Not By Works

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,969
4,586
113
You are not addressing my point, but never mind, let this issue rest so that this long thread can continue in its original intent.


Okay, but your point is still misinterpretation. IT IS WRITTEN BY GOD for all of US, not a specific group of people.
 
Dec 6, 2019
1,206
691
113
If it was not necessary to teach eternal security to believers, why are there so many texts that teach eternal security to believers in the Bible? If everyone already knew that saved included eternal security, what was the need for the apostles to teach it?

To instruct in some cases and to remind in others
In other words, do you think the word saved was understood by everyone, to include unconditional security, automatically, and implicitly understood from the word saved?

Or did the apostles include the eternal security passages in the Bible to instruct people regarding it
 

PS

Senior Member
Jan 11, 2013
5,399
695
113
If it was not necessary to teach eternal security to believers, why are there so many texts that teach eternal security to believers in the Bible? If everyone already knew that saved included eternal security, what was the need for the apostles to teach it?

To instruct in some cases and to remind in others
If you would like to show some examples where eternal security is taught, you might find there is a warning somewhere in the surrounding text attached to it.
 
Dec 6, 2019
1,206
691
113
If you would like to show some examples where eternal security is taught, you might find there is a warning somewhere in the surrounding text attached to it.
John 6:39, John 10:27-30, good starting point

Jesus will lose none that are given to Him by the Father.

Those who are Jesus' sheep listen to His voice, know Him, and follow Him, and shall never perish

Those who are not Jesus' sheep don't listen to His voice, don't know Him, don't follow Him, don't have eternal life, and shall perish.

Jesus said "you do not believe, because you are not my sheep"

John wrote these things that Jesus said for our edification, instruction, and assurance
 
Nov 16, 2019
3,441
860
113
Believers are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30) So if these Hebrews who fell away were previously saved, then why didn't the writer of Hebrews use conclusive terms that these individuals were "indwelled by the Holy Spirit" or "sealed by the Holy Spirit" or have "received the Spirit's pledge which is the guarantee of future inheritance?"
For the same reason the writer did not use the conclusive term "you can't lose your salvation", perhaps?
I guess if you explain why that term is not used you'll have the answer to why he didn't come right out and say the Hebrews were "indwelled by the Holy Spirit" or "sealed by the Holy Spirit".

Galatians does use very conclusive language about them having the Spirit in salvation, and they fell away, and yet instead of just going with what the letter plainly says once saved always saved has to save itself by changing what the Galatians fell from. So I suppose a similar attempt to dodge the obvious would have been invented in the case of the Hebrews, too.
 
Nov 16, 2019
3,441
860
113
*Hebrews 6:9 sums it up for me. The writer is speaking to those truly saved (the BELOVED). He says that even though he speaks like this concerning THOSE types of people, He is convinced of better things concerning YOU. Things that ACCOMPANY SALVATION. Thorns and briars and falling away permanently do not accompany salvation and are not fruits worthy of authentic repentance. In this metaphor relating to agriculture, those who receive final judgment are compared to land that bears no vegetation or useful fruit, but rather bears thorns and thistles. (Jesus makes a connection with wolves in sheep clothing and thorn bushes and thistles in Matthew 7:16). We see in scripture where good fruit is a sign of true spiritual life and a lack of good fruit is a sign of false believers (Matthew 3:8-10; 7:15-20; 12:33-35) so we have an indication that the evidence of one's spiritual condition is the fruit they bear.
Okay, so now the writer is being very explicit about them being saved, yet once saved always saved has to reach for yet another argument crafted to avoid the obvious.

And we're back to the issue of the unfruitfulness. We both agree that unfruitfulness is the sign of not being saved. But you haven't explained how unfruitfulness has to mean a person was NEVER saved. I just see the bias of once saved always saved being read right back into the argument it's trying to prove.
 
Nov 16, 2019
3,441
860
113
Genuine believers who have believed the gospel are sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession/unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30) Losing salvation would contradict that.
Yes, it would contradict that........if you could prove that the continued possession of the guarantee (the Holy Spirit) is not conditional on anything whatsoever. But, as we've seen in several places in scripture, the deposit of the Spirit in a person guaranteeing the inheritance is conditional on the person holding fast to that which they heard in the beginning.

