Results 1 - 2 of 2
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Do you believe once save, always saved. | Luke 23:43 | Tuggy | 95977 | ||
Actually, over 90 percent of my prior note was an analysis of 2 Peter 2:20-22, and how, according to Peter, it is possible for a person to (using his words) become entangled in the pollutions of the world, even after they had once escaped it through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour (please read the whole note carefully, if necessary). Should that shatter our trust in God for our eternal security? No, no! For me, it gives me all the more reason to want to abide in Christ, as Jesus had said we must. It is sometimes hard to accept certain bible teachings, because the alternatives seem wrong (at least to us). The verses I shared previously on this topic shatter the once-saved-always-saved belief. What should we do with these verses? Should we say: Um, those were taken out of context? Or Um, the alternative means we can lose our salvation as easily as a car key? Should we ignore that portion of scripture because the alternative we can think of is a roller-coaster-type salvation? I think not. Should we reinterpret them according to our understanding, or do we allow the Bible to shed light on itself? Let me say that I do not claim to be right, infallible... I do ask, though, that each person who reads this note take his/her bible and study, comparing scripture with scripture, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Then, afterwards, after all the verses on a given topic have been studied, and the whole picture is painted, then, but not before, a conclusion can be made. I believe that it is possible for a person who had been saved to depart from the way of righteousness. By means of illustration: I believe salvation is like a train running on two tracks. Faith in Jesus is one track, and good works is the other. If either track is broken, the train goes nowhere. This does not mean we cannot be secure in our salvation. God has made many promises that we can be overcomers in Him. Allow me to share a few of those promises: 2 Peter 1:4,5: According as his divine power given unto us ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN UNTO LIFE AND GODLINESS, though the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Romans 8:32: He that spared not his own Som, but delivered Hin up for us all, how shall he not with him also FREELY GIVE US ALL THINGS? 1 Corinthians 1:30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and SANCTIFICATION, and REDEMPTION. Hebrews 7:25: Wherefore he is ABLE to SAVE them TO THE UTTERMOST that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 2 Corinthians 2:14: Now thanks be unto our God, which ALWAYS causeth us to TRIUMPH in Christ... Ephesians 3:19 tells us that we might be FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD. Amazing! We can be secure. Without eliminating or changing any of the verses that are quoted here and in previous notes, my conclusion is this: Jesus has provided a means for us to escape the pollutions of the world - to be saved. He is able to save us to the uttermost - and he will, if we let him. As a matter of fact, He is willing and able to fill us with all the fullness of God, to bring us to the point where we are crucified with Christ, and it is no longer we who live, but Christ in us. We must be vigilant, though, because our adversary the devil seeks to devour us. We must abide in Jesus, and we will never again be entangled in, and overcome by, sin. If we become carefree or complacent, we will fall into sin (sometimes without even noticing it). If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, and if we confess, Jesus will forgive and cleanse us. Choosing to confess and be cleansed is voluntary. If one righteous person commits presumptuous sins - wilfully sins - ignoring the convictions of the Holy Spirit, and turns away from the way of righteousness, he will die. The devil would have us believe otherwise: he will not surely die (as he managed to convince Eve). But the Bible says plainly, that the righteous person who turns from his righteousness WILL die. Let us claim the promises of Jesus, by which we become partakers of his divine nature. |
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2 | Do you believe once save, always saved. | Luke 23:43 | Makarios | 95982 | ||
Just to clarify, Tuggy, here is my stance on the subject... "V. THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER "A. The Issue. Can a true believer ever lose his salvation by sinning, ceasing to believe, or in any other way? "B. The Proof of Security. The doctrine of eternal security rests on a proper concept of what God actually does when He saves a soul. 1. He loves to the uttermost (John 13:1). 2. He purposes to keep in spite of everything (John 10:28-30). 3. He intends to present us faultless before Himself (Jude 24). 4. His Son ever lives to make intercession to keep us saved (Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1). 5. His Spirit has placed us into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). 6. His Spirit has sealed us until the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). 7. His Word guarantees that nothing (including ourselves) can separate us from Christ (Rom. 8:28-39). In order to lose one's salvation all of these works of God would have to be undone, and the Bible nowhere even hints that this is possible." "C. The Problem Passages. 1. Hebrews 6:4-6. If this teaches that one can lose his salvation, it also teaches that one can never be saved a second time. 2. John 15:6. Probably refers to the judgment seat of Christ. 3. James 2:14-26. Nonworking faith is not a faith that saves in the first place. 4. 2 Peter 2 and Jude are referring to false teachers, who in Jude's estimation were not true believers (Jude 19; cf. Rom. 8:9). 5. Matthew 24:13. End of what? The Great Tribulation." (1) "Security "We teach that all the redeemed once saved are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 5:9,10; 8:1,31-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-9; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 7:25; 13:5; 1 Pet. 1:4,5; Jude 24)." "We teach that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an excuse for sinful living and carnality (Rom. 6:15-22; 13:13,14; Gal. 5:13,16,17,25,26; Titus 2:11-14)." (2) Blessings to you, Makarios (1) Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition, 1995, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, Charles C. Ryrie, pg. 2073 (2) The MacArthur Study Bible, 1997, Word Publishing, John MacArthur, pg. 2195 |
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