all diligence” is rendered “make every effort” (ESV), and “supply” (ASV) pointing to the fact that Christians, those we have obtained salvation in Christ, must stay faithful and continue to grow so we do not “fall” and so we are not “led away with the error of the wicked (2 Pet. 3:17-18).

The Implication.

Third, observe the implication.

“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble” (2 Pet. 1:9-10).

What is implied is that Christians, those who have been “cleansed from his old sins” were told to make their call and election “sure.” The ESV says to “confirm” their call and election, and if they do, they will never fall.

What happens if we don’t do these things? Would it not be possible to fall?

What Must We Do?

So how do we make “our call and election sure?” How do we ensure that Heaven will be our home?

Acknowledge that God is the Judge.

First, you must recognize and appreciate the righteousness of God. His judgment is according to truth (Rom. 2:2). He does not make mistakes, and He will not make any mistakes on the Day of Judgment.

We will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account (2 Cor. 5:10), and the words of Jesus will judge us (John 12:48).

Obey God.

Second, you must obey God. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

Jesus Himself is the Author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9). According to Jesus, those who believe and are baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16) while those who do not obey the Gospel will be lost (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

Be Faithful to God.

Third and finally, after obeying the Gospel of Christ, you must be faithful because it is possible to fall away and lose your salvation (2 Pet. 2:20-22). God will give the “crown of life” to those who are faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10).

Those who exercise their free will to leave the faith will be in danger of losing their salvation and being separated from God for eternity.

Obey God before it is too late!

Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.

Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.

In 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul was thankful for the example of the Christians in Thessalonica.

But it didn’t only encourage Paul. Their example was seen by the world as well.

And that was a powerful thing.

Thus far in our series, we have discussed two main passages: Hebrews 3:12 and John 10:28. These passages, in context, show both the possibility of falling away and the importance of staying faithful.

Now that we have established that the Bible teaches it is possible to fall away, we want to engage in a case study on seven congregations of God’s people who were told by Jesus the importance of staying faithful and avoiding apostasy.

I invite you to the Book of Revelation. Jesus speaks to seven congregations in Asia:

* Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7).

* Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11).

* Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-17).

* Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29).

* Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6).

* Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13).

* Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22).

In each section, Jesus encourages them to stay the course which implies it is possible to fall away and get off track.

Jesus’ Warnings to the Seven Churches

The church in Ephesus.

To the church in Ephesus, He says,

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent…To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Rev. 2:5, 7b).

The church in Smyrna.

To the church in Smyrna, He says,

“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life…He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:10b, 11b).

The church in Pergamos.

To the church in Pergamos, He says,

“Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth…To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat” (Rev. 2:16-17a).

The church in Thyatira.

To the church in Thyatira, He says,

“But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations” (Rev. 2:25-26a).

The church in Sardis.

To the church in Sardis, He says,

"Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you….He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Rev. 3:3, 5).

The church in Philadelphia.

To the church in Philadelphia, He says,

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name” (Rev. 3:10-12).

The church in Laodicea.

Finally, note what Jesus says to the church in Laodicea:

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Rev. 3:19-21).

What This Means

It is essential to notice that Jesus told the saved to repent, stay faithful, as well as giving the conditions for those who overcome.

* Ephesus was told to remember “from where you have fallen” and to “repent.” If it is impossible to fall, why did Jesus emphasize the fact that they had?

* The church at Smyrna was told to “be faithful unto death” in order to receive the “crown of life.” What happens if we don’t remain faithful unto death? Will we receive the crown of life?

* The congregations in Pergamos and Thyatira were both told to overcome and stay faithful to the end.

* The saved at Sardis were told that if they would overcome that they would be clothed in white garments and the Lord would not blot out their names from the Book of Life. We conclude then that their names were in the book (can’t blot them out if they were never there) but also the possibility of the Lord blotting their names out!

* Finally, Philadelphia and Laodicea were also instructed to overcome to receive the reward.

If it were not possible to fall away, why all the warnings? Why the emphasis on repenting? Why the conditions stated with overcoming and staying faithful to the end?

