The reason a person continuing to believe is not them trying to earn their own salvation is because God graciously provides as a free gift the faith needed for any person to trust in Jesus. Paul made it plainly clear that 'believing' is NOT on the side of works in his famous 'works vs. faith for justification' treatise. Believing resides all by itself on the opposite side of works as to that which does NOT constitute earning one's justification/salvation.
It's interesting how bad teaching in the church has made it so people can't see his plain words in Romans 4:5. Instead we have this different gospel that over and over has to step in and tell you that the scriptures 'don't really mean what they say', and that you need special OSAS esoteric understanding to make the plain words of scripture mean something else. That's what got me off the fence about OSAS. What a joke to tell people the Bible doesn't really mean what it says. I was ashamed that I had been doing that.
That's why I call the doctrines of OSAS the 'not really' doctrines of OSAS.
You try to sound like genuine born again believers, but then you DENY that Jeus work of SALVATION is PERFECT and COMPLETE and can be LOST; which means you believe Jesus lied when HE said HE GIVES IT TO US and IT IS ETERNAL.
Romans 4:5 (HCSB)
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5 [/SUP] But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness.
We believe that Literally, no and's, if's, or but's.
Malachi 3:6 (NASB)
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6 [/SUP]
"For I, the LORD, do not change;
therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
Therefore if we can find absolute biblical proof of how the Lord saved ONE MAN, we will KNOW how GOD saves all men.
Romans 4:3-5 (CSBBible)
[SUP]3 [/SUP] For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.
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4 [/SUP] Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as
a gift, but as something owed.
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5 [/SUP] But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness.
Abraham BELIEVED GOD long before he ever took ISAAC to sacrifice him. THAT FAITH WAS PUT IN HIS HUMAN SPIRIT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT and at THAT VERY MOMENT moment HE was credited as being RIGHTEOUS. NOT because of what Abraham would do, but because of what MESSIAH WOULD DO.
You appear to think
FAITH is an intellectual Decision in your human mind. WE KNOW IT IS SOMETHING THAT HOLY SPIRIT PUTS INTO OUR SPIRITUAL MINDS THE MOMENT HE BIRTHS OUR HUMAN SPIRIT FROM BEING DEAD, TO BEING ETERNALLY ALIVE.
John 10:27-30 (NASB)
[SUP]27 [/SUP] "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
[SUP]28 [/SUP] and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
[SUP]29 [/SUP] "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
[SUP]30 [/SUP] "I and the Father are one."
We believe that LITERALLY, making Salvation COMPLETE the moment we blieve. Obedience is an act of LOVE FOR HIM, that has NOTHING TO DO WITH SALVATION. ALL WHO ARE SAVED BY HIM, WILL LOVE HIM.
Do you BELIEVE those three sentences, from your heart, not just in your head?