They certainly did have to
They did not have to continue to believe..
Strange that you say that when so much of the NT is devoted to COMMANDING, EXHORTING and even WARNING us to ABIDE, REMAIN and CONTINUE in Christ. If we were UNABLE to do anything but ABIDE, REMAIN and CONTINUE in Him such imperatives would be unnecessary. The fact that God issued them shows that we can go the opposite way should we so choose. Yet here you claim believers could abandon faith altogether and still make it into Glory. Paul said this:
…22But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence— [this is God's ultimate goal and desired destination for us but to this He adds a condition] 23 IF indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
(Colossians 1:22-23)
The conjunction IF indicates that there is a condition that needs to be fulfilled if they are to reach their FINAL HOPE. It does not say we are to go out and perform a lot of works but it does warn that we cannot abandon our faith and still reach the destination. Are some Christians moved away from the hope of the gospel? Paul presents it as a real possibility. Yet according to what you seem to be saying everything we needed to do was accomplished at the moment we were saved without any regard to our abiding and continuing in Him
I also alluded to John 's gospel which also tells us we must REMAIN or CONTINUE in the VINE to continue to possess LIFE. The word ABIDE is a PRESENT TENSE IMPERATIVE VERB which means to "abide in Him and not cease doing so." It is, therefore an ongoing process of mandatory
participation. The idea that WE DO NOT HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BELIEVE tells us that we can cease believing and STILL MAKE IT IN.
He who believes is not condemned. Since the word "believes" is present tense we know that the person is not condemned has faith in Christ.
They did not have to continue to believe..
Strange that you say that when so much of the NT is devoted to COMMANDING, EXHORTING and even WARNING us to ABIDE, REMAIN and CONTINUE in Christ. If we were UNABLE to do anything but ABIDE, REMAIN and CONTINUE in Him such imperatives would be unnecessary. The fact that God issued them shows that we can go the opposite way should we so choose. Yet here you claim believers could abandon faith altogether and still make it into Glory. Paul said this:
…22But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence— [this is God's ultimate goal and desired destination for us but to this He adds a condition] 23 IF indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
(Colossians 1:22-23)
The conjunction IF indicates that there is a condition that needs to be fulfilled if they are to reach their FINAL HOPE. It does not say we are to go out and perform a lot of works but it does warn that we cannot abandon our faith and still reach the destination. Are some Christians moved away from the hope of the gospel? Paul presents it as a real possibility. Yet according to what you seem to be saying everything we needed to do was accomplished at the moment we were saved without any regard to our abiding and continuing in Him
I also alluded to John 's gospel which also tells us we must REMAIN or CONTINUE in the VINE to continue to possess LIFE. The word ABIDE is a PRESENT TENSE IMPERATIVE VERB which means to "abide in Him and not cease doing so." It is, therefore an ongoing process of mandatory
participation. The idea that WE DO NOT HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BELIEVE tells us that we can cease believing and STILL MAKE IT IN.
He who believes is not condemned. Since the word "believes" is present tense we know that the person is not condemned has faith in Christ.
