What happens to the christian is not what is important here.
It is what happens to those who are still lost that is important.
From God’s perspective, who do you think God considers to be the more righteous according to their own works (good or bad)???... the one who is still lost? or the born again Christian?
As one who believes OSAS, I can tell you that I seriously doubt there is a single born again Christian who ever lived that didn’t ever wrestle with this issue. I say that because as one who firmly does believe OSAS, the fear that I may be wrong about the issue scares the hell out of me, as it should... but no-osas would scare me even more.
Why? because God makes it clear in His word that his standard is perfection... and nobody can be perfect.
Lost sinners understand this... and they see Christians parading themselves around as if they no longer sin, and they see hypocrisy.... and they are right.
From God’s perspective, even the thought or desire of a discretion makes you just as guilty as committing it.
As a born again osas Christian, I can say that I have NEVER met a christian who shares my view on this subject who sees it as a free ride ticket. Such a person in my own opinion must not even know Jesus to be able to spit in His face like that. No... osas Christians carry just as much “Fear of the Lord” as any other Christian... that is unless the Holy Spirit is not in them. (not saved in the first place)
If a born again Christian can lose his/her salvation, then the promise or gift of salvation never existed in the first place. How could it? Is it Christ’s work in us??? or is it Our work for Christ??? You cannot mix the two.
Christ’s work in us is our salvation and His PURCHASE of us. As Christians, we are no longer our own. We belong to Him. We are His possession... and NOBODY steals God’s possessions... even us. Sure we still have free will to sin, but doing so does not help us in our work in Christ which is to spread His message and His love. And when we go as far to “backslide”, well, there’s a penalty to pay... but that penalty has nothing to do with robbing God of His possession.
Go ahead... look through the bible... find for me one circumstance or example where God warns that sin itself will be the cause for eternal damnation. I’m not talking about generalizations... “those who practice”. I’m talking about specific examples where a particular backsliding Christian was told by Jesus or an apostle that their salvation status had been forfeited by their own behavior.
What you will find however, are tons and tons of examples where a particular individual’s sins resulted in illness... or affliction... or even physical death.
If as a Christian you can honestly proclaim that not a single person gets into heaven by his own good works, then how can we say that anyone gets to hell by their own bad ones? Did Jesus pay for the sins of ALL mankind? or just the ones who would seek forgiveness? Is salvation a gift? or is it a contract? Are the people in hell there because they sinned? or because they rejected God?
And, if we can honestly say that holiness living protects us from “backsliding”, and thus saves us from hell, then is this not the same as saying our good works (holiness) gets us to heaven???
Yeah... you had some good questions... very common ones.
There are answers.
But fear will block your understanding of them.
I have learn from a loving God that he knows the place where are now residing it is impossble to perfect but that does not mean we should not strive to do our best.
The Father sent His only begotten Son to pay the ransom so we could return.
When our heart is humble and we repent because we know that God loves us and His Son paid for our debt which enables us to be baptize to wash off the sins and taking sacarmend we renew our covenants to refresh our minds to help us to stay focus on our Savior gift.
The the Lord send the comforter who will when we strive to do His will to strenghten us in our walk.
We will make mistakes or get distracted but in our quite moments the Lord will try to get our attention so we can get back on track.
The voice of the oposition will whisper on our mind that we are not worthy but that is a lie
it is late must get sleep!
In mormon belief, salvation/exaltation is ONLY reached by accepting and fulfilling the terms of the "contract/covenant" via special/secret/sacred "ordinances". This "contract" is available ONLY through LDS Inc.
"Participation in sacred ordinances, both live and vicarious, and fidelity or obedience to the covenants associated with those ordinances are fundamental to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the process of coming to Him and being perfected in Him.
It is on this fundamental role of ordinances and covenants that I would like to focus. In a very broad sense, everything ordained and established by God’s authority with the intent that it be applied in the lives of His children may be referred to as His ordinances. Consequently, the commandments, statutes, decrees, and requirements of God are properly defined as the ordinances of God. Understood in a somewhat narrower sense, ordinances are also solemn acts or ceremonies that have very specific sacred and holy purposes, significance, and meaning. My reference to ordinances is in this narrower application.
bump for later