'For by grace you have been saved...

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVER MAY HAVE CONFIDENCE

"Being CONFIDENT of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST" (Phil. 1:6).

A Christian once remarked: "Before I learned the truth of my eternal security, I held on to Christ with one hand and tried to serve Him with the other; but when I realized that both Christ's arms were around me, and I could never be lost, it left both my hands free to serve Him!"

"During the construction of the Golden Gate bridge, it was observed that many of the workmen, fearing for their safety if they fell, were reluctant to perform their work effectively. A net was constructed under the whole span, so that any person falling from the bridge would be caught in it and saved. From that time on, the work went forward with increased speed and efficiency. Once the men knew they were secure, they worked with confidence. To constantly have the fear of being eternally lost is not conducive to confident, loving, and effective service. It is not fear, but love, that should be the motive for the Christian's serving."

"For God hath NOT given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Tim. 1:7).

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVER HAS A SECOND BIRTH, NOT A THIRD OR FOURTH

"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:7). Jesus did NOT say, "Ye must be born again and again and again." "Like begets like. An eternal God begets eternal children." Can a person become unborn once he has been born? NO!!!

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVER CAN KNOW THAT HE HAS ETERNAL LIFE

"These things have I written unto you that believe...that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life" (I John 5:13).

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVERS INHERITANCE IS RESERVED

"To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that FADETH NOT AWAY, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU" (I Pet. 1:4).

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVER IS KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD

"Who are KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD through faith UNTO SALVATION.. ." (I Pet. 1:5).

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVER IS BORN OF INCORRUPTIBLE SEED

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of INCORRUPTIBLE, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever" (I Pet. 1:23).  If a person could lose his salvation then the seed would be corrupted. The Bible says, however that the seed is incorruptible.

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVER RECEIVES SALVATION AS A GIFT FROM GOD

"For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).  Do we receive a gift and then try to work for it to keep it?

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVER WILL BE A PART OF THE ETERNAL HOUSEHOLD OF GOD

"For we KNOW that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we HAVE a building of God, an house not made with hands, ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS" (II Cor. 5:1).

If a Christian dies, he KNOWS that he will be a part of the eternal household of God.

[Ambassador4Christ]

THE BELIEVER HAS EVERLASTING CONSOLATION

"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us EVERLASTING CONSOLATION and good hope through grace" (II Thes. 2:16).

How could we have everlasting consolation if we could lose our salvation?

[Ambassador4Christ]

SOME REASONS WHY PEOPLE BELIEVE

THEY CAN LOSE THEIR SALVATION

Their church teaches it (traditions of men). We are to go by the Word of God as our final authority and NOT by man's opinions. Verses taken OUT OF CONTEXT and misapplied. Vague or unclear passages are used. Using verses that belong and deal with a different time period than for the church age. (Example: Quoting Matt. 24:13: which deals with the tribulation period).  

Getting salvation and service mixed up for the Christian.  Salvation means Grace as a FREE GIFT WITHOUT WORKS (Eph. 2:8, 9).  Service deals with rewards, i.e. works; (I Cor. 3:11-15).

[Ambassador4Christ]

Problems arise when a person does not understand the Biblical doctrine of the two natures in the Believer, the difference between STANDING and STATE.

Passages in MATTHEW, ACTS, HEBREWS, and JAMES are the four books that people misquote the most to prove that a person can lose his salvation.


Grace & Peace  
 

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Ambassador4Christ,

AMEN!!!! Thank you brother for a host of beautiful posts. I received a blessing from them. I made some notes to study many of the Scriptures you quoted. Complete assurance is refreshing and joyful. Thank you brother!

In Christ.

[Sean]

You still haven't addressed my quotes, or shown how they are out of context.  All your quotes are true, for those who are truely saved in Christ are saved!

Again Matthew 5:

1   When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
2   He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3   "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4   "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5   "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6   "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7   "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8   "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9   "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10   "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11   "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12   "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The sermon on the mount was not about old covenant law, if it was, it would have been a little late since the old covenant was passing away.  These are not "Laws" that guarentee salvation.  
Someone can't loose something they never had.  If you reject the words of Christ, you reject Christ.  Then who will save you?

Matthew 28:
18   And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19   "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20   teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Sounds like new covenant to me.  Jesus [after his resurrection] says those who baptize us are to teach us to abserve all that He commanded [past tense].  

We are not saved by what we do...those who are saved do the things commanded by Jesus because they are saved.  Not in a willful act of compliance for salvation but bacause they are filled with the Holy Spirit & the Holy spirit is acting inside them.  It is not for us to judge the heart of others as to weather or not they are saved, but it is more a warning to new christians who don't know anything in the bible and get baptized without knowing what they are doing and go back to their lives before baptism and think they will make it.  It takes a willfull act of giving yourself to Christ.  "You must be born again [from above]".  Just getting water dumped on your head doesn't save you any more than circumcision saved in the OC.  "Flesh gives birth to flesh & spirit gives birth to spirit".  The Holy Spirit must be accepted.

I didn't mean to junk up your thread.  I just wanted others to know that just going through the act of baptism doesn't "save" you.  You must know what you are getting into and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior (and know what that means).  It doesn't mean "Ok, now I can go back to sinning and not be judged for it".  This attitude is that of someone who has decived himself and not accepted Christ.

May the Lord bless all of you.

[Early57]

Sounds like new covenant to me.

Point number one.  Jesus was still speaking to Isreal, the Gentiles are not on the list at that moment.

He was commanding the Isrealites to tell the other Isrealites to obey all that he commanded.  Paul/Saul was not even converted yet and He was the one who would be sent to the Gentiles with a new and living way.  The Jews were and are still the Jews.  

Point number two, you have jumped from Matt 5 to Matt 28

That is a pretty big leap.


point number three, if you look deeper you will find that the gentiles are told to abstain from meats sacrificed to Idols and to abstain from Sexual immorality,  They don't even have to get their PeePee's wacked/Circumcised

[sincereheart]

ROFL @ Early!