Ronald David Bruno
Well-Known Member
Falling away is not necessarily a permanent event as if your name was blotted out of the Book of Life. It's called back-sliding or just getting lost. When people get lost in the forest, it's not always permanent. They may find that their route was wrong and try to find their way back or someone else finds them, rescues them, like a shepherd who looks for that lost sheep. It could be temporary, it could be your entire life up to just days before your death. But I do believe that if the seed was planted in fertile soil, it will grow to produce fruit. And when God cleanses a person, creates a new creature, and begins the process of transforming them He doesn't later change His mind. If we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, that means no one can break that seal, not even us. It is a done deal. We are saved, and this is confirmed by past tense scriptures about our salvation:You must be a Traditionalist/Provisionist.
However, the Apostle Paul plainly taught that the Spirit-Indwelt believer can fall away, for the indwelling Spirit will only give Eternal Life to the Spirit-indwelt believer who sows to the Spirit without giving up.
Galatians 6:7-9 (Writing to the Church in Galatia) 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows [continuous sowing] to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows [continuous sowing] to please the Spirit, {{{from the Spirit}}} will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if WE (believers) do not give up.
Many Christians will:
The Spirit leads as we continue in the faith diligent to follow the Spirit’s guidance. By refusing to be led by the Spirit into a sanctified life, they show they have fallen. Such Christians are rejecting God (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8). The result of resisting can be eternal punishment if the Christian dies in unrepentance (Hebrews 10:24-30). So we are to continue to walk in the Spirit, who indwells us by faith, to have life.
- Grieve the indwelling Spirit (Ephesians 4:17-32; Isaiah 63:10);
- Quench the indwelling Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19);
- Insult/Engrage the indwelling Spirit (Hebrews 10:24-31);
- Reject the indwelling Spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8),
- Lie to the indwelling Spirit (Acts 5:3),
- Test the indwelling Spirit (Acts 5:9)
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise," Eph. 1:13
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." John 5:24
It has happened for many of us. I couldn't believe without that certainty. It is a promise that I believe will not be broken.
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 8:38-39
Last edited: