I wrote: Where does Paul say that they are immune from returning to that style of life?
I associate myself with BD's most learned response. :)
His response ASSUMES that a person will CONTINUE in Christ. Must I repeat 1 John 5:12 again? Ephesians 2 is presuming that the Christian will continue - and will be saved in the end. It doesn't say that one CANNOT fall away, that is jumping to conclusions.
It is righteous to preach against backsliding.
Why? You are "already" going to heaven, no matter what you do. God has "already ordained it", so no matter what you do, good or bad, you are going to heaven... Yes, I know, it is a twisted theology, but that is the essence of it.
OK, I'll bite. Where does he say that? BD already showed that Paul said that can't happen
I disagree with BD's explanation.
Paul is dressing down the Corinthians who are causing dissension. He ends with them in 1 Cor 3:17, as we have previously discussed. He then continues all the way up to 1 Cor 6, again addressing Christians. Paul is not writing to pagans, friend, but to Christians who need some help. Perhaps you should sit back and read the first 6 chapters of 1 Cor.
Regards
How does 1 John 5:12 help you here? All that says is that one who has the Son has life, and one who doesn't, doesn't. There is no implication at all that it is possible to lose the Son once one has Him. As I recently posted, these verses, however, all say that once one is saved he will not become unsaved:
Eph 1:11-14 : 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.
Eph 4:30 : And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
2 Cor 1:21-22 : 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
I suppose only in the Apostolic faith is God's guarantee not a guarantee.
FK: "It is righteous to preach against backsliding."
Why? You are "already" going to heaven, no matter what you do. God has "already ordained it", so no matter what you do, good or bad, you are going to heaven...
Because the Bible says so:
Rom 6:1-4 : 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means ! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
God's plan for all His children is to live a new life, not fall back into backsliding. We do not live our lives as Christians in order to earn enough points to get into Heaven. Regardless that we are already saved and have assurance, God still has great plans for all of us while on this earth. We recognize that and want to serve.
“FK: I associate myself with BD’s most learned response. :)”
“JK: His response ASSUMES that a person will CONTINUE in Christ. Must I repeat 1 John 5:12 again? Ephesians 2 is presuming that the Christian will continue - and will be saved in the end. It doesn’t say that one CANNOT fall away, that is jumping to conclusions.”
“FK: OK, I’ll bite. Where does he say that? BD already showed that Paul said that can’t happen”
“JK: “I disagree with BD’s explanation”
Then you must disagree with stfassisi who used this quote as the basis for Mary’s eternal moral perfection since it is the same Greek verb construction that Paul uses to encourage the Ephesians that their salvation is a completed act in a believer with continuous permanent results.
“Luke 1:28 has the perfect passive participle, kecharitomene. The perfect stem of a Greek verb denotes the “continuance of a completed action”;(Blass and DeBrunner, 175.) “completed action with permanent result is denoted by the perfect stem.”(Smyth, sec. 1852:b.)”