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NASB | Matthew 10:33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 10:33 "But the one who denies and rejects Me before men, that one I will also deny and reject before My Father who is in heaven. |
Subject: Easy to deny Christ? |
Bible Note: Greetings, Charis! Yes! Thank you for the compliment! I did know beforehand what your stance was on 'once saved, always saved', and I believe that I was writing with the intention of showing how salvation is something of a whole lot greater importance than to be completely dismissed on a whim at any moment's notice. But your very Username means "grace", and I am convinced that I know where you "lean", my friend! :-) Also, noone ever said that you had to make a choice between one side or the other, even though we agree on this topic! You ask "How can we tell if a person is genuinely saved?" Excellent question! We are told to 'examine ourselves' (2 Cor. 13:5) to see if we have a "genuine saving faith." (1) In the back of the MacArthur Study Bible, which I'm pretty sure that you also own a copy, it displays a chart that describes the character of someone who has a 'genuine saving faith.' I believe that we can tell if a person has this kind of faith by observing them, but the following are some things that neither prove nor disprove the evidence of this kind of faith: Visible Morality (Matt. 19:16-21; 23:27), Intellectual Knowledge (Rom. 1:21; 2:17ff), Religious Involvement (Matt. 25:1-10), Active Ministry (Matt. 7:21-24), Conviction of Sin (Acts 24:25), Assurance (Matt. 23), and Time of Decision (Luke 8:13,14). (1) The chart also goes on to say that the "proofs" or fruit of authentic 'genuine saving faith' are: Love for God, Repentance from Sin, Genuine Humility, Devotion to God's Glory, Continual Prayer, Selfless Love, Separation from the world, Spiritual Growth, and Obedient Living. It also states that if a person has all the qualities listed in the above paragraph but does not have the qualities listed in this paragraph, then there is cause to question the validity of one's salvation. But if a person exhibits the qualities in this paragraph, then they will most likely also exhibit the qualities in the prior paragraph as well, since the person is genuinely saved. I hope that this helps us in leading the "naysayers" into a deeper understanding of our position! I spared some of the Scripture above, which was listed in the chart (and quite extensive), since I believe that you also own a copy.. Your Brother in Christ, Makarios (mak-ar'-ee-os) meaning "Blessed" P.S. I made a 'deal' with the 'big guy' and asked him to change my Username for the sake of anonymity. And this change is permanent, since I will not go back and forth on him like that. :-) Source: (1) The MacArthur Study Bible, 1997, Word Publishing, John MacArthur, Author and General Editor |