"Accepting the message of salvation and devoting ourselves to God through Christ and being baptized in water is only the beginning of our exercise of faith.  It is only the beginning of our obedience to God. It sets us on the way to everlasting life, but it does not mean our final salvation".

GOD BLESS

The wind isn't made known until we witness the effects of it.  You can't see the actual wind blowing, but you know it is there by the change is brings, or the objects it moves.  Our faith may not be known to God until He sees/feels the effects of our faith.  What good is that faith if not put into action?

Works are not for GOD to see ou faith, they are for us see as a testimony of the GLORY of GOD in our lives.

Hi,

The Question of salvation has been answered. It is GRACE through FAITH!
Salvation is NOT of WORKS.
It is a one way street. Works are the manifestation of the  SALVATION attained, Not a requirement to attain it!

GOD BLESS

[Want]

I agree with Reba, when the scripture says that noone can pluck us out of the LORD'S hand, then to "lose your salvation" implies you were never in is hand. He said,"I have lost none".

That's how we will know who was sincere, in the end. For us looking from the natural to the eternal, it would appear that someone could lose their salvation. But I believe that the scripture is clear that CHRIST will lose none.

I don't take credit for salvation. Neither can I by works be justified. Because when I do obey GOD, it's not me, it's him(PHIL.2:13).
That verse says, the salvation of GOD, supercedes my will and obedience. Because even when I please GOD, it is Him who make me Want to please him and actually do according to His pleasure!

My Salvation is truly a gift!

AND IF GOD:
-is able to keep me
-is able to finish want he started in me
(and you know He is !)

Then how can I prevent HIM?
 

[Which of these persons would be saved?]

Let me give you an illustration, and it will demonstrate the power of both sin and God's grace.
Say there were 100 commands.  You keep 99 of them, but the one you decide you're going to continue in even though you know what Jesus said in the command.  
Take the same 100 commands.  You keep only 1, the other 99 you continue to do.  But you do so because you are weak in your flesh, you know they are wrong and you try as best as you can to not do these things and ask God to deliver you from them.
Which of these persons would be saved?  I tell you the latter, because their heart was willing though his flesh was weak.


The answer to the question is, none of us know!
Only GOD knows the heart. We can't argue issues of the heart. We only know what we see! We look for Fruit of the Spirit and other things the Word says is consistant with christian behavior, but only GOD truly knows.

The only persons salvation we can be sure of is our own.

This discussion does come down to issues of the heart." If we confess with our mouth and believe in our Heart then...". But which one can truly say? All we know is what it told to us and what we see. Also remember bevavior is learned and can be imitated. So what do we really know?

We can't determination a persons salvation soley on what we see, bacause thier salvation is determined by what GOD sees.
And what GOD sees is us covered in the blood of the Lamb!

All that are CHRIST'S are in his hand, of which he has lost NONE!

God Bless!

 
 

 

With so many things said, I'd like to say this:

Our salvation is a gift, we cannot earn it(Rom.4:1-9)!  However, as already discused, it will produce an action(ie... works). As with Abraham, believing GOD=Rightousness! But we know Abraham believed GOD because he obeyed GOD!

GOD'S love supercedes our actions. If it didn't, we would all be dead. We are incapable of justifying ourselves in the sight of GOD! That's why CHRIST died!

Most of you are saying similar things,with two main groups:
-Those who know you can't earn salvation.
-Those who know you can't earn salvation and don't want anyone to abuse it by living a reckless lifestyle.

The bible does deal with this Gal.5:13

I do enjoy the zeal. GOD Bless!

 Hi, I just thought I'd add:

It is never O.K. to SIN! But we will and christ died for that!
Read the following Verses:

I Jn 2:18-19
18   Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19   They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
(KJV)

Just a thought. If you "LOSE IT" maybe you never had it?

 Hi, I just thought I'd add:

It is never O.K. to SIN! But we will and christ died for that!
Read the following Verses:

I Jn 2:18-19
18   Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19   They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
(KJV)

Just a thought. If you "LOSE IT" maybe you never had it?