Clearly, the verses being used are there to address fears that someone or something outside can affect our relationship with Christ. Nothing that someone or something else does can affect our relationship with Christ. This is superior to the Moslem faith where e.g., you can lose 'heaven' if you are buried covered in pig offal.
It is also just as clear that we can walk away from our salvation.
Hebrews 6:3-6 - "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."
Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
Taking verses out-of-context doesn't help believers understand their true standing. Invoking the 'well they weren't really saved anyway' argument doesn't help either. It just turns your argument into a fallacy. Better to face the truth that you can (and some will) lose their salvation by turning away from the truth. Grow up, please.
"Believers are sealed by the Holy Spirt at the moment of salvation. We are sealed unto the day of redemption. Meaning, we cannot unseal anything. It's there, until it is redeemed. By Christ. We are His."
A seal, in Biblical times, was a mark, a sigil, a signature attesting to the truth of a document or other object. It is not a Ziplock baggie presenting an impenetrable barrier between a person and everything else. The translation does not do the intent correctly.
Clearly, the verses being used are there to address fears that someone or something outside can affect our relationship with Christ. Nothing that someone or something else does can affect our relationship with Christ. This is superior to the Moslem faith where e.g., you can lose 'heaven' if you are buried covered in pig offal.
Correct. Nobody can snatch you from God's hand. But you sure can wander away, just like the sheep that Jesus referred to so many times.
Taking verses out-of-context doesn't help believers understand their true standing. Invoking the 'well they weren't really saved anyway' argument doesn't help either. It just turns your argument into a fallacy. Better to face the truth that you can (and some will) lose their salvation by turning away from the truth. Grow up, please.
The OSAS belief has tremendous emotional appeal and the tenacity of this belief over Scriptural evidence to the contrary is evidence of the attractiveness of its appeal.
And this is not the dispensation of GourmetDan. Based on faith and works for salvation. We are not in the Dispensation of Law or the Kingdom, GourmetDan. We are in the Dispensation of the Grace of God. You will find it from Romans through Philemon. That is where you will find your salvation, GourmetDan. Unless you wish to be under the law to establish your righteousness before God.
"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." (ROm. 4:4). God is the debtor to your works of righteousness, done to keep your salvation? I don't think so.
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom. 4:5). Speaks for itself..
'Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;" (Rom. 3:24).
"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).
We can have confidence that we are in the will of God in our determination to stand fast in liberty and allow GOD'S GRACE to do ITS work in OUR lives.
And how do we know that until the day we die, we are still a work in progress, even though we are saved, sealed, and seated spiritually in the heavenlies?
"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ;
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Philippians 3:20,21).
As long as we are on this earth, we are not perfect. We don't claim to be perfect. We are saved and awaiting His coming and His changing our vile body unto a glorious body. That is not going to happen by the things we do. It's what HE has done that make it possible.
One more thing, GourmetDan...The bible has something to say about Growing Up..
"But speaking the truth in love, may GROW UP into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" (Eph. 4:15).
Grow up to be like you??? Shirley you jest...
You mean to tell me/us that you can't find a single verse in the scriptures that show a person is sealed until the day of redemption; that a person can't lose his/her salvation???