Posted on 01/22/2012 5:15:25 PM PST by bibletruth
God's Word the Bible, declares that a believer already has been saved (using past tense grammar). God's Word declares that a believer already has the possession of heaven with all its blessings!
The Bible has absolute proof regarding eternal salvation and security, if some care to heed the Bible:
Shall we depend on our works for salvation, if so, then we might lose our salvation! Why is this type of statements believed by so many?
God's Word the Bible, moreover, declares that salvation is the work of God:
Jonah 2:9: salvation is of the Lord.
God teaches us that salvation originated by God the Father, wrought through Christ Jesus the Son of God, implemented by God the Holy Spirit - this work is all the work of the Godhead, not men. When God uses the word "salvation" in His Bible, it communicates a truth regarding the terms: saving, rescuing, deliverance, preservation from the bondage of sin, the bondage of the Law, deliverance from the policy of evil by Satan, deliverance form the consequences of sin which are to be levied in hell. The word "salvation" communicates to us a permanent restoration unto God, thus making the believer to be a partaker of the infinite riches of God's grace.
The Apostle Paul gives a clear description of how a sinner is saved by saying that salvation is Ephesians 2:8: by grace through faith. The Apostle Paul says salvation is not "by works of the Law" "For by grace are ye saved through faith". If Paul had reversed this statement, then it would read, "faith through grace", but this would place the emphasis upon man's faith rather than God work to save us - it is by grace which places the emphasis upon God to perform the work, and not on man to perform the work.
Galatians 2:16: Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,
If a fully assured salvation was not a present possession that we have, then it would be possible that we might lose it. But God's Word the Bible declares that a believer already has been saved (using past tense grammar). God's Word also declares that a believer already has the possession of heaven with all its blessings!
In God's Word the Bible declares that a believer already has been saved from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13), from wrath (I Th. 5:9), from death (see II Corinthians 1:10), and from destruction (II Thessalonians 1:9). A sinner who trusts in Christ becomes: a son of God (Romans 8:14-15), a child of God (John 1:12-13), regenerated from sin (Titus 3:5), a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17), a heavenly citizen (Philippians 3:20), an heir to God's grace and inheritance (Romans 5:2; Ephesians 1:18), and is declared complete in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10).
These truths are made possible because these efforts are by the declaration and council and will by THE immutable Holy God, which God declared that any sinner who ultimately has faith in Christ Jesus is then immediately "declared righteous" BY GOD (Romans 3:21-26), declared to be "justified" BY GOD (Romans 3:24), declared "sanctified" BY GOD (I Corinthians 6:11), declared BY GOD to be perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14), and delivered BY GOD from the powers of darkness (Acts 26:18), and placed on the solid Rock which is Christ (I Corinthians 3:9-15). If we trust God that He is of God, then we must trust His Word's regarding the things that God has declared (Romans 3:21-26, I Corinthians 6:11, Hebrews 10:14, Acts 26:18, I Corinthians 3:9-15).
In the future eternal state all believers shall be: raised from the dead - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (I Thessalonians 4:16), changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (I Corinthians 15:52), we shall be like Him - Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (I John 3:2), be with Him - Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:17).
If our salvation did not depend solely upon the grace of God, we might lose it.
In God's Word the Bible declares that eternal life is dependent totally upon God the Life-giver. To promote eternal security as a work which is dependent on man to perform works for salvation is the same thing as to place dishonor to God the Life-giver. It is impossible for man to make himself his own preserver of his own eternal life - to overcome the death penalty of sin.
If a man could work to make himself his own preserver of eternal life and salvation in order to overcome the death penalty of sin, then that man's works would play a major part in man's salvation - this would therefore nullify the grace of God (Romans 4:4). Scripture clearly teaches that the reward of good works is debt to God:
Romans 4:4: Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of DEBT.
