Featured Once saved always saved please help me!

"MY [Jesus] sheep hear my voice, and I know THEM, and THEY follow me: And I give unto THEM ETERNAL LIFE; and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND. My Father, which gave THEM me, is great than all; and NO MAN IS ABLE TO PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY FATHER'S HAND." --- John 10:27-29 [Bolded for emphasis.]

Either these verses are true or they are false. You decide.

As others in this thread have already tried to point out to you, we cannot know other peoples' hearts, whether they are saved or not, what their motives and struggles may be. The Apostle Paul struggled with his fleshly (Old, pre-salvation) nature in Romans 7, and so must we.

You are not going to answer for other peoples' lives, whether or not they modeled how a child of God should live, only for your own life.

Stop looking around at what other people (or chiuches for that matter) say and do, and stay focused on what God's Word tells YOU how to live in this life.

Yes, you can and should be concerned about how other professing Christians live, pray for them, and when it's appropriate express your concern for them in a meek and humble spirit.

But, bottom line is that you need to primarily be concerned about how YOU measure up to God's standards.

Pray that God will help you to find a good, solid Bible teaching and Bible-living local assembly where you can fellowship with like-minded people as you are.

Please take the above advice in the spirit in which it is offered to you.

 

While I commend you for having a desire to follow the leadership of what Jesus referred to as one of the works of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26-27), we need to establish a few preliminary things first.

It's not the "largeness" of one's sins that keeps one away from God's judgment. Case in point, have you ever told a lie? In the eyes of a holy God, that one lie is enough to keep you from heaven because in His holy eyes that makes you a liar. (You only have to murder one person to be a murderer in God's eyes, and the same applies with lying.) James 2:10-13 talks about this, and Revelation 21:8 tells us of the fate of liars.

You say you're a new Christian, and for that I want to welcome you into God's family.

As I said in my previous post, you need to stop looking around at others and for the time being focus on what God wants YOU to be. Since you're young in the faith, that's not going to be easy (I speak from experience here.), but that's what God wants you to do. Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us that we need to look unto Jesus (not unto other people).

Just as it is with a child, you need to first ground yourself in what 1 Peter 2:2 calls the "milk" of the Word before you tackle the "meat" of the Word. This doesn't come about overnight; rather, in many cases it takes years.

I'm going to pray that God will lead you to a good, solid Bible-believing and practicing local fellowship of genuine believers. This is what the Bible tells us is the REAL purpose of a NT church (Eph. 4:11-15). Just as a human child cannot properly grow and mature as he should on his own, neither can a child of God.

Once you've matured in the knowledge and application of His Word, I believe you will be better able to sort these issues out.

I say all of this in the spirit of kindness and concern for you my friend. I know what you're probably going through because I've been down the very same road that I sense that you're travelling. Feel free to PM me if you want to know more in detail about the things I've posted for you.

 

the Bible states per Apostle John that his MAIN purpose in writting His gosepl is that we would KNOW Jesus is the Son of God, and KNOW have eternal lif ein his name!

The problem is that what passes as being saved by God is emotionalism, one time alter call, came to jesus and cried etc...

IF one realise they are a sinner that cannot save themselves being being 'good enough", and that jesus died for their sins to be paid, receiving him by faith makes one saved...

THAT person will experience a change, somehow will be different, and start to evidence new life in christ!

CAN indeed know saved by God....

testified in the bible, and inner witness of the Spirit, and new love for god and the bethren!

ALL i know is went to bed in college a sinner, received jesus by faith, the Lord dopenned me up to be convicted of my need for him, and woke up next morning a saint!

 

33ad

Just curious, what was the bad experience at Mars Hill?

 

NO, not everyone is saying that, because I don't. We are guaranteed forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life, IF we repent and seek forgiveness. To repent means to recognize and admit that "I am a sinner and lost in my sins. I cannot save myself and MUST call on the Lord for forgiveness in sincerity."

"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Those are just two of God's guarantees that He will save ALL those who call on Him for forgiveness and salvation.

Salvation is eternal and everlasting as stated in God's word. It is NOT temporary until my next sin, for God we will more than likely sin. However, if we sin after we're saved and don't repent of it before God, we will lose all fellowship (not our salvation) with our Saviour until we do confess that sin to Him.

 

33ad...

Yes it is. If you have heard the gosple, been convicted, and sincerely trusted Christ for eternal life, then YOU ARE SAVED. and that is permanent. You could not sin your self out of it if you tried.

Large sins or little sins is irelavent. You are saved because of your relationship with Christ. PERIOD

 

Yes, salvation IS a sure thing, because we have God's promise that if we seek His forgiveness we WILL be forgiveness and given eternal life.

