Kevin Conner was one of my Bible teachers in Bible school at Abbott Loop Christian Center in 1984.
I hand copied this from the textbook we used: The Foundations of Christian Doctrine by Kevin J. Conner, 1980, page 264 (emphasis mine).
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VI. THE REALIZATION OF THE ATONEMENT
B. Application — Human Responsibility
We now examine the manward side of the atonement in its application. what God has provided in Christ, man must receive and apply. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility meet together in the great redemptive plan. …
4. Perseverance and Security
g. Conditional Security
The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints. Warnings against backsliding and the dangers of apostacy show that the security of the believer is conditional upon obedience and faith in the Lord Jesus. It has been said that “Christ came to redeem man back to the obedience from which Adam fell.”
The writer to the Hebrews says that Christ is “the author of eternal salvation (Greek “Soteria” safety, rescue, security, wholeness, health) unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9).
The redemptive work of Christ does not exempt man from obedience to the Word of God. This obedience is neither a forced nor a non-volitional obedience. Obedience is the very law of security for all created beings. There can be no such thing as unconditional security. The angels are secure upon continued obedience to God’s will and Word. The angels which fell disobeyed God’s law. Adam and Eve were secure upon obedience to the commandment of the Lord. When they fell it was through disobedience (Romans 5:12-21). All free-will creatures are under one basic law or commandment and that is the law of loving and willing obedience. Eternal life is given to the eternally obedient. A consideration of the references listed here show that God place this responsibility upon His people saying that if they obey His voice, then He will be their God and they will be HIs people (Genesis 22:18; 26:5; 27:8,13; Exodus19:5; 23:21-22; Deuteronomy 11:27-28; 30:2,8,20; Jeremiah 7:23; 11:4; Acts 5:32; Hebrews 5:9; Romans 6:17; 1 Peter 1:14, 22; Romans 15:18).
Jesus taught that the evidences of being His sheep are “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life; and they never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28). Both verses teach conditional security of the believer. Upon hearing and following the Shepherd they receive eternal life and will never perish.
It is the duty of the watchman to warn the wicked and the righteous, those without and within. The righteous are warned not to turn from their righteousness and do iniquity. If he die in his sins, all his righteousness shall not be remembered. This same principle is seen in both Old and New Testaments. The watchman is to exhort the believer to persevere in the Lord, to continue in the faith, and as he obeys the Word of the Lord, his security against backsliding and apostacy is fully guaranteed (Ezekiel 3:17-21; 18:19-32; 33:1-20; Matthew 7:15-23; II Thessalonians 3:3; Jude 24-25; I Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 1:6).
No believer need backslide or fall away from the faith, for the Lord Jesus is our advocate and intercessor. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and indweller. the Lord gives the assurance that He “is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…” (Jude 24-25).
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