Blessed Assurance: Can You LOSE Your Salvation? with Dan Borvan & Adam Kaloostian

In this episode of Abounding Grace Radio, Rev. Chris Gordon is joined in the studio by Rev. Dr. Daniel Borvan from Christ Reformed Church and Rev. Adam Kaloostian from Ventura Reformed Church. The discussion centers around one of the most pressing pastoral and theological questions in evangelicalism: Can a true believer lose their salvation? The guests dismantle the cheap reductions of "once saved, always saved" and examine how modern high-pressure evangelistic tactics and a flawed doctrine of sin—tracing back to historical figures like Charles Finney—have contributed to widespread anxiety and a lack of true assurance among many churchgoers.

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & The Preservation of Christ
02:12 - The Problem with Cheap Assurance and Falling Away
03:14 - Finney's Legacy and Modern Evangelistic Manipulation
06:46 - Parable of the Sower and Hypocrites in the Church
10:11 - Inward Struggle vs. True Conversion
25:08 - The Canons of Dort on God's Unfailing Preservation
29:03 - Forensic Justification and the War of Sanctification
34:25 - Facing Death and Pastoral Care for Doubting Sheep
44:18 - Christ as our Holiness in the Book of Hebrews

Guest Information:
- Rev. Dr. Daniel Borvan: Pastor of preaching ministry at Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, CA. Westminster Seminary California graduate (M.Div. 2011, M.A. in Historical Theology).
- X: @danborvan
- Church Website: christreformed.org
- Rev. Adam Kaloostian: Church-planting pastor of Ventura Reformed Church in Ventura, CA. Ordained in the URCNA (2001) and graduate of Biola University and Westminster Seminary California.
- Church Website: venturareformed.org

Mentions:
- Charles Finney (historical American revivalist criticized for his pelvic theology, anxious bench tactics, and deficient doctrine of sin/justification)
- Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13 / Luke 8 regarding soil types and genuine vs. temporary faith responses)
- Judas Iscariot (biblical example of an apostate/phony within the visible community of disciples)
- R.C. Sproul (theological quote regarding passing a doctrinal test versus true heart regeneration)
- Canons of Dort (specifically Fifth Head of Doctrine, Article 8, focusing on the impossibility of the elect falling away completely from grace)
- Forensic Justification (the legal, objective imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer)
- Inherent/Intrinsic Holiness vs. Objective Sacrifice (discussion on Hebrews 12:14 and the overarching message of the Book of Hebrews)

Rev. Adam Kaloostian was ordained to the Ministry of the Word & Sacraments in the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) in 2001. He was born and raised in Pasadena, California, took his bachelor’s degree in English from Biola University in La Mirada in 1997, and his Master of Divinity degree in 2000 from Westminster Seminary California in Escondido. Adam and his wife Lena were married in 2000, and welcomed their happy surprise, a son, John, in 2010. After Adam graduated seminary, he served as an intern then outreach pastor of the URCNA congregation in Ontario, California for three years; then from 2004 until 2021 served as the Senior Pastor there. Adam was called and sent by the URCNA congregation in Pasadena to be the church-planting pastor in Ventura in Spring of 2021.

website: https://www.venturareformed.org/
X: https://x.com/ReformedVentura

Rev. Dr. Daniel Borvan is pastor of preaching ministry at Christ Reformed Church. Daniel earned his Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Seminary California in 2011. As a student at Westminster Seminary he learned that all study of Scripture, theology, and church history is put into practice in the worship and work of the church. The goal is to glorify Christ by serving His church. At Westminster Seminary he also earned a Master of Arts degree in Historical Theology. His thesis paper was on Faustus Socinus.

Daniel is chairman of the Heidelberg Reformation Association. Some of his published articles are on the Heidelblog website. Daniel was installed as pastor of preaching ministry at Christ Reformed Church, September 29, 2023. Daniel is married to Marcy and they have two daughters and a son.

x: danborvan