Dear Pastor Bob,
Out of all the Folks here at 5 Doves I would consider myself your greatest advocate and doctrinal supporter. Your " In Christ" series has both comforted and encouraged me , i.e. , all your generous letters have expanded my understanding considerably, and again, thank you.
I do have a few concerns as to the seemingly contradictory Pauline Epistle issue of willful sin, which the bible does bear out through Paul, and the general Epistles also, will lead to spiritual death. However, I believe that this dismisses some of Paul's eternal security promises , and would delegate them to half truths and empty rhetoric.
Eph. 2 : 8-9 " 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". The bible also states "For the gifts and callings  of God are without repentance"..Ro.11: 29
  And consider Eph. 1:13-14 "..... in whom after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise", 14"....until the redemption of the purchased possession.."
   Brother Bob, I do get how willful sin could indeed quench the Spirit and separate from God, and even seemingly cause loss of salvation, but I believe it is more complex and complicated than that. The word bears out that " The heart of man is deceitfully wicked above all things, who can know it ? "
   And James admonishes that " But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison"  Ja. 3:8 . And so peradventure suppose a Christian ,no matter how he tries his entire life is unable to master this ? Does this not by your conclusion threaten him with hellfire ? James says it is set on fire of hell ? maybe the believer is mentally ill ? Mentally incompetent? Does this limit God's ability to save even if this sad Christian masters all other disciplines ? Moreover, would his Mastery smack only only of works based fear? Paul says we are not given a spirit of fear which leads to bondage? Do we not have liberty to be imperfect ?
  Can we honestly say that eternal security is a myth, under this willful sin premise ? 2 Ti. 3 : 1-5 " ..men shall be lovers of their own selves..unthankful..unholy..fierce...having a form of Godliness.."..etc
How do we know or can tell if this is a denouncement of all people in general, Christians included, stained and narcissistic and cynical from the corruption of this last days world... they try but cannot escape ..they pray but feel a wall of separation...polluted from the stress and bombardment...as a end times people can we not say most of professing Christianity falls into this category ? Can God not save and honor to redeem His purchases ? Are we justified by our own righteousness? Or Christ's imputed righteousness ? Made perfect by keeping the commandments? Or by the covering of the shed blood of Christ .?
    If we are indeed sinning willfully then we should repent and turn and cleave to the Lord. But I do not believe it can be that black and white. I do not hold to the position we can lose our salvation. This does not hold to the spirit of Thanksgiving for grace, but implicates the believer as responsible for their own salvation when their spirit was already circumcised from their soul by the operation of God. And foments, in my opinion, an atmosphere and attitude of fear which is a salvation of works and enduring till the end..a tribulation scenario.
    

Blessings all,
Alan T