What are the essential beliefs needed for salvation?

By saying God will not force anyone, you show you do not know the scriptures. The Jews in the old testament regularly asked God to change their hearts, to cause them to walk in His ways. God tells us He controls all the pagan nations of the world and in His Word He tells us faith is a gift given to His sheep. Regeneration is not force. We are DEAD in sin before God gives us faith. You cannot force a corpse to do anything, it is a corpse.

Repent of your man-centered philosophy, friend. Trust in Christ's finished work alone, and the sovereign One who calls all His people to Himself.

May God be the Judge[/QUOTE]
It shows you know nothing of Scripture


The OT has the saying, CHOSE THIS DAY who you will

Jesus also said is will was to ALWAYS take Israe under his wings as a mother hen, but they were unwilling.

So, you mean the elect can sin without limit?

I forgot to add to this ^ :

The part where I'd put the Lk19:41-44 reference (along with the Lk21:23,20) speaks to what Jesus SAID and DID on the very day that the "69 Weeks" were fulfilled, on what we call Palm Sunday ("thy King cometh unto thee" [speaking to Jerusalem; note the prophecy specifically regarding that in Dan9:24!], and His words of Lk19:42 "but now they are hid from thine eyes"... This is not to be a permanent condition for them --"the 70th Wk/7-yrs" [yet future] is that "IN QUICKNESS [NOUN]" time period, which is for the purpose of opening their eyes [see Hosea 5:15["TILL"]-6:3, which says, "IN THEIR [Israel's] AFFLICTION, they will seek Me early/earnestly." ["the WISE [of them]" will heed His word, whereas the "wicked" will not and thus will not understand, at that time frame ])

I think this scripture also applied to man renewing his mind means without holiness no one will see GOD Is like the scripture that Paul wrote that says we are living epistles.

In other words If they don't see GOD In us then no man will see/understand GOD.

Yes, that's pretty much how I see the meaning of Hebrews 12:14 (per context) also. ["the holiness" / "Christ in you" ; see also 2Cor4:10,11 and v.7]

Jesus, when addressing a small group of believers in Him said that there were those that were not of this fold and that He must gather them in also.

All mankind do sin both the elect and those who are not. The fact that the elect still fight a battle with sin is evidenced by Paul in the Galatians letter with our warfare within us. The elect's sins, when they commit them separate them from their fellowship with God until they repent, but not from their eternal salvation.

So, if today I have an extramarital affair I'll be separated from my fellowship with God. Then next week I repent from my sin, ask for forgiveness and it is granted. Three months later I commit the same sin, repent and again receive forgiveness. This pattern is repeated for, let's say, ten years and then death comes. Will I be saved?

Look at what the scriptures say about David (the apple of God's eye) that he committed adultery, lied and murdered to cover up his sin, do you think that he is saved? I have heard it said and believe it to be true "you can never understand the grace of God until you understand how depraved you are".

It is God and God alone who decides on our salvation. Those whose thoughts about the Christian life is only about their salvation are not saved. They are only thinking of themselves and me, me, me. They have not given their life over to the Lord.

Not just "the elect" but for the sins of THE WHOLE WORLD. The Bible does not teach Limited Atonement but Unlimited Atonement. That does not automatically translated into Universal, since all must obey the Gospel.

Limited Atonement is false doctrine and heresy.

If God saved us by grace? Will he not also give us eternal life by grace?

Sadly, Oyster, those who hold to false doctrines would rather cling to them tenaciously than give them up for the truth, and admit their errors. Human pride trumps love of the truth every time.

That is the meaning of "saved by grace". Of course it includes much more.

David's case was different from the one I posted. Many pastors teach that we will be counted as sinners only if we keep on sinning. Occasional sins -- they say -- will not prevent us from being saved. How many times a year can a Christian commit sins like adultery, stealing, lying, etc, and still be saved? Four times a year are OK or too many?

I once did this every night for over twenty years. It wasn't about having an affair, it was about harming and stinking up the temple that my body is with cigarettes. Most mornings I went back to cigarettes. What a relief when I finally made good my promise to the Lord to stop.

I think with God all sin is the same. There is no big sin or little sin.

If I sin 5 times today and you sinned 1 time. We are still on the same page.

James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Remember the two men who went up to pray?

Luke 18:10-15 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Who told you I am concerned only about MY salvation?

Hi, Kim, nice to see you here!

This is what many pastors teach, but I'm not sure it is biblical.

IMO,yes.
It was the our spirits that were made perfect,After that, renew your mind.If a person Is doing the thing you said you know sinning and repenting until death they should have been putting their time Into worshiping GOD who forgave them and sealed them unto the day of redemption.