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Post by y me on Jul 4, 2008 12:16:40 GMT -5
Why not make everyone happy to believe whatever the want to believe, why not believe some fairy tales, too. ;D what ever you want to believe . Go to the church of your own construction , disregarding the truth just kidding!! Why are you ridiculing this? This is exactly what every one of us is doing, except that none of us think we are disregarding the truth...we all think we know the truth ;D ;D, ya, but MY truth is truer than other truths, right? Fair! But just think of the creative religions that mankind could invent, if we felt free to pick and choose what verses to eliminate from the bible, yet some people feel that we can not add or subtract any verses, because of a particular verse in Revelations, and I hope I am not found guilty of taking away any verses I don't like, just because I don't understand them, if that was the case, my bible would only need 5 or 6 verses, to make sense, and if I could live up to them, who knows about the rest that I don't understand? Yet, I do like to try to understand as much as I can, because , it was written for my edification, correction, etc....
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Post by Oh My on Jul 4, 2008 12:25:11 GMT -5
What saith the scriptures? Salvation is BELIEVING in Jesus Christ!
Salvation is trusting or believing in, by faith, that Jesus Christ paid for your sins with His blood on the cross of Calvary.
"He that BELIEVETH on the Son hath everlasting life:. . ." John 3:36
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
We are NOT saved by WORKS!
The Bible makes it clear that OUR WORKS has nothing whatsoever to do with our salvation.
We don't receive it by our works - and we don't keep it by our works!
" NOT BY WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us,. . ." Titus 3:5
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9
Salvation is a FREE GIFT!
Salvation is the free gift of God. If we had to work to keep it - it would not be a free gift - and God would be a liar!
". . . the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
". . .by the righteousness of one THE FREE GIFT came upon all men unto justification of life." Romans 5:18
Salvation is a NEW BIRTH!
Salvation is not enduring or a process, but an event in time. Salvation is a NEW BIRTH. Just as your first birth happened on a certain time and day, so does the second birth.
"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a TIME accepted, and in THE DAY OF SALVATION have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted TIME; behold, now is THE DAY OF SALVATION.)" 2 Corinthians 6:2
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
"Being BORN AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 1 Peter 1:23
You become a CHILD OF GOD!
Once you are born again SPIRITUALLY - you become a child of God.
"Beloved, NOW are we the SONS OF GOD, . . ." 1 John 3:2
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of ADOPTION, whereby we cry, Abba, FATHER." Romans 8:15
Nothing can SEPARATE us from our Father!
Just as nothing can "negate" your physical birth, nothing can "negate" your spiritual birth.
My children will always be my children. We may have troubled times. Our fellowship may be broken, but our relationship can never be broken. They will always be my children. Nothing or nobody can change that! And once you are born again spiritually - God becomes your Father - nothing or nobody can change that! Your fellowship may be broken, but your relationship can never be broken!
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38
"My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10:29
Jesus will NEVER leave us!
Jesus promised He will never leave us. Jesus could not say this if there was even a chance of losing our salvation.
". . .for he hath said, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5
". . . and, lo, I am with you ALWAY, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20
We already HAVE eternal life!
When the Bible speaks of possessing eternal life, it speaks in the present tense (hath, have, etc.) - SOMETHING WE ALREADY HAVE! If we had to work or endure to keep our salvation, this could not be true.
"He that believeth on the Son HATH EVERLASTING LIFE:.. ." John 3:36
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE,. . ." 1 John 5:13
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE,. . ." John 5:24
Jesus will NOT cast you out!
". . . him that cometh to me I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT." John 6:37
We are COMPLETE in Jesus Christ!
"And ye are COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power:" Colossians 2:10
We are PERFECTED FOR EVER!
We are "perfected for ever" by Jesus Christ. How could the Lord say such a bold statement if we had to earn or keep our salvation?
"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL. . . For by one offering he hath PERFECTED FOR EVER them that are sanctified." Hebrews 10:10,14
We are PRESERVED in Christ Jesus!
"Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and PRESERVED IN JESUS CHRIST, and called:" Jude 1
"And THE LORD. . . WILL PRESERVE ME unto his heavenly kingdom:. . ." 2 Timothy 4:18
We are KEPT by the POWER of God!
