Bkmk
So I accept Jesus, and then I can Do anything I want.?
If faithfulness is the condition for salvation after being saved, how unfaithful can you be before you lose your salvation? How faithful must you be to maintain your salvation? What sin guarantees a loss of salvation? What sin is OK to do that will allow you to maintain your salvation? These are very important questions in your Soteriology in order for someone to know they are saved.
an important point- (and one you may have covered already, I don’t know) is that the word ‘repent’ does not mean ‘renounce and turn from all sin before conversion in order to make one’s self good enough for salvation’
The word repent simply means ‘to have a change of mind’ - in this case- to have a change of mind about how one becomes saved. To go from trying to be good enough that Christ is then obliged to accept us- to one of “ONLY Christ can save me because I will never be good enough to save myself”- this is the point that we fall at His feet- acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a Savior, and call on Him to save us IN OUR Sinful state” (Christ came to heal the sick- not to save the perfect) - Getting saved does not mean we lose our sin desires, and will never fall again, it also does not mean that it will cause us to lose our salvation when we do sin after salvation- it means that now all our sins are forgiven once and for all (Note- we will still suffer consequences for our sins such as sickness, prison- financial ruin etc if we fall into sin- and God may take us out of the world prematurely, but our salvation is guaranteed because God has clearly told us over and over in His word that Christ will never lose a single child- IF We can keep losing our salvation, then those verses are meaningless and lies- Verses that seem to indicate that we can lose our salvation then must be interpreted in light of these positive verses about Christ not losing ANY child of His- the other verses must be read in context, because they can not contradict the positive Word of the Lord
A Christian becomes righteous in God’s sight because of the work of Christ- NOT because of a vow to renounce all sin before becoming saved
Difficult passages must be interpreted in light of clear verses- with context in mind always- to determine to whom the verses apply-
When there are several ‘possible meanings’, then the context must determine which meaning is the correct one
The following sums it up better i think:
[[Principle 4: Use the Bible to help interpret itself.
Interpret difficult passages with clear ones. This is sometimes called the law of non-contradiction. Because the Bible is God’s word, and God is true, the Bible will not contradict itself.
For example, there are clear passages that teach the doctrine of eternal security, that once a person is truly saved he or she cannot lose salvation (John 5; Rom 8 ). Some passages in the Bible are very hard to interpret like Hebrews 6:4-6.2 4
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[a] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace”
So I would let the overall and clear theology of the Bible influence me that a very hard passage like Hebrews 6 is not teaching that someone can lose his salvation.]]
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-6-principles-biblical-interpretation
**Thank God for scriptures like Ephesians 2:8-1**
Thank God for....
....Mark 16:16
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”.
....Hebrews 5:9
“And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”
Where under your teaching system (or Charles “now listen” Stanley’s) is the muscle movement limitations to be saved? Suppose someone goes to hear a preacher, walking a mile in the process, and is converted; did that person work for salvation?
I completely agree with that latter part of your post, as you make the need to continue to be faithful, and follow in the teachings of Christ imperative to an eventual salvation, when we're no longer in the corruptible, but put on on the incorruptible. 1 Corinthians 15:50-56
I awoke a few nights past, startled out of a sound sleep by this verse: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:10
It immediately clicked that this is directly related to what Yeshua said, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." - John 6:54
It is clear to me that one must remain faithful unto the end. And thank you for having the courage to take on such a controversial subject today. In times past, being faithful meant striving for righteousness in the way we live - today it seems not that important, and what I feel is the iniquity/apostasy prophets warned us to lookout for - and we're seeing the results of this iniquity today.
May God bless you and keep you and yours strong during difficult times.
Pinging you both to this interesting one.
I don't find anything in the NT that indicates the believer can unseal themselves or does God unseal the believer.
Spot on as usual. Christ explained this concept with His most basic parable—the parable of the sower—upon which an understanding of all of His other parables is based.
Matthew 13:3-9
Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
We know from His explanation, and other passages, precisely what it means:
Seed = word / Gospel of the Kingdom
Field = world (people)
Birds = Devil and his emissaries (deception / misunderstanding)
Stony ground = shallowness (not fully committed, not believing with whole heart)
Sun = trials / persecution
Thorns = cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches
Fruit bearing = Salvation (good ground)
Salvation is not by our good works, but it inevitably (according to predestination) results in a transformed life that produces good works. This can only be accomplished by, and is evidence of, the work of God in our hearts to transform us from sinners into saints.
Only one category of those who hear the Gospel are ultimately saved: those who believe / bear fruit. Saving faith is an enduring and fruitful faith. Those who fall into this last category are those who already presently have eternal life that can never be lost. We still sin and can have resultant doubts about our salvation, because there is a difference between assurance and security.
1 John 3:18-21 (NKJV)
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
I think it matters.....
Romans 5:2 says faith gives access to grace.
If Mr. Charles Stanley is going to falsely proclaim one can be saved without faith, then he must also proclaim one can be saved without grace. For there is NO VERSE that says faithless gives access to grace. Such a verse would only exist in the imagination of Mr. Stanley.
So, I’ll believe while murdering people. Nice to know I get to go to heaven.
OSAS mark
It only takes a smidgen more faith, than no faith whatsoever, for saving faith, through what has been provided by Christ at the Cross, once and forever, and by the common and efficacious grace of God the Holy Spirit to a human just becoming aware of the Gospel, and upon the call of God the Father, accepts what has been provided and through faith in Christ accepts His Atonement.
Since we all have scarred souls, the Holy Spirit continues His work in us, as long as we remain in fellowship with Him.
When we step out of fellowship, then by 1stJn1:9 we are able to return to Him, so He may return to us and continue the sanctification process.
Once we are His, no matter what we do, we are sealed in His family as royal priests.
If we step out of fellowship, we are unable to fulfill His plan, (a type of sin, missing the mark) no matter how good we are or perform, until we return to fellowship with Him by His rules.
Jesus paid the price for the sins of the whole world, according to scripture; all the sins at the cross were from human perspective in the future but He canceled them for the whole world and all of the creation; to realize He has canceled all your sins allows you to be counted among the righteous knowing ONLY God is 'big enough' to pay such a price, and we are bought with a price, but unless you believe/FAITHE He has done this for you you will not receive the Gift of God in Christ Jesus
No one comes to Jesus except the Father draws them,; He is the author and finisher of our faith, our faithing, thus it is not possible to snatch our self from His hands; born again in the spirit makes us in a new family, where the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us; in that state of righteousness we can only be faithful children of the Eternal Father, unruly children, or rebellious children, but no one is able to be unborn. Thanks be to God
John 10:28&29 is an assurance. We are told that God put the Righteousness of Christ reality upon our spirit. Are men able to overpower an act that God has done? That belief diminishes the power of GOD by implying a man can undo what GOD has done and which even Jesus has endorsed as placing the saved in His hand and The Father's hand. If no one does not contain even you then it is not 'no one'. (Jude 24-25)