I have thrown myself into this debate and tried to make some since out of it!! On my FB page, I have laied out arguments for both sides. That is how I learn, I look at both sides and make my decision...my conclusion is...I dont know. And that is ok. I dont have to know everything right now!! The bible is clear, on both sides. The unforgivable sin looks like it cannot be committed anymore..It was only able to be committed when Jesus walked the Earth in His Human form! So on that note, Noone can take it from you, Once you are saved, you go to heaven.
But God is always a Gentleman, I do not see him forcing anyone to remain His child...If someone is saved and the devil gets them and convinces him or her God does not exist, that person is now a non believer....how can he or she then go to heaven when one of the two requirements is to believe in God and Jesus and that Jesus died for you? If a person who once believed no longer believes, do they go to heaven anyway? ALSO, the second requirement... repentance...If you die IN SIN (example, you are at a casino hotel, you just gambled all your money away, you are with a woman whom is not your wife, You are high, drunk and have a heart attack...) (example, driving drink you hit a car and kill all five occupants and die yourself) how can you repent form that?
But that is also a difference of choice and circumstances...if a person chooses to return the gift, I am unsure as to weather God would take it back or not...A gentleman dosent force someone to accept a gift, but once it is accepted, He likewise never takes it back....So I guess thats my answer for that.....and circumstances, I think that once you are saved you are EXPECTED to mess up...even greatly at times...Christians backslide every day of their lives sometimes! God does punish and discipline His children, but does he remove salvation? I doubt it highly!
It sounds like I have decided once saved always saved, but I think before I make a commitment on the issue I need to meditate and really think on this some...What I really need to do is STICK TO MILK ISSUES AND LEAVE THIS SOLID FOOD ALONE FOR NOW!! That is much easier said than done..I need a mentor in this Journey, someone who will tell me to slow down and stick to the easy stuff for now...
It is commendable that you search out for yourself the truth regarding this subject. However it is not a periphery issue as I think it is fundamental to the gospel message itself. After all, if believers can indeed lose their salvation then it would behoove them to be aware of it would it not? It is clear that one must believe - but is that enough? What if one continues to live in willful sin even after believing?
ReplyDeleteThe Apostle Paul addressed this issue in Rom 8:12-13 where he gives this somber warning to the brothers and sisters living in Rome. ""Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation-but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For IF you live according to the flesh, YOU WILL DIE; but IF by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, YOU WILL LIVE." These verses describe the potential death of born-again believers, referred to as the brethren in v. 12. If this death were not a real possibility, the warning would be nonsensical serving no real purpose. We also know that this warning pertains to spiritual death - not physical death - because everyone dies physically irrespective of how we live our lives. Moreover, one must have spiritual life in order to be in danger of spiritual death. You cannot threaten a spiritually dead person with spiritual death. Such a person is already dead. Therefore, it must be concluded that these are regenerate brethren who are being warned of dying. Also note that this verse is conditional - not unconditional - as indicated by the word "if." IF those believers walk according to the flesh = they will die. IF those believers walk according to the Spirit = they will live. Therefore being a Christian not only requires belief but also living out one's inward faith by outward obedience to God. On the other hand, if one chooses to willfully disobey God by living an unrepentant life and continuing to engage in habitual sin, then one runs the risk of losing one's salvation. I wish I was taught this when I first became a Christian. It would have spared me from a lot of heartache, regrets and time that I cannot recoup. Thankfully, God does forgive upon repentance and turning from sin but the regrets still linger.