Gods Word: Sharper Than A Two-Edged Sword:

[RightFromWrong]

I'm sorry maybe I misunderstood you before.

Are you saying issues like women wearing pants and such are nonessential ?

But you do believe that assurance of Salvation is essential to ones faith ?

Thats what I believe too

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by RightFromWrong:
Are you saying issues like women wearing pants and such are nonessential ?

I think they're issues that each person has the religious liberty to decide for themselves. They're nondoctrinal, and they should not be matters of "required" belief.

But you do believe that assurance of Salvation is essential to ones faith ?

Yes. I don't believe that a person can lose his/her salvation. I do, however, leave open the possibility that a person may be able to willfully return the gift of salvation to the Giver. However, I surmise that this is not an easy thing to do, nor is this something that would be done simply because one is continually prodigal or reprobate. To be honest, though, this is more an issue of personal conjecture, not based on scripture. Therefore, when asked, I tell a person that we are guaranteed assurance of salvation when we accept Him.

 

[Frogman]

In Hebrews 4:12 the word translated 'word' is logos, John said the logos is the eternal word of God that became flesh and dwelt among us, thus, the logos of God is quick (btw in italics) but in the Greek means to live, the eternal word possessed eternal life as God from eternity past and is therefore, 'quick' thus living and able to quicken whom He will;

The logos is powerful (See Matt. 28:18)

and it is declared to be 'sharper than any two edged sword'.

Cuts both ways, dividing asunder, this is the logos, the eternal God Our Savior Jesus Christ.

Bro. Dallas

 

[Frogman]

Heb 11:15 (KJV) And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

Something else from Hebrews. And what? Truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

They are not mindful of that country from whence they came out, that country being the bondage of sin, (seen in type as being in bondage in Egypt);

What else? That if they had been mindful of this old country, then and only then they might have had opportunity to have returned.

Because they are no longer mindful, why are they not now mindful? Because their carnal mind has been changed from enmity to friend; their dead spirits have been quickened from death unto life, their dead souls have been both purged and redeemed; their dead flesh has by witness of the eternal Spirit the hope of the witness of the resurrection, the redemption of the body, why would they then have any mind to return to the old country?

Bro. Dallas

BTW, which of the topics you identified are we discussing?

 

[StraightAndNarrow]

Originally posted by RightFromWrong:
Believe me Humblesmith , starightandnarrow and frances have been shown tons of scripture , but their eyes are still closed on the subject. While straightandnarrow is able to be involved with other discussions and does well and holds his own. Frances I see is simply on here to argue.

I've shown you more scripture that refutes eternal security but you refused to read it.

 

[StraightAndNarrow]

Originally posted by Helen:
Frances, if one is not born permanently into the family of God when one is born again then you are not only saying that one can be 'unborn', but that the Holy Spirit is not capable of raising up those who are His. I have five adopted kids as well as the one I was able to have. Two of them are in their early twenties right now and not even talking to me. That is OK. They are still mine and will inherit from me when I die.

And there is no way I can love more than God!

Hebrews 12 says we who are His will be disciplined by Him. Just like we discipline our kids, only more fairly and firmly. It does not say He ever gives up on us!

Paul tells us in Romans 8 that we belong forever -- nothing can separate us from Him. And since I, myself, am something, that means I cannot even separate myself. But the point is, actually, I would not want to, for when one is born again of Christ, one is given a new heart, a new nature. I no longer WANT to sin, and am ashamed when I do. So different from before! I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit who loves through me. He leads me. He will not lead me away from Himself, for I am no longer my own. I belong to Him. I am not in charge of my final destiny. He is. Thank God for that!

If I were to have to worry about my own salvation's security, I would be spending all my time concentrating on myself and not loving God and loving others. It seems to me, then, that by taking my focus off God and others and putting it on myself in a state of constant concern about my own salvation is not only insulting to God, but is actually of the devil, for it is he who would want us to concentrate on ourselves to the exclusion of God and others.

I'm not constantly concerned about my salvation. I do watch carefully that I abide in Christ. Jesus said "Abide in me and I will abide in you." We also are to to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." Read the accounts of the judgement in Mathew and Revelation. What do they tell you?

 

[Frogman]

Dear StraightandNarrow,
How can you refute something that is eternal?

We must define eternal for what it is or we must declare the Bible in error and learn what Christ meant by eternal, if he did not mean eternal.

Did he also not offer himself through the eternal Spirit?

Is God also not from eternity and knowing from eternity to eternity because He is in both?

well, show me how you may refute eternal even if you have eternity to do it you will not be able to refute it.