"Who are KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5
"Now unto him that is able TO KEEP YOU from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy," Jude 24
We are saved to the UTTERMOST!
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the UTTERMOST that come unto God by him,. . ." Hebrews 7:25
We are SEALED until the day of redemption!
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby YE ARE SEALED unto the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30
". . .after that ye believed, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise," Ephesians 1:13
What about the BACKSLIDER?
What about the "backslider" or somebody that forsakes the Lord? The Bible says he will suffer loss (rewards, etc.) - but he himself shall be saved!
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire." 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
We become the BODY OF CHRIST!
"For we are MEMBERS OF HIS BODY, of his flesh, and of his bones." Ephesians 5:30
"Now ye are the BODY OF CHRIST, and members in particular." 1 Corinthians 12:18
What if we later - BELIEVE NOT?
Our salvation is so secure - even if we BELIEVE NOT after we're saved, because we become part of Him (the body of Christ), ". . .yet he abideth faithful: HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF."
"If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF." 2 Timothy 2:13
But what if I sin an awful sin?
1 Corinthians 5 reports of an awful sin in the church. And even though Paul commands ". . . To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh" - Paul still speaks of that person being saved - ". . .that the spirit MAY BE SAVED. . ."
"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. . .To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit MAY BE SAVED in the day of the Lord Jesus." 1 Corinthians 5:1,5
To lose your salvation - makes God a LIAR!
With all the PROMISES from God to KEEP you, to SAVE you, to PRESERVE you - to even suggest you could lose your salvation - is to call God a LIAR! ". . .he that BELIEVETH NOT GOD hath made him a LIAR; . . ." 1 John 5:10
Why do people doubt their salvation?
* They trust in feelings rather than the word of God.
"He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:. . ." Proverbs 28:26
* They are confused by the simplicity of salvation.
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from THE SIMPLICITY that is in Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3
* They trust in tradition or church teachings rather than the word of God.
"Making the word of God of none effect through your TRADITION,. . ." Mark 7:13
* They trust in their own righteousness.
". . . and all OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as filthy rags;. . ." Isaiah 64:6
* They have NEVER been saved.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;. . ." Matthew 7:21
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SAVED?
Is there a time and place in your life, when you trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ? Not joined a church, not kept the sacraments, not baptism, not good works - but simply, by faith, prayed and asked Jesus Christ to save you?
To die without Jesus Christ will be the worst thing you could ever do.
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE." Revelation 20:15
YOU CAN BE SAVED THIS VERY MINUTE!
It's simple to be saved ...
1. Know you're a sinner.
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:10
"... for there is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23
2. That Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins.
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, ..." 1 Peter 2:24
"... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," Revelation 1:5
3. And the best way you know how, simply trust Him, and Him alone as your personal Savior.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13
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Post by Y me on Jul 4, 2008 12:49:31 GMT -5
What saith the scriptures? Salvation is BELIEVING in Jesus Christ! Salvation is trusting or believing in, by faith, that Jesus Christ paid for your sins with His blood on the cross of Calvary. When the Bible speaks of possessing eternal life, it speaks in the present tense (hath, have, etc.) - SOMETHING WE ALREADY HAVE! If we had to work or endure to keep our salvation, this could not be true. "He that believeth on the Son HATH EVERLASTING LIFE:.. ." John 3:36 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE,. 2. That Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, ..." 1 Peter 2:24 "... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," Revelation 1:5 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13 \\ The big problem we have here, is that ...far too many people view ''love'' as a ''feeling'', and in reality it is a word of action and works. If we love someone, we take action, we prove our love by our works! If there are no works, and only a shallow acceptance that someone else did something for us, then truely the door is wide open to act and do any work , because the door is opened to any works, ....OH, unless some slothful person thinks that the slothful are more holy, because they don't believe in working for anything.
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Post by Well I do not see on Jul 4, 2008 16:42:03 GMT -5
A problem there at all. Perhaps you did not finish reading.
