FreeGrace2 said:
Jesus was clear. At the POINT of saving faith, the believer possesses eternal life and shall never perish.
I wonder why 2 very straightforward verses seem so hard to accept.
Which is what I have done.
Could you please quote the verses?
But faith IS directly associated with salvation/eternal life.
I don't need to "interpret" the verse. Jesus was clear enough. Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail. And it didn't. His 3 denials weren't a failure of faith, but a failure of courage. And Jesus then told Peter that when he recovered from his guilt, he was to encourage and strengthen his fellow believers.
But none of this is relevant to eternal security.
I will not confuse the issue here,
You have introduced several words in your explanation:
denial, failure, courage, guilt, encourage and strengthen
The verse simply states:
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
The part of the verse that we are concerned with is:
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for these, that thy faith fail not:
This verse is very simple and one does not need to go into an exposition of the bible to explain it.
I don't need to "interpret" the verse. Jesus was clear enough. Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail. And it didn't. His 3 denials weren't a failure of faith, but a failure of courage. And Jesus then told Peter that when he recovered from his guilt, he was to encourage and strengthen his fellow believers.
But none of this is relevant to eternal security.
I don't need to "interpret" the verse. Jesus was clear enough. Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail. And it didn't. His 3 denials weren't a failure of faith, but a failure of courage. And Jesus then told Peter that when he recovered from his guilt, he was to encourage and strengthen his fellow believers.
But none of this is relevant to eternal security.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[
a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Jms 2:14-17
Really, it is a no brainer as Paul says that out of Faith, Hope, Love (charity),
That love is the greatest. (1st Cor 13)
Jesus himself said a new commandment I bring unto you.
Greater love hath no man, than a man lay down his life for his brethren.
John in 1st John says that love is everything.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
You have hit the nail on the head. I certainly do not like beating around the bush or having hit and miss trauma.