Atwood,
When a heresy contradicts scripture, it is a matter of fact, not of who declares it.
The fact is based on scripture, not human tradition. Man is not above God's Word.
Once the Word declares a truth, that is the end of the argument, "It is written," not
"Sanctimonius Robe-Wearer," says it.
this is the definition of the sola scripturist. Anything not according to his interpretation is heresy, which is the definition of heresy. So, then your view is also heresy as opposed to say, Luther, or even Joseph Smith. Which is why sola scripturist claim their personal views as infallible. It has nothing to do with what scripture actually means, but what his interpretation of it means.
All you have done here is made the statement that oSAS, which is a tenent or Reformed doctrine is the infallible truth of scripture according to those who interpret the same way as Calvin and subsequent proponents, though many have nuanced Calvin a lot.
JUst so you know, Christ via the Holy Spirit working through His Body also declares teachings contrary to His Gospel as heretical. I'm sure you are aware of some of these.
Since it really does not effect you as a sola scripturist but OSAS has been declared heretical by the Church back in 1641, 1642 by the Councils of Constantinople and Jassy. Though not pertinent here, Patriarch Jeramiah II also declared Lutheranism as stated in the Augsburg Confessions as heretical as well.
Those are historical facts.
A man who believes in the Lord Jesus receives eternal life, not the possibility of eternal life.
"God so loved the World that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but HAVE everlasting life" -- not the possibility of it if he is a good boy.
then you quote a text that has two conditions in it again. One possesses it ONLY in the present tense, active and continuing. so it is NOT a fact, but a possibility and will be awarded at the end "but have eternal life. Never states that one has eternal life.
"Everything is a gift."
Salvation is a free gift, rewards are earned (not free gift). Salvation cost the Lord Jesus His precious blood, but it costs the believer nothing; we get it as a gift.
It didn't cost the unbeliever anything as well and he is also the recipient of salvation, salvation from death and sin. Rom 5:18, I Cor 15:12-22, Heb 2:9, Heb 2:14, Every text that states man shall be raised in the last day affirms that Christ arose form the dead with our mortal body and gave life to it. John 6:39 confirms that no human being will be missed, all things were given to HIm, Col 1:20, and all things will be raised.
However, eternal life, though a gift as well, requires many conditions, the most important is that of remaining faithful to Christ until the end.
There are universal blessings from the atonement -- men get a time to have a change of mind and start trusting Him for salvation. But the atonement does not secure for all men eternal life; they must believe to appropriate the gift.
so unbelievers will be raised in the last day because they believed. Could you cite the text that states this?
I don't think you understand the Atonement, nor the Incarnation.
"The purpose of that gift was to enable man to be joined with Christ is a living relationship that is covenantal. It is not a one sided arrangement with eternal life given simply on a one-time affirmation of faith."
Covenants with God are basically one-sided. God makes the conditions and the promises, as with Abraham. Abe was asleep when the covenant was finalized and Abe got no chance to make or alter provisions. The New Covenant is the same. God announced in Jeremiah 31 what was going to be what; and that was and is that.
I have yet to know of any covenant that is one-sided. Christ established the New Covenent at what is known as the Last Supper. It is a covenant made in His Blood. But the covenant as spelled out in scripture requires one to believe, repent and be baptised to enter into the Covenant. John 3:5. It is in the Covenantal relationship that man is healed, is conformed to Christ's Image. If one remains and is faithful one will inherit the promise that awaits at the end. I Pet 1:3-5. There are many very specific conditions that the believer must fulfil in order to remain faithful. Many of them have already been cited by others in this thread.
Cassian makes more claims, but he should prove them or drop them. He gives no scripture. Cassian, I urge you to stop theorizing and pontificating and prove things from God's Word. First, believe His Word. Exhortations to be faithful do not alter that a bit.
I keep forgetting that you don't understand scripture so when an explanation is given, I assume you understand scripture. After all there is ONLY one gospel and you claim to be Christian.
Then Cassian gets into the Calvin Tulip, which is not necessary to affirm salvation. Predestination and election are in the Bible and did not come from paganism. Christians have different interps of election, which are not essential to affirming that the saved are saved. What Boettner opines is irrelevant, a straw man.
so one minimizes the Gospel once given, minimizes historical accounts, and then pontificates that his gospel is actually the true gospel. And then says it is not of men. What are you, by definition? Calvinism denies salvation and eternal life as scripture states. That is why I brought it up. It denies the Incarnation. It denies the salvific content of the Resurrection.
It denies the purpose of why God created man and then why Christ saved man.
John 3:16 clearly states that the man who present tense is believing in the Lord Jesus shall have (future) everlasting life, a future of consequence, but if you take it as pure future, the result is the same. Everlasting life. No ifs, ands or buts.
Exactly, future promise fulfilled. YOu only possess it in the present time. This is why OSAS is false. ONe does NOT possess it absolutely NOW. Most of the NT speaks categorically against such a notion. Scripture gives many examples of believers losing faith, many exhortations to not lose faith. Man cannot guarantee his faith and neither will God. Man's faith is wholly his responsibility and it is on the evidence of that faith that he will give an account at the judgement. Rom 2:5-8, Rev 20:13.
So, again, up to this point, no evidence that OSAS is found in scripture as it has always been understood. NOt by some 15th century man devising his own system of religion which was built on pagan ideas.
You cite texts that speak against your view. They only fit if you redefine the meaning of the words. Or you only accept one-side of a covenantal relationship, which is the basic principle of predestination.
There is nothing in scripture about man being able to break the New Covenant.
Prodigal Son, Five foolish Virgins, the parable of the talents, the unfaithful servant, Demas a disciple of Paul. There are many examples, but many more exhortations not to lose faith. Our inheritance of eternal life is based on our believing, faith. If we lose faith, how can one be saved, how can one inherit eternal life with Christ?
You need to reread scripture with much more care and without your apparent reformed blinders on.