Recent content by Paul McGraw

This is well reasoned and I appreciate your position. Why do you and I read the same verse yet hear in our hearts two different meanings? Why are there literally millions of people on either side of this issue? I am grateful that you have shared with me your thinking on this. And I admire your...

I sincerely hope God does not expect me to match Jesus in sinless perfection, because I do not, and can not. If that is the standard, then I am doomed and lost. The verses you cite are exhortations describing our goal in living a Christian life. But no one but Jesus has ever met that goal. If we...

We can fully agree, hurrah! And can we agree that Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God, without any blemish or stain? He was tempted yet He did not sin. He was the only man who has ever lived or ever will live that committed no sin. And yet He died for me, a sinner, and by His blood, I am saved...

I am just using words in the normal way that you and I would use them to have a conversation. You mentioned I was changing the meaning of never. I, of course, deny that. For the person who finishes the race in Christ, he will never die. And that person can never be ripped from His hand. Where we...

I am not a Greek scholoar, and too old to learn that now. But I trust the dedicated people who have created our Bible translations. If God meant never, He would have said never. What else is there to say?

Yes, I am a native English speaker. Born in the U.S.A. in 1953. I hold three college degrees, from back in the good old days when a college degree actually meant something. "Not" is not a synonym for never. Look it up. I am not in the shower. That does not mean I have never been in the shower...

Phil W - your post gives me the impression that you are being boastful. I know it is irritating when we get into disagreements, but each of us does the best we can do. Do I understand correctly that you are boasting that you are without sin?

If there is a better forum for discussing this, please direct me. I hate to derail the current discussion. But I am finding this Arminian vs Calvinist thing a bit confusing. Why can't God chose to elect some people while letting other people come to Him by free will? Why does it have to be just...

Question to anyone - is every believer either a Calvinist or an Armenian? What is the big difference supposed to be? I looked up both on Wiki and see very little difference. And what about Catholics and Orthodox? Are they more like Calvinist or Armenian?

I realize this was directed at someone else, but the answer to your question is obvious. "Hath not believed" can be someone who believed for some time, but then ceased to believe. It is no advantage for a person to believe for a little while and then stop. If that person finishes their life as a...

FreeGrace2 - it is clear to me that you and I will never agree on this issue. If you can read John 10 and not see that plain meaning (at least plain to me) then why continue? Regarding Arminianism, I just checked Arminianism - Wikipedia since I am not familiar with exactly what Arminianism...

Almost all of these called to mind a specific verse for me. I drew a blank on "drew back to perdition" so I looked it up. Hebrews 10:39 correct? I also read the surrounding chapter to make sure I understood it in context. This is yet another powerful teaching that we must persevere or lose our...

FreeGrace2 - You keep asking over and over for verses, I give you verses, and then you disregard the plain meaning of the text to try to make it fit your own ideas. John 10:27-31 if you read the plain meaning of the text it tells us Jesus must call the sheep and they must follow Him, then they...

I am probably wasting my time, but I have tried to share my understanding of this verse. Even if I disagree with FreeGrace2 about his conclusions, He is my Christian brother, and it does not seem right to get angry or ignore a brother, just because they have a different understanding.

FreeGrace2 - no I was not entirely convinced prior to today. As I previously pointed out, there are verses that, in my opinion, can honestly be used to support either position. My understanding as of now is that a Christian can lose their salvation, but I think it requires an extraordinary act...