Why so much confusion about salvation?

It's because we're living in a time of profound corruption in the church, and for that reason, even though we have the written word of God, the understanding of the word from the Lord is scarce. Just as it was in the time of Israel.

"In those days the word of the Lord was rare"-1 Samuel 3:1

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Perfect love drives out fear. So what does God consider love to be? "If you love Me you will obey My commands." Who here loves God so perfectly that they obey Him perfectly? Sure, if I were as innocent as Christ on my own, I would have no reason to fear. But that is not the case- which is why God says each of us must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Why? To stay in Christ, because if you sin willingly, purposely, without goal or effort to stop, There no longer remains Christ's sacrifice on your behalf. But if you fear to disobey God it is impossible to live in sin.

Also there is neither of these...
Saved by grace thru faith in Christ that is completely secure.

Not Calvinism because anyone who believes is saved. Not arminianisn because eternal life can't be undone.

According to Romans 10, John 3:16, John 10:28 among many verses.

What does scripture alone say?

I see your verse also says 'according to their works'. Verse Rev 20:13 says who 'they' are- they were the dead from the sea, from death, and from hades, it said each person was judged according to their works.

Being a Calvinist I adhere to OSAS. Therefore at judgement we are accountable at judgement for our failures but that doesn't affect salvation only our position with Jesus God incarnate. Where will we be? On earth ruling with Jesus. That will start the millennium.

It is obvious to the casual observer that you do not understand Christianity. The Apostles Creed was created by the early elders to define what a Christian MUST believe to be a Christian. It was created for 2 reasons. First to fight heresy. Second to allow diverse views about the word of God. These differences are acceptable with the understanding we just agree to disagree. Too many try to make these differences a litmus test of salvation ignoring all that is required is we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Today we have many gospel preaching denominations where each has some difference of opinion. Keep in mind however the 7 big protestant denominations have been taken over by secular ministers. Only sub denominations still preach the gospel. Gary North wrote a book about the take over of Presbyterian USA in 1932 called "Crossed Fingers". The sub denominations are under attack by these secular ministers who are motivated by greed and hatred of Christianity. The fight against Satan and his fallen angels is continuous.

John and Jesus both began their ministries telling people to repent. Repentance comes before any cleansing.

You're probably not a pure Calvinist, but you are most likely heavily influenced by it. Most in the church are.

Calvinism asserts that the elect can not know they are of the elect in this life. Which only makes sense since Calvinism asserts that the true believer is signified by enduring all the way to the end. Well, you can't know that you've endured to the very end, showing yourself to be of the elect, until the very end. So you can't know you're of the elect until the very end. Kind of late to do anything about it then, but that doesn't matter anyway since in Calvinism it is God who decides who's going to be a believer and who is not.

Oh, and that's supposed to be the doctrine of security and assurance.

Correct. Ultimately, it is how you behave that is the litmus test of salvation. But you can be sure if your doctrine is wrong your behavior will probably follow suit.


Now even the non-denoms are corrupted.

I honestly believe we are witnessing the great falling away. Now many in the church believe that even people who don't believe anymore will be saved when Jesus comes back. A horrible lack of spiritual insight and understanding of 1 Timothy 2:12-13. Just one example of the scarcity of the understanding of the word of God from the Spirit among the people of God that I brought up in an earlier post.

Which I believe is the 'water' part of "water and the Spirit" in John 3:5.

The water of repentance all by itself, as necessary as it is, is not enough to see the kingdom of God. You must also be born again from above, by the Spirit. John brought the water part (repentance), Jesus brought the Spirit part.

At 73 and being a deacon and elder (moved twice) in reformed view churches including Reformed Church of America and Presbyterian PCA I think I understand what the Calvinist view of today is. Calvinism as I pointed out with the Calvinism vs Arminianism believes that as the Bible states the carnal mind is enmity against God. Therefore God is required to touch the heart of the individual. The Armenian view is this enmity is not complete. We just agree to disagree. You confuse a point of disagreement with the Arminian view of losing salvation. Calvinist adhere to OSAS (once saved always saved) as stated by Jesus when he stated those put in the Fathers hand will not be taken from it.

Paul wrote about the internal fight he faced and all Christians face. That is the law of sin living in each of us causing all of us to sin.

Romans 7 NIV

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

1. Did Christ die for the sins of the whole world? Yes.

2. Does God desire the salvation of all humanity? Yes.

3. Are repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ sufficient to be saved? Yes. If saved means born again

4. Is water baptism only for believers and is it a command to every Christian? Yes.

5. Does baptism signify that the sinner has died to self and sin, and is totally submitted to God? No. It may mean that person who is being Baptised is submitted to God at that moment, but does not guarantee this to be the case for the rest of their life.

6. Is eternal life God's gift to the one who believes? Yes. Defining eternal life and defining what believe means are necessary for full understanding.

7. Is the Holy Spirit God's gift to the one who believes? Yes. Believing, present tense is the condition for eternal life.

8. Does salvation include the New Birth, which means that the individual is a new creature in Christ? Yes.

10. Are believers predestined and elected to be perfected and glorified? Needs clarification.

11. Does that mean that Christians must forsake the ways of the world, and walk in the Spirit by faith? Walking according to the Spirit is obeying the Holy Spirit. Walking according to the flesh is obeying the lustful desires of the flesh. Christians who practice the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God.

12. Does salvation include justification, sanctification, and glorification, and are Christians kept by the power of God unto the completion of this salvation? Need scripture and context to clarify.





JPT

How many of you know what the law of God states. It is easy to say transgression of the law is sin. The law is scattered through the Torah. There are 613 commands. They are seperate into the DOs and DON'Ts. They are then subdivided into who and where they apply to.

In addition to the 10 commandments there are the laws scattered through the Torah.

List of the 613 laws in the Torah
http://www.gods-word-first.org/bible-study/613commandments.html

Discussion about the 613 laws in the Torah
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/613_commandments

Obviously, if God determines who is going to be saved and who is not, based on his own determination, then a person can not change that. The point I was addressing is you can't know that you're one God has decided will be a true believer until you die because the criteria for knowing that is if you endure all the way to the very end.

I don't study Calvinism or Armenianism, but I do what the scripture says.


You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4




JPT

This is definitely one of those passages where we can let it go as a 'agree to disagree' passage.

So without going into that matter, lol, I will say there is a distinct difference between struggling with sin, and living in it. Too many 'Christians' use this passage to rationalize living defeated in the flesh without a struggle and thinking they are saved despite that. This is a particularly common thing at this time in church history. It's based in a horrible distortion of Paul's teaching of how justification is not by works, but rather by faith apart from works. Many in the church thinks that means, "oh, I don't have to have works! Bartender, make it a double!"

Especially since what it actually says in the KJV is "sin is the transgression of the law "

Can you see why that's an important distinction?

ROFL
It is obvious to the casual observer that you are an Arminian in your beliefs. Calvinist disagree with some of your points. I will go into your post to point them out.

John 10 AMPC

24 So the Jews surrounded Him and began asking Him, How long are You going to keep us in doubt and suspense? If You are really the Christ (the Messiah), tell us so plainly and openly.
25 Jesus answered them, I have told you so, yet you do not believe Me [you do not trust Me and rely on Me]. The very works that I do by the power of My Father and in My Father’s name bear witness concerning Me [they are My credentials and evidence in support of Me].
26 But you do not believe and trust and rely on Me because you do not belong to My fold [you are no sheep of Mine].
27 The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are One.
31 Again the Jews brought up stones to stone Him.

Romans 7 NIV

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.