Heb. 9:12 - Christ's sacrifice secured our redemption, but redemption is not the same thing as salvation. We participate in and hope for salvation. Our hope in salvation is a guarantee if we are faithful to Christ to the end. But if we lose hope and fail to persevere, we can lose our salvation. Thus, by our own choosing (not by God's doing), salvation is not a certainty. While many Protestant churches believe in the theology of "once saved, always saved," such a novel theory is not found in Scripture and has never been taught by the Church.
And,
Rom. 5:2 - we rejoice in the "hope" (not the presumptuous certainty) of sharing the glory of God. If salvation is absolutely assured after accepting Jesus as Savior, why would Paul hope?
There are many scriptural passages that re-inforce the fact that we are not guaranteed salvation. We hope for it.
Thanks for the added explanation.
I can understand this point of view but there are so many other passages in Scripture that teach Christ’s sufficiency in securing our salavation - all of it = our redemption, our deliverance from sin and satan’s power, our sanctification (in which we do live lives being conformed to the image of God’s dear Son), and our eternal glorification.....that I embrace the eternal security with humility and thanksgiving to God for His mercy and grace and saving might granted to a worm such as myself.
You quote Hebrews 9 which is one of my most favorite chapters in one of my most favorite books in all Scripture:
Here is it in its New King James version - I hope that is an acceptable version: There are many important verses here that are pertinent to our discussion. But here’s one:
that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Again it is like the Good Shepherd who calls us to be His own....and when we respond to His calling - yes in obedience (to the calling to follow Him in faith).....we are never to be snatched away from His Hand.
And it is Jesus who does the calling, it is the great High Priest whose blood was shed that brings us the cleansing and the deliverance from sin ...and this sacrifice cannot be repeated. Dead ordinances cannot bring us this cleansing of our sins or our salavation. He is the mediator of the NEW COVENANT brought to us through His shed blood, not through the LAW. Not through obedience to the LAW can we be saved.
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And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
(below is the whole rest of the Chapter 9 of Hebrews)...sorry this is so scattered sounding.
Limitations of the Earthly Service
6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
The Heavenly Sanctuary
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come,[a] with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
The Mediator’s Death Necessary
16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”[b] 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice
23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
We are to be eagerly awaiting Him - - for salvation. In other words we are not to dread His appearing as one would dread standing before the Judgement seat of Christ unsure of one’s assurance of eternal life in heaven with Him.
WEll I know this has been a confusing post probably....
Sorry not very good at this type of discussion, Thanks for all who contributed. I value and treasure my Christian brothers and Sisters, Catholics and non Catholics alike!
God bless you all and Happy Easter and I’ll come back tomorrow to check on and try to continue the discussion if anyone so wishes.