I have it because it is a promise that I hold right now. I will never die, in spite of the possibility that my body may give way to physical death before the Lord comes.
Assurance of salvation
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I have it because it is a promise that I hold right now. I will never die, in spite of the possibility that my body may give way to physical death before the Lord comes.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Really? Guess we better let all the people in prison out if they are Christians......
I believe the children of God HAVE eternal life. Not that their flesh has eternal life but that their spirit is eternal. The body that they live in while in this world will die but their spirit is alive forever.
1 Corinthians 15:42-49
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
NKJV
so also are those who are heavenly --- this is present tense ----- it is not future tense.
I still don't see how this shows the children are now in possession of eternal life. Yes, the phrase you pointed out, 'so also are those who are heavenly' is present tense. Contextually it appears to contrasted to the earthly. In this context it seems it's a reference to Adam who is now dead. When Paul wrote Adam was dead, so the natural flow of thought would indicate speaking of Adam in the past tense. As Adam "was" (past tense) so "are" (present tense) those of the earthly. Jesus on the other hand is now and was when Paul wrote, alive. It would be natural for Paul to reference Jesus in the present tense. As He, the spiritual is, so also are those who are spiritual. In this passage Paul's explaining the resurrection of the body, no one other than Christ has received a resurrected body.
Hi Stone,
I agree we have the promise, however, all Christians like everyone else, die. I believe the Scriptures link eternal life to the body, many of the writers refer to eternal life or salvation as the resurrection. IN Jesus' parable about Lazarus and the rich man the spirit of both the saved and the lost were still alive, it was the bodies that were dead.
Hi Butch5!
We do not die.... God is Spirit so is his Son and the Holy Spirit. When we become born-again we become spirit first [rather than being motivated by our soul and body]. Our body will die because our body cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Our body is not who we are. Romans 8:9
The bible says that our body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. Romans 8:10. It is the Holy Spirit that dwells in us that helps us to daily crucify our body and it's lusts and to grow in our spiritual man now. Transformation occurs when our spirit is removed from our body. Death for a believer is not death at all but rather the removal of our spirit from our body. We have eternal life now because we didn't have it before Christ went to the cross...and yes eternal life begins when we are spirit and God gives us a new body [a spiritual body] The Holy Spirit It is the guarantee of our inheritance.
Ephesians 1
[sup]13 [/sup]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, [sup]14 [/sup]who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Titus 3:7
that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
PS: There are only two people in the bible that I know of, that did not physically die but went straight to heaven...Enoch, in the 6th generation from Adam and Elijah! So it is definitely a possibility...for us also.
Blessings!!!
We do not die.... God is Spirit so is his Son and the Holy Spirit. When we become born-again we become spirit first [rather than being motivated by our soul and body]. Our body will die because our body cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Our body is not who we are. Romans 8:9
The bible says that our body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. Romans 8:10. It is the Holy Spirit that dwells in us that helps us to daily crucify our body and it's lusts and to grow in our spiritual man now. Transformation occurs when our spirit is removed from our body. Death for a believer is not death at all but rather the removal of our spirit from our body. We have eternal life now because we didn't have it before Christ went to the cross...and yes eternal life begins when we are spirit and God gives us a new body [a spiritual body] The Holy Spirit It is the guarantee of our inheritance.
Ephesians 1
[sup]13 [/sup]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, [sup]14 [/sup]who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Titus 3:7
that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
PS: There are only two people in the bible that I know of, that did not physically die but went straight to heaven...Enoch, in the 6th generation from Adam and Elijah! So it is definitely a possibility...for us also.
Blessings!!!
There are many born again Christians in real prisons right now who are more free than many other Christians who are held down by man-made beliefs such as Purgatory,
Focus on the positive. We will receive new bodies that live forever, but we all must understand that the Lord is referring to our spirits that will never die. Death will never separate a child of God from HIm.
Romans 8:38
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
Butch5
If you are viewing life from the perspective of the flesh - being born, living and then dying at some set point in time...then you would probably not know what I am trying to express...life begins with salvation, being born again [of the Holy Spirit] and it continues onward in to the eternal....
Bless you!
If you are viewing life from the perspective of the flesh - being born, living and then dying at some set point in time...then you would probably not know what I am trying to express...life begins with salvation, being born again [of the Holy Spirit] and it continues onward in to the eternal....
Bless you!
Hi Angelina,
I'm a bit confused. You say we don't die, but then say our bodies die. Genesis records that man is a body and a spirit which becomes a living soul.
[sup]7[/sup] And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. {of the dust...: Heb. dust of the ground}
It seems from this that each of these is what constitutes a man.
