Featured Candidates of Apostasy; Are you one?

I don’t understand why the statement that temporary life cannot be eternal life is something you consider ridiculous, and this largely due to your explanation that “it is akin to saying that physical death proves you were never alive.” It seems that physical death proves mortality (that physical life is not eternal), not that life never existed. In fact, it proves the contrary (physical death implies having once lived physically).

Occasionally TCassidy will misinterpret a passage or doctrine (those times when he disagrees with me ), but I agree with him on this point. Eternal life is just that. If one has it and loses it, then it was never eternal. People who have eternal life are not found without eternal life.

If, however, you are arguing that one does not "receive" or enter into eternal life until “the end”, then I can understand your argument. But if this is your argument I think that you need to make it clear.

I'd also be interested in knowing exactly why you think God made a mistake with Israel. I didn't see a follow up on that remark, but what I understand it to mean is that those years in the wilderness were not purposed by God (as revealed throughout the remainder of the Old and New Testament) but was instead of some kind of mistake.

I may be misreading you on both accounts, and if so then you have my apologies. I will add that much too often on the BB people are misread because their statements lack clarity. I would appreciate it if you would clarify for me those two issues.

 

As my salvation has been questioned in this thread I would like to reply with the Inspired, Inerrant, Infallible word of God.

1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know (perfect tense) that you have (present tense) eternal (never ending) life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

For all the "bible experts" who don't know what a perfect tense verb means, it simply means something occurred earlier that resulted in the current state.

In other words, the faith I now have was obtained in the past which resulted in my presently knowing that I have eternal life.

That's bible. Accept it or reject it.

Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit."

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, that no one would boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them."

 

Another consideration is are we sharing the same vocabulary. To the best of my knowledge, there is a difference between "perseverance of the saints" and "the eternal security of the believer". As I understand the term with perseverance of the saints, a person does not know his\her eternal destiny until the end. With the eternal security of the believer, a person can know.

 

Putting on my Moderator hat in answer to your question. Yes.

 

And that is why you need to, to quote Mayor Shinn of River City, Iowa, " watch your phraseology." You need to be cautious about personalizing your inquiry.

 

No, it just proves that what you were calling "eternal life" was not so eternal. No one argues that death proves one did not have life, just that the life had was not eternal (hence death).

No, eternal is defined by duration, not retention. Life that does not last forever is simply not life that lasts forever. I don't understand why this alludes your grasp.

No, I don't have it "if." I have you at "if" ("if you are arguing..."). Here's another - if you cannot be faithful in dealing with what I, being nothing, posted then what reasonable assurance is there that you will with what God has said?

Sure you did. In fact, that is exactly what you said:

I agree with you that there is a condition (regardless of who meets that condition....God or man). But your mistake is in assuming that the "gift" itself comes with that condition. My argument is that there is no assurance of eternal life/saved/entering the Kingdom except that which is gained by examining our lives. Scripture speaks of those who are saved/ have eternal life/ are a part of the Kingdom as the exact same people who will be saved/ will be granted eternal life/ will enter the Kingdom. Until you understand that simple fact I really do not see your argument growing into something biblically defensible.

 

I understand that point, but that spiritual death was not associated with the gift of "eternal life."

I don't know.

The giving is conditional, not the gift.

And yes, I am saved.

 

You were warned about questioning any individual regarding his eternal salvation. Last warning. Either discuss this subject in the abstract or don't discuss it at all.

 

Yes, really. I don't know how God works in the lives of infants.

This question has been asked and answered several times in Scripture. Here I think it best to teach one to fish rather than simply offering a meal. Try reading John, your answer is there.

John 17:3 defines eternal life. The way that people are saved is by God, through faith in Jesus Christ. You see, Vooks, God gave His Son that any who would believe in Him would have eternal life. I think that many if not all of these questions you have will be answered in that Gospel.

Which means that if I were to worship the Beast then it would demonstrate that I never had been saved in the first place. Again, read John (this time his epistles).

Some make the mistake of pointing to a time of belief as our assurance we have been saved. Others make the mistake of denying such assurance and focusing solely on the salvation that is to come. Both of these positions are denied in Scripture (pointing out one error does not justify your own error).

We abide by the rules of the forum. Personally, I don't care one bit if you question my salvation. I have an answer for the faith that is in me. We are repeatedly called in Scripture to test our own salvation to see if we are indeed among the elect (I realize that this may seem hilarious or silly to you, yet it is repeated by John, Peter, and Paul). But I don't mind people questioning my salvation and am never offended when people do so. Just remember it is against the rules here.