God commands prayer, even on things that are already lead pipe cinches. The Lord's Prayer is full of these. For example, we are to pray that God will not lead us into temptation, yet scripture SPECIFICALLY tells us that God does not tempt. Is therefore that part of the Lord's Prayer a waste? Of course not. Same thing here.
If Paul hopes for his own salvation, it must mean that he wasn’t sure of it. Rom 8:24-25
LOL! No. Paul is distinguishing between salvation at point of belief and salvation at entry into Heaven. The completion of salvation is what he is speaking of here. It has nothing to do with certainty, it has to do with time. Just 10 verses earlier he says:
Rom 8:15-16 : 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Past tense. Done deal. In fact, I'm sure you know that my side uses Paul as a primary source for salvational assurance. It is everywhere in his writings. I presume it is one of the big reasons why some Apostolics around here do not like Paul and think that his theology is wrong. :) Do you remember all the "high-five" posts that you and Kosta (and others) have traded on this thread? I mean the ones in which you called us "Paulines" and said that we disagree with the Gospels because we think that Paul's teachings are sound? I read them all.
He definitely wasn’t sure about his own salvation in Phil. 3:11-14
That's not correct. Paul was encouraging us to not become slackers during the race we run during life. He was saying that he hadn't reached the final salvation yet, because he was still alive and God had more for him to do. Perseverance was important to Paul and we agree with him. But Paul never taught a (comparatively) works-based salvation model. Paul infamously taught that salvation was by grace through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9, et. al). And, he taught assurance in many places, such as:
2 Tim 4:6-8 : 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race , I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Paul was absolutely certain of his salvation, as fellow Reformers are today. :) Paul also said this:
2 Tim 1:12 : That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
Paul doesn't "wish", he is convinced. He KNOWS.
That is not what we are saying.
We think so highly of Paul that he is considered the second greatest apostle after Peter. The Church that I grew up in and attended school in was called Sts. Peter and Paul. We have no issue with Paul; to the contrary we regard him very very highly.
We think that Calvinism is a dark and evil misinterpretation of Paul, just as we think that the Gnostics have a dark and evil misinterpretation of all of Scripture. We don’t think the worse of Scripture just because the Gnostics misinterpret it; we don’t think any worse of Paul because the Reformed misinterpret him either.
Looking through Reformed glasses, one sees that one’s prayers are entirely mechanical exercises because nothing anyone does is of consequence, yet one does them because one ought to.
There are no consequences for not praying so why ought one to pray? Because we ought to.
Okay. Salvation now versus final salvation. You guys get better and better. :)
I’ll bite. What is salvation now and what is salvation then? How do they differ? They must differ because you point them out separately.
Then EXPLAIN why we are saying it?
Paul is distinguishing between salvation at point of belief and salvation at entry into Heaven
And lots of things can happen on the way to Paradise. People change thgeir travel plans.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
What does that mean? Is God saying "Hello, FK, I testify to you that you are My (adopted) son?" Of course not! You think you are. You might even say that you "feel" you are. You may even say that you know you are, but you have no proof of anything—to borrow one FReeper's term "you got nothin'." By what means does God "testify" that you, specifically, are His son?
Don't get me wrong: the verse sure sounds good. But that's not what faith is about, is it?
That's not correct. Paul was encouraging us to not become slackers during the race we run during life
No, he was apparently at times preaching the exact opposite of what Christ preachesd. Like his famous saying "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." [2 Thess 3:10].
Yet the Gospel tells us "not to worry" because the "Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." [Mat 6:32-33]