No.
If they repent and believe the gospel.
So conditional then - not one time repentance and one time belief.
Depends on what the Word God does in you - if you believe works are of man, and not God, then your starting position is wrong.
And I am sure of this, that he who
began a good work in you will bring it to
completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil 1:6
So we have a start and a finish / completion, a process which leads to salvation.
Later you will speak to the good soil - how many fruits?
Do you teach sinless perfection? Seeking honor, glory and immortality is 'descriptive' of believers/Christians.
No, not in this life...as you have seen above, its a progressive work.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Phil 2:12
What does work out mean to you?
So, we can never assume we are saved/have eternal life? Believers have absolutely no assurance of salvation?
Peter can answer that:
For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and
self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,
they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1
Has God finished this work in you mailman? What does make every effort mean to you? What does "For If" mean to you?
Have you mastered self control? Note the order is it important? And confirm you have applied your faith and life to add these virtues?...Through prayer, meditation, study and practicing righteousness?
For you is it instantaneous?
I never had assurance prior to my conversion while still attending the Roman Catholic church.
Catholicism is false to its core - there is not one teaching it holds which is truth. She is the mother of harlots.
Should I scratch 1 John 5:11-13 out of my Bible? In regard to the parable of the 4 soils, only the 4th soil was referred to as "good ground" and produced crops of any size and there is no mention of choking or withering away afterwards.
In the case of the thorny ground hearer, the plant was never firmly rooted and established in which it could produce fruit (even though there was motion and movement toward becoming an established plant) but it was choked out before reaching its desired goal because the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful/bears no fruit, produces nothing. (Mark 4:19). Faith without works is dead. The word is choked and therefore does not produce a renewed spiritual life in the person.
IN CONTRAST TO - Mark 4:8 - But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred. Luke 8:15 says, But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. All genuine believers are fruitful, yet not all are equally fruitful. (Matthew 13:23) Those who produce no good fruit at all are not truly converted.
Are you the forth ground?
How do you know?
Are fruits important to God from the understanding of this parable?
Allow me to show the conditions of this persons life and you tell me if "everyone" should believe OSAS?
The forth soil “Brought forth” N.B. How fruit is the end of a process.
• “Hears” Matthew 13:23
• “Receive it” Mark 4:20
• “Understand it” Matthew 13:23
• “Keep it” Luke 8:15
• “Fruit with Patience” Luke 8:15.
In Luke 8:15 we are told they are “honest and of a good heart”
Who looks upon the heart? can you see in me 30 fold, 60, fold, 100 fold of fruitfulness to God?
Only the entire life lived in faith can reveal these works of God - consider Isaac, the true seed, he reaped a hundred fold
Genesis 26:12. He lived by faith in faith that God would fulfill His Promise but was he to know he would produce such fruit to the Glory and Honour of God? Whose work was it?
You said -
"We can trust, take confidence and live in the shadow of His Grace; but we can never assume we are saved!"
That is disturbing and is exactly what I was taught in the Roman Catholic church. NOSAS leads to performance-based works salvation (typically salvation by works at the back door) and no assurance of salvation.
How do you understand these words:
Therefore, brothers,
be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election,
for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
2 Pe 1:10.
He goes onto say:
11
For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Pe 1:11.
Have you arrived at the blue text, or still working on the red text?
Now, while I seek for the blue text in hope and faith, I am working diligently on the red text understanding God will lead me to salvation.
My confidence in the blue text is no different to yours, however I am mindful "humility" is required to allow God to work in me. We are not saved - we are day by day "being" saved - that is the Biblical truth.
Now
I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2
and by which you are being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 1 Co 15:1–2.
Christ taught this didn't he in Matthew 13 (the soils)?
Now, along the way can one who is
being saved can take confidence in this process? Absolutely, would they say they are saved? And if they did, what would the Apostles say to that person?
The Bible mentions five different crowns.
The imperishable crown - (1 Corinthians 9:25)
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,
lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Co 9:27.
The crown of righteousness - (2 Timothy 4:8)
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Ti 4:8.
The crown of rejoicing - (1 Thessalonians 2:19)
For what is
our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our
Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
1 Th 2:19–20.
The crown of life - (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10)
Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Re 2:10.
The crown of glory - (1 Peter 5:4)
4 And
when the chief Shepherd appears,
you will receive the unfading crown of glory 1 Pe 5:3–4.
Will every believer receive all five crowns?
Thanks for the references and what is note worthy concerning them!!
Unavoidable really.
F2F