1 John 2:24-26 KJV
24As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
26These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.


The wording here removes all possibility of making it say abiding in the Son and the Father means you will always abide in the word. John says to LET the word you heard in the beginning abide in you, because IF you do that you will abide in the Son and the Father.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
John 6:39, John 10:27-30, good starting point

Jesus will lose none that are given to Him by the Father.

Those who are Jesus' sheep listen to His voice, know Him, and follow Him, and shall never perish

Those who are not Jesus' sheep don't listen to His voice, don't know Him, don't follow Him, don't have eternal life, and shall perish.

Jesus said "you do not believe, because you are not my sheep"

John wrote these things that Jesus said for our edification, instruction, and assurance
Amen

the warning is not being his. Not that you may lose salvation.
 
Nov 16, 2019
3,441
860
113
lolz ok. so faith is the gift of God but the believing part is your part then you end with "that is what it means for the righteousness you receive from God comes to you through faith."

:eek::eek::eek:
When's the last time you believed and trusted in something that you did not first have the faith upon which to do that believing?

Remember, faith is defined in the Bible as simply knowing that something really is true (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is what God gives us, first, so we can then place our trust in what he has shown us to really be true, and be saved. Just having that faith to know something is true doesn't save anybody. Trusting in what you know is true is what saves.
 

Melach

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2019
2,026
1,512
113
When's the last time you believed and trusted in something that you did not first have the faith upon which to do that believing?

Remember, faith is defined in the Bible as simply knowing that something really is true (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is what God gives us, first, so we can then place our trust in what he has shown us to really be true, and be saved. Just having that faith to know something is true doesn't save anybody. Trusting in what you know is true is what saves.
im sorry. im not english so maybe thats why i dont get it. but to me faith belief trust all sound like same to me so.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
im sorry. im not english so maybe thats why i dont get it. but to me faith belief trust all sound like same to me so.
1. He is wrong, faith in the Bible is not just simply knowing, demons know. And we see what James said
2. biblical faith is more than just knowledge, it’s trust, it is having an assurance That someone or something will do what needs done

thats his problem. He waters down the word.
 

PS

Senior Member
Jan 11, 2013
5,399
695
113
John 6:39, John 10:27-30, good starting point

Jesus will lose none that are given to Him by the Father.

Those who are Jesus' sheep listen to His voice, know Him, and follow Him, and shall never perish

Those who are not Jesus' sheep don't listen to His voice, don't know Him, don't follow Him, don't have eternal life, and shall perish.

Jesus said "you do not believe, because you are not my sheep"

John wrote these things that Jesus said for our edification, instruction, and assurance
John 6:39
I should lose nothing - It is the will of God that every soul who believes should continue in the faith, and have a resurrection unto life eternal. But he wills this continuance in salvation, without purposing to force the persons so to continue. God may will a thing to be, without willing that it shall be. Judas was given to Christ by the Father, Joh_17:12. The Father willed that this Judas should continue in the faith, and have a resurrection unto life eternal: but Judas sinned and perished. Now it is evident that God willed that Judas might be saved, without willing that he must be saved infallibly and unconditionally. (Adam Clarke)

John 10:28
They shall never perish - God hath given unto them eternal life, and this life is in his Son; and he that hath the Son hath life, 1Jn_5:11, 1Jn_5:12. Now it is evident that only those who have Christ living in and governing their souls, so that they possess the mind that was in him, are his sheep - are those that shall never perish, because they have this eternal life abiding in them: therefore to talk of a man’s being one of the elect - one that shall never perish - one who shall have eternal life - who shall never be plucked out of the hand of God, etc., while he lives in sin, has no Christ in his heart, has either never received or fallen away from the grace of God, is as contrary to common sense as it is to the nature and testimonies of the Most High. Final perseverance implies final faithfulness - he that endures to the end shall be saved - he that is faithful unto death shall have a crown of life. (Adam Clarke)

The condition is that he remains faithful and endures to the end.
 
Nov 16, 2019
3,441
860
113
If it was not necessary to teach eternal security to believers, why are there so many texts that teach eternal security to believers in the Bible? If everyone already knew that saved included eternal security, what was the need for the apostles to teach it?

