Assurance of Salvation

Even more important is who does the saving?
If our faith is our own and we choose God, then we could choose to let go of God.
Since our faith is the "gift of God, not of works, lest ANY man should boast," then we are safe knowing that we are HIS workmanship.

 

I really like the ones already posted and these.

Eph 1
10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

2 Cor 1
21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

 

My mom says that too -- that we can choose to give back our salvation so to speak. My arguement would be that person wasn't ever saved to begin with and got tired of playing the game they were playing.

Assurance -- I Peter 1:3-4 -- Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Chrst from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade"

My favorite on Salvation and works is James 2:14 &18 -- what good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him. . . . But someone will say, "you have faith; I have deeds." who me your faith withoug deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."

Works in no way, shape, or form entered into my salvation BUT I do the work of God because He saved me.

 

Apostasy (A believer falling away) certainly can be found in the scripture:

(Rom 11:20) Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

(Rom 11:21) For if God spared not the natural branches, takeheed lest he also spare not thee.

(Rom 11:22) Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

(1Co 9:27) But I keepunder my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

(Gal 5:4) Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.


(Col 1:23) If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

(1Th 3:5) For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain.

(1Ti 1:19) Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

(1Ti 1:20) Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

(2Ti 2:17) And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

(2Ti 2:18) Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

(Jam 5:19) Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

(Jam 5:20) Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

(2Pe 2:20) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

(2Pe 2:21) For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

(1Jo 5:16) If any man see his brother sin a sin whichis not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

HEBREWS:
Danger of apostasy (6.1-8; 10.26-31), "lest anyone should fall" through disobedience (4.11).

(Heb 6:1) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

(Heb 6:2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

(Heb 6:3) And this will we do, if God permit.

(Heb 6:4) For itis impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,



(Heb 6:5) And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

(Heb 6:6) If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

(Heb 6:7) For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

(Heb 6:8) But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

(Heb 10:26) For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

(Heb 10:27) But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

(Heb 10:28) He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

(Heb 10:29) Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

(Heb 10:30) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

(Heb 10:31)It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

(Heb 4:11) Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

That said, Do I believe a true believer will ever fall away, NO, I think these passages are written for the saints to keep them from doing so, still the possibilities seem to exist.

 

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

God provides the gifts of repentance and faith, he provides the calling, he provides the illumination, the regeneration and the drawing, none of which he takes back.

 

Act 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

The jailor is asking them what must be done to get this gift; he's referring to works.

Act 16:31 And they said, Believe (aorist; punctiliar action) on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt (not may; it's a certainty) be saved, and thy house (can be saved in the same way).

There are no works involved to receive spiritual salvation. We don't have to work to get, keep it, nor even to prove that we're saved.

This passage is consistent in every major text, and as far as I know, every manuscript, except that the TR adds the word "Christ".

Notice that it doesn't say, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and continue in good works and you may or may not be saved".

Rom 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Notice that it doesn't say, "Nothing but you yourself can do this".

 

menageriekeeper asked:

On what scriptures do you stand for the assurance of your salvation?

1 John. That is the theme of the letter's message: you may know that you belong to Christ.

 

[SIZE=+1][/SIZE]John 6:37-39, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 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."
Phil. 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

 

Those passages are talking about judgment and punishment and are written to saved people.

 

Unless God is a liar, there's nothing you can do to lose it or even reject it, and if he's a liar...

 

I think the Hebrews passages are about apostasy, which is not losing salvation but moving away from a position you seemed to have held. In other words, these were people who seemed to have been saved but were not.

I get emails from apostates from time to time - they claim to have once been born again evangelicals and now are atheists, Taoists, New Agers, etc. but in emailing with them, it seems clear to me they were never saved. They are usually full of hatred for God and contempt for the Bible and Christians. But yet they once knew the truth and even confessed it and maybe proclaimed it. Now they have contempt for it. I don't see how they could have ever been regenerated by the HS and the come to hate God.

In fact, when we are saved we are regenerated and sealed by the HS -- how does that come undone? The HS never leaves a believer in Christ even if the believer gets out of fellowship with God.

 

And all the saints said, "AMEN" :thumbs:

 

I didn't. I think a back-slidden believer is one of the meanest creatures on earth. But they are still going to be saved in the end.