Thinking back on the many years that I believed myself saved, I ponder what exactly was the security I had back then. If there are indeed untold numbers of people holding to that very same surety (which is surety without substance), then from where does that confidence come?
Scripture makes plain that the saved receive the grace of Christ. His Righteuousness is foreign to us and His work upon the cross is His and His alone! For the one who comes falsely, he holds to these same truths, the difference is that his is without Spirit, and the Spirit brings understanding where head knowledge cannot. It is not my intent to expose the roots of false evangelism in what is being written here, but I can say the motivation for such evangelism as I understand it, comes by well meaning men, operating in the flesh and not in the Spirit. That does not mean that they do not have the Spirit. It just means that sometimes even those having the Spirit operate apart from Him. It is the steadying of the Ark. It is the preference to favor the reason from the flesh over the voice of God. It is sewn with good intention, but disregarding Spiritual constraint, it produces a horrible crop.
An incomplete gospel delivered to an audience knowing no better, will be received as full disclosure in the minds of those hearers. They will trust the deliverer to not withhold vital information. Given that they are called at some point to make a decision, that in itself becomes problematic. What kind of decision will be made based on partial truths and much repressed information which is also the fullness of the gospel? That audience will always assume full disclosure. When prompted to make a decision in favor of burning eternally or not, they will not have much to debate within themselves. It will be a decision of the flesh procured by evangelism devised in the flesh. It pomotes more a trust in a system to be saved than in God to do the saving. In their defense, they have no discrening Spirit to know better, for there has been no Spirit imparted to them. So faith in God evidenced by dramatic change in what was a sinners life is now substituted by a logical decision. One can say the truth of Christ is foolishness to man just as it was said of the Gentiles that would reject such truth, but it is not a hard decision to not want to suffer in eternity in this deficient gospel. It is a natural decision. Without the Spiritual impartation that comes by regeneration, the change in ones life in the false salvation is a mere combination of disciplines according to what the conscience can handle mixed with some truths of Christ. Once again, exactly how far can that penetrate one who has only a conscience and no Spirit to work within will be superficial at best. Does one think the human mind will not work every angle of such a empty profession?
A necessity of the gospel is death. First Christ, then our own. Christ has spoken of the seed that must die before it lives. In the gospel of the falsely assured there is but one death and that is Christ's. No small sacrifice all would agree, but by His very lips He describes the accompanying death necessary for the seed that will die and then come to life. This happens at the point of salvation and every day following for the one who has died and been resurected into the new life. It is tested by God who desires to show His true children that which robs them of what they love most.
The one secure in the false security has not really come to life.( born again ) He will not consider the same robbery a serious offense. He is blind to what the every day tests should reveal. One who rests in false security, has it in the back of his mind, that a day may come when he will be put to the ultimate test. The day may come when he will be called to choose Christ over the world at the cost of his life. It is a day in his mind that he will prove himself, but that day never comes. Every day had its tests but the falsely secured does not concern himself with the everyday. Not as long as he knows there exists that future day when he knows he will be able to make that one vital decision. That test being when a clear line is marked in the sand. A line that tests his willingness to give up his life for Christ versus saving it and denying Christ. Though that day never comes it won't matter. As long as he can say in his mind, I would give my life vs deny Christ. Here is his confidence.
What he fails to recognized is that that test comes daily. Sure there are no dire conditions and no shinning saber to etch that distinguishable line in the sand, that happens in cinema. Instead the tests come in the small of things (which are enormous in the life of the true believer). Are you in love with Christ so much that you desire to fellowship with Him more than any other? Are you as smitten with Him as you were your first love so that you thirst to know more about Him as you did the prior? Are you embarraassed by Christ and so withold His truth fearing the rejection of the perishing? Are you inconvenienced by Christ with the time you have? Do possessions make you feel more secure than Christ. Do you run to man for companionship, fellowship or even solice vs seeking Jesus? Do you channel your righteous anger in prayer where He works miracles or seek to find ways around bringing everything to Him? Are you motivated by pride to study scripture for knowledge that neither draws you closer to Him nor exaults Him? Do you see abundant grace flowing like Niagra and sanctification as it were a trickle of water seen in super slow motion. Do you feel the confidence that comes with being saved once but never being concerned that each day you are covered by his precious blood? Do you take for granted that precious blood in holding to the things of this world?
I do believe there is a greater confidence in the falsely secured than the true believer.