Subject: Eternal Security? |
Bible Note: Greetings Kin! Sorry I didn't respond sooner! I haven't been getting notification on some of the responses. I think there might be a problem with the forum. I live in Evansville, IN. Sorry, but I have never even been to N.H. I appreciate your comments. This is a very complex issue, but allow me to summarize my basic postion on this issue. 1) My interpretation scheme is very simple. Any doctrinal or theological statement must take into account all of what Scripture has to say. When there appears to be a conflict, I give greater weight to clear statements. 2) We have clear statements in Scripture concerning God's intentions, that all be saved and that He died for the whole world. 3) We also have statements concerning election. However, these statements never really define election as clearly as we would like. 4) Putting the evidence together, I would say the following best does justice to both election and mercy. a) Christ died for all. b) Salvation is offered to all. c) Election is in Christ. d) When someone responds to Christ, they become part of the elect body. e) Membership in this body is based on grace alone, but does require our acceptance of what Christ did for us. f) In Christ, we are secure. Nothing and no one can take our salvation from us. g) However, a believer can cease to abide in Christ through a deliberate rejection of Christ. To me, this seems to be to justice to all the Biblical evidence. We cannot deny that there is a Biblical concept of election, however the definition of that concept is open to debate. We also cannot deny that clear statements of Scripture that God wills that all be saved. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |