I am not always irresistibly caused to do His will. Even though I am saved, I still sin. God does not cause me to sin, therefore, I must choose to sin.
yes, and how do you know if your heart is truly "regenerated" so that it will not fail to be elected?
I have both God's promises and the evidence of my sanctification.
Answer me this... If a Protestant of your brand does good deeds, is walking the walk, etc. and makes the claim to be of the elect - but then falls away, what happened to all of those good deeds? Who did them? HOW DID THIS PERSON DO GOOD? BY HIMSELF OR BY CHRIST?
Such a person would be the same as one who never claimed to be saved in the first place. Lost people do what we would call good deeds. But of course, they are not "good" in God's eyes. So, in the case of either person (one who fell away, and one who never claimed salvation) the good deeds did not come from Christ.
The problem is that you seem to know you are going to heaven, regardless of what happens after your Sinner's Prayer. (despite our agreement that people fall away)
FK: "That has never been my argument...
AHHH! [more hair flying around]. Oh boy...
I stand by what I said. :) "Regardless" would include the people who permanently fall away, meaning they were never really saved. The person who says a true Sinner's Prayer has a regenerated heart and will do good by God. God promises that will happen, so that is why I have called it "future included events". This is why POTS is so superior to OSAS.
Your posts are full of such claims that you are of the elect! Why do you think I keep trying to tell you that people fall away???
Yes, I do make such claims. And, I agree with you that some "fall away". I'm sure some have even made arguments similar to my own now. That's OK. I do not have divine knowledge that I am of the elect. But, am I willing to bet my eternal destiny on it? Absolutely yes. That is the assurance I am talking about.
Over and over, I have given you Scripture that you have not responded to or TRIED to explain away, such as my tagline, but not convincingly at all.
I gave an answer for your tagline. Moses is speaking to other humans, and so it is in human terms. We humans do have the experience of choosing, even though God ordained the elect from before our existence and independently of His foreknowledge of our "choice". He causes the choice by instilling grace.
When Scripture says this, it is presuming that one is WALKING IN THEIR FAITH. For what good is faith without love?
Yes, it is presumed because of God's guarantee to His elect.
If God allows you to sin, God also can allow you to fall away.
I have both God's promises and the evidence of my sanctification.
You have not given me any Scriptural proof that a person's future is secure - that he will abide in Christ in the future. You've only pointed to the elect, which you have given no proof that you are one of them. One cannot know he will be of the elect in five years - as I have sufficiently pointed out. Experience has shown that people fall away, and there is nothing to prevent you from falling away (from our point of view). Scripture over and over talks about perseverance - a warning to the "saved".
Such a person (one who was a devout Christian and then subsequently fell away) would be the same as one who never claimed to be saved in the first place. Lost people do what we would call good deeds. But of course, they are not "good" in God's eyes. So, in the case of either person (one who fell away, and one who never claimed salvation) the good deeds did not come from Christ.
You still don't make the possible connection between this person and yourself! That same person made the exact same claims you are today. And to say that Christ was never there to begin with is baloney:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:4-6
There are other verses that express Christ's clear concept that man can do NOTHING good without God being present. Thus, that person, during His Christian stint, abided in Christ. This retroactive "never was there to begin with" is totally absurd and contradictory to your claim that you are CURRENTLY saved - because you may later fall away. Then what? You going to go back and say that Christ was never in you? This all means that you don't even know RIGHT NOW if Christ is in you!!!
This shows very little knowledge of the Johannine Corpus, which over and over notes that we can KNOW that God abides in us NOW when we obey the Commandments:
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." John 15:10
First, you claim that man is totally evil and can do nothing good. Then, you claim that someone who claims do be a Christian, doing good deeds and so forth, did them WITHOUT God! Contradictions abound!
I gave an answer for your tagline. Moses is speaking to other humans, and so it is in human terms
But then I told you that Deut 28-30 is God speaking through Moses, as the first verses of Deut 28 note. So you haven't responded to my tagline sufficiently. "Moses is speaking to other humans? Does that mean the Ten Commandments are also "human terms"?
Listen, brother. We have covered this ground sufficiently. In the very beginning, I stated that I cannot convert people. It is the Holy Spirit. I can provide arguments, but it is God who moves hearts. This conversation is proof that no matter the logic of an argument, no matter how many times it is phrased or pointed out the contradictions of your stance, conversion comes from God. Thus, I confess that on this subject, I have seen that it is pointless to continue pursuing it. For both of our sanities, please don't tell me how you are saved and are of the elect anymore.
Feel free to ask questions on different subjects, but I don't see any point in pursuing this anymore.
Regards