For the genuine believer who occasionally fears and doubts the validity of their salvation...

The very definition of saving faith is actively trusting in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice.

Is He the perfect Lamb Who lived a sinless life and fulfilled the law for us sinners? Yes.

Is His blood enough to purchase our adoption and secure us firmly as *one with Him* from this day unto eternity? Yes.

Did He not promise that HE HIMSELF is the Author and *Finisher* of our faith? Yes.

Did He Himself not promise that HE who began a good work in us WILL COMPLETE it unto the day of Christ Jesus? Yes.

Did Jesus not say that the one who comes to Him He will not cast out - and that no man is able to snatch us from His hand or the Father's hand? Yes.

Indeed, cognizance that we are, though in spirit a new creation, and yet still burdened by the old sinful nature, the flesh, the body of death - grieves us immensely - and causes us to groan in eager anticipation for the day of our final redemption.

But let us not be deceived until then into worrying that if we don't overcome sin sufficiently in our *own* effort, and bear enough fruit in our *own* effort (and particularly according to our *own* judgement) - that we will nullify His Covenant of Grace with us.

The very fact that 1) We *still* hear His Spirit testifying with our spirit that we are His children (Romans 8:16), and 2) we *still* hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and 3) we *still* find our true joy in pleasing Him with the exercise of our FAITH (His Gift that is *still* free and necessary to even do so), and 4) delight in greater intimacy with our Father as we journey toward our Heavenly Home (even despite occasional dry spells to test our faith), and 5) can perceive being further cleansed from our impurities after every refining fiery trial, and 6) *appreciate* when the Holy Spirit convicts us in order to *free* us - not condemn us, and finally 7) find immense satisfaction in watching God bear fruit through us, His broken vessels - as that is Jesus' stated desire and we long to please Him - well...

Is this all not enough for us to remain at peace under the secure wings of our Heavenly Father - safe from accusations from without and from within?

Yes, Jesus teaches that those who love Him: do the will of the Father, obey His commands, and love His laws. And He is our High Priest Who intercedes when we fail.

And Scripture guarantees that there will be a day when we sin no more. Most poignantly though, it is our Righteous Judge Who determines when we, like the Apostle Paul, have finally finished the good race, kept the faith, and fought the good fight - and awards us our crowns of righteousness.

*Not we ourselves*.

What then is the source of our occasional fear and doubt? What disturbs our faith in His promise? Is it God condemning us? Is it Jesus? Is it others? Is it ourselves? (see all of Romans 8).

Or is it the Accuser of the Brethren, appearing as a being of light, trying desperately to discourage and muzzle us from sharing, you know, Good News?

Does God not say that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy?

The Father of Lies has been ironically accusing Almighty God of being a liar Himself since the very beginning - that amongst His temptations to doubt God's goodness - is that God will betray His promise to us on some technicality we haven't foreseen. This, and all of the devil's deceptions in this world (blinding the eyes and deafening the ears) will only perpetually work on the ultimate permanent unrepentant - who truly wants to remain separated from and unaccountable to God - who loves their secret sin (or not so) and remaining in darkness.

Is that our desire? No.

In fact, we desire to be perpetually welcome in His presence - set *free* to always boldly appear before His Throne of Grace - as *He Himself* encourages us to do. What joy!!!

With God's children, the Accuser cannot stand in the full Light of God's Grace - personified by the presence of His Son within us. Thus why there is such power in the Name of Jesus - and that old serpent must flee when we flash our signet ring and declare Jesus' Name before him.

Who is conforming us into the image of Christ - ourselves in our own effort and initiation - or the Holy Spirit of Promise Who has sealed us, indwells us, and confers upon us the very Godly desire that we now possess to be like Jesus?

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Full confidence in the goodness of God. And dogged determination to declare as much before men until our last breath. To love the Lord our God with all of our mind, body, soul and strength - and our neighbor as ourselves.

Saved by grace, sustained by grace. There is absolutely no other scenario that could possibly work to guarantee we have eternal life *right now.*

Our assurance is all upon the faithfulness of the Great Covenant Keeper alone.

Need additional ammo to wield against our enemy? Check out the following 133 NT Eternal Security passages below and be blessed! The offer extends to all brothers and sisters in the Lord!

