Featured Understanding the NT re: eternal security

Ephesians 2:4-9

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

What is a BAC? Is it anything like a JW or AoG or CoLDS?

 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved

 

Your insults show you've nothing left to work with. I think we've exhausted this discussion. Bye Bye.........

 

Fully 40% of visible churches on street corners teach this.
5 of the ones in my town do...

The "Four Square" church downtown, the "Methodist" church a block from it, the "Pentecostal" church a block over from that, the "Roman Catholic Church" a block over from that, and the "Bible Missionary" church uptown.

I can give you a partial list of denominations which hold to loss of salvation, and they are many.

 

You're missing the parables of the Sower and the Tares of the field.
Many who think they are saved, in reality are not.
Many who think that they are doing the will of God are not...they are doing what they believe will gain them favor or keep them in favor with the Lord.

They were "sown" into Christ's field by his enemy, the devil.

Many who profess Christ do not have the Holy Spirit in residence, Samuels.
It is to the professing body of Christ that the warnings are made, and is to the "tares" that the words of Matthew 7:21-23 will be addressed.

 

"Born-Again Christian".

 

Thank you. I didn't recognize that acronym.

Is there a non-born again Christian?

 

As opposed to a non-born again Christian?

 

Wow, Samuels, you really cannot see your works salvation teaching? It has to be a big blind spot for you, but you're not teaching salvation by grace alone.

 

Churches today, in my estimation, are filled with them.

People who have "made a decision for Christ" but have never been called into the fellowship of the saints through the preaching of God's word and the power of God changing their hearts.

 

Samuels, if salvation can be lost, what then are you trusting in to keep you saved...
Your efforts, or God's efforts on your behalf?

 

No, it is not.
It is the work of God alone.

Eternal life is not a reward for performing an act or set of actions, or "meeting a set of requirements", it is a gift ( Romans 6:23 ).
It is wholly unmerited, and cannot be purchased at any price.

Not of works, lest any man should boast ( Ephesians 2:8-9 ).

I agree that "Once Saved, Always Saved" is error...
That is why I believe "If Saved, Always Saved".

I also trust the Lord Jesus and what He says:
" Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." ( John 5:24 ).


But I do agree that one must be born again ( to be "of" God ) in order to believe God's words:
" He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God." ( John 8:47 ).

" But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." ( 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 ).

 

No, you do not.
I already know where they are and why you believe that they describe ( by inference ) loss of salvation.

But I can tell you this:
There is nothing in God's word that anywhere declares that a blood-bought child of the living God will ever lose that which they never had the power to gain...

God's mercy and compassion towards them.

I pray that you read and believe the whole of God's word,
instead of believing some of it and rejecting other pieces of it, like this:

" All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." ( John 6:37-40 ).

At the end of the day, all I can do is hope that someday He shows you why you're conditioning all the passages like these with the warning passages that are meant to guide His children ( who were chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4-5 ) into examining themselves as to whether or not they are actually in the faith.

May God bless you as you consider these things.

 

Do you realize you have a variation of the Judaizers whom Paul called anathema in his letter to the Galatians? You want to begin by grace, but then revert back to the law. May it never be.

God keeps his children. He gives them faith. Faith does good works. If someone says they have faith, but there is no evidence of good works, it is a surety that the person is lying and has never been given the gift of faith. The Bible calls them tares, wolves and goats. They were never born again. They were never redeemed. God never chose them.