Psr.2 you have given us several passages now to go along with Heb 6:4-6. I will try to give you my take on each of them.
Heb 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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.
This verse looks pretty clear to me. It is impossible for the saved to ever fall away, if they did they could never be saved a second time because the death of Christ would have been insufficient to save them the first time.
Remember, when Christ died all your sins were future sins. He paid for the sins you committed as a child and the sins you will commit in your last days of life. All were paid for two thousand years in advance. When you trust Christ during your lifetime has nothing to do with it.
You then used Matt 24:13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Any connection between this verse and Heb 6 comes from taking Matt 24 out of context. Jesus is referring to believers in the last days before his return not the last days of their lives. Look at the entire chapter and this is clear. Verse 22 is a proof of this when it says
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Jesus is not talking about keeping your salvation but of real physical persecution on the earth during the tribulation period.
Next you gave us Rev 13:15-17 and Rev 14:9-10. Your argument is that some could receive the mark of the beast and still be saved. Remember, those who receive the mark also worship the beast and his image. If they are truly worshiping the beast how could they be saved. Remember no man will come to God except the spirit calls them. I have no problem with the idea that those during the tribulation who worship the beast as God being cast into the lake of fire with him. You are also making the supposition here that once they received the mark they could not refuse it later. That may be true but is by no means clear.
Next You go to Luke 18:18-23 (I thought the idea here was to discuss Hebrews 6) This is a great verse of Jesus dealing with one individual. I see Jesus trying to show this man tat he was lost and needed salvation. The first step in our redemption is repentance and this man was in denial about his sin. Jesus points him to the law but he claims to have kept all of it his entire life. Now we know that is impossible. Jesus then shows him that he had broken the first commandment (Exodus 20:3)
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
This man broke that commandment for he loved his money more than God. Jesus shows him that and he leaves very sorrowful. Was he sorry because he realized he was a sinner. I believe this man may well have repented and turned to Christ. But first he had to realize he was lost and unable to do anything to save himself. His question was faulty from the start. He asked.
what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
The answer of course is nothing, Jesus did all the doing. Jesus knew he had broken the commandments and showed him that Our salvation is not of our works but His.
OK, then you go to Matt 25:14-46. The unprofitable servant looses his talent and is in a place of sorrow, but I think you are making a big jump to say he was saved and lost his salvation. How many preachers have failed to keep that which God has given them and how many tears are the result. I do not see any correlation to eternal security.
Then you go back to Revelations for 20:15 and 22:19. These verses do not prove anyone will loose their salvation. Yes, if your name is blotted out of the book of life it means you did not get saved. I think it is important that everyone's name is in the book of life, but the lost are taken out. That idea proves that all can be saved and there is no one predestined for hell. However let me ask you, how can anyone take words out of the Bible if they are settled forever in heaven? (Ps 119:89) Clearly Rev 22:19 is a warning for us to be careful in our handling of the word of God and we should be careful, but no man can destroy those things God has written.
You seem to be in a big hurry to argue about this issue. 34 posts in one day, I think it took me 3 months to post that many. Why don't you wait for more replies?
I think John 10 which has been used in this thread already is the best passage to refute your ideas. The basic truth is if you did not do anything to earn salvation (and you did not) then you can't do anything to keep it, otherwise it becomes something we have done. Remeber Ephesians 2:8-9?
