"Are you teaching that by "abiding in him", you keep yourself saved by YOU doing that?.... and if you dont "abide", you are going to go to hell?"
No! I keep myself from sinning doing that. I'm not "teaching" anything at all! And to me, "abiding" in Him simply means that if you are led by the Spirit...you will not fulfill the deeds of the flesh because He lives in you, . It's a sin thing to me I suppose as, it hurts me to grieve the Spirit.
Please Behold, do you really think I don't know that we do not and could never do anything to "earn" or "keep" our salvation?
"Are you are trying to say that if a person walks away from doing Christian works, they were not really saved to begin with... <---Depends on what you mean by "Christian works" and, no I do not say this person is not saved but, their works will burn up and that 'said' Christian will lose out on "reward..."s"?
Yes, "the blood of Jesus" does "keep us saved" yet what of all the other scriptures I posted?
"As that would be different then being a Backslider, as this person is born again, but not walking in discipleship."
Being a disciple is simply a follower of Christ, also a pupil who grows in knowledge and grace (IMHO)
Backsliding can also be seen in a couple of ways, some say it is "falling" into sin, others say it is "living in sin"...either way, in the backslid-den state, one is not "in Christ" So, can they come back to Him? I did. I left the Church in the late 90's and went back into the world, I was miserable attending the Church, and will not get into the reasons why...have shared once and that was enough... But I can say that, HE never stopped nagging me! Nothing fulfilled, empty, empty, empty. Fast forward quite a few years...FULL surrender to Him showed me with no doubt, that I never was saved those years back. Never...and I knew I wasn't, that is why I left the Church yet...still believed!
Ephesians 2:3
"At one time we all lived among them, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath."
Funny how all that time away from the Church and Jesus, nothing ever felt right, or fulfilled. Sometimes He will bring us to our knees..... and He brought me to my face to get our attention. Time is nothing to God as He already has seen what will happen...but when the realization hit that He never left my side, it was I who left His!...it was like everything changed from that point on and not even a desire to do the things I did, nor did I miss the life I had led for decades!!
So, OSAS can be taken to extremes, I know but...where does one cross the line??
Please Behold, do you really think I don't know that we do not and could never do anything to "earn" or "keep" our salvation?
Yes i know, but you emphasize "abiding" as if its keeping you saved.
So that is why i wanted you to explain this more clearly.
Yes, "the blood of Jesus" does "keep us saved" yet what of all the other scriptures I posted?
What of them?
They are all related to "discipleship". Its found here as the same.. "present your body a living sacrifice". = We do that....but not to stay saved...but because we ARE saved.
Backsliding can also be seen in a couple of ways, some say it is "falling" into sin, others say it is "living in sin"...either way, in the backslid-den state, one is not "in Christ" So, can they come back to Him? I did.
So, OSAS can be taken to extremes, I know but...where does one cross the line??
God didn't take you back.
You were always His..
We don't repent our way back into the family.
We are just a family member, who either behaves accordingly or behaves badly.
WE can't stop being BORN just because we can be offensive to God regarding our behavior.
God does not include a condition to being born again, along with FAITH.
He does not say....>"Ok, once you believe in Jesus and are born again, just remember you have to be perfect in your behavior if you want to stay out of HELL".
God did not put that (self effort) demand in the Plan of Salvation, tho millions of His children would swear that this is the case.
And of course that makes the Devil happy.