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Post by notsavedbyworks on Jul 4, 2008 18:23:20 GMT -5
If we believe the Bible to be God's Word, then what it teaches ought to be accepted. Here is what it has to say about the notion of salvation by works, so generally believed by men —
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." [Titus 3:5] "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." [Romans 9:16]
"For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth." [Romans 9:11]
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." [Romans 11:6]
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." [Galatians 2:16]
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." [Ephesians 2:8-9]
These are by no means all the verses on this subject, but they will certainly reveal to us that God's way of salvation is NOT by works. [2] The Flesh is Incapable of Good Works!
Isaiah 64:6 shows us how unacceptable our works are when he says —
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."
He is not speaking of our sins here, but our "righteousness," our so-called "good deeds." All of our natural works are tainted by the filth of the flesh and God will not accept them.
Paul says in Romans 7:18 that in the flesh there "dwelleth no good thing."
In Romans 8:7 he says that the fleshly mind is "enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Only as God's grace saves us and begins to use us can we do works that are good in His eyes.
The weakness of the flesh is further revealed in Galatians 3:3 — "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"
Many people today, like the Galatians, believe that the flesh "holds out to the end," or "lives right," or does something else in making salvation perfect (complete). These people, like the Galatians, are "foolish" for believing such. The flesh is so corrupt that it couldn't do these things, even if God required them.
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Post by learnedaboutgrace on Jul 4, 2008 18:40:40 GMT -5
What if we could keep Revelations and Paul's teachings and there wasnt any so-called "discrepancies"? We can. Revelations is written adn intended for the Jewish people, the chosen ones, for a future time. Pauls revelations to him by Jesus himself are for now, while we are under grace. The bible was written for us for reproof, for guidance, but it was (EDIT forgot the NOT) not all of it was written TO us. At different times throughout the bible, God expected different things from His people. This is the time of grace, in the future, the earth will be restored, you know, lion will lay down with the lamb, children will play w/ serpents and not be bittten, etc,etc. The time of grace wil end. The Jewish people will be restored as the chosen ones. That is why it is now, once saved always saved, but it has not always been that way in the past (before Paul) and it will change in the future (during the 7 years of tribulation they will need to "endure to the end" or be lost).
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Post by calleduntoliberty on Jul 11, 2008 14:34:57 GMT -5
Wrong and very dangerous. Absolutely right, with amazing freedom when you finally understand it and start to live it..... .. ...your looking from the wrong side of the photo negative. No, I'm just choosing not to ignore half of the scriptures on this subject. That freedom which is based on a lie is not freedom. I have amazing freedom already -- in Christ, in the truth.
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Post by withopeneyes (Mandy) on Jul 11, 2008 22:19:20 GMT -5
The way I understand it, that OSAS only applies after Christ. Before Christ, the Holy Spirit could come and go from us.... so it would stand to reason that our salvation could as well. That... fall from grace... was possible before Jesus' death.
I could be wrong, but this is how I've understood it.
Anyway, as for OSAS- I do believe in it, but I think it's morphed into "say this prayer and you'll be saved", therefore, many believe they are saved but have merely conformed, not been TRANSFORMED.
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Post by Dubious Disciple (xdc) on Jul 12, 2008 12:18:50 GMT -5
What if we could keep Revelations and Paul's teachings and there wasnt any so-called "discrepancies"? We can. Revelations is written adn intended for the Jewish people, the chosen ones, for a future time. Pauls revelations to him by Jesus himself are for now, while we are under grace. Phooey. Neither Paul nor Revelation's author could possibly imagine a world 2000 years distant. Both were very much writing about their times. Evidence is that both were writing letters that they intended to be read and studied, perhaps incorporated into the service on the Lord's day. How easily we forget the way most N.T. writers were totally and absolutely convinced of the immediate return of their Lord, and that the resurrection had begun with Christ, the firstfruit. One of the interesting things about scripture is that many of the contradictions reflect a lapse in time, as people began to perceive the return of Christ differently. For example, Elijah has to come first. Matthew has Jesus say that Elijah has already come, in the form of John the baptist, so that fulfilment is out of the way. John, writing later after it became obvious that Jesus wasn't returning pronto, has John the Baptist vehemently deny that he is Elijah. I guess he didn't know.
