How many people reading this thread have ever even read the bible?
All of it? Every single word? Even the “boring” parts?
How many?
I find this article offensive. Can I have you banned and then stoned to death? :-)
Once saved always saved. We still do things we shouldn’t but now our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus dying on the cross. Not perfect, but forgiven.
How would you ever have assurance of eternal life in heaven and the peace that goes with that if you had to constantly worry if you were good enough.No one is perfect except Jesus Christ and Adam & Eve till they disobeyed God.
Reminding me to go to confession this morning. Thank you.
Not all evangelicals hold to OSAS, and Rm. 11:22, which deals with people groups, is not the strongest verse which indicates that one can willfully deny the faith and forfeit the justification which faith appropriates, which position Gal. 5:14 and Heb. 10:18-39 less disputably supports.
Related to this is the idea held by some that a faith which holds to the promise of eternal life for believers is salvific, though one’s life overall denies it. The “these things” of 1Jn. 5:13 refers to the prior description of what manner of faith constitutes saving faith. The faith that justifies is one that is characterizes by following the Lord, (Jn. 10:27,28) and repenting when he is convicted of not doing so. (2Cor. 7:10,11)
The problem for RC’s however, is that is denies salvation by imputed righteousness, but holds that sprinkled infants realize a constitutional holy change, and that through cooperation with grace dispensed thru RC sacraments, they may be said “to have truly merited eternal life.” (Trent, 1547, The Sixth Session Decree on justification, chapter XVI; cf. Canon 32)
In essence, she preaches salvation by grace thru merit, while effectualy she promotes confidences in her own self-proclaimed power for salvation. Self-proclaimed, as her claim to be the one true and supreme church is effectively based upon her “infallible” declaration that she is infallible, when speaking according to her own infallibly declared conditions.
And despite Rome’s emphasis upon works, in comparison with evangelicals, Roman Catholics typically come in far behind, along with similarly institutionalized Protestant denoms, in evidences of faith commitment and doctrinal fidelity. http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/RevealingStatistics.html#Sec4
Once saved — always saved has never made biblical sense either.
Man has a free will and can turn on God at any time.
We are declared (past tense) righteous, and we now (present tense) have perfect righteousness before God, not personally, but legally
No one can be good 100% of the time every day of their life because even though we are saved, sin still lives within us. God knows this and that is why He sent his Son and that if we believe that He came to atone for our sins, that he rose from the dead, then we are saved. To expect us to adhere 100% to scriptural teachings would be to expect 100% perfection from us and there is only One who was 100% perfect - and He died on the cross for us.
We are saved by believing. this is not to say we can go on sinning. But kn owing that sin still lives inside of us we are to bear our cross, deny ourselves and follow Him. that is what brings true happiness on earth and true salvation in heaven.
Galatians
Chapter 5
1 1 2 For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. 2 It is I, Paul, who am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised that he is bound to observe the entire law. 3 4 You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7 You were running well; who hindered you from following (the) truth? 8 That enticement does not come from the one who called you. 9 A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. 10 I am confident of you in the Lord that you will not take a different view, and that the one who is troubling you will bear the condemnation, whoever he may be. 11 As for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, 8 why am I still being persecuted? In that case, the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 12 Would that those who are upsetting you might also castrate themselves! 13 For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. 16 I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. 18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, 21 occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. 26 Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.
I think that says it all. There's lots of footnotes in the New American version.
If you can lose your salvation, that implies that you can earn your salvation.
And that implies that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was indeed not sufficient to reconcile us with God.
Ah, but Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient.
Step Two:
The Bible says salvation depends on several things, not just the simple believe/confess formula your friend holds to. Point out that in 1 John, St. John is speaking to Christians (ie. believers who had accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior (cf. chapter 2:12-14), when he says, "If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing" (1 John 1:8-9). Notice that St. John includes himself in this category by using the word "we." Ask what would happen if she did not confess her sins. What would happen if she confessed with her mouth but wasn't truly repentant? Would God forgive her anyway? If she says yes, she contradicts the biblical passages that say unrepented sin will not be forgiven and nothing sinful or unclean can enter into heaven (cf. Hab. 1:13; Rev. 21:8- 9, 27).
St. John also says, "Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you remain in the Son and in the Father" (1 John 2:24). This if/then construction shows that there is an alternative to "remaining in the Son and the Father." That alternative, naturally, is not remaining in them. In other words, these Christians are being told that it's possible for them to choose not to remain in Him.
St. John makes a distinction between mortal and venial sins in 1 John 5:16-17. He explains that "all wrongdoing is sin," but that some types of sin are "mortal" (Greek: pros thanaton = unto death), while there are other sins that are "venial" (Greek: me pros thanaton = not unto death). The one who is born of God does not commit mortal sin. If he does, he is "cut off" from the body, as St. Paul describes in Romans 11:22-24 and Galatians 5:4; St. Peter also mentions this in 2 Peter 2:20-22. Christ provided the sacramental means by which a person who commits a grave sin and subsequently repents may be restored to fellowship with God and the Church (cf. John 20:21-23).
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The Lord’s plan of salvation is that we are reconciled to Him by Him through Christ, we are a new creation(2 Corinthians 5, Colossians 2, 3)
He does not require super or special knowledge of us. His Spirit indwells us and *He* keeps that which we “have committed unto Him against that day.”
If eternal life is not eternal, everlasting life, then God is a liar. Some folks are like Bill Clinton; he couldn’t define what is, is. It’s a shame that many Christians cannot define eternal. Eternal life defines quality and quantity. I gave up living in fear of losing God’s gift many years ago after living on the Roller Coaster of religion for ten years. Give up your religion and receive Christ - He is eternal life. Once you ask Him into your life, He will complete the work He started within. God is not a man that He should lie! God cannot fail to keep me from falling — Praise His Holy Name! Many folks believe God is not able to keep them from falling. It’s good to be free in Christ, and although I’m not without sin, my sanctification is greater on a practical basis today than it was years ago. All the glory be to God!