Does salvation require repentance and perseverance?

[Word_Swordsman]

Again with this?

God never promised he would never leave them.

He gave his earthly children this promise

You need to go back to the gospel 101. You are making every excuse in the book to continue to work your way to heaven, You will fail.

You say "God never promised he would never leave them". That is error. Scriptures do use that saying of God through prophecy to Israel. Some take the following out of context and try to "prove" OSAS with it.
Hebrews 13:5-6 (KJV)
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

That's concerning the helping hand of God concerning fear of lack or failure and fear of shame or abuse from people. Don't covet what someone else possesses, but be content with what God's provision is for you, not your neighbor's money or stuff.

It comes from
Joshua 1:5-6 (KJV)
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

God made promises to Israel that don't apply to Christians. The tribes of Israel will inherit it.

and from
1 Chronicles 28:20-21 (KJV)
20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
21 And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.

In that passage God promised not to let Solomon fail to build the Temple. When God is behind a project, He helps see it through. That is not a promise of eternal salvation, for that wasn't available yet.

God will not stand by blessing people who deliberately, habitually sin over and over. Branches that must be pruned off and destroyed. Jesus taught that branches that don't produce good fruit are to be gathered and burned. It's folly to stick a dead branch that failed to yield fruit in the ground and expect it to produce fruit. It isn't even recycled for mulch, as burning it prevents spread of disease.

He will not tolerate people who claim to be Christians but put the blood of Jesus to shame with their sin problems.
Hebrews 6:1-6 (KJV)
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

So much for OSAS. Maybe those conditions are what many fear, so they seek to avoid going that far with the Lord, then dropping the ball? Po Sam says "Mebe I better hold off in case I mess up, as I might always be able to add those in at my last day."

Whatever you seem to think has to do with working your way to Heaven, I think you are confused. Who do you think is teaching that? A better theme supporting your theory perhaps is many are working their way to Hell by not living in faith, but wallow in fear, trapped in a sin lifestyle while dearly holding a Golden Ticket to Heaven that came out of a bar of chocolate.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

You say "God never promised he would never leave them". That is error. Scriptures do use that saying of God through prophecy to Israel. Some take the following out of context and try to "prove" OSAS with it.
Hebrews 13:5-6 (KJV)
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

That's concerning the helping hand of God concerning fear of lack or failure and fear of shame or abuse from people. Don't covet what someone else possesses, but be content with what God's provision is for you, not your neighbor's money or stuff.

It comes from
Joshua 1:5-6 (KJV)
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

God made promises to Israel that don't apply to Christians. The tribes of Israel will inherit it.

and from
1 Chronicles 28:20-21 (KJV)
20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
21 And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.

In that passage God promised not to let Solomon fail to build the Temple. When God is behind a project, He helps see it through. That is not a promise of eternal salvation, for that wasn't available yet.

God will not stand by blessing people who deliberately, habitually sin over and over. Branches that must be pruned off and destroyed. Jesus taught that branches that don't produce good fruit are to be gathered and burned. It's folly to stick a dead branch that failed to yield fruit in the ground and expect it to produce fruit. It isn't even recycled for mulch, as burning it prevents spread of disease.

He will not tolerate people who claim to be Christians but put the blood of Jesus to shame with their sin problems.
Hebrews 6:1-6 (KJV)
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

So much for OSAS. Maybe those conditions are what many fear, so they seek to avoid going that far with the Lord, then dropping the ball? Po Sam says "Mebe I better hold off in case I mess up, as I might always be able to add those in at my last day."

Whatever you seem to think has to do with working your way to Heaven, I think you are confused. Who do you think is teaching that? A better theme supporting your theory perhaps is many are working their way to Hell by not living in faith, but wallow in fear, trapped in a sin lifestyle while dearly holding a Golden Ticket to Heaven that came out of a bar of chocolate.

Lev 26 Gods warning that if they disobey, He will depart from them, and scattered them all over the world

Good day sir.

 

[Word_Swordsman]

Lev 26 Gods warning that if they disobey, He will depart from them, and scattered them all over the world

Good day sir.

Back to the OP. I tuned in to listen on AM radio to the preacher I mentioned. He said he repented and was saved at age 6, and ever since then has remained saved, secure, and satisfied. "Don't beat yourself up over whatever you did last Saturday night. Jesus has it covered. under your water baptism." That's the kind of stuff many Southerners are taught in tiny churches that can't afford an educated or at least anointed preacher. Theirs have to deal in cattle, horses, dogs, old car parts through the week.

If the only time a person has repented was decades ago when "saved", then that person is a sinner yet, unrepentant. He supposes he can become a thief and remain pleasing to God because he still believes in Jesus. For the sake of others reading I will present even more scriptures pertaining to the OP.
James 2:14-24 (KJV)
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Enough said about the vital role of works unto righteousness. It is demanded. Your option? Believe with the devils and tremble.

So what to do. I see you totally ignored sound scriptures in my previous post, then presented a scripture in your own words, and are in error again! Leviticus 26 was not about scattering Israel all over the world, but was for the Hebrews entering the "Promised Land" being told about the blessings and curses of the Law of Moses. I notice they made it there and remained for centuries until taken captive about 600 BC, to Babylon for a 70 year period, and much later finally driven out into the known reaches of the world in AD70.

Repentance and perseverance are holy works needful all our days. I realize you will ignore scriptures about that, as they are uncomfortable. Jesus and the NT authors wrote extensively about the need for those works and many others towards maintenance of our relation with God. A stagnant Christian is likely to fall from grace. Don't be a Judas Iscariot, going off into your own doctrinal abyss.

Please consider paying attention to the Word of God and quit fighting it. I have not read of anyone on this thread teaching you must work your way to Heaven. But God is looking for proof of your faith by your works that complement faith in His word. Every time from today onward you must be accountable to help meet dire needs of destitute Christians, your brethren, brothers and sisters in the Lord, whom the Lord has you see. That doesn't mean feed the whole world which you don't see. It means seeing them like seen in ancient times, person to person.

So Samaritan's Purse is seeing brethren in flooded areas, restoring homes and churches to build up the Christian community so they can go minister helps, the situation prompting us to contribute. Some churches have been cleaned out and are shelters. They go beyond the minimum and help all who will receive help. I couldn't make a dent in the problems suffered by a friend in NW Arkansas, but Christians working together can. They've lost home and their jobs, choosing to stay there instead of resting here. FEMA is even overwhelmed by lack of applications by people willing to work for their low wages!

Those kind of activities are works that go with faith.

If you can't help with that, then at least do what Peter taught the Church.

2 Peter 1:1-21 (KJV)
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

That isn't about working one;s way to Heaven. It's about living the Christian life expected of someone actually destined for Heaven. It's for believers, not make-believers. Those are far easier than trying to keep up with hundreds of Law commandments that are grievous.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

If you have not truely repented

You have no faith. Because you can not come to true living faith in God apart from true living faith

Once you have repented. You do not keep repenting. If you have to. You evidently has not repented to begin with.

As John said, When we sin, we CONFESS that sin, this allows healing, He does not tell you to repent again, How can you repent in somethihg you already repented of (just because you fall in a moment of weekness does not mean you stopped believing it was a sin.

So my advise to you are these.

1. Learn what repent really means

2. Ask yourself when are you going to repent. And stop trusting yourself?

 

[corazondeldei]

NIV1984 Revelation 3:1-3
To the Church in Sardis “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.