.eternally-grateful,
Why would it get fuzzy? Why would you think it is optional. The only reason I can fathom this is you deny the true power of faith.
If you have true faith in what someone says, (the term literally means a "full assurance) Have you EVER in your life not had something change in your life. or done at least some of what the person said based on your COMPLETE trust in what was said?
Did Not Hebrews show us that the people who had true faith show that true faith by doing the things which they "could not see, but trusted God would do? Is that not what faith means? "the substance of things HOPED FOR, the evidence of things NOT SEEN. How can someone who has a full assurance and hope (faith) not do the things which would bring that hope into fruition?
Does not James infer this in his first chapter? Showing that people in times of stuffering are supposed to trust Christ, And those who do not trust Christ will be like a ship without a rudder being tossed to and fro. and not expect anything from God. Because instead of trusting God (faith) they are doubters who instead turn to the world to try to relieve their suffering themselves? (serving two masters?
If you can not get this BASIC truth of what faith is, you can not understand the gospel. or our believe system.
first, this is unscriptural and it is also not reality, which is why it would not be scriptural. Christ knows our weaknesses. He lived our life.
Lets take your example of someone suffering or that person's loved one. Either one of them might have had true faith most of their lives, been faithful believers. But this one event, and I have seen it happen on several occassions, instead of it strengthing their faith, they became angry at God and rejected God. Unless this person repents, they are lost. You cannot believe for a little while, then reject Christ and expect salvation. This is the exact thing for those of Matt 7:21-22.
Many turn to the world. The two middle examples of the sower are believers who got overwhelmed or prefered the world. Paul gives an example of Dumas, one of his former helpers, a believer and worker with him.
People don't even keep faith on other things, why would they hold Trust in God. Some people don't fly on planes that were survivors of plane crashes. They lost faith.
Your theory is based on a myth of man's human nature. If man is so perfect in his faith, even with a sinful nature and sin actually present in this world, why would Adam have been deceived and fell. Lost faith in his relationship with Christ. The only difference is that God is giving you many chances to strengthen your walk, and forgives sin when we confess them. However, if you fail to live according to his precepts, then death, spiritual death will result permanently. Man has no guarantees.
It is walking with God in faith, working out our salvation with HIM. It is not that we have salvation and we automatically do everything perfectly.He promises the inheritance is waiting, cannot be revoked, but we need to remain faithful to the end.
There is no text in scripture that ever states one has salvation because they HAD believed.
This is nonsense.
Again, How can one who is fully assured of the words of Christ NOT DO WORKS? This is impossible. the only way they would not do works, is they are doubters. They may believe, but thay have no faith.
believe and faith are the same thing. So if a person believes he has faith. The problem with man is that we have difficulty keeping sin at bay. Sinning and rationalizing it away will harden one's heart against that sin. Unconfessed sin is sin that could condemn us if not repented of. Sin is man's problem and every thing that is needed to combat sin is available, but still man can and does choose to leave Christ, live as the world. It is a reality that God and scripture clearly places before us. Most of the NT is directed at the believer making sure they are still in faith, still being faithful, that they have not removed themselves from Christ.
you went off the road by not understand what faith really is. and thinking someone can trust and be fully assured of something, yet NOT DO anything which he actually claimed he trusted in.
I understand true faith, but scripture clearly gives examples of believers who fell away from true faith. There is no such thing as perfect, or continuous true faith without the work and effort to make sure we actually remain in true faith.
Loss of faith is loss of salvation. In both Letters to Timothy Paul stresses the importance of maintaining ones faith. I have not counted them, but I would guess it would be in the20's of verses that exhort, or warn against losing faith. He is speaking to believers. He is NOT speaking to unbelievers for how can an unbeliever remain true to faith when he does not have any.
You have an unrealistic understanding of man's human nature. Furthermore, your foundational root, is that one is finitely saved, relative to our relationship, in the instant of belief, and there is no text that even infers it, let alone states it.