Dear friends, salvation is a gift given by God, but we must obey the conditions He has set forth in His Word to obtain salvation and stay faithful that we might be found saved in the end!

Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.

Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.

Running a race is hard. It can be easy to quit running.

But Scripture urges God’s people not to quit running.

Let us endure by looking to Jesus, and laying aside the things that slow us down and hold us back.

Last week, we began a new series of articles discussing the possibility of apostasy as revealed in Scripture. Some argue that once one is saved, he or she is then never in danger of losing their salvation.

We discussed Hebrews 3:12 last week, which strongly stated:

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12).

This week, we want to examine what has been used as a “proof text” by many to suggest that it is impossible to be lost once you are saved, and that text is John 10:28.

Examine the Text.

First, let’s examine the text itself.

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

It is important to note that Jesus is in the midst of a context in which He is making His claim of being the “Good Shepherd.”

Did you catch the first word in the verse? It is the word “and.” That, of course, suggests that this is a continuation of a previous thought (which we will look at in the next point).

Jesus says, “I give them eternal life.” Who? Jesus. Them? His sheep (John 10:27). What? Eternal life. This is a very encouraging passage that absolutely teaches the authority and love of Jesus Christ to extend eternal life to His sheep, but He also speaks of the conditions His sheep must meet.

The last phrase says, “they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” It is a great encouragement to the faithful child of God to know that salvation is secure in Christ so long as we stay faithful and don’t take ourselves out of His hand!

Examine the Context.

Second, let’s examine the immediate context.

We pointed out the word “and” to show a continuation of a previous statement. What is Jesus talking about in this context? It was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem during the winter (John 10:22).

Jesus walked in the temple and the Jews surrounded Him (John 10:23-24a). They asked Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:24b). Jesus answered, “I told you, and you do not believe…because you are not of My sheep” (John 10:25-26).

Jesus says He has sheep and then goes on to describe what makes them His sheep:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

Please pay close attention to three specific words: “hear,” “know,” and “follow.” All three words are present-tense verbs, which indicate continuous action. Jesus says that His sheep keep on hearing His voice, and He keeps on knowing them, and they keep on following Him!

Now, as we return to the verse under consideration, we should have a better grasp of who and what Jesus is talking about:

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

So long as His sheep faithfully obey Him, they have eternal life, but the opposite is also true: If His sheep do not continue to hear His voice and choose to stop following Him, they will not have eternal life!

Examine the Teaching of the Shepherd.

Third and finally, now that we have examined the passage in its context, we want to notice the overall teaching of Jesus.

Jesus is the “Good Shepherd.” He laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11, 15). His love, guidance, and care are flawless, but His sheep can still leave Him and go back.

People decide to exercise their free will and leave the faith. Sadly, some do not come back.

So can sheep leave the Shepherd? The answer is, “Yes,” they have and they do.

God has gone to extreme measures to provide salvation for all people (John 3:16). His Son tasted death for every man to give mankind the opportunity to be saved (John 1:29; Heb. 2:9). The Holy Spirit has revealed the Gospel plan of salvation through the pages of the New Testament (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Acts 2:22-47).

The Godhead has provided everything that we need, but we still have free will to choose whether or not we will obey and stay faithful. If we do, glory awaits. If we choose to go back into a life of sin and leave the Shepherd, we will have to answer for that decision on the Day of Judgment (2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 17:30-31).

Why not stay faithful to the Good Shepherd so Heaven can be your home?

Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.

Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.

I enjoyed my time at the 2026 Memphis School of Preaching lectures.

This podcast is a brief review of some thoughts I had from my visit back to some of my old stomping grounds.

“Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me” (Psalm 119:133).

Kelsea Ballerini released a haunting song called, I Sit in Parks in 2025. In the song, she tells how she goes and sits in parks, watching a husband and a wife playing with their children. She sees how they love each other, and she wonders if she made the right choice to give up her own marriage and a future family to chase her dreams in music. One line of the song considers the man’s wife and says, “I wonder if she wants my freedom like I wanna be a mother.”

