I don't believe for one second I am on the fence. I do realize the importance and value of His atonement bringing our salvation.
If my stance sounds middle ground or like on the fence, then maybe what is lacking is my clarity.
I stand with Jesus!!! He gets us to Heaven and He brings us to Glory and He helps us die to ourselves. I still have work to do, brother, NOT for salvation but sanctification. However, I know it is on Him, that He will bring me home, not me. He get's all the Glory, 100%!!!
I don't think that is a position of middle ground. But I will examine my heart and pray that He helps me understand.
Look, I like you and your stance on many things....but sometimes the way you write, like in the post above, seems to make the two opposing stances in this thread seem equal.....and they are not equal....notice the following statements.....to me....there seems to be many contradictions in what you say......My comments in
bolded
He calls us...He saves us...He keeps us and we know that because we walk in His ways.
<----TRUE and what we have been arguing for while arguing against those who deny this and say WE MUST KEEP OURSELVES SAVED
What is works, in the eyes of many? Is believing a work? Is trusting a work?
<---FAITH is a gift so it cannot be a work on our part another thing that we are arguing against
Jesus died for us, not just so we could be squared away but so we could be of use to God, saving us from our own selves. <
---True...so we can be justified and saved from our sinful state having the righteousness of Christ imputed by faith without works, again something we have been arguing against...those who would corrupt this truth
Do I think perserverence plays a role, do I think our faith should be seen in all that we do, don't do, say, and think, appealing for the cause of God...
Yes. Do I think it possible without Him...No.
<---Explain underlined....this seems to indicate that WE keep ourseves saved by what we DO.....agree that without him we can do nothing
Our faith, period, brings us home and also pays Him forward in our thoughts and actions.
<---I thought love for what he has done is what "pays it forward"
His work = Faith = Salvation = more of His working within = sanctification to walk with Him, in His ways, which produces more faith, not more salvation.
<--agreed....salvation is a done deal and sanctification is a process of growth and maturity.....
I just think we never want to devalue His work within, transforming us to His Glory, in all ways. We can not earn salvation but our salvation does produce evidence of Him dwelling within. How else could we examine our hearts, or spirits, or anything if salvation was not evident. I do not believe we should strive, because the great I Am thrives.
<--No one has done this....the thread is about biblical salvation and how it is gained....BY FAITH....we have all said that we will bear fruit and or works, but that these things come with time, maturity and in various forms from bad to good in all believers....
I have mulled this over and over, trying to find harmony within all the scriptures and I finally found the answer, lol, it's all about Him, we can't do any of it without Him. And with Him, we get to have a life and purpose worth living. We get to work for God. We don't have to!!!
<---agreed, but again the scope of this thread has always been about biblical eternal salvation by faith and there is harmony of scriptures when viewed in an honest manner..
I use to feel I needed to pick a side on this debate, lol. I can be quite foolish sometimes. The only thing I need to pick is Him and His Glory in our lives.
<---THIS IS the one that really bothered me and in my view not a biblical statement....this thread is arguing for biblical salvation and against the corrupted versions of salvation peddled by many on this site.....if you agree it is by faith through grace, eternally given and sustained by Christ and not dependent upon what we do or say then to not take a side is to oppose the truth IMO......