One Verse to Destroy Hardshellism

"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." - 2 John 9

If someone must abide in the doctrine of Christ in order to be saved, this presupposes that he must have heard it in the first place, for how can one abide in that to which he has never been exposed?  But in order to have the Father and Son, initial exposure is not enough.  One must then abide in that teaching. And if he abides in it, he obviously receives it and believes it. Further, to “abide” conveys the notion of an ongoing state or process.  Thus, salvation is a marathon to final salvation, and not simply a sprint to regeneration, as my Hardshell brethren tend to imply by deeming the life after regeneration as unnecessary for eternal salvation. 

And let us be clear also on that in which we must abide. It is the doctrine of Christ, and not another. Now unless we can imagine a regenerated man abiding subconsciously in the doctrine of Christ, or that there are two kinds of having the Father and the Son, one necessary and another not necessary, both of which I would not put past my PB friends to propose, the text is clear.  Salvation is for believers only! One must be a Christian to be saved! Nor can my Hardshell friends assert the idea that only having God is necessary for salvation, while having Christ is optional and uncertain to the elect, as they sometimes do from John 14:1! One must abide in the doctrine of Christ in order to have not only the Son but the Father as well!

2 John 9 teaches the following points, each of which is destructive of Hardshellism.

      1)      Initial expose to the gospel is necessary for salvation (i.e. gospel regeneration/conversion).

      2)      Abiding in that gospel in necessary for salvation (i.e. perseverance).

      3)      One must have both the Father and the Son for salvation.

      4)      Salvation is for believers only.

      5)      Salvation is for Christians only.

      6)      Having the Father and the Son are concomitants.
7)    Eternal salvation involves the present life after regeneration.