If false assurance does exist then the ability to proclaim 100% assurance does not seem possible. It appears that the assurance the Bible speaks of is more of a hope than a impossible to be wrong notion of what is to be.
If the deceived are unaware of their deception, "how" can we honestly be sure we are not the ones being deceived.
Even those deceived will quote the same verses and use the same reasoning to claim the other person is the one deceived.
On your use of the bathtub story, this is the famous illustration by Franz Kafka. I know its principles well and you are misusing its purpose. The story was about how higher education was turning a blind eye to the destruction of Europe after World War I and continued to teach the same lies that led to its destruction. The empty bathtub was their lack of new ideas to both heal the nations and stop the cycle of war.
So if the moral of your story is I need to stop fishing for answers in the empty "once saved always saved" bathtub, I agree.
Hi, DJ2, thank you for your correction on the purpose of the Ivory Tower example, I was searching for some way to show that in my view you are not focused on the right issue; if you want to prove a negative true, a false assurance, study true assurance instead of the false; and the bible gives proof of our assurance of; forgiveness of sin, reconciled to God, a place in heaven.
I became mature in my faith with Jesus about the same time the Jim Jone's massacre happened in Guyana; all of those innocent people drank that poisoned cool aide and perished. After the terrible fact of this mass murder I began to read up on subjects like, mind control and what is a cult. Like I said before I am just and average person who love's Jesus but I continue to be cautious of where I go to learn and study the bible and worship.
Well I also need to tell that I have stage 4 prostate cancer that can only be treated but there is not a cure; when I have run out of choices of treatment and I become refractory then I pray there will be a place for me in heaven. My bible say's I have assurance and you say it is not 100 percent assured. I believe the verdict is in and because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus you and I can have assurance of salvation and a place in heaven. is it a 100 percent guaranteed, my faith tells me yes but you say
no one can know for sure, 100 percent.
The rich young ruler said to Jesus; then who can be saved; Jesus replied,
"What is impossible with man is possible with God." Luke18:27
I pray you find peace and assurance, God bless.