While Ballerini gave it all up for “freedom,” her song reveals that she does not feel very free at all. She supposedly got everything she wanted, but now her life feels very empty, and she wonders if she “missed the mark.”

We took that trip down Music Row to make this point: we all serve something or someone. Even if we chase what we think is “freedom,” we will still be a servant in some way. Many people run from God and His word because they think His way is too restrictive. They want to be free to live the life that they want to live.

But the psalmist points out in Psalm 119:133 that we will either live under the “rule” of God or iniquity. There is no middle ground or third option. If we refuse to let our lives be guided by God’s word, then we will be governed by “vanity” and “wickedness.” The apostle Paul makes this same point, writing to the Christians in Rome.

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18).

Just as there are two eternal outcomes (Matthew 25:46), there are two roads we can choose to walk (Matthew 7:13-14). We either listen to God and obey Him, which leads to eternal life, or we listen to our own desires (1 John 2:15-17) and the temptations of the devil and follow sin, leading to death (James 1:14-15).

Let us store God’s word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11) and trust His word to guide our lives (Psalm 119:105).

Recently, I had a conversation with someone who asked me what I believed regarding eternal security. After explaining to him that while the Bible teaches eternal security in Christ (John 10:28; Tit. 1:2; 1 John 5:13), it also teaches that it is possible to forfeit one’s salvation if one chooses to go back into a life of sin. This triggered a discussion in which the gentleman disagreed, but it has opened the door to some healthy, Biblical discussions.

Have you ever wondered what the Bible teaches about eternal security? Is it possible to fall away, or is the doctrine of “once saved, always saved” true?

This article begins a new series in which we will explore what the Bible says regarding this topic. I hope and pray this will be both informative and helpful for you.

If you noticed how I framed the question above, that was intentional. Someone says it is impossible to fall away, and yet the Bible warns over and over again that it is very possible and has happened!

We want to examine one passage in this study and will explore more passages in future articles. If you have your Bible, I invite you to the Book of Hebrews.

The Holy Spirit addresses Christians who were in danger of leaving the faith. There are warnings all throughout the book, but the following is the one we will focus on today:

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” (Heb. 3:12).

“Beware.”

First, notice the word “beware.” What does that imply? Does it not imply that this is a warning of real danger?

The word “beware” in the original language is “blepo,” which means to “watch carefully, to be vigilant, to be careful.” It is found ten times in the New Testament (Matt. 8:15; Mark 12:38; Acts 13:40; 1 Cor. 8:9; Gal. 5:15; Phil. 3:2 (3x), Col. 2:8; Heb. 3:12). Each time, it has the same meaning, which is significant.

If there was no danger or fear, why use the word “beware?”

“Brethren.”

Second, notice the word “brethren.” This of course is a special term referring to those in the family of God.

Some argue that if one “falls away,” he or she was never saved in the first place. Here, clearly, the Hebrews’ writer is addressing the saved as he says, “brethren.”

So he is telling the saved to beware, but what do they need to beware of?

“Lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.”

Third, we see that the brethren need to beware “lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.”

Note the word “you” as it refers to the saved. It is therefore possible for one who is saved to develop an evil heart of unbelief.

One who believes and obeys can exercise his or her free will and stop believing and start disobeying!

“In departing from the living God.”

Fourth and finally, notice the phrase, “in departing from the living God.” Some say you cannot depart from God and fall away, and yet the Bible says the exact opposite. If it were not possible, why the warning?

The word “departing” literally means to “abandon; put distance between.” In the very next verse, the Hebrews’ writer, in view of the warning just stated, says, "but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13).

Again, notice the “you” is speaking to the saved!

Friends, the Bible is full of warnings like this one to Christians that we must stay the course if we want to be saved in the end and spend eternity with God. We must make our “call and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10) and be “faithful unto death” if we want to receive a crown of life (Rev. 2:10).

Next week, we will examine a very popular text, which has been used to try and prove “once saved, always saved,” which is John 10:28:

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

I encourage you to read John 10 in its entirety in preparation for next week’s article. Thank you for reading, and to God be the glory!

Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.

Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.