Bro. Dallas

 

[StraightAndNarrow]

Are you saying that God has certain limitations and that there is something He cannot do?

 

[Frogman]

How do you abide in something when you can not even put yourself into that something but that God put you in Christ and made you accepted in the beloved before the foundation of the world?

How do you work out something that is not there? How can you work out something you may have lost? How can you work out something that is outside yourself and you must open your heart to receive it?

How can it be worked out in the above situations?

Bro. Dallas

 

[RightFromWrong]

Straightandnarrow, When the Bible says to " WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION " that means you need to take care of it ( maintain ) it so to speak. Now that we HAVE salvation we have some resonsibilites to fulfill for Gods Glory.

Like a Car if you do not maintain it and take care of it properly it will not run the way the designer intended it to run.


That is all this verse is saying. God created us to Glorify him. And the only way to glorify him is having Christ in us doing the Glorifying. the Bible says that OUR righteousness is as FILTHY RAGS, so we can do nothing in ourselves. It is because Christ is in us that we are able to do anything to please God.If that is the case, Christ doesn't come and go as he pleases, and you can't exactly get rid of him either.

Straightandnarrow I would be happy to try and answer some verses for you just ONE at a time. I will not try and answer a whole bunch of verses thrown at me. ONE AT A TIME . I do have a life outside this board.

Anyway hope that makes sense.

 

[RightFromWrong]

PS ABIDING has the same exact principle

 

[TCassidy]

Originally posted by StraightAndNarrow:
I've shown you more scripture that refutes eternal security but you refused to read it.

There are no scriptures that refute eternal security but you won't believe.

 

[RightFromWrong]

AMEN TCassidy

But there sure are alot of scriptures refuting that YOU CAN LOSE IT.

I noticed he hasn't responded to my answer

 

[StraightAndNarrow]

Originally posted by Frogman:
How do you abide in something when you can not even put yourself into that something but that God put you in Christ and made you accepted in the beloved before the foundation of the world?

How do you work out something that is not there? How can you work out something you may have lost? How can you work out something that is outside yourself and you must open your heart to receive it?

How can it be worked out in the above situations?

Bro. Dallas

First question. I believe in salvation by fith in Jesus Christ through the grace of God. I do not "put myself into initial salvation."

Second question. The scripture is in reference to Christians. They are being warned to not become complacent about their comittment to Christ. Are you questioning the Bibe here? The believer is notbeing asked to work out something that is outsidethemselves but ather something that is withn, their faith and committment to remain fathful.

What do the two accounts of the judgment ean to you?m

 

[StraightAndNarrow]

Originally posted by Frogman:
Dear StraightandNarrow,
How can you refute something that is eternal?

We must define eternal for what it is or we must declare the Bible in error and learn what Christ meant by eternal, if he did not mean eternal.

Did he also not offer himself through the eternal Spirit?

Is God also not from eternity and knowing from eternity to eternity because He is in both?

well, show me how you may refute eternal even if you have eternity to do it you will not be able to refute it.

Bro. Dallas

Are you saying that God has certain limitations and that there is something He cannot do?

 

[webdog]

SAN, When you work out in the gym, do you work out to prevent your body parts from falling off, or to grow them, maintain their function and prevent atrophy?

 

[RightFromWrong]

I forgot to add that even though it is Christ in us who does the work, it is OUR responsiblity to YIELD to Gods will in our life and to remain faithful.

 

[Helen]

SAN, yes, God has limitations. The limitations are imposed by His very nature. For instance, He cannot lie. He cannot sin at all. These are limitations which we, very frankly, cannot even imagine!

 

[Johnv]

I'm hesitant to use the words "cannot", but in essence, Helen is correct.

I think when we question God's omnipotence, we aren't really looking for answers. For example, the question "Can God make a rock so big that he can't move it" is stupid, and insulting. It says more about our immatrurity as Christians that anything else.

Caveat: no one here asked that question, I was just using it as an example. A lapsed Christian once used that question copiously. She's thankfully in a great walk with the Lord today.

 

[StraightAndNarrow]

Originally posted by Helen:
SAN, yes, God has limitations. The limitations are imposed by His very nature. For instance, He cannot lie. He cannot sin at all. These are limitations which we, very frankly, cannot even imagine!

But we aren't talking about God changing his very nature. We're talking about Him taking away an eternal gift from someone who forsakes him. By the way, that's how swomething eternal isn't.

John 15:1,2 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.