The "Cost" of Salvation

I agree Artimaeus.
John 17 Jesus says that He GIVES eternal life to all that the Father has given Him. Justification happens and then we begin the lifelong process of Sanctification. The first guarantees the second but Christians may walk in the flesh for a period of time and come under the chastisement of God. The bottom line is that if you are His child by grace, then you will not ultimately be lost because of the same grace. This does not mean we look lightly on sin at all. God forbid! For if we have died to sin through the death of Christ, how shall we live any longer therin? (Rom 6:1) John says that if we continue to "practice" sin as a lifestyle and no change is evident, then Justification probably has not happened in the first place.
1 John 3:10
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

 

The Christian life is an eternal personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If it isn't, then YOU get part of the credit for keeping it going and I get the blame for not keeping it going. </font>[/QUOTE]If it is an eternal relationship then you must pay the cost of decipleship. Is the Christian's life now, because of grace, one in which he can sit back, relax, pursue the pleasures of this world and even start to live again according to his sinful nature as a carnal Christian with no possible hindrance to his personal entrance into the kingdom of God? According to the Bible, the Christian in this life is:
− a soldier in a battle (Phil. 2:25; 2 Tim. 2:3,4; Philemon 2);
− a runner in a long distance race (Acts 20:24; 1 Cor. 9:24; Gal. 5:7; 2 Tim. 4:7; Heb. 12:1);
− a worker in the vineyard (Mt. 20:1-16);
− a fruit tree required to bear good fruit (Jn. 15: 5,6);
− a self-denying, cross carrying, Jesus follower (Lk. 9:23);
− a witness of Jesus (Acts 1:8,22; 2 Tim. 2:2; Rev. 2:13 cf. Acts 8:1- 4);
− a wrestler against the forces of darkness (Eph. 6:12);
− in a struggle against sin (Heb. 12:4);
− an alien-stranger in this world whose citizenship is in heaven (1 Pet. 1:1,17; 2:11; Phil. 3:20);
- a servant of God (Acts 4:29; 1 Thess 1:9)

In other words, salvation must be won by staying the course and persevering until the end.