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Post by learnedaboutgrace on Jul 12, 2008 19:46:10 GMT -5
dietcoke, you are right, the twelve fully expected Jesus to return, the time is at hand, etc but God cut off Israel (first they rejected God by only following law and not loving Him, second they rejected and crucified Jesus, the they stoned Stephan who was filled w/ the Holy Spirit so they had rejected the 3 parts of the Godhead). Then is when things started to change and Jesus appeared to Paul and Pauls revelation was different than what had been taught to the apostles. That is when God "suspended" the return of Jesus til a time we know not. That is why there seem to be "contradictions". If you are interested, read a book called "Things That Differ" by CR Stamm. It helps solve a lot of those so-called contradictions. Also, read anything else by Stamm and Joel Finck.
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Post by Dubious Disciple (xdc) on Jul 12, 2008 21:13:12 GMT -5
That is really interesting, LAG. In a nutshell, God was gonna send his son back pronto (within the generation), but he decided Israel was unworthy and delayed the whole thing a couple thousand years?
I think that Paul, also, believed Jesus' return was imminent. He even told people to not bother getting married, because everything was coming to a close now anyway. Does Stamm believe otherwise?
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Post by learnedaboutgrace on Jul 12, 2008 21:52:39 GMT -5
I am kinda new, what does LAG mean? Thanks
I just dug out the book and according to Stamm, Paul was referring to the dispensation that he was living under, grace. The prophetic program had been interrupted and replaced with the present dispensation. AFter the raising up of Paul, there is no further offer of the kingom to Israel.
So the last ays that Paul is speaking of is not the prophetic program, but grace. And we still about no idea how long it will last. God has not promised it will last any specific length of time. Stamm continues and says there are no "times and seasons" and not any "signs of the times"to refer to the "end of grace".
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Post by Dubious Disciple (xdc) on Jul 12, 2008 22:57:59 GMT -5
LAG means LeanedAboutGrace. Nobody wants to type your whole name, lol.
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Post by learnedaboutgrace on Jul 12, 2008 23:06:16 GMT -5
well, that should have been a duh! thankx
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Post by withopeneyes (Mandy) on Jul 13, 2008 14:45:51 GMT -5
I disagree LAG, I don't think God changed his plan. He knew what was to come! He knows all!
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Post by learnedaboutgrace on Jul 13, 2008 19:43:16 GMT -5
I dont think I said that God changed His planned, but he revealed a "mystery" which means "secret", it had been hid from everybodyy and someone pointed out it was hid from Satan. It hadnt been prophesied by the prophets like all the other events, Jesus being crucified, etc,etc.
And here is a question I struggle with getting my head around. If God knows all, but we have free will, does He know what we are going to decide before we do? Then is that really free will? If God doesnt give us more than we can handle, why do parents freak out and kill their kids? (I have a friend w 8 almost 9 kids, she cannot deal with them, but continues to have more because God wont give me more than I can handle. I seriously worry that she will really hurt one of them one day. On the surface, she seems ok, but then there are times she just loses it.) Any insight would be appreciated.
BTW, we homeschool, too. How old are your kids, etc
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Post by withopeneyes (Mandy) on Jul 16, 2008 15:51:29 GMT -5
LAG- my children are 5, 3, and 10 months.
The truth is, God DOES give us more than we can handle.. so anyone who tells you differently LIES. He gives us more than we can handle so we will depend on Him. The real statement should be: God doesn't give us more than he'll HELP us handle. Make sense?
I suppose your friend probably regards herself as a "quiverful family". We are also "quiverful" I suppose, but it's not about having as many children as possible. People believe it's about the children- but it's about trusting God in ALL areas of your life.
When I feel myself feeling a little crazy, I realize that I haven't really made time for God, I haven't focused on him throughout my day.. I haven't put my trust in him that particular day, and, instead, of put my own desires, thoughts and agendas first.
It is pretty scary to see families who have a "have as many children as God wants" mindset, but miss out on the whole point- which is to let God control your mind and heart.