We can trust the Personal Voice of the Author of Scripture and Shepherd since we recognize Him and *continue* to follow Him. And encourage our brethren to have the same confidence for all of the same reasons.

Those who do not overcome and endure to the very end were tragically never really His - as He will declare.

As Paul tells the faltering Galatians though - we have every reason to be persuaded of better things - His voice!

God bless us who do, and will, believe!

BobRyan said:

So I agree with the 1 John 2:1 point that a failure after being saved - does not condemn one to hell - for "we have an advocate with the Father".

But that does not mean those fallen from grace-and-lost situations described in the Bible do not happen

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I'll make a deal with you, Bob. If you would like to rebut each eternal security Scripture in the link provided - I will then be happy to respond. I stand on the witness the Lord has given me.

When the Lord sets us free, we are free indeed. God bless you!

BobRyan said:

The test on any proposed doctrine is not the texts that can be made to appear to support it when boosted by extreme inference - rather it is those texts that clearly contradict it. Those texts that the proposed suggestion - does not survive on careful review.

My argument is not with your list of texts - because as written they do not come right out and say "once saved always saved". Without the extreme inference added - there is no problem with harmonizing the texts that I posted with the ones in your list.

I merely quoted a few texts - and that quote alone was sufficient cause to give rise to strong objection to them. That is telling.

Put bluntly --

In the OSAS model
1. The Gal 5:4 "fallen from grace" teaching cannot exist
2. The "he is able to graft them in AGAIN if they do not continue in unbelief" statement of Rom 11 -- cannot exist
3. The "I fully forgave you ALL just because you asked... now you must be punished for all, repay ALL" of Matt 18 - cannot exist
4. The "branches IN ME that do not bear fruit... cut off and case into the fire" of John 15:1-5 cannot exist
5. The -- you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either" text of Rom 11 cannot exist
6. The "I do all things for the sake of the Gospel... I buffet my body and make it my slave - lest after preaching the gospel to others I should be disqualified from it" statement of 1 Cor 9:23-27 cannot exist
7 All of Ezek 18 cannot exist
...

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The challenge remains. God bless!

timothyu said:

What of those whose personal interest is not 'salvation' for self but in merely forwarding Jesus' Gospel of the Kingdom. His Will be done, not ours. As the first commandment says, its not about us primarily.

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You are right - that as we were in our unregenerate state we did not have the desire to seek Him and it certainly isn't all about us. But, Hallelujah, the Father's will includes specifically choosing us for His glory - which He fulfills by drawing us to His Son for salvation - Who reveals the Father to us through His indwelling Holy Spirit - whom we the declared servants and friends of our loving King Jesus are even blessed to share His glory.

Romans 8:28-30 NASB

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."

And you are right, He did not just save us for ourselves - He saved us to encourage each of us to bear each other up in our journey - and to be His Ambassadors to a lost world.

Nothing selfish about desiring to be welcomed into His eternal Kingdom, and invite as many as we can to join us!

Jesus prayed for those He chose out of the world - unto us - and the Father always says "Yes" to Jesus' prayers. What greater assurance can we have than Jesus praying for us?

Indeed, His will be done!

timothyu said:

His Will will be done regardless. It is simply up to us to follow His commandments while here.

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Guaranteed...

Phillipians 3:7-11 KJV

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

Does Paul or any of the NT writers ever add an addendum to the conditional clauses they speak by expressing those doubts and fears for themselves?

Then why should we? Do we have the same Spirit or not?

Do we?

The very longing to continue comes from His Spirit within. Since we still have that longing and strive ever to obey in greater measure - Has He abandoned us or lost us out of His hand?

The unregenerate simply do not care - or stop caring. We do!

Our deliverance is all on Jesus. Is He able, or is He not? Where is our confidence?

Jude 24-25 KJV

"Now unto Him Who is *able* to *keep you from falling*, and to *present* you *faultless* before the presence of *His glory* with *exceeding joy*, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both *now* and *ever*. AMEN."

Spoken by THE AMEN Himself! GOD has the last Word - look it up!

Revelation 22:21 KJV

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. AMEN."