"You don't become a saint by *acting like one*. You act like one after you become a saint."
"Scripture, please. This is one of those Protestant theological fantasies. Sanctification is gradual and lasts a lifetime."
Speaking for myself, and i think may others, while i uphold that it is faith alone that saves, i do not hold that it is a faith that is alone, nor did classic Protestantism, but that faith that has no holiness and works is not salvific.
The meek shall inherit the earth, and it not vain hearers but "the doers of the law shall be justified," (Rm. 2:13) and Jesus is "the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him," (Heb. 5:9) not due to the merit of said works but because such is an attribute of saving faith.
The convicted and contrite sinner comes to the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ destitute of any means or merit whereby he may escape his just eternal damnation or merit eternal life, and casts all his faith in the mercy of God in Christ, trusting Him to save him by His blood and righteousness. And having made a basic turn in his heart from darkness to light, and resting in Christ as his savior, the response of such salvific faith is to follow Him as his Lord, according to the light he has. And repent when convicted of not doing so.
Yet while your second statement, that "sanctification is gradual and lasts a lifetime" is correct, and you cannot deny that it is initial sanctification that makes one a saint, and the oft repeated appeal of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant is for believers to live out practically what they are positionally.
Acts 9:31,32,41; 26:10; Rm. 1:7; 8:27; 12:13; 15:25,26,31; 16:2,15 and more texts refers to believers in general , as saints.
The Romans were told of the salvation and position they had with God by faith before being exhorted to live it out. (Rm. 1-5ff)
The Corinthians were also called to be saints, (1Cor. 1:2; cf. 6:1,2; 14:33; 16:1,15, etc.) with “to be” being not in the Greek where it is used, and after chastising them for their overall immaturity and carnality, they were told told,
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11)
Yet in the next book those who did not repent of sins of the flesh were warned of being reprobate, being out of the faith. (2Cor. 12:21; 13:5)
After warning the problematic Galatians not to “bite and devour one another,” Paul exhorted them, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)
As per that pattern, the Ephesians were told that they were positionally made to “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Eph. 2:6) and then exhorted to live it out.
Likewise the Colossians were exhorted, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” (Col 3:1)
And which is a principle which continues, as rather than seeking to gain acceptance of God and salvation, believers are first made “accepted in the Beloved,” (Eph. 1:6) and then, giving with life from a position of strength, they both rightly motivated and enabled to become more like Christ and to do His will. Not in order to gain salvation, but to continue in the faith, and response to so great a salvation through Jesus Christ the Lord, “whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." (Hebrews 3:6) As such enduring faith is a mark of the elect.
As for knowing you are saved, the Bible , both provides for that, as well as the means by which one will never fall. 1Jn. 5:13, referring to all that he wrote previously, and appealing to spiritual judgment, offers that one can have assurance of eternal life if his faith corresponds to the marks of saving faith delineated therein.
In addition, the text you posted, 2 Peter 1:1-10, calls believers is to add to their faith things which make for maturity, with the promise that if one gives diligence to make his calling and election sure, then he “shall never fall.”
However I have much to go, especially in heart. May all that is within me cry glory, and nothing grieve His Holy Spirit.
Hello Daniell...as always great to see your posts.
What I saw in your post, over and over was “faith”. How would you describe Faith? Sometimes I think we overlook words which we might not fully grasp the meaning of. We assume we know.. but as in much of Gods word the full impact can not fully be appreciated apart from a good grasp of the words being used...in a manner the Lord would want us to understand.
Thank you for considering my question.
That is a contradictory statement. You think that faith alone saves but you also understand that faith nmust have "holiness and works". So say what you mean: faith must be accompanied by holiness and good works in order to be a saving faith.
I do not have any objection to the rest of your post. I agree that one who made the initial decision for Christ will be guided toward greater holiness and greater maturity of faith. But he must avoid the Protestant heresy of "faith alone" which entraps him in smug satisfaction of being "saved already" and deprives him of sanctity that could be his.