DEBT is the reward one must pay to God if one depends on good works for affecting the means of one's salvation. This Scripture does not talk about bad works! Rather, it is talking about good works that a man can utilize to contribute as to make his salvation more secure. But does God use man's good worlds to save a man? THe reverse is the fact that we find in the Bible.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them
For his workmanship are we, created in connection with Christ Jesus for good works. This is what we are. This is what must think of ourselves in regard to good works. Our own effort of good works are nothing but the product of what God himself has made us to be when He created our spiritual life by His grace. The grammar emphasis is on the "we are his" workmanship, not on our workmanship of good works. Therefore, we see clearly that God's Word says that believers are not saved by works, but by grace through faith in which follows good works as the by product of God himself creating for us to perform.
In Ephesians 2:10, the emphasis is on the phrase: "unto good works" plus the relative clause: "which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them". So completely is this idea that our salvation is due to the works are due only as the result of God's saving work in us. These "good works" are such as God adjudges as good and not the world judges as superficial. They are all of the thoughts, reckoning, words, doctrines and deeds in which the righteousness and holiness of the new life In Christ have manifested themselves in us who are saved. They all spring forth from faith and doctrine, and are all done unto Christ. Such works are an utter impossibility before our salvation; only the new creature in Christ Jesus is able to bring them forth to fruit. This, too, is god's purpose that every one of us who lives in Christ should manifest the fruits of such a life. John 15:8: Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;
God's Word explicitly teaches that saving faith will be followed by good works AFTER the guarantee of our salvation, NOT as the instrument TO ACHIEVE salvation! It is GOD that causes you to perform His good works AFTER salvation:
Philippians 2:13: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
It is God that causes these good works for you to perform, it is not the possession of man's will or man's pleasure to do them. The book of James does NOT trump the grace of God preached in the Pauline epistles. God's Word explicitly teaches "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:10).
Paul, writing to the carnal Corinthians said that it is "our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful..." (I Corinthians 1:8-9). The psalmist wrote, "For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance" (Psalams 94:14; cp. Hebrews 13:5).
If Grace salvation does not unite us to Christ, then some say we might lost our salvation.
Every believer is inseparably united by God the Holy Spirit into Christ's body (Romans 6; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:23-32). "For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones" (Ephesians 5:30). Being "in Christ" is an extremely strong support for eternal perseverance. "Your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). The phrase "in Christ" is found 12 times in the book of Ephesians alone! If God declares that the believer is placed "in Christ", then God will be our guarantee that we can never amputated from that position of In Christ, which is His will for us.
Romans 8:31: What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:33: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Romans 8:34: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
There are so many Scriptures here that support perfect assurance of eternal security for salvation In Christ…. If anyone uses Scriptures that counters these Scriptures, then that person is effectively saying that God is a liar in Scriptures like Romans 3:21-26, I Corinthians 6:11, Hebrews 10:14, Acts 26:18, I Corinthians 3:9-15! Moreover since we can trust God fully for His declarations and councils of righteousness, sanctification, perfection, then we can then believe and know with absolute certainty that we are of God (I John 5:19), and we have passed from death unto life (I John 3:14), and that we are "in Christ" and "in Him" (Romans 8:1, 125, I John 2:5), and that we as faithful trust that we do possess eternal life (I John 5:11).
Why can’t you just have faith that you have been saved? Who needs proof?
You use His name, but does He know you?
Proof is not in the Bible,(although it is correct) proof is in the experience.
Ping
My salvation is assured because I have faith. I believed, repented and I asked for salvation. That is all that is required.
OK, I have a question for you. No disrespect intended, just two simple questions:
Do you consider the proof of experience to be equal with the proof that is in the Bible?
Or do you consider the proof of experience to be greater than proof that is in the Bible?
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and IS BAPTIZED shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
In other words if you believe you will be baptized for the remission of your sins. For some unknown reason people overlook this fact.
Reckon I'll know it when I get there.
Believer's baptism is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection, but only faith is needed for salvation.
