This is a very complex topic. However, I hope the Christian reader will find the brief article below helpful and useful.
In 1 Timothy 1:19-20 Paul tells us that certain Christians who committed apostasy will remain saved but not escape judgment here on Earth. Paul says, in the passage, that he delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander, who had shipwrecked their faith (committed apostasy), to Satan so that that they will learn not to blaspheme.
Christians may commit apostasy and still be saved but they will not escape God's fiery judgment here on Earth. After judgment they will come to renewal of repentance but not before!
In Hebrews 6, the Apostle was telling certain Christians that they were in danger of their hearts becoming so hardened that they would not be able to repent before they are judged. The Apostle gives an example towards the end of Hebrews 6 of how land that does not bear fruit will be burned of its weeds, thorns, etc. The land itself will not be destroyed and may afterwards become profitable to produce fruit. The Jews were known, in ancient times, to burn land that only produced weeds, thorns, etc, so that it may be used afresh again. (These thoughts were gleaned from reading The Bible Knowledge Commentary a work of the Dallas Theological Seminary faculty).
Regarding Jesus' parable about branches abiding in the tree, it is important not to build doctrines out of every part of a parable. That's not what parables are for. The main point is what is important. Jesus says that if we abide in Him we'll bear fruit otherwise we won't and will become spiritually useless and fruitless. When this happens to a literal tree the branches are cast aways and thrown into a fire. The Lord used this imagry to emphasize the uselessness of the branches - not that useless Christians will go to hell.
There are passages in Scripture (1 Corinthians 3) that teach some Christians will enter heaven by the skin of their teeth - no rewards or anything! Christians can be in danger of that!
There are various passages in Scripture that teach there are differences between those who are truly Christian and those who just profess to be Christian. This is why the Apostle John says in his epistles "They went out from us because they were not of us" (1 John 2:19). They were never true Christians to begin with. So, that's another possibility to consider. Some who commit apostasy may never have been truly saved at all!
The Bible clearly teaches that true Christians can never lose their salvation (Romans 8: 29-30). There are many Scripture passages that clearly teach this particular truth and theme of God's sovereign grace in salvation.
God not only ordains the ends but He also ordains the means by which those ends are accomplished. God ordains our salvation and also ordains that our salvation be kept through faith.
An excellent example of how God works through means and ends is provided by the great Reformed theologian Arthur W. Pink.
No one could take the life of Jesus before it was His time. Then why did God tell Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt so that He wouldn't be killed by Herod? If Jesus couldn't die before His time how then could Herod kill Him? Why even escape to Egypt if no one could take His life before His time? Ah, but you see God ordained that means of escape to accomplish His ends of keeping Jesus alive until it was His time to go to the Cross. Great mysteries are these!
I highly recommend to all readers Arthur W. Pink's classic Christian work "The Sovereignty of God" published by The Banner of Truth Trust.
I truly hope all will read my article "Free Will and Sovereign Grace" at: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?Free_Will_and_Sovereign_Grace&articleid=100101&from=PROFILE
*Some other Internet articles by the author are: "Why The Traditional View of Hell Is Not Biblical", "Artificial Life By Intelligent Design", "Any Life On Mars Came From Earth!", "Creationists Right On Entropy, Evolution", "Are There Natural Limits To Evolution?","Intelligent Design On Another Planet?", "Where Are All The Half-Evolved Dinosaurs?", "Christ Was Begotten, Not Made". The most up-to-date versions of these and other articles may be accessed at: Babu G. Ranganathan's Articles.
The author, Babu G. Ranganathan, is an experienced Christian writer. Mr. Ranganathan has his B.A. with academic concentrations in Bible and Biology from Bob Jones University. As a religion and science writer he has been recognized in the 24th edition of Marquis Who's Who In The East. The author's articles have been published in various publications including Russia's Pravda and South Korea's The Seoul Times. The author's website may be accessed at: www.religionscience.com.