To instruct in some cases and to remind in others
It's what you and others are saying is eternal about salvation that is not in the Bible.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
John 6:39
I should lose nothing - It is the will of God that every soul who believes should continue in the faith, and have a resurrection unto life eternal. But he wills this continuance in salvation, without purposing to force the persons so to continue. God may will a thing to be, without willing that it shall be. Judas was given to Christ by the Father, Joh_17:12. The Father willed that this Judas should continue in the faith, and have a resurrection unto life eternal: but Judas sinned and perished. Now it is evident that God willed that Judas might be saved, without willing that he must be saved infallibly and unconditionally. (Adam Clarke)

John 10:28
They shall never perish - God hath given unto them eternal life, and this life is in his Son; and he that hath the Son hath life, 1Jn_5:11, 1Jn_5:12. Now it is evident that only those who have Christ living in and governing their souls, so that they possess the mind that was in him, are his sheep - are those that shall never perish, because they have this eternal life abiding in them: therefore to talk of a man’s being one of the elect - one that shall never perish - one who shall have eternal life - who shall never be plucked out of the hand of God, etc., while he lives in sin, has no Christ in his heart, has either never received or fallen away from the grace of God, is as contrary to common sense as it is to the nature and testimonies of the Most High. Final perseverance implies final faithfulness - he that endures to the end shall be saved - he that is faithful unto death shall have a crown of life. (Adam Clarke)

The condition is that he remains faithful and endures to the end.
This guy added words not found in those passages, that’s called false interpretation
 

OneOfHis

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2019
1,430
2,208
113
im sorry. im not english so maybe thats why i dont get it. but to me faith belief trust all sound like same to me so.

In modern english you are actually correct. We can use those other words to help someone understand what faith means "exactly" and the different ways it can be used.

There is a huge difference between the "faith" you can have in a sports team to win, and the "faith" you have that if you put your hand in fire it will burn.


The person you are quoting is completely off in regards to what makes a biblical faith.


Not only knowing Jesus is Lord, (belief) but trusting in Him as Savior.... Confidence in this is the result of the BELIEF and TRUST

which will produce

fidelity/loyalty.....

We can't unKNOW we are His


though some can hear the truth

believe it

and willfully reject it (even if for a time they walk among us as tares or goats)

while not trusting in Jesus and have no confidence which produces "falling away" "unfaithfulness"


4102. pistis
Strong's Concordance
pistis: faith, faithfulness​
Original Word: πίστις, εως, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pistis
Phonetic Spelling: (pis'-tis)
Definition: faith, faithfulness
Usage: faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.
HELPS Word-studies
4102 pístis (from 3982/peithô, "persuade, be persuaded") – properly, persuasion (be persuaded, come to trust); faith.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
What words are they?
Where is the words must live in Christ and endure till the end in this passages?

and why did he leave out the fact jesus in John 6 said they would NEVER die, they would live FOREVER. They HAVE eternal life, they they will live as LONG as JESUS lives, they will NEVER HUNGER and NEVER thirst. And they are given his assurance that they will be raised on the last day?

talk about leaving words out and adding words..
 

PS

Senior Member
Jan 11, 2013
5,399
695
113
Where is the words must live in Christ and endure till the end in this passages?

and why did he leave out the fact jesus in John 6 said they would NEVER die, they would live FOREVER. They HAVE eternal life, they they will live as LONG as JESUS lives, they will NEVER HUNGER and NEVER thirst. And they are given his assurance that they will be raised on the last day?

talk about leaving words out and adding words..
Everyone is elected. It was and is Gods plan and purpose that everyone will be saved. God draws EVERYONE to Him, but then, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way"

Sorry mate, if everyone has turned away there is nobody left. WE NEED TO REMAIN FAITHFUL TO THE END.
 

OneOfHis

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2019
1,430
2,208
113
Everyone is elected. It was and is Gods plan and purpose that everyone will be saved. God draws EVERYONE to Him, but then, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way"

Sorry mate, if everyone has turned away there is nobody left. WE NEED TO REMAIN FAITHFUL TO THE END.
When Peter denied Jesus, if his life was taken in that moment.... where do you believe he would have gone after his physical life ended?



Do you believe despite the faith in his heart God would have looked to Peters actions to see if he would be justified, or do you believe because of Gods grace and through faith the righteousness of Christ would be what justified him before God?