As your questions are of importance to thousands, we will state them in full. You quote, “shall never perish” (John 10:28); “abide not in me” (John 15:6); “live after the flesh, ye shall die.” You say, “I came to Christ, a lost sinner. I believe that lie died for me, became my Substitute, and, through His sacrifice, I am made whole. I rest on John 5:24, and also 1 John 5:10-13. I believe that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin, because God the Father, who sent the Son, says so. My hope and trust is in His word only. I know I have eternal life the Spirit witnesseth with my spirit that I am born of God.” We will now take each of your momentous questions.
“Can a believer, a man born again, live after the flesh, and, consequently, die eternally?” We often create difficulties by adding to scripture. You will notice, you have added the word, “eternally.” “Consequently die eternally.” A believer may so fail, so sin, that it is a sin unto death; and if you compare 1 Cor. 11:30 with 1 John 5:16, 17, you will see what is meant there is the death of the body in chastisement. But the scripture you refer to (Rom. 8:1-17) is evidently characteristic—those in Christ, and those in the flesh. Life and holiness characterize those in Christ; sin and death, those that are in the flesh, and walk after the flesh. “They that are after the flesh.” “But ye are not in the flesh.” Thus it is not a man born of God, but a man in the flesh; if not born again, he walks in the flesh, and the end is death. If, therefore, a man walks in the flesh, he has no right to conclude he is born of God. We will now put your question again, that is, as you intend it: Can a man truly born of God so walk in the flesh, can he so sin, as to perish eternally?
The scripture answers, No, he cannot so sin, because he is born of God. The man who practices sin is not born of God, but is of the devil Read carefully 1 John 3:8-10; 5:18. The believer is to reckon himself dead to sin, and no longer in the flesh—not on that ground—but alive to God. It may be said, Rut do we not see such as have made a great profession afterward walk in the flesh, and practice sin? We do, and this proves they never were born of God—they never had any root. (See Matt. 13:21, &c.) Can an apple-tree evermore grow crabs? It may grow good apples, or poor fruit. And so with us, and so the reward.
“Can he abide not in Christ, and be burned?” It has often been observed, that the theme of John 15—the vine—is fruit-bearing. The Lord does not say, If ye abide not in me, ye shall be cast forth, withered and burnt, &c. If He had, then our final salvation would depend on ourselves, and not on what He has done, and what He is. He says, “If a man abide not in me,” &c. He may be an outward disciple, like Judas, and, having no living link with Christ, will ultimately perish.
“Shall never perish.” (John 10:28.) Here the Lord is speaking of His own very sheep, given to Him of the Father. “My sheep.” There can be no mistake about these. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.”
You ask, “Is it not that I shall never perish, if I abide in Him; and that, if I abide not in Him, I shall be lost?” Now this is mixing up two scriptures on quite different subjects—fruit-bearing and eternal life. If we do this, we are perplexed, and in confusion. Let us keep to the plain facts of these words—John 10:27-29; the eternal life and absolute security of the sheep of Christ, given to Him of the Father. Now what is eternal life? Is it not, at least, the contrast of mortal life? Mortal life is the possibility and liability to die—a life that can cease to be. Eternal life is surely the opposite of all this. It is the life that cannot possibly be liable to cease—it is imperishable. And more, read the blessed words the Spirit used at first to your soul. (1 John 5:10-13.) “God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” Therefore, if any man says that it is mere life in us, liable to perish, depending on something we do, that man makes God a liar, and denies what God says—that it is eternal, or imperishable, and is in the Son. This is a character of Christianity peculiar to us, and to deny it is so, is to make God a liar.
We repeat your further words, they are most important inquiries. “I have salvation. Can I take myself out of the life-boat? ‘Shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.’ But can I pluck myself out of His hand, and be forever lost? Not that I wish to do so—God forbid—I want to know more fully my standing, and prove it by scripture.” This is the question of the absolute security of the sheep. What does Jesus say? “Shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.” How beautifully He illustrates this place of security. Look at Him, and look at His sheep. “He layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing; and when he cometh home.... saying, Rejoice with me.” It had wandered as far as it could. He carries it all the way home. Hark! He whispers to you, “shall never perish, none shall pluck thee from my shoulder of infinite strength.” Its security does not depend on its clinging to Him, but His love to it, and unfailing power. We will look at your further desire, if the Lord will, in our next: “I want to know fully my standing, and prove it by scripture.”