Dave, I think you are missing my point friend.
Scripture clearly says that once you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. You will be saved.
Once you are a believer, you will still sin. You were born in and out of sin my friend. You probably have sins in your life you aren't even aware of!
If you do not forgive your brother, you will not be forgiven. That doesn't say you will not be saved..
You cannot be blotted out of the book of life fool! You think God makes mistakes? You think He would add someones name into the book of life and then 2 weeks later remove it? You are deluded if you think that!
Yes, I say that once you become born again, you are saved. It doesn't matter what sins you commit after that.
Take me for example. I became born again at 12 years old. But I have sinned a lot since. Does that mean that my name has been removed from the book of life? NO! Does that mean that I wont have eternal life? NO!
God wouldn't add a mans name into that book and then remove it some time later!
GOD DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES!
Come the day of Christs return, there will be no hate in our hearts. Hate wont exist anymore.
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
My point to the OP is. You are
ALREADY saved. There is nothing else you have to do.
You DO NOT have to have a personal close relationship with God or Jesus to enter into Heaven.
You DO NOT have to live a sinless blame free life. All your good works are like filthy rags to God!
All you have to do is confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Christs lives.
THAT IS IT!
You can try and live a sinless life. But you will always still be a sinner no matter how good you are or how many good works you do.
That is the beautiful simplicity of it. God doesn't ask any more from us than that.
You cannot please God without faith.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
I earnestly seek God. But I admit that I am living a sinners life. Does that mean that I will be weeping and gnashing my teeth? NO.
To be honest with you friend. It's that kind of doctrine that causes so much strife in the ministry with believers.
You can still be the worst sinner on earth. A cold serial murderer. But if you believe Christ exist, you will be saved.
Its a shame that some people can't see that simplicity of that and must quote lots of scripture to say otherwise.
It's not "contrary to what scriptures teach".
I never said its about how loudly you proclaim to be saved. I said it's about whether you believe it in your heart.
Do I need to go to church to be saved? NO!
Do I need to become a missionary and help poor kids in 3rd world countries? NO!
Do I need to become a priest, a pastor, vicar or anything else that would elevate my position amongst people to be saved? NO!
Do I need to stop sinning and repent of my sins? Yes!
But if I don't, I will still be saved come Christs return.
I will still be called up into the clouds to meet Him and all the saints.
I will be made perfect. There will be no hate in my heart because hate wont exist anymore.
We are not living in the days of the Old Testament anymore people!!
We are living in the day of Grace!
Once you are saved - you are saved. There is NOTHING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING you can do to become un-saved!
I quote this to you again...
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.,
That is Paul, talking about us who are believers. It goes for Jews and Gentiles alike. It goes for people back then and people today too. It is Paul saying, you are saved and there is nothing you can do to loose that saving.
Hallelujah! This is why we should always give thanks and praise to God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Be happy and rejoice! He came back for us because He loves us.
He wants us to be happy and confident in our saving.
On that fine day, some people are going to be so shocked to see people standing at the throne of God that they
NEVER in a million years thought would ever make it there.
It is the non-believers that you need to pray for Dave. Those that persecute us for our faith. Those that laugh and mock us like the people of Noah did when he told them there was going to be a great flood.
Trust me pal. You and I are saved. There is NOTHING that can take away that salvation Dave. NOTHING!
Praise God!!
There are so many things wrong with this doctrine i don't even know where to start. "It doesn't matter what sins you commit after you are Saved" Really, so do you make void all the verses that say if you do not forgive your brother, then you are not forgiven. Do you make void the verses which teach if you hate your brother, then God is not in you? Do you make void the verses which teach you can be blotted out of the Book of Life? What about the verse :
I john 1:7 But IF (conditional) we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
But you say it doesn't matter what sins you commit, they are covered, which is contrary to what the Scriptures actually teach. Scriptures teaches IF we walk in the light as Jesus walked, then His blood cleanseth us from all sin, you say that you can walk in darkness all you want and are still cleansed by His Blood, this doctrine in not of God.
friend, it would behoove you to study and pray for the Truth to be revealed to you concerning this matter, your very soul depends on it. Because if you continue to believe doctrines that are contrary to sound Scriptures, then there will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth. i assure you Scriptures are True, they plainly teach us who will NOT enter into Heaven. They teach that if you have hate in your heart you will not enter into Heaven, if you have unforgiveness in your heart you will not enter into Heaven. You can claim with your mouth all you want that you are Saved, and covered by His Blood, but if you are not abiding in His Word, that is to say Living in it, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ,no matter how loudly you proclaim to be Saved and under Grace, and under His Blood.
i will pray that you will pray and seek the Truth and study the Scriptures, your soul depends on it.
^i^