In the Bible, in the only time I am aware where the term "fall away" occurs, it refers to people who reverted to the system of Jewish sacrifices in Hebrews 6. I believe it is possible to stop living by faith, and even to stop having faith. In Luke 7, John the Baptist seems to have begun to doubt whether Jesus is even the Messiah. However, even when we stop believing, eternal life continues.
Most of the passages that people use to teach the temporariness of eternal life actually refer to sins, not losing faith. They are being inconsistent and illogical to say that we can sin and keep our eternal life, but can stop believing and lose it. I don't think you can lose it by sinning -- because Romans teaches that our sins are not even imputed to us any longer -- or by doing or not doing anything else.
What would you have thought of Abraham's faith if he had said, "Yes, I believe that my seed through Isaac will inherit the land -- but only if I don't murder Isaac." Compare that thought to Genesis 22 and Hebrews 11. God's promise was not contingent on Abraham's non-violence. It wasn't contingent on anything. Abraham's faith wasn't contingent on anything, either. But on the other hand, he definitely had some times where his faith wavered.
Most of the passages that people use to teach the temporariness of eternal life actually refer to sins, not losing faith. They are being inconsistent and illogical to say that we can sin and keep our eternal life, but can stop believing and lose it. I don't think you can lose it by sinning -- because Romans teaches that our sins are not even imputed to us any longer -- or by doing or not doing anything else.
What would you have thought of Abraham's faith if he had said, "Yes, I believe that my seed through Isaac will inherit the land -- but only if I don't murder Isaac." Compare that thought to Genesis 22 and Hebrews 11. God's promise was not contingent on Abraham's non-violence. It wasn't contingent on anything. Abraham's faith wasn't contingent on anything, either. But on the other hand, he definitely had some times where his faith wavered.
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