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 | CONDITIONAL ETERNAL SECURITY | 2 Pet 1:10 | teragram123 | 62542 | ||
CONDITIONAL ETERNAL SECURITY Following is support of the belief of “conditional” eternal security... Faith must strive.. show itself by “works” One never looses his freedom of this choice to serve the Lord and choose righteousness. No glory is given to God when a so called believer is “locked into” a relationship and more than a person bound to a marriage where there is no love. Though the marriage remains intact to the natural eye, in essence, the marriage is no longer a working relationship. Relationship without love, results in bondage, not freedom. Christ has delivered us from bondage of sin, not merely to be in bondage to HIM. We remain with a freewill. Unconditional salvation removes the freewill. Many who claim this erroneous doctrine are heard saying “I couldn’t go to hell if I wanted to”. How foolish! Will a just a Holy God force someone to live eternally in a place he did not desire with his whole heart? Never has God said He had to prove His love to us beyond the sacrifice of love on the Cross of Calvary; but many times and many ways He cried to the heart of His followers. “if” you love me, keep my commandments. Love is not proven by a relationship that cannot be unbroken. Obedience must have the freewill option to disobey or else the freedom of choice is taken away. It is not longer obedience but slavery and bondage. Only by the element of freedom to disobey, does obedience shine forth as an act of love. If one can never “loose” his salvation, satan would have no reason to tempt, indeed there would be not temptation if one could not “forsake” the way. God never forces His followers to follow, they freely choose and freely “continue”. The references that are often used to support the “Un conditional Eternal Security” view are: John 3:16 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 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: [28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] 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. The New Testament teaches the possibility of backsliding from and forsaking of the truth. Apostasy - “falling away”.. abandonment of the revealed truth. Exodus 12:21-23 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. [22] And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. [23] For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. This passage is referred to by Paul as a type of the “Passover Lamb - Christ” 1 Cor. 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: These “believers were warned very clearly to “Remain” under the protection or be destroyed by the death angel. Hebrews 6:1-9 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, [2] Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. [3] And this will we do, if God permit. [4] For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, [5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, [6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. [7] For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: [8] But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. [9] But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. |
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2 | CONDITIONAL ETERNAL SECURITY | 2 Pet 1:10 | Hank | 62599 | ||
Teregram123, this is an interesting phrase that you have introduced: conditional eternal security. Is it a biblical term, do you suppose, or is it a term that, while not stated in Scripture in so many words, can be justly supported by scriptural doctrine? It seems to me -- and I confess to being no theologian -- that something there is about the term that smacks of internal contradiction. I mean this: is it possible to be the recipient of God's gift of grace, i.e., salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and yet have certain strings attached to it? And what are those strings? Works, perhaps? But that takes us back, doesn't it, to the faith plus works equation, which in fact denies that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. What I am saying is that once we begin to attach qualifying adjectives such as "conditional" to a term such as "eternal security" or to the word "salvation" itself, are we not treading into dangerous waters? I restrict this particular post to these questions first and will not venture into the other issues addressed in your rather complex and many-faceted question-essay except to note that in your reference to the New Testament teaching about backsliding, the word "backslidng" never appears in the New Testament. A final thought: I join my friend BradK in inviting you to post a note about yourself in the user profile section so that we may come to know you a little bit better. Cordially, --Hank | ||||||