Nuggets from An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith by Dave Hunt - Eternally Secure

“These things have I written unto you that believe I the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” —1 John:5:13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
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The question of the eternal security of the believer has been the cause of much controversy in the church for centuries and still creates confusion and distress for many Christians.

Those who believe in “falling away” accuse those who believe in “eternal security” of promoting “cheap grace.” The latter is in itself an unbiblical expression. To call it “cheap” is really a denial of grace, since it implies that too small a price has been paid. Grace, however, must be absolutely free and without any price at all on man’s part, while on God’s part the price He paid must be infinite. Thus for man to think that his works can play any part in either earning or keeping his salvation is what cheapens grace and devalues this infinite gift to the level of human effort.

To speak of “falling from grace” involves the same error. Since our works had nothing to do with meriting grace in the first place, there is nothing we could do that could cause us to no longer merit it and thus to “fall” away from it. Works determine reward or punishment – not one’s salvation, which comes by God’s grace. The crux of the problem is a confusion about grace and works.