Also, the size of our sins does not determine whether or not we are sinners and lost in our sins.

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

In this world, promises are often broken and have very little (if any) meaning. However, God has promised forgiveness and salvation to ANYONE who calls upon Him for forgiveness and salvation. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13

I am so thankful for that word "whosoever", because it includes me. No one is worthy or good enough on their own to enter heaven, and our "small" sins will keep us out just as much as our "big" sins. We are all sinners in God's eyes before we come to Him in repentance, humility, and NOT with the attitude that "I have no big sins so I have nothing to worry about." Sin is sin to God, and ANY sin will keep us out of heaven until we seek God's forgiveness.

 

Whoops, I will be bowing out of this thread.


I didnt notice that is the "fundmental baptist" forum


Sorry

 

Amen brother!! I am also glad that the word of God says whosoever will, because that includes me. I am glad Jesus died for ALL MEN, because I know that includes me as well.

And I am glad Jesus is faithful and cannot lie. I am not saved because I am always faithful to Jesus, if my salvation depended on my faithfulness, I would be a goner for sure. No, I am saved because Jesus will always be faithful to keep his promise to any man who calls on him to be saved. Thank God!!

 

I'm going to get blasted for this but I am going to say it anyway because I really believe it is what you need.

You need to go to a good bible-believing seminary. You need to sit under men who know the Bible WAY better than you do. You need to let these men challenge your thinking on every thing and if their thinking obliterates the way you thought all of your life- then abandon the way you thought all of your life.

I suspect that you make mountains out of molehills and strain at gnats (birth control is a petty issue to be this upset over- be consumed with whether or not the movement is making disciples of the nations. Don't be consumed with such silliness).

People who get hang-ups like yours usually are the result of self training gone bad wrong.

Seminary is the answer to your problems.

 

Bull.
Where did you get this crud?

Almost all SBC believe osas. There are 16 million SBC.

Even if you just counted the SBC who go to church regularly, they make up over 5 million.

Plus ALL conservative Presbyterians believe this- there are multiplied millions of them.

That's not to mention the Missionary Baptists, Independent Baptists, and other Baptists etc... which make up tens of millions more who believe osas.

The largest group who denies it are the pentecostals and charismatics and no one thinks that they are the bastion of thoughtful theology in this world.

 

Hello 33ad,

Just quick...I appreciate your enthusiasm as a new believer and understand the convictions you are feeling...but a passing word of advice:

I noted you quoted Mat 7:21 in another post and want to direct you to the next verse:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
(Mat 7:21-22)

And then the next verse:

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(Mat 7:23)

These people that came to the Lord and were denied were counting on their works to get them a pass, thinking they were good enough, saying "look, look at what "I" have done!". They should have been counting on God's grace, understanding that there was nothing they could do to earn their way into heaven. If they were under grace they would not be workers of inequity.

We are saved by grace through faith alone.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(Eph 2:8-9)

Regarding earlier in Mat 7:

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
(Mat 7:3)

I don't think we are talking about whose sins are bigger here, we are talking about missing the point about how one is saved. If one is going on the belief that they are earning their way by their deeds and is judging others according to their works then he is the one that has a beam in his eye.

[/quote] 13*but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.[/QUOTE]

Stands firm in faith of grace...God will give one of faith everything he needs to stand firm in fatih, no one will take a believer out of His hands, and He that began a good work in you will perform it until that day.

The object of one's faith should be grace, not deeds. We are only saved, made clean by Jesus' work in us and that is only by grace through faith.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
(Joh 15:3-5)

 

Although I may be wrong, you come across as a bitter person. That is not fruit of the Holy Spirit. If I were you, I would worry less about inspecting the fruit and the salvation of others and spend more time on my knees before God- asking Him to examine MY heart and point out my vileness and repenting.

 

A Genuine christian is forever secured by the grace and power of God....

 

The Lord knows them that are His. He also seals them, keeps them, preserved against That Day. Jesus said,"All them You have given me I have kept; none is lost save one."

Also: "Noone can pluck them from my Father's hand".

If one who thinks he is saved thinks he can be lost, he does not understand the salvation "that is of The Lord". Loss of salvation indicates that God is not able to save and keep. This is what Grace and Faith are all about.

"We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness--in high places." There are many unregenerated in high places--even in churches. We are reaping the consequences of child evangelism and repeat after me salvation. Much of this is not genuine salvation. God knows; the individual knows--when God calls it is for real, it is without repentance.

Study the adventures of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascas. The Lord called him--Saul knew it.

Salvation is of the Lord,

Peace,

Bro. James

 

Here's another eternal security verse to ponder:
Romans 11:29

The context, of course, is God's relationship with the Jews. But the principle is valid with regard to Gentiles as well.