Really? Then why does Jesus spent most of the Gospels instructing us on what to do and what not to do?
Every word of scripture is God's revelation to us. They are His tools to accomplish His preordained plan. For example, God ordains that His elect persevere. Now, He COULD just zap all believers with that knowledge and how to do it magically, or, He can reveal it to us in scripture, which is what He did. But here we have to remember that all the words of the Bible are completely meaningless UNLESS salvational grace has become effective. The scriptures lead to faith, but without salvational grace FIRST the scriptures are nothing to that person.
[Re: Rom. 11:22-24] Paul is saying that it is possible to lose one’s salvation and that it is possible to be lost and then to regain one’s salvation.
No he's not. This passage has to do with the Gentiles and the nation of Jews. All the "you's" are groups of people in general, not so much individuals. In all of his writings, Paul certainly acknowledges that true believers fall away for a time, but I don't know where he ever says that their true salvation is ever lost. In fact, he never says that. It's not Biblical. The crux is over whether a true believer can fall away permanently. The Bible says no, and if that was possible it would make God a liar:
Phil 1:6 : ... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Does God's good work get accomplished EVERY time or only SOMETIMES?
FK: ***Apples and oranges. You can’t compare when the starting positions were so opposite.***
They started without sin and they disobeyed - which is the first definition of sin in the OT - disobedience to God.
Like I said, we don't start without sin, we start totally depraved. Huge difference. Theoretically, Adam and Eve had a meaningful choice. We do not.
***Every word of scripture is God’s revelation to us.***
As written by men.
***They are His tools to accomplish His preordained plan. For example, God ordains that His elect persevere. Now, He COULD just zap all believers with that knowledge and how to do it magically, or, He can reveal it to us in scripture, which is what He did. ***
Plan? God is outside time. He is everywhere and everywhen. I thought that all Reformed believers are zapped. What is this about Scripture? What if a Reformed elect didn’t hear any Scripture?
Acts 2:
38
Peter (said) to them, “Repent and be baptized, 7 every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.
Scripture itself doesn’t emphasize Scripture. It emphasizes teaching and tradition. Repent and be baptized and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
***Paul certainly acknowledges that true believers fall away for a time, but I don’t know where he ever says that their true salvation is ever lost. In fact, he never says that. It’s not Biblical.***
1 John 2:
1 John
Chapter 2
1
My children, 1 I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.
2
He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
3
The way we may be sure 2 that we know him is to keep his command ments.
4
Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5
But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:
6
whoever claims to abide in him ought to live (just) as he lived.
You must keep the Commandments of Jesus or you are not saved.
Heb 10:
26
14 If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins
27
but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries.
Salvation is conditional. Believers can fall away.
36
You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.
37
“For, after just a brief moment, 17 he who is to come shall come; he shall not delay.
38
But my just one shall live by faith, and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.”
A just one (ie believer) can ‘draw back’ and therefore not be saved.
2 Peter 2:
20
For if they, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of (our) Lord and savior Jesus Christ, again become entangled and overcome by them, their last condition is worse than their first.
21
For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment handed down 11 to them.
It is possible for believers to fall away.
Thus Calvin is refuted in many places and TULIP petals are falling.