Let's understand something here. I am not advocating that a believer can accept Jesus and then ignore Him the rest of their life. I understand that. Their does have to be a yielding to Christ and a broken heart which brings a changed heart and life whereby they become malleable clay to God's will. What I am saying is that once you yield to God. Truly yield to Him in brokenness. Then God saves that person and changes them spiritually whereby God can do the good work within them. I totally agree. Now, can a believer back slide into sin and forfeit their salvation? Yes. I am not deny such a possibility because it happened to me; And I renewed my faith in the Lord and asked for His forgiveness and later in time became baptized. But is salvation in what I do? No. I can't take credit for God convicting my heart and granting me repentance. I can't take credit for anything. I was bought and paid for with a price, my brother. Doing something is not equal to taking credit for something. Noah built an ark and one cannot say that the "building of the ark had nothing to do with it."
You are disconnecting a "working faith" as being a requisite from salvation. I want you to really think about what I am saying here because I don't want you to misunderstand me.
You stated this...
Jesus accomplished salvation for us. So all we have to do is receive His free gift (Which is by repenting (confessing) of our sins and in accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior - Believing He died for our sins upon the cross, was in the tomb 3 days, and then rose from the grave). From there, if you sin, you confess that sin, and continue to abide in the Lord.
That is not true. Jesus did not accomplish salvation for us. Jesus gave His life on our behalf so that we can enter into the New Covenant by Him. In other words Jesus gave us an opportunity to be reconciled to God through Him being a mediator (where two aggrieved parties are brought to reconciliation). You see this in Hebrews...
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
God makes this covenant through the blood of Christ (Heb 9:20).
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
This is very important and it involves US DOING SOMETHING and it is not "accepting Jesus and receiving a free gift." That terminology is straight out of theology textbooks, not the Bible. We have to approach God in truth.
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
The new and living way is where WE DIE WITH CHRIST which is symbolic of repentance. This is where our old man is crucified once and for all, where the body of sin (the old man who served sin as master) is destroyed once and for all.
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Jesus is our mediator.
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
We draw near with a TRUE HEART, an HONEST HEART, a HEART WITH NO DECEIT, a HEART WITH NO GUILE. In other words we come clean with God about our former conduct having changed our minds about it. It is then that we are washed of the condemnation that this conduct wrought and we are given a fresh start as a new babe in Christ.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised
This notion of salvation being a "free gift" that one simply receives by "accepting Jesus" is nonsense. The "free gift" is the DYNAMIC BY WHICH SALVATION IS PRODUCED. Read what Paul writes carefully...
Eph 2:8 For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Paul is speaking of the dynamic of "grace through faith" which results in salvation. Grace is the QUICKENING and faith is the YIELDING. Look at this...
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
Understanding the "quickening" is key. The term means "brought back to life" and it is simply just the energy of God manifesting in our spirit because we are no longer quelling it through rebellion. See what Paul writes here...
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
The word "operation" means "energy." See how Paul connects this quickening to being buried in baptism with Christ. This is the same baptism referred to in Romans 6 where we are baptised into death with Christ. It is the death of the old man, the crucifixion of the flesh, the end of rebellion once and for all. This is the stuff that is not taught in the churches and because it is not taught people are not experiencing it. Instead people "accept the free gift" and "trust Jesus" who they believe already "accomplished salvation for them." They may shed a few tears and improve their conduct somewhat but NOTHING really happens inwardly. They are deceived into believing in a "notion" that they are saved because they "trust Jesus" and "want to be better." Yet what happens is a life of sin/repent/sin/repent/sin/repent/sin/repent because the heart was never truly broken and the old man was NEVER crucified once and for all.
You speak a lot of true things but your underlying premise is clearly operating under the spirit of error because you use the language of deceptive theology. It is very subtle. Satan is very crafty and far more dangerous than people realise.