Subject: Show in the Bible once saved always |
Bible Note: Dear New Creature, Where did you get the idea of a "partnership" with God? Certainly not from the Bible! Paul called himself a slave, a bond servant, an apostle but never a partner. We are God's workmanship, creatures created by Him for His good pleasure. He may dispose of our lives any way He sees fit. You cited Jude 1:21 as an example of our responsibility to keep ourselves in Christ. But a few verses later we are told: Jude 1:24,25 "Now to HIM who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." I fail to see where we may find reason to boast of our good works in this passage. He keeps us from stumbling; He makes it possible for us to stand before God. Any good works God is pleased to perform through us have already been prepared from eternity, and they will be done. Not because we're so hot, but because He has ordained them to take place! We must not confuse the means of grace with "works" that we must do to remain saved. When Jesus surredered His spirit to the Father, He said "It is finished". At that moment all the sins of all the people (past present and future) were atoned for by Christ and settled forever. The notion that a blood bought child of God could fall and perish is unthinkable. Those who profess to know Christ but die in their sin were never His at all. His work on the cross, like everything else He has done, is perfect. It accomplished the salvation of every person the Father had given Him. He never fails! I caution you, as a brother in Christ, to re-examine your conception of who God is and who you are. To God be the Glory, John Reformed |