Proof can never be in the experience...there is no way to measure the accuracy of an experience...experience can never be the justification for a belief.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life ,and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)
No, that is incorrect reckoning.... Because God makes it abundantly clear that believers' TODAY at present time KNOW and have complete assurance regarding our final destination: For in God's Word the Bible HE declares that a believer already has been saved from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13), from wrath (I Th. 5:9), from death (see II Corinthians 1:10), and from destruction (II Thessalonians 1:9). A sinner who trusts in Christ becomes: a son of God (Romans 8:14-15), a child of God (John 1:12-13), regenerated from sin (Titus 3:5), a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17), a heavenly citizen (Philippians 3:20), an heir to God's grace and inheritance (Romans 5:2; Ephesians 1:18), and is declared complete in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10).
What Scripture did you not understand from Galatians 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, II Thessalonians 1:9, II Corinthians 1:10, Romans 8:14-15), John 1:12-13, Titus 3:5, II Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 3:20, Romans 5:2; Ephesians 1:18, Colossians 2:9-10?
For all of these Scriptures declare our present tense position and status In Christ. I have all these blessings which God has given to me NOW. I know my eternal salvation and security is absolutely assured today even before I die in my physical body. Below are some of the blessing I possess right now! Since I have these now, it is impossible for me to lose my salvation, for my life is in the hands of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit.
It is called the "Baptism of desire.
http://www.catholicapologetics.info/modernproblems/currenterrors/bapdesire.htm
If God exists = True
and
If Christ = God’s Son
and
If Christ’s Death on Cross = Payment for the sins of the world
Then
IT MATTERS!
If IT MATTERS
and
If One’s behavior suggests that IT MATTERS = True
Then
Salvation = True
Else
Salvation = False
But what about Matthew 24:13, Romans 11:22, Hebrews 10:26-29 and especially Peter 2:20–21?
Jesus said so. Jesus promises us that security.
John 3:14-18 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 6:37-40 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 10:7-9 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:27-29 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
There is much controversy as to whether that passage of Mark is actually part of the original text. It actually appears that it's not, however there are still some questions that arise from that.
Mark 16:14-18 14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
A few observations about that passage. First off, in verse 16 in particular, it says whoever believes and is baptized is saved but whoever does not believe is condemned. It doesn't say whoever isn't baptized is condemned, only those who don't believe. That implies that it is the believing that is the critical action, not the baptism.
The other is that on both the Catholic and non-Catholic sides of the debate, both sides tend to ignore the rest of the verse in that same passage.
For Pentecostals in particular, they like to quote verse 17-18 and kind of ignore verse 16 about being baptized. They believe in salvation by faith alone, so they ignore the first part. But they sure focus on the gifts and healing and showy parts.
Catholics on the other hand, who teach that baptism is required for salvation but gives no assurance of said salvation, love to quote verse 16 and ignore the two following it, to the point of mocking and deriding those who DO take it as true.
Now, for both sides, it is hypocritical to cherry pick Scripture. Either all three verses are true, must be true, or they're not. It is the height of inconsistency in Scripture interpretation to change the method of interpretation in the middle of a discourse.
My main problems with the passage, is that for one, Jesus doesn't deal with His disciples in that manner ANYWHERE else in Scripture.
Upbraiding or rebuking them for hardness of heart and unbelief? After gently restoring Peter who denied Him three times? And appearing to Thomas who was doubting and offering to let him put his hands into Jesus' wounds to prove to Thomas that He was real and it was Him? This passage just doesn't fit.
And since it's contested as to its validity, do you really want to try to build a doctrine on something of that questionable authenticity? That seems kind of unwise to me.
You can know now. God promised that.
Baptism is not the effectual act that removes sin. Baptism is as a result of being saved.
Jesus said you must be “born again”. This is the spiritual regeneration that happens when you accept Christ’s free gift of salvation. Of course a true believer will want to do what his Lord desires after acknowledging His Lordship.
For example, why would a person who does not believe be baptized? Maybe social pressure, family expecting it, etc. In that case, they view it as a nothing. For those who believe that the Baptism is the regenerative aspect (or remission of sin) then would the unbeliever who undergoes baptism be forgiven?
You handle is TrustAndObey. Trust comes first. Obey is second. Obeying is getting baptized. Trust is accepting Jesus.
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