I believe that the inspired writers warned the churches against falling away so that this would be the means in which the end is accomplished. I do believe that we are eternally secure in Christ, but those who fall away were never truly Christians. All those elected before the foundation of the world will be saved at the final judgment. However, those who flake out before the end never had the saving grace of God to begin with because they never heeded the warnings to persevere in faith.
2007-05-19 07:49:36 · 17 answers · asked by helper725 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It is NOT once saved - always saved. Even St. Paul said he worked out his salvation daily with fear and trembling.
2007-05-19 07:52:55 · answer #1 · answered by Midge 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
No-one is eternally secure until they have taken their final breath. It's a copout to say that those who fall away never were Christians. A pastor who heads a congregation for twenty years and brings hundreds of other people to Christ, but then abandons his family and church and runs off with his secretary was never a Christian?? False! He was a true, faithful and devout Christian who gave in to temptation, and he is also a sign to all of us that it can happen to any of us. That's why the Bible tells us, "he who endures to the end, he SHALL be saved". And it is also why Paul cautions us not to sit back in smug assurance that we are already saved, but to continue working toward salvation every day of out earthly lives. Satan like nothing better than for Christians to think they are already saved, and stop working out their salvation as the Word of God commands.
2007-05-19 08:05:00 · answer #2 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Eternal security taught by John Calvin is seriously in error. It has been the habit of Calvinists and Arminians alike to show a partiality to the scriptures that support their doctrine which is
"Isogesis." "Exegesis is taking all the scripture concerning a subject and studying them to reach the final conclusion.
Many people from both sides of the issue have a tendency to read only those books that support their belief, and run from the books that refute what they believe like they would run from a wild, starving mountain lion. Fear that they might be wrong keeps them from researching out the possibility.
I have read both sides of the issue, and have drawn my own conclusions. I would recommend that those who love truth more than their own long standing opinion purchase and study "Life in the Son" by Robert Shank. It is a lucid and well prepared and presented argument from a man who was totally convinced that Calvinism was absolute truth, and would
not accept anything that contradicted it.
If you are not afraid to study something that might actually challenge what you believe then you will read this if you can gain access to it. If not then you are guilty of being dogmatic and unteachable.
2007-05-19 08:08:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pastor Billy says: once saved doctrine took 1600 + years after Jesus Christ to be created before that time no one believed in it. Those who hold to this doctrine lack the teaching to understand assurance and knowability are two different things. Two things happen when you fall for this heretical doctrine 1. you easily fall into the sin of presumption, 2. when taken to it's logical end you could live out a life which lacks social responsibility. Why feed your neighbor, love your enemy, do the Lord's will if.......... you've already been saved forever?
2007-05-19 08:08:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with your info.
but my own words of explaining it..goes this way..
Becoming a Christian in the first place, is very hard to distinguish. it's because being a CHRISTIAN can be defined based on different qualifications, categories and other things just like this.
1. we can be called christians when we are baptized
2. we can be called Cristian when we believe in the Bible
3. We can be called Christian when we live a Holy life
and lots of factors...
and for me....
we can only say that we are CHRISTIANS...
when we die.Because everything will be judged after that. and nothing is capable of modification because death is the judgment day.
and to become a CHRISTIAN, we should meet all that thing..all the things that require us to live a holy life.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE CAN SAY THAT CHRISTIANS ARE ALREADY SAVED ETERNALLY, BASED ON ANOTHER INTERPRETATION....
-we are considered saved because we are full with all the equipment/warning/map/guide/hint/(and anything else) that can help us to live according to the will of the Father . and those warnings and facts you stated above are part of the TOOLS which we need to be able to succeed in our journey towards the Kingdom of God.
And in that way, we are expected to be saved. but because of human limitations and weaknesses, the need for detailed warnings arise that's why there are things such as those mentioned above.
2007-05-19 08:13:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look at the parable of the Sower. Matthew 13:18, says that some hear the message and don't understand it, which is the seed in the paths. Some fall on rocky ground, which is the man who receives the word with joy but quickly falls away. Then third, is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop yielding much more that what was sown, which means that He goes out and becomes Jesus hands and feet and works for Him.
God will judge those who don't belong to Jesus. Jesus will judge those who have come to Him. There will be some who have come to Him and then turned their backs on Him. They are Christians because they have come to Him but, Jesus will not accept them because they have turned away. Their decision..
Jesus will not turn away from His own but, His own can turn away from Him.
2007-05-19 08:05:42 · answer #6 · answered by 4HIM- Christians love 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The warnings are to wake up even a Christian who believes all is in order. There is a lot of tough work to be done here on earth, and some never start, but claim to be saved.
2007-05-19 09:10:39 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
'Once saved always saved' is not a biblical teaching. It is possible for those who partake of the holy spirit to fall -Hebrews 6:4 & 6 - The Apostle Paul spoke of having to be strict with himself so as not to become disapproved by God - 1Corinthians 9:27.
2007-05-19 07:56:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe in "once saved, always saved"
For one, it says in the Bible that "faith without works is dead."
If we just have faith that we are saved, and yet do nothing in our lives to strive toward being more like Jesus...then our faith is dead...
I think a lot of people use "once saved, always saved" as an excuse to continue their old lifestyles, even just a tiny bit...
2007-05-19 07:57:20 · answer #9 · answered by lauralily86 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Holy Spirit gives comfort that we are secure in Christ. By our own choosing, we can fall from grace.
2007-05-19 07:55:57 · answer #10 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A True Christian CAN fall away from the truth of God after being Baptized in the Holy Spirit. In order for someone to go on sinning willfully after he has received the knowledge of the truth (i.e., been enlightened by the word of God, the Spirit's work) he must of necessity push out or ignore the evidence of the Spirit that condemns his actions...... Even if you hear and understand the Word of God and know in your heart that you must receive God's Gift of Grace, Jesus Christ, into your life to enter the Kingdom of heaven, but you reject the conviction of the Holy Spirit and never fully and sincerely repent of your sins, you are then rejecting the Holy Spirit of God.
This is called.........Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.......which is the ONLY unforgivable sin.
31 "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
32 And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the {age} to come."
(Matthew 12:31-32)
28 "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter.
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin". (Mark 3:28-30)
10 "And everyone who will speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him." (Luke12:10) .........A=B, C=B, therefore A=C.).... If blasphemy of the Spirit makes it impossible to receive forgiveness and continuing to sin willfully makes it impossible to receive forgiveness, and there is only one sin that makes forgiveness impossible, then blasphemy of the Spirit is the same as continuing to sin willfully after understanding the truth.......Notice that those who "go on sinning willfully" (v. 26) have "insulted the Spirit of grace." This is very similar to Jesus language about blasphemy of the Spirit.
It should be noted here that "go on sinning willfully" has two aspects. The sinning is continuous (i.e., doesn’t stop) and the sinning is willful.
Sporadic failures are not continuous. Times we give in to temptation and sin but do not want to are not willful. The KJV rendering ("if we sin willfully") does not reflect the continuous nature of the sin under discussion.
Conclusion
One who continually suppresses the truth God sends will not receive saving grace. Thus, he can never be forgiven.
It is therefore very reasonable to say that if a Christian worries that he has blasphemed the Spirit, he probably hasn't. If you are such a person, and you are concerned about this issue, I encourage you to read and accept I John 1:7:
"…but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
2007-05-19 09:07:41 · answer #11 · answered by TIAT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