Once Saved, Always Saved?

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Ferris Bueller

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In other words, continued believing is how you continue in the Son and the Father

You would take the credit for God's work? I don't think I'm going to try that.
Me neither. I won't take credit for a believing that is only possible because God gave me the gift of faith to know the gospel is really true for me to even be able to believe in it.
 

Ferris Bueller

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the power is God's, and He is the One Who keeps us.
I guess that's why the Bible tells us to hold fast to the gospel, the power of God for salvation:

"16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" Romans 1:16

"2By this gospel (the power of salvation) you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:2
 

Ferris Bueller

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You seem a bit conflicted to me.

Much love!
It just looks that way because I'm differentiating between the faith that God gives and the believing/trusting that a person may or may not do in response to God's gracious gift of faith, the gift of knowing.
 

Ferris Bueller

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You would base your certainty on your opinions of your perceptions of yourself?
No, I base the certainty of my perception about myself by what the word says is the work of God in a person - the fruit of the Spirit. That's how you can tell God is at work in you in a saving relationship with him. We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

That seems rather unreliable to me. And where do you see that in Scripture?
You see it in scripture here:

"18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 19And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence" 1 John 3:18-19

It is by love expressed in action and truth, not words, that we know that we belong to the truth.

What does "your fruit" mean to you? Is that your opinion of how much you do or don't live as in flesh?
Yes, the fruit of the Spirit is the measure of how much you do or don't live in the flesh. If you're not walking in the Spirit according to the fruit of the Spirit you are walking in the flesh, and vice versa, because they are contrary to one another:

"16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh." Galatians 5:16-17
 

BloodBought 1953

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Then there's no such thing as a fake believer. Obviously, an unbeliever can utter the words "Jesus is Lord". That's what makes them fake; they have a profession of faith, but no change of life to match their profession of faith. So, obviously, Paul meant something other than what you say he meant in 1 Corinthians 12:3.


I guess Paul lacked the ability to make his Jesus -Revealed Truths known to his audience .....How convenient it must be to take a simple statement and if you disagree with it , just say “ well, he must have meant something else”....... simply because you can’t “ read into it “ what you want it to say....
 

BloodBought 1953

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What you have to be to be saved is a believer. See, this argument about OSAS boils down to whether or not a believer can stop believing. But what does it matter? Either way, a person has to be a believer in order to be saved now and when Jesus comes back.



I was a “ Believer who stopped Believing” so I know a little about the subject.....I believe a Brother can fall into Error and lose his faith.....I believe that anybody who Believed the Gospel for even just a millisecond is Saved and Sealed forever.....God ,in His Grace , is still committed to the Promises that He made....”I will finish the work that I started” and “ NOTHING” ( which includes events that happen in the future after one’s Salvation day) can take a Believer out of His Grip.....
God has made it clear that even if “ We “ are Unfaithful — He REMAINS FAITHFUL! He can go back on His Word....

As in my case, I believe that God will bring one back from this serious error before they die....they will become Believers again .....if not , they are still saved .....saved because something Waaay more important than an individuals Salvation is at stake in these cases—- GOD’ S WORD! “ Anybody that Asks to be Saved *WILL BE SAVED* !” Saved despite themselves....
 

BloodBought 1953

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Then there's no such thing as a fake believer. Obviously, an unbeliever can utter the words "Jesus is Lord". That's what makes them fake; they have a profession of faith, but no change of life to match their profession of faith. So, obviously, Paul meant something other than what you say he meant in 1 Corinthians 12:3.


Notice I said that you have To ” mean it”...... that should go without saying....
 

BloodBought 1953

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We know it by the Spirit he gave us

And as Paul said....if one can say that “ Jesus is Lord” , ( and mean it, of course) , that individual “ HAS” that Spirit.....
I realize that you are disappointed that Paul set the bar so low....I have to admit that I too was kinda surprised when I first read it .....however, it is Scriptural.....end of story....
 

BloodBought 1953

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...James is writing this to you:

.....and Paul , the one Jesus said to follow ( something that Jesus never said in regard to James) is writing this to you—- “ For it is by Grace that you have been saved, through Faith, and NOT of yourselves , it is the GIFT of God, so that no one can boast....”
 

BloodBought 1953

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...And living in sin as a lifestyle is the sign of the unbeliever.

Tell that to the Saved Believer That was having sexual relations with his step mother...
 

BloodBought 1953

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They aren't born again. That's what he's talking about. 1 John 3:9.
No change means no change.


“ Change “ is great.....even a guy like Hitler could change if he chose to do so....yes men can change, but only God can “ TRANSFORM”....God will Transform those that are Born Again...Lets concentrate on practicing Faith , thus doing what Paul said to do ....he said to Finish our Walk Of Faith the same way we started it....FAITH.... (“ From Faith to Faith”) If we do OUR part ( trusting in the promises of God) , God will do HIS part....HIM “Transforming” us from the inside out , instead of us “ changing” ourselves...

I heard it put this way once by a very wise Teacher/ Preacher— “ You Don’t have to change yourself to attend this church, but if you start Believing and Acting upon the Promises Of God —- WATCH OUT! God just might change you Himself! “ That's how it works....
 
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BloodBought 1953

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We're not talking about stumbling. All true Christians stumble and bump their heads on the proverbial coffee table as they're growing up and learning to walk in the Spirit. What we're talking about here is outright unbelief. The unbelieving person doesn't stumble. They live in their sin, just as if they'd never been born again. Because they haven't been born again. That's what John says, not me.


That would be your ” Interpretation” Of what John said......nothing more....nothing less....
 

BloodBought 1953

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They aren't born again. That's what he's talking about. 1 John 3:9.
No change means no change.


Most of what we call “ change” is something done to shut up the self- righteous Fruit Inspectors at the local gossip -filled Church.....I worked with a guy who “ changed” .....he gave up smoking .....at least until he could come over to my place and hide in the garage to puff away....lol....I guess he was a phony, Lost Sinner That had never been Born Again.....right?
 

BloodBought 1953

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and He is the One Who keeps us.


Amen to that! That is why OSAS is the True Doctrine.....we could not keep ourselves saved for three minutes! It’s ALL OF GOD! Thanks for accidentally proving my Doctrine to be correct! As God Himself said, and you point out—- “ I ( meaning God ) will FINISH the good work that I started....” He+never said that it wouldn’t get ugly or scary at times, especially if a Believer errs to the point that they lose their Faith....God can handle it .....stop trying to “ hold back” the Grace of God...it’s way beyond a humans understanding ....it’s not referred to as “ AMAZING” for no reason....
 

Ferris Bueller

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I guess Paul lacked the ability to make his Jesus -Revealed Truths known to his audience .....How convenient it must be to take a simple statement and if you disagree with it , just say “ well, he must have meant something else”....... simply because you can’t “ read into it “ what you want it to say....
Read 1 Corinthians 12:3 in context. It's about prophesying.
 

Ferris Bueller

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The unbelieving person doesn't stumble. They live in their sin, just as if they'd never been born again. Because they haven't been born again. That's what John says, not me.
That would be your ” Interpretation” Of what John said......nothing more....nothing less....
"9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God" 1 John 3:9-10

Show me how I'm going by my own interpretation and not by what John says.