I would ask the question.
If he completes the work in us then does he leave such works unfinished?
Is it a promise or a threat?
If he promised it then it's not a threat but an obligation upon him as such.
Yes we are kept by the power of God through faith?
But who is doing the keeping?
Is it us or is it God?
After making a genuine confession of faith we have the Holy Spirit in us.
Is the Holy Spirit given to genuine believers at confession?
If so is not he who sustains and keeps us?
Jesus said that he would not lose anyone the Father has given him.
Therefore he knows that the Father will keep them and not lose them.
If he knows them, then surely he will keep them even when they stumble?
He doesn't keep the following.
Those who had some experience of Jesus but use it as a safety belt.
They use it as an excuse to sin, go their merry way with no regards to change.
When I think of Peter it is clear he denied Jesus.
When he did was there not unbelief when he did?
What about Thomas.
Wouldn't believe until he had seen.
Afterall he said he would die with him, never deny him.
Yet he did neither.
Yet Jesus said I have prayed for you and when you return.
So Jesus prayed to who? The Father. And the Father kept him and restored him.
Jesus is interceding in heaven for us.
Just as he did whilst on earth for the those that God had given him, those that he will not lose and raise up on the last day.
With regards to stop believing we all do that.
God says "Never will I leave you or forsake you"
If we don't believe that then we are not believing.
Jesus said that God loves us as much as he loves him.
If we don't believe it then we are not believing.
A person may have faith but can stop believing in the above examples, yet still maintain faith in Jesus.
I can't remember the words you used in a previous post.
Was it perseverance or preservation?
Two words that have different meanings, but to me can be interwoven.
You already know the answer Bill........the following states it all.....those that peddle a salvation that can be lost.....are not of GOD.....
The following is a comparison between the bible and salvation losers......and make no mistake...this is exactly what they peddle and or how they butcher the word of God by their losable salvation....
Bible --> I will never leave thee or forsake thee
Salvation Losers ---->Jesus is a liar and will leave us and forsake us
Bible --->We are saved to the uttermost and kept by the power of God through faith
Salvation losers --->The power of God is weak and inept, we are not saved to the uttermost and GOD does not keep us
Bible -->Jesus begins, finishes and completes the work of faith in us
Salvation losers ---> WE must maintain our faith because JESUS does not finish and complete the work of faith in us
Bible --> He that believes on the SON is having everlasting/eternal life
Salvation losers --->He that believes and MAINTAINS his belief on the SON is having temporal life based upon what he does or does not do
Bible --> Therefore we conclude a man is justified by faith without the deeds/works of the law
Salvation losers -->James out of context tells us we are justified by our works before God
Bible -->It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe
Salvation losers --->It pleased God by works, church membership, baptism, pew jumping, speaking in tongues, back flipping down the isle, saying 57 hail Mary's, taking the Lord's supper, keeping the sacraments and a dozen other religiously zealous man made efforts to save them
Bible -->NOTHING can separate us from the love of GOD
Salvation losers -->Numerous things can separate us from the love of GOD
Bible--->We are in the Son's hand, the Father's hand and NO AN can remove us from that position
Salvation losers -->The above is false, we can remove ourselves because God is weak and inept
Bible -->We are sealed unto the day of redemption
Salvation losers-->The seal of God can be broken because God is weak and inept
Bible --->Where sin abounds, grace abounds the more
Salvation losers--> We qualify, quantify sin and God's grace only covers those small sins when we mess up and for sure we have never lost it, but eternal security believers lose it because they believe they can live any way they want and live like the devil
Bible --->He that believes on the Son is not condemned
Salvation losers --> Believers are condemned all the time and returned to being goats after becoming sheep
Bible --> I will lose nothing, but raise it up the last day
Salvation losers -->God loses people all the time because he is too weak to keep them saved
Bible--> We are born again from above by INCORRUPTIBLE SEED
Salvation losers --> We are not born of incorruptible seed, because that seed can be corrupted and one die lost after being born again
Bible --> The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable
Salvation losers -->God's free GIFT of salvation can be revoked because GOD will break ALL the above promises and send one to hell after being saved
ETC.............I dare to say that salvation losers are false.....and what they peddle is not of GOD and as blasphemous as it comes......the above is a SMALL sample of scriptural promises that MUST BE DENIED, REJECTED and or SWEPT UNDER THE TABLE to peddle a dime store salvation that cannot be found in the bible and or a dime store salvation that devalues the work, promises and ministry of CHRIST!!!!!!!