Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Can you lose your salvation? | Bible general Archive 1 | yokefellow | 29944 | ||
Dear Hank, Let's analyze the passage: 1) 1 John 5:16 - Here, reference is made to a "brother" who sins. The phrase, "any man" must therefore be speaking of only those who are members of the body of Christ and approved of God; it follows, therefore, that the "brother" contemplated as sinning is an erring child of God. An analysis of this passage reveals: (1) a child of God can sin; (2) there is a sin not "unto death"; (3) we are instructed to pray for those thus sinning, with the assurance that our prayers will be heard and answered; (4) there is a sin "unto death"; (5) for those guilty of such it is useless and futile to pray. 2) Our question now is: "What is the sin "unto death"? (a) It is obvious that no single sin, contemplated as an overt act, was in the apostle's mind. The passage does not designate "the sin" or even "a sin", but mere sin, sin in essence, sin abstractly considered. (b) The sin was such that a brother could discern or identify it ("If any man see"). (c) The "death" referred to was not "bodily death" but "spiritual death" - separation from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). (d) It was such a sin as only children of God could be guilty of. Any correct interpretation must take into account each of these considerations and embrace them. 3) There is much about sin and its forgiveness in this epistle of John. Sin is found in the lives of all Christians (1 John 1:8-10); its origin indicated (3:8); the way to void sin is revealed (3:9). In the event of sin in one's life, there is "an Advocate, with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (2:1); and the promise that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1:9) The apostle's teaching on the theme of sin and its forgiveness is abundant, and the significance clear: (1) The Lord will forgive every sin, of whatever nature, that a brother confesses (1 John 1:8-9); (2) There is, however, a sin which the Lord WILL NOT forgive (1 John 5:16); Therefore, the sin which the Lord will not forgive, is simply "a sin", "any sin", "all sin" that a "brother" WILL NOT CONFESS! 4) If this conclusion does not follow, it is because either the major or minor premise of the syllogism is defective. The "major premise" is that the Lord will forgive every sin a brother CONFESSES. This is stated in 1 John 1:8. The "minor premise" is obviously implied in 1 John 5:16. It follows, therefore, that since the Lord will forgive every sin, of whatever nature, that a brother CONFESSES and turns away from; and as there is a sin which the Lord WILL NOT FORGIVE, the conclusion is irresistible that the sin which the Lord WILL NOT FORGIVE is a sin which a "brother" WILL NOT CONFESS! The context corroborates this view. If my brother sins and manifests penitence, I not only may, it is MY DUTY to pray in his behalf (James 5:16). If, however, my brother exhibits stubborn impenitence and persistent "rebellion", following the commission of his sin, it is USELESS to petition the Father in his behalf. The "sin unto death" is thus a "disposition of heart", a "perverseness of attitude", and an "unwillingness of mind" to acknowledge one's sin and turn away from it. Such a disposition effectively "closes" the door of heaven in one's face (Isaiah 59:2). Mike |
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2 | Can you lose your salvation? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 30018 | ||
Mike: I disagree with the minor premise of your syllogism. Simply citing Isaiah 59 does little to support your view that the "sin unto death" is a sin unto the loss of salvation. Your view of confessing sin, by the way, if very close to the Catholic idea of sacramental penance. Yes, we are undoubtedly to be confessing and repentant (Martin Luther's first thesis was that our lives should be ones of continual repentance). However, we have a contradiction in your claim that we are saved by God's grace (unmerited favor), but that we lose that salvation if we don't confess each sin. Another question...when you became a Christian, did you confess every single sin that you ever committed? Assuming you did not, why didn't you have to make your list then? In my experience, those who hold that every sin must be confessed generally have a poor understanding of just how much we still sin. I could not even count the number of times I have sinned (in even the most passing thought, word, or deed) against an infinitely holy God since I rolled out of bed this morning. While I do continually confess my sin against God in a general sense, it would be literally impossible to do anything else during the day but confess our continual lack of conformity to God's law and our transgression of it. Everything we do is still tainted by sin. Even our God-honoring works are imperfect in some form or fashion. If we must confess each and every sin, then we are doomed, because no one does that. --Joe! |
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3 | Can you lose your salvation? | Bible general Archive 1 | yokefellow | 30041 | ||
Dear Joe, Please study the scriptures that I have given in my posts before you "immediately" come to a conclusion. I cannot "change" what God's Word says any more than any man can. God's Word, for the most part, does not "conform" to "man's thinking" and therefore why he often "rejects" God's Word. This is why we MUST HAVE an open mind when we approach God's Word and get rid of preconceived ideas, philosophies, opinions, etc. As you well know, one of the major rules of interpretation is to allow ALL of God's Word to answer our questions - NOT just the part of scripture that we like or want to adhere to. Many false teachings have arisen because of this fact. The inspired Apostle Paul stated in Acts 20:20, "I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you"; and in Acts 20:27, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you ALL (emphasis mine) the counsel of God." Christ stated this application of scripture in Matt. 4:4 as He was tempted of the devil. "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD (emphasis mine) that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." The inspired Apostle Paul stated in 2 Timothy 3:16 that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (not just the part that WE want to adhere to). The religion of the Bible is not a "cafeteria style" religion where you can "pick and choose" certain verses in the Bible but not include the "whole body" of scripture in your interpretation. This applies to ALL men in approaching the scriptures. We must also have the attitude of the Berean Jews in Acts 17:11. They demonstrated a "readiness of mind" in receiving the word as well as having a willingness to "search the scriptures daily" to see whether or not Paul and Silas were teaching the Truth of God's Word. If all followers of Christ would adhere to the above principles, there wouldn't be any denominations in the religious world - only Christians belonging to the Lord's church that he built, purchased, and died for (Matt. 16:18-19; Acts 20:28). Mike |
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4 | Can you lose your salvation? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 30067 | ||
Mike: It only takes a cursory reading of my posts to see that I fully understand the importance of holding to the whole counsel of God. You are "preaching to the choir" there. I am quite the "sola Scriptura" guy, I love both Testaments, and applaud your claim to the same standard. However, you did not address the points in my post at all. I do not base my understanding on some pre-conceived notion, making Scripture try to "fit the facts." So, please respond to the points I made in my post. Is the total depravity of humanity a Biblical doctrine or not? If so, how can our sick, wicked hearts (Jeremiah 17:9) ever truly comprehend and make account for every last sin we commit? In addition, how is Christ the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) if confession on our part forms the basis of maintaining a right standing with God? Please note that I am not saying that those who are unrepentant exhibit saving faith; I want you to grasp from the whole counsel of God the absolute holiness of God and how cosmically far we still fall short of His righteous standard. Have you confessed every last sin you have ever committed by name? How do you know you have not ignored one or failed to recognize one or sinfully justified the sin by making an excuse? Because according to the theology you put forward, if there is the tiniest one left unmentioned, it is hell for you. As far as your last paragraph, I also completely disagree. There are many people who adhere to the principles you mentioned and yet still differ on issues, because one or more of them are wrong in your interpretation. Do you sincerely believe that every view you now hold is precisely the one that God does, that you are not in the slightest bit of theological error at all? All of us are wrong on something, I am quite sure, despite the fact that we hold God's word to be THE standard for faith and practice, studying it our whole lives. --Joe! |
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