Test Run

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NetChaplain

Well-known member
Nov 21, 2018
754
269
63
#1
Some Christians believe that God can “Test Run” the soul. God doesn’t save you, then test you to see if you’re going to stay saved. I heard once that “everyone that should be saved, will be saved”—for there is a Book of Life “from the foundation of the world” (Rev 17:8—we were saved when the Lord Jesus said on His Cross “it is finished” - Jhn 19:30) containing everyone’s name whom God already knows He will save (which won’t be many, in comparison to the unsaved—Matt 7:13, 14).

Salvation never comes by chance or happenstance, as if it’s something God didn’t already know! Look up the word “Omniscience,” because this alone provides the answers we need. Does it even make any sense that God would give you eternal life, and latter take it back for whatever reason? Christians were saved from eternity-past, because that’s when God foreknew everything. We have always been on God’s mind, and we are second to the Trinity, and above the angels—what father would put his children after anyone?

Albert Barns (1798-1870) Rev 22:19—“Perhaps there is here an intimation that this would be most likely to be done by those who professed to be Christians, and who supposed that their names were in the book of life. In fact, most of the corruptions of the sacred Scriptures have been attempted by those who have professed some form of Christianity. Infidels have but little interest in attempting such changes, and but little influence to make them received by the church. It is most convenient for them, as it is most agreeable to their feelings, to reject the Bible altogether. When it said here that “God would take away his part out of the book of life,” the meaning is not that his name had been written in that book, but that he would take away the part which he might have had, or which he professed to have in that book. Such corruption of the divine oracles would show that they had no true religion, and would be excluded from heaven. On the phrase “book of life,” see the notes on Revelation 3:5.”

John Gill— Rev 22:19 (1697-1771) “God shall take away his part out of the book of life; by which is meant eternal election, which is the meaning of the phrase throughout this book, in which whoever are written shall certainly be saved. The worshippers of the beast, or the antichristian party, who are chiefly regarded here, are not written in it, Revelation 13:8 wherefore taking away the part of such, is only taking away that which they seemed to have; see Luke 8:18 and the sense is, that such shall be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death, and will be the portion of all that are not written in the book of life, Revelation 20:15. The Alexandrian copy, one of Stephens's, and the Complutensian edition, read, "the tree of life"; and so do the Syriac and Ethiopic versions; the sense is the same; see John 15:2 and out of the holy city; the new Jerusalem, before described, a part in which is a right to enter into it through the gates, and possess the glories of it: what is mentioned here is only a seeming one, which wicked men may flatter themselves with; and the meaning is, that such shall never enter into it, and enjoy the happiness of it, but shall ever be without, Revelation 21:27.”
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
1,434
836
113
#2
There are probably many who think they are saved, but are NOT saved. My guess is they were told if they did the sinners prayer they would be saved but did not truly believe and receive the holy spirit.
 

NetChaplain

Well-known member
Nov 21, 2018
754
269
63
#3
There are probably many who think they are saved, but are NOT saved. My guess is they were told if they did the sinners prayer they would be saved but did not truly believe and receive the holy spirit.
Hi and appreciate your reply! Yes, to be saved one must be reborn first by the Holy Spirit, as you say. God bless!
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
43,041
17,462
113
70
Tennessee
#4
Hi and appreciate your reply! Yes, to be saved one must be reborn first by the Holy Spirit, as you say. God bless!
I pray each day for the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide me in my life-long repentance process.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
28,945
10,414
113
#5
Yay! More OSAS and predestination rhetoric! Just what we need!
 

NetChaplain

Well-known member
Nov 21, 2018
754
269
63
#6
Yay! More OSAS and predestination rhetoric! Just what we need!
We do need this until we get it right. It's not a being-saved issue but a spiritual-growth issue; which is important for rewards latter.