Just as I can tell when I haven't prayed in the morning... because my patience wears thin... it's important to start and end my day with God.. and carry Him front and center in my mind throughout the day.
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Post by Dubious Disciple (xdc) on Jul 16, 2008 16:15:02 GMT -5
The truth is, God DOES give us more than we can handle.. so anyone who tells you differently LIES. He gives us more than we can handle so we will depend on Him. WOE, to play devil's advocate, perhaps God was created by people to whom life gave more than they could handle. They needed a father figure on whom they could lean. If it were not for the intense persecution and suffering of the Hebrews, our scriptures would be lifeless.
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Post by luke2236 on May 13, 2023 23:43:17 GMT -5
Once Saved, Always Saved – The Biblical Evidence The Bible teaches “once saved, always saved” -- that we can be saved once and for all only through a repentant, saving faith in Jesus Christ. Once a person has accepted Christ as Savior, they may wonder if it is possible to lose that salvation. What if they commit a sin? What if they commit a lot of sins? What if they do something very, very wrong? Is it possible to be saved, and then lose that salvation? Fortunately, the answer is a resounding “no.” Once a person has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, he/she is forever saved. This fact is referred to as the doctrine of “eternal security,” often summarized as “once saved, always saved.” There are several reasons why a person can be confident in their “eternal security.” First and foremost is the evidence of Scripture. John 3:15-18 says about Christ: “The Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” The salvation in Christ is not temporary, it is eternal. In John 10:28-30, Jesus says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." The forgiveness of God through Christ is sufficient to cover all of our sins -- past, present, and future. There is nothing a person can do that God cannot forgive. This doctrine is supported by Romans 8:38-39, Ephesians 4:30, and Jude 24, among others. Once Saved, Always Saved – The Logical Evidence As with many other scriptural doctrines, the idea of “once saved, always saved” is also supported logically. Eternal security is consistent with everything else the Bible teaches about mankind, and God. Examining the doctrine in relation to the rest of Scripture demonstrates that it is consistent with all other biblically sound teachings. The idea of losing our salvation is not only unscriptural, but it creates monumental problems with other doctrines, including salvation by faith, the sin nature of man, and the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice. The Bible teaches that man is inherently sinful -- that a sinful nature is a part of all of us (Romans 3:10). This means that even after being saved, every single believer is going to sin from time to time. Thinking that we can live a perfect, sinless life after our salvation is not only unscriptural, but arrogant (James 2:10). If we are not eternally secure, this sinning will cause us to lose our salvation, but how much sin is too much? There is no scriptural “yardstick” given to tell us how many or what kind of sins are enough to void our salvation. Without eternal security, the Bible would describe a situation where Christianity is a perpetual game of Russian Roulette; a life in which condemnation and salvation alternate every time we sin and confess, and we never know if we’re saved or not. Scriptural passages (Ephesians 2:8-9, Isaiah 64:6) indicate that our attempts at good deeds will never earn us a place in heaven. We cannot make up for our past, present, or future sins by doing good works. A saved believer will, as a natural product of their faith, shun sin and practice good works (James 2:18). If “once saved, always saved” is not true, then by necessity we are saved both by our faith and our works. If we can do sinful things, or not do good things (James 4:17) and lose our security, then our good deeds are a part of our salvation. This is concept is contradictory to Scripture. It also creates an unlivable scenario where we have to try to do enough good to outweigh our sinful natures. The doctrine of “eternal security” goes hand in hand with the doctrine of “saved by faith alone.” To deny eternal security is to endorse a “faith plus works” salvation system. Jesus Christ made some powerful statements about morality during His earthly ministry. In those three short years, He talked the talk and walked the walk of the toughest moral and ethical system in human history. Most religions focus on the external actions, but Christ took the concept of sin and holiness to a much deeper level. For example, most religions are satisfied to condemn the physical act of adultery, but Christ said “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Christ set the bar for holiness at a level all Christians are called to aspire to, but none can ever fully live up to, because of our sin nature. Just as the law of Moses was meant, in part, to demonstrate to Israel how impossible it was for mortal man to obtain the moral perfection of God, the standards of Christ also remind us of how shallow our best efforts at goodness really are. Thankfully, God has always provided a way for us to be forgiven for our shortcomings. