Subject: salvation |
Bible Note: Steeno- Seems as though you have really gotten off to a poor start here on the forum. Remember that when we stumble we must quickly right ourselves or we'll be suddenly on our face. In short- your opinion, like my own, is of very little value here and even less so when our understanding and beliefs are not supported by scripture. Saying that they are supported is not sufficient and again, as Azure stated in an earlier post, we must always consider those readers that are not participating in the thread and may have little or no prior bible study background from which to consider our statements. I'm not sure if your lack of significant biblical reference is due to ignorance or arrogance and I hope I am wrong in both cases. I say this because many are guilty of hearing something, in church for example, and clining to it; believing it without ever establishing it as truth by testing it in light of Scripture. When it becomes an issue they find they have nothing to stand on scripurally. Then they're faced with options. They can arrogantly stand their ground. They can study Scripture for the answer (as they should have done in the first place) and if scripture supports their belief they can then appropriately articulate it. Or, and this is the hardest for most people I believe; They can accept that they are wrong and correct their theology (I sure know the pain and yet joy of that). In any case you have faild, refused, to even attempt to give sound, biblical justification for your position (whether you are right or wrong) in spite of being asked by multiple users (though you have dropped a verse or two in the mix). It's as though you drew your own conclusions about the position of others and then took their statements out of context. For example; you took what others have said regarding FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD and suggested they are saying or implying they really meant salvation. I don't find a single argument in the thread suggesting that a saved person's sin (and we all still do) results in a loss of salvation resulting in the need to become saved again which is dependent on the asking for forgiveness, which in and of itself is a work. Yet, you continue to take it there. If you are not able to see the clear teaching in both OT and NT of the process by which God sanctifies those He saves then you will miss the whole point. If you are not guilty of sin you are not in need of reproof. If God corrects those He loves then those He loves must be in need of correction. If we, having known the truth and being beneficiaries of God's grace find ourselves once again sinning, what level of arrogance might we be guilty of when we simply say, "oh well, He's already forgiven me, no need to address it, I might offend Him." (what's in quotes is my impression of what you are saying and not an attempt to quote you directly). I wonder how I might respond to one of my patient's were he to say to me that he had no need to appologize to his wife for having wronged her in some way and no need to ask her forgiveness because "she's already my wife". Perhaps not the best analogy but I really do wonder. Never heard anything like it and I do deal with some seriously prideful and arrogant types in my work. I hope I've contributed something helpful, Jeff |