In other words, there can be no real comfort and hope from the
Scriptures. Neither can there be any sure and steadfast anchor for the
soul when assailed with times of weakness and doubt. (Rom.15: 4-13, Heb.
6:13-20)

How so? Well, let's have a look...

(1) ...at the gospel of free-willism, which is proclaimed by most of
organized churchianity. This message is commonly known as "Arminianism."
And this is the gospel that most churches proclaim today.  According to
these glad tidings, only a few people (ever will!) find the "narrow
way."  For God loves you "unconditionally"...but...you must believe on
His Son, and in THIS lifetime, you must show that you trust Him by your
good works--for faith without works is dead.  God will NOT do your part,
according to the free-willist glad tidings. Nor will He hang in there
with you after your earthly lifetime UNTIL you do your part. Nope. He
will only do HIS part--as long as you live on earth and still have a
"chance" to get YOUR part done correctly. But how many good works are
ENOUGH to demonstrate that one has "saving faith" and thus is assured
escape from "eternal hell"? In light of this tormenting question, as you
can see, Arminianism is a gospel of "chances."  Hence, the only people
embracing this belief-paradigm who can have any sense of security in
God's love are--

a) those whose hearts unconsciously believe that God will restore all
creation in the end, though their heads have been programmed to
"believe" that only the spiritually fittest will survive.

b) those who unconsciously or consciously assume that they pack
sufficient tenacity, diligence, wisdom (and luck!) to outperform most of
the human race. For, again, under this belief structure God will NOT do
YOUR part--only His. Therefore one's ultimate confidence has to be in
"oneself" that he or she will, in fact, manage to outstrip most of the
human race in faith--as is SHOWN by good works. 

Now let us have a look...

2) ...at John Calvin's gospel that asserts that only a few people (ever
will!) be chosen for salvation, but once they are saved they are
"eternally secure" and can never be lost. Mind you, those who preach
this message also assure us that good works MUST accompany one's
salvation in order to validate that one has been "truly" saved. But
again, how many good works are enough to validate that one has been
truly saved? The theologians who herald this message CANNOT answer this
question. They avoid it like the plague. Try asking it to one of them
yourself!  I call this gospel "the election of a few-ism", though it is
commonly known as "Calvinism."  Yep. Believe it or not, some protestant
churches today still herald these glad tidings!  However, the only
people believing this message who can have any sense of security in
God's love would have to be--

a) those whose hearts unconsciously know that God actually does love
everyone and will restore all of them them to Himself in the
end--despite the fact that their heads have been programmed to "believe"
otherwise.

b) those who confidently assume that their conversion experience is
valid, while also believing that others who maintain the same confident
assumption may be mistaken. These confident folks are content that
"they" should be "eternally secure" even if their departed, unconverted
loved ones are predestined to agonise in "hell forever and ever." (Ahem!
Er, I mean that the "non-elect" are predestined in the sense that God
from eternity past CHOSE to "pass over" them in his redemptive
purposes--and thus chose NOT to save them. Such is the "explanation"
that most proponents of Calvinism offer as to why most people supposedly
will be lost "forever.")

So as you can see, dear reader, there simply is no sure and steadfast
anchor for the soul--Biblically--under these belief paradigms.
No, the tragedy is that these shoddy gospels (which are anything but
"glad tidings") offer hope to only those people who are able to hope in
themselves.    

In other words, they offer false hope. And not only is it a false hope
because these inadequate and warped gospels compel people to hope in
themselves. It is a false hope because these messages advertise a false
and hypocritical "God" who does not practice what he preaches. He does
NOT love his little neighbors as he loves himself, as he commands that
we do.  Instead, this god (caricature) has supposedly "foreordained"
from eternity past that most of his little neighbors will scream
blasphemies at him from "hell forever."

However, to those who still prefer to adhere to either of the above grim
messages, despite all else the Bible teaches regarding the ultimate
destiny mankind, all I can say is that I love you anyhow.   :-)

And peradventure your belief system is right...

GOOD LUCK!

You're going to need it.

Charlie