You also said that our bodies bodies can't enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus was resurrected with a flesh and bone body, and Job said in my flesh I will see my redeemer in the last day. John said that we will be like Christ, again, his resurrected body was flesh and bone.
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It is my experience....
The Thyatireans (Catholics) - Caution against backsliding
The Sardiseans (Baptists) - Don't believe in it
The Philadelphiens (Methodist / Pentecostals) - Practice it
The Laodiceans (Word of Faith / Charismatic) - Could care less either way
My personal feelings are that if you believe in eternal security (in this case your assurance of salvation) you can have it. But the doctrine is only as good as your faith. Loose your faith, and the eternal security thing goes out the window.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.- Matthew 10:22
The Thyatireans (Catholics) - Caution against backsliding
The Sardiseans (Baptists) - Don't believe in it
The Philadelphiens (Methodist / Pentecostals) - Practice it
The Laodiceans (Word of Faith / Charismatic) - Could care less either way
My personal feelings are that if you believe in eternal security (in this case your assurance of salvation) you can have it. But the doctrine is only as good as your faith. Loose your faith, and the eternal security thing goes out the window.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.- Matthew 10:22
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Believing in eternal security provides no security at all because instead of the worry being "Am I still saved?" It becomes "Am I really a Christian?"
I am 'really a Christian' and as such, I have the eternal security that God gives as Jesus has promised in John 3:16.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
I think belief in eternal security becomes dependent on our belief in eternal security - without the belief, it seems to dissipate - like Rocky mentioned. When you give up your ideas about security to God and give Him all the power to say yes or no, you experience ultimate peace. I've never felt so good about my salvation since I realized that God decides if I will spend eternity with Him or not, rather than believing that my belief in a contractual agreement is going to be binding or not.
Actually, the phrase, "Once Saved Always Saved" is a creating of those who do not believe in it. The Lord declares that we who belong to the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ and are not faithful have a faithful God. I am secure in knowing who I am in Christ, according to His word.
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Lively Stone... In which the Lord would tell you... According to your faith... As your faith is strong so is your eternal security. Sometimes I worry about people who have issues with the security of their salvation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h4wqo33VNU
Amen. Their issues are insurmountable as long as they do not accept the assurance God gives. It's His marvelous assurance that enables one to walk in freedom and the joy of the Lord.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Nah...
All I hear from congregations of people who believe in 'instant salvation' is promotion of their own salvation and a questioning of everyone else's - 'if they do not agree with me, they must have never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior!' In fact, I believe I have already been asked if I am a Christian by a certain energetic rock.......
All I hear from congregations of people who believe in 'instant salvation' is promotion of their own salvation and a questioning of everyone else's - 'if they do not agree with me, they must have never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior!' In fact, I believe I have already been asked if I am a Christian by a certain energetic rock.......
Once saved always saved means you can't lose your salvation.
No where in the Bible does it say OSAS, now i think the Bible would of said OSAS if that was so.
But it is not in the Bible is it. i think some may like to add it to the Bible thinking to correct it.
Just like people who like to say that they are going to Heaven, this is full on boosting and a straight out lie as no one but the Lord has that position to say so.
The Lord said Faith with out the works is dead !
Now why would you of thought he said that and why to people dismiss it. as it is written.
So many people i have come across can not understand the difference of ones works in Christ ( in the Spirit ) and the difference of works of your self, as in not anything to do with the Lord but just you own sinful will.
By the narrow gate Jesus said as you should know the wide it is not the way is it.
I would say a one off salvation would be a wide gate position.
Exactly---the phrase isn't in the bible, because it was created by people who love to label and pigeonhole people with derogation. You can't lose your salvation, but you can renounce Christ by an act of your will. That is what an apostate is---a reprobate mind.
If you know Jesus Christ, you have His assurance that you are going to heaven. He wants you to have that assurance. It isn't boasting. It is our rightful home as adopted sons and daughters of the King.
The idea of an assurance of our Salvation is taught in the Scriptures, but not in the sense that one can never fall away IF... they so choose. That's the difference.
God's Promise of Salvation through His Son Jesus Christ is for those who CONTINUE in The Faith, and Paul taught for those to see theirselves as already dead to the law.
But at the same time he also taught what will happen for a believer that turns away from Christ and that Salvation, and falls away from Christ Jesus, thus revealing that His Salvation Promise is not going to be mocked by those who turn away from Him to follow the ways of the world instead, with their wrong thinking of still being in that Promise. This is why Peter said it would have been better for an apostate to have never believed and remained ignorant than to have once believed and given the knowledge of Christ and then turn away.
Man's preaching that once you believe on Christ Jesus that His Promise of