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 | Salvation: Instantaneous, progressive? | Ps 68:19 | charis | 28418 | ||
Dear Nolan, (now that I have your attention! :-)) Greetings to you in the name of Jesus! Friend, you must know what I mean, because your post reflects it! :-) The main difference of opinion that we seem to have is that you separate sanctification, glorification and our eternal walk with the Lord from salvation. I believe that all of these things are an integral part of our salvation. In other words, salvation equals our entire relationship with God, most of which has not yet come to pass, though all of it is assured by His promises. I think that the letters by Peter and James (who were shepherds!) speak of this. Blessings and love to you in Christ Jesus, charis |
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2 | Salvation: Instantaneous, progressive? | Ps 68:19 | Makarios | 28449 | ||
Greetings charis, Yes, I agree, if we are operating on two separate definitions for salvation, then we will, of course, have two different conclusions.. But I am without the luxury of searching the Forum for your definition of what salvation is (like I had to do with "apostle"), and I don't quite agree that salvation is equal to everything that we do with the Lord, including our daily walk. I believe that a person is saved only once - one time and one time alone! But there are different aspects to salvation that we may be confusing with each other (like sanctification). I believe that sanctification is almost like a "by-product" of salvation - it happens as a result of salvation. We wouldn't keep saying day after day that the trials and tribulations that we go through are making us "go through salvation" all over again. So this may help in understanding why we both keep coming to different conclusions.. Blessings to you, Nolan |
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3 | Salvation: Instantaneous, progressive? | Ps 68:19 | Reformer Joe | 28471 | ||
Nolan: Of course, you are using the term "salvation" as a synonym for "justification," which I hold to be a validly biblical way of looking at it. We are justified only once. The interesting thing, however, is the faith that results in justification is a continuous faith, not a fleeting one. Christ speaks of such a fleeting faith in the parable of the soils: "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away." --Matthew 13:20-21 Apostasy is a real-life thing, so it is also fair to say that while justification is an instantaneous event, it is lifelong in its effect. It is interesting to note that Martin Luther, who gave back to the church justification by faith alone, began his 95 Theses with this statement: "Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance." Repentance unto life is a constant thing that characterizes the whole life of believers, not just one brief moment of a "sinner's prayer." That is the danger of linking salvation to a "decision moment" in time, even though we are justified at the moment we truly place saving faith in the work of Christ alone. --Joe! |
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4 | Salvation: Instantaneous, progressive? | Ps 68:19 | Makarios | 28548 | ||
Greetings Joe, I believe that salvation is an instantaneous event, not something that happens over and over again. I believe that our faith is an essential characteristic of our Christian walk, and that we must have it in order to be saved (Ephesians 2:8) or even to please God (Hebrews 11:6). I believe that we continually and constantly live with this salvation that has been given to us by grace (after we have been saved), and I believe that it has an effect in every part of our lives! However, I believe that salvation is not something that is "progressive", even though we must 'progressively' have faith and can "grow" in faith. I also believe that we have been positionally "set apart" when we join the family of God at salvation and confess Him as Lord, regardless of the spiritual state that we have when we come into salvation (1 Cor. 6:11, Hebrews 10:10). But we, of course, are to be "increasingly" set apart in our daily lives (1 Peter 1:16). In the positional sense, no one is more sanctified than another, but in the experimental aspect it is quite correct to speak of one believer as being more sanctified than another. This is where the NT exhortations concerning spiritual growth come into play. Also, I believe that we will not fully be "set apart" to God until our position and practice are brought into perfect accord, and this will only occur when we see Christ and become as He is (1 John 3:1-3). This is our ultimate or future sanctification, which awaits our complete glorification with resurrection bodies (Eph. 5:26-27; Jude 24-25). So, yes, we have been saved! However, the completion of this "journey with Christ" can only be complete when we meet Christ at the finish line. But between the point at which we are saved to the point where we reach the finish line, we are not continually "being saved" over and over again. Yes, we sway and turn away, and then turn back, and then turn away, but a true Christian is characterized by being an overcomer of this world. If one eventually does completely renounce Christ, then I believe that they were never saved to begin with, since I believe that the Lord's promise to us is faithful and true, and that He will perfect that which He has begun. One cannot lose salvation one day and have it the next, and one cannot lose their salvation on a "whim." I do not believe that salvation is lost if we haven't repented for each and every sin that we have committed, although we should repent of each sin, even after we are saved. Our positional and eternal status has been decided and settled forever when we first accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. However, the process of sanctification and of repenting of our sins stops only at the moment we reach the finish line, where every promise will be fulfilled. Blessings to you, Nolan |
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