You seem to love the book of John. What do you make of this:
"John 21: 24-25. It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written."
Okay. Do you think everything Christ told His disciples is recorded? That is where Tradition comes from...an oral teaching that is passed on. Some was codified and some was not.
As for your analogy regarding Christ's sacrifice, He ransomed us. He went in and paid the bail bondsman for our full offense. However, you still must open the door of the cell, walk across the floor and leave the prison. That requires YOUR cooperation.
It sounds to me as if you do feel the once saved always saved route is what has happened. I do not. I give you Mark Shea's analogy told here:
http://www.mark-shea.com/salvation.html
Peace!
You seem to love the book of John. What do you make of this:
"John 21: 24-25. It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written."
Well, it's clear that the passage tells us what is obviously true...not all actions or spoken words are written down. Obviously the Gospel was indeed passed on thru verbal conversation just like is today as well as in written form. What I think is an impasse for folks of my ilk and folks of your ilk is that it's not that we think the only things that are written down are what was passed on, but anything and i mean anything that is of the level of doctrine should meet the standards set forth in scripture. Allow me to give an example again:
Imagine we are back in the early first century and we hear an apostle preaching. What he is saying is going to be consistent with God's inspired written Word (yes I'm fully aware the canon is not in place yet), but the Apostles did not preach a Gospel contrary to the Holy Writ, they spoke the same message. To say that the New Testament did not exist during that time is only partly accurate as the text of the epistles were widespread and known during the lifes of those that wrote them. Yes there were other false texts but the Body of Christ knew the inspired works by compring them to existing scripture as the Word tells us.
Allow me to ask you a question. Do you in your heart of hearts truely believe that the Apostles spread the word of the immaculate conception to the faithful along with the Gospel of Christ? Do you believe that the concept of purgatory was preached as doctrine along with their oral traditions they passed down? If so, why do you think (I'm strictly asking for your opinion here) that there are no writings explictly speaking of these items in Paul, Peter or John's writings like there is about salvation and other doctrine - granted the Immaculate Conception is dogma only I believe (correct me if I am wrong). I agree, the Gospel was spread orally and by text, but the most key and absolute items were consistenly written so that the truth could be spread and compared to when hearing what was taught.
On to the other item:
As for your analogy regarding Christ's sacrifice, He ransomed us. He went in and paid the bail bondsman for our full offense. However, you still must open the door of the cell, walk across the floor and leave the prison. That requires YOUR cooperation..
Of course it requires our cooperation, but that cooperation is faith, is it not? We cannot be saved without believing (see John 3:18 - yes, I do love John's gospel!). Also as James tells us we must have a living faith as a dead faith is really no faith at all and a living faith is one in which we are actively doing the will of God, loving Him and our fellow mankind. The good deeds we do are prepared for us by Christ and we can only do them when we are in a state of faith. Apart from Christ we can do nothing, but in Christ we are the light of the world.
In your example above, are you ransomed whether or not you leave prison? In the eyes of the judge you are--you've been paid for and if you choose to not believe that you are free to go and remain in the prison you may (although I suspect you'd be escorted out by some guards if you lingered). My point is that we are ransomed, saved, paid for, forgiven by Christ's sacrifice. If we ignore this fact, i.e. don't believe and reject this we are not saved. So no, I am not a once saved always saved in those terms. Nor am I a once I believe I'm saved and now I can do whatever I want saved either. Christ tells us we must repent of our sin and go and sin no more so just because we are welcomed to the Father thru the Holy Spirit and Christ does it mean we're in no matter what we continue to do or not do from then on. Christ's one perfect sacrifice is sufficient for all sin and those who put their complete trust and faith in him shall live, so sayeth scripture, Amen!!
I hope that helps clarify my position.
Thanks for the respectful discussion, I enjoy "talking" with others that way...
In Christ.