Cool your jets, dcon.
Where did I say anything about anyone losing salvation? I believe that salvation is permanent.
My point was that some people seem to think that a "truly" saved Christian cannot or will not lose his faith. That if he did, it proves he was never saved in the first place. I don't think that's true.
I think that at times truly saved Christians can lose their faith. It does not mean they will not be saved.
I know you respect what the Scripture actually say, so here is why we KNOW that is the truth, shrume.
John 10:26-30 (HCSB)
26 But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep.
27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them [that inner personal, love Relelationship receiving Him as LORD and Master, and they follow Me. [ Striving to walk in obedience out of LOVE. ]
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever!
No one will snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 The Father and I are one.”
Now that is the PRIMARY verse, but there is more. Notice HIS SHEEP,
Hear His Voice,
He KNOWS them PERSONALLY in LOVE, and we Know HIM Personally because God's Love was poured into our Hearts.
ROM. 5:5
AND WE Follow HIM, in Obedience out of the LOVE he has Sown into our Hearts.
There, that is talking about Born Again Christians. It is not talking about those who THINK they know who He is, and acknowledge the Stories about are true,
but NEVER have been Born Again. That only happens when in deep conviction, you come to HIM begging forgiveness, and RECEIVING HIM as your Personal LORD meaning MASTER out of LOVE FOR HIM. Yes, It is VERY REAL, and the Holy Spirit comes into your Heart, Pours GOD's LOVE directly into your heart, and births your Human Spirit into ETERNAL LIFE; while HE immerses us INTO the Spiritual BODY of Christ. No that is NOT Works Righteousness, IT IS ALL S WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
I am pretty Sure you know personal Testimony, and that is what HE did for me, the night of my third attempt at SUICIDE, when I finally surrendered to HIM out of Love.
Now Here is the rest of the PROOF.
First of all, you NEED to properly interpret the Parable of the SOWER. ONLY ONE TYPE OF SOIL IS A REAL CHRISTIAN THAT IS BORN AGAIN.
Mark 4:13-20(CSBBible)
13 Then he said to them: "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables?
14 The sower sows the word.
15 Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.
16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.
17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.
18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,
19 but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown."
You can see,
ONLY THE LAST SOIL MENTIONED is a true Born Again Christian. The first type of soil is a stone cold Unbeliever, and the NEXT TWO are those that start off as Church going Pretend Christians, but fall away. Why do we put up with phony Christians in our Midst? BECAUSE OUR LORD WILL TAKE SOME, AS THEY ARE TAUGHT THE WORD, and bring some to become genuine Born Again Christians.
A TRULY BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN is one that: genuinely Came to Christ mourning and repenting over your utterly sinful life, genuinely letting HIM control your LIFE, having the Holy Spirit pouring GOD's LOVE directly into our HEARTS,
Rom. 5:5, and LETTING HIM birth our HUMAN SPIRIT into ETERNAL LIFE.
Our Beliefs are only Born Again Christians are SAVED, while those without being born again,
HE or SHE WERE NEVER SAVED IN THE FIRST PLACE, he was only a Pretend Christian.
1 John 2:19 (HCSB)
19
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us.
However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.
2 John 1:1-2 (HCSB)
1 The Elder: To the elect lady and her children: I love all of you in the truth—and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth—
2
because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever.
Now remember Here is our PRIMARY Scripture Verses.
John 10:26-30 (HCSB)
26 But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep.
27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.
{That certainly includes SELF.}
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 The Father and I are one.”
1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4
and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you,
5
who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
NO, a truly Born Again Christian,
is the ONE who is SHIELDED BY GOD'S POWER. Our Faith NEVER FADES, Our Belief in the TRUTH always Remains With US and WILL BE WITH US FOREVER. We have GOD's LOVE poured into our HEARTS by the HOLY SPIRIT, and it Produces that LOVE and Faith that will NEVER END.
What about those you THINK they lost their SALVATION?
They Never Had it in the FIRST PLACE. THEY are the
MANY that JESUS DESCRIBES HERE:
Matthew 7:20-23 (HCSB)
20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ⌊only⌋ the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’
23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’
WE have GOD's LOVE poured into our hearts the MOMENT OF GENUINE SALVATION, and IT WILL PRODUCE A HARVEST OF LOVE, and obedience is LOVE TOWARDS GOD and Our Christian Brothers. NO ANDs, IFs, OR EVEN MAYBEs. It is NOT PART OF SALVATION, IT IS PART OF OUR
LOVE.
Romans 5:5 (HCSB)
5 This hope will not disappoint ⌊us⌋, because
God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The Other Church Goers, NEVER came through the NARROW GATE, repenting of their utterly sinful life, and thereby LOVINGLY RECEIVING JESUS AS LORD, meaning MASTER.
That is OUR BELIEFS, and you to can Receive HIM too.
COME!