2 PETER 3:17-18

[2 Pet 3:17-18]:

(v. 17) "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.

(v. 18) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

[Robert Wilkin of Grace in Focus states]:

http://155.229.51.114/Grace/news/y1988/88may2.html

"A careful reading of these verses suggests that temporal judgment, not hell, is in view. Notice what isn't said. Peter makes no reference to hell, the lake of fire, unending suffering, or any similar term or phrase. He instead says 'fall from your secure position' It is a grievous mistake to understand those words to mean hell. If they do, Peter is teaching that believers can lose their salvation - something he did not believe (cf. Luke 10:20; John 13:10; Acts 10:43-48; 11:16-18; 15:7-11; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:9; 3:8-13) The secure position is one of temporal fellowship with the Lord which is secure so long as a believer walks with God and not secure when he stumbles - resulting in temporal judgment, i.e., discipline and loss of rewards in heaven. One can have a position with God which is one of temporal fellowship in addition to one which is eternal, i.e., eternal life. Since eternal life is taught as secure in so many clearer passages such as Eph 1:13-14 where the instant a believer believes in the gospel of eternal life he is SEALED unto the day of his actual redemption, then this passage in 2 Peter cannot mean loss of eternal life.

[Arnold Fructenbaum of Ariel Ministries states]: "Concerning II Peter 3:17, this passage is not teaching you can lose your salvation, but only that you can lose "your steadfastness." In other words, a person can be a firm believer standing for the truth. But then he might be caught up in some false teachings and, as a result, falls away from his previous "steadfastness." It is not dealing with loss of salvation, but loss of staying in sound doctrine which, in turn, will mean a lack of spiritual maturity and, in turn, a lack of rewards for the Kingdom"