Please assess my current theology

I am 27 years old and was raised in a Free Will Baptist Church. I was actually saved and baptized in a Baptist church during a time when I left my FWB Church (18 years old).

*I do believe that salvation is only by the grace of God through our faith.

*One can do good work after good work, and not be on their way to heaven

*I do not believe one is saved by grace through faith, and then kept saved through works.

*Now here is the point where many of you (my brothers and sisters in Christ) are going to disagree with me.

*When John 3:16 says whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life, I think it is talking about a continual belief.

*When the scripture says grace through faith, I think it is talking about a continual faith.

*I believe one can quit believing and lose their faith.

*I do belive it is a hard process to walk away from God.

*I do not think it is something that happens overnight

*Some FWB's get caught up in the kept saved by works deal, but I think one's work will be there if they have the faith and belief.

*Salvation is all God's grace, it has nothing to do with us.

*But I do not think we will go to heaven against our will. I feel if we quit believing and quit having active faith, God is not going to force himself on us. I believe one who lives in wicked, continual sin who once professed Christ, may still profess him with their mouth, but that is only head belief. Christ is no longer in their heart.

*Now please do not bash me. I love all you guys even though I have never met you. It does not mean I am not a Christian just because I have a different theology than you do. Thanks and God bless. :type:

 

:saint: You are right my brother, the Free Will Baptist did not leave me. That is probably why after walking away from serving Christ for five years, when I rededicated my life to Christ, he led me back to the FWB Church I grew up in. I believe he also led me back to my old church because of all the many works he had for me to do there. I teach a Sunday school lesson on my churches radio broadcast on Sunday morning, and teach the teens Sunday school class at my church. I also have a part in the jail ministry, and have taught to the congregation on Wednesday and Sunday nights. I would have went back to the Baptist Church if I would have felt the Lord leading me there.

 

I truly appreciate the responses, and I can understand someone who has never "returned to the world" not believing a true Christian can return to wicked sin, but I was saved in 1999 at 19 years of age, and returned to living for satan. Before anyone says I was not truly saved, I must tell you I was, I mean all of us who are true believers know what salvation is. I lived in sin without remorse for five years. I believe I quencehd the Spirit, atleast for a time. I rededicated my life in Sep. 2004 at 4:00 in the morning.

For five years I lived a life against God. There was no sign of him in my life. It depends on your personal theology as to where you think I would have went if I would have died. I thank God that he drew me to repentance through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit so there is not doubt about anything. I did not quit believing with my head, but had I quit believing and having faith in my heart? This is good stuff, lets keep it going in love.

 

This is the part that is hard for me to get a hold on. I mean one can believe almost any theology, and if they are allowing the Holy Spirit of God to lead, guide, and direct their lives, hey, there is no doubt we are going to be in heaven together. I am troubled by people who claim salvation based on OSAS, but have lived in sin with no remorse or conscience for years. Again, I do believe people can be saved by the grace of God through faith, and return to the world. The flesh is weak and wicked, and the devil is always trying to get believers to turn away from God. But I do want to say again, I do believe it is a hard thing to get walk away from God. I think it is a slow, ugly process. I do not like the phrase "lose your salvation, because you lose your wallet, you do not lose Jesus.

 

Free Will is not al about us. Any born again believer follows the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. I stated that it is a hard, long process to walk away from Christ, I do not believe one can wake up one day and say "I do not want to be a Christian any longer." That person probably never was saved, but I believe the Holy Spirit of God will tug and pull at the heart of one who is being drawn back into the world by the lust of the flesh and the temptations of satan. The thing is the closer one gets to the world and living for satan the farther they are from God. They are less and less convicted and start to enjoy and look forward to the sin.