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross served the same purpose for all mankind that the sacrificial lambs did for specific families before His ministry. Christ was a sinless, blameless substitute for our sins. The Bible clearly tells us what Christ’s moral expectations are for us. If we lost our salvation every time we fell short of those ideals, then none of us would be saved for more than a few minutes at a time. If that were true, what purpose was there in His death? Also, according to the Bible, if we could lose our salvation, then it would be lost forever, because Christ only died once. Hebrews 6:4-6 is an often misunderstood passage, which strongly supports the doctrine of eternal security in two ways: it implies that Christ’s sacrifice must be sufficient for all sins, and states that if it were possible for a person to lose their salvation, it would be forever lost. According to this passage, if a person could do something that cost them their salvation (which they cannot), then it would be “impossible” for them to be re-redeemed. Once Saved, Always Saved – The New Creation Critics of the “once saved, always saved” doctrine claim that it gives Christians a license to sin. They presume that those who believe in eternal security intend to accept salvation, and then continue to willingly sin. This is inaccurate, because anyone who has been truly saved is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17), has the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:8), and now wants to live for Christ. Someone who continues to willingly and blatantly live in sin has not truly accepted Christ (1 John 2:19; 1 John 3:6; James 1:26). While this false belief may be held by some, it is not a part of the teachings of any true Christian church (Romans 3:8). A person who willingly, humbly, repents of sin and turns towards the cross, trusting Christ as their Savior, will be saved (Acts 16:31; John 6:37; John 14:6). That salvation is once and for all, eternal, and secure. Those who truly trust in Christ are saved once, and saved always. Interesting
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Post by maryhig on Nov 25, 2023 4:51:07 GMT -5
LAG- my children are 5, 3, and 10 months. The truth is, God DOES give us more than we can handle.. so anyone who tells you differently LIES. He gives us more than we can handle so we will depend on Him. The real statement should be: God doesn't give us more than he'll HELP us handle. Make sense? I suppose your friend probably regards herself as a "quiverful family". We are also "quiverful" I suppose, but it's not about having as many children as possible. People believe it's about the children- but it's about trusting God in ALL areas of your life. When I feel myself feeling a little crazy, I realize that I haven't really made time for God, I haven't focused on him throughout my day.. I haven't put my trust in him that particular day, and, instead, of put my own desires, thoughts and agendas first. It is pretty scary to see families who have a "have as many children as God wants" mindset, but miss out on the whole point- which is to let God control your mind and heart. Just as I can tell when I haven't prayed in the morning... because my patience wears thin... it's important to start and end my day with God.. and carry Him front and center in my mind throughout the day. Hello! This is an old post and your children will have grown quite a lot by now, into adulthood in fact. 😊 I like a lot of what you have said, but regarding God giving us more than we can handle I don't agree with that. We are the ones who give ourselves more then we can handle when we let Satan control our hearts through our lusts. What God does do, is to help us overcome those lusts and frees us from the ways of the world. And once we start to obey his word, he strengthens us to bare what we go through in this life as we live by his will. Jesus said that the father never leaves him, because he always does what pleases him. And that's the same for those who truly follow Jesus, God won't leave us if we do what's right before him, which is to love God with all our hearts and minds, put him first in our lives and turn from our sinful ways, and love one another as Christ loved us. If we love God and do what's right before him then he will strengthen us to bare whatsoever is set before us. He even sent an angel to strengthen Jesus before he went on the cross. So Jesus needed God every step of the way too. Our yoke is easy and our burden is light, but that doesn't mean we'll get it easy, we'll get what everyone else gets in this sinful world. But our yoke and burden will be easier than the yoke and burden that those who belong to the world have around their necks when Satan has a hold of their hearts. As we have God with us as we walk the walk of Jesus, and deny ourselves, take up our cross and truly follow Jesus in word and deed. And in doing so, God will never leave us or forsake us but he will stand us up and strengthen our hearts and minds to bare whatsoever this world throws at us. I hope all is well for you after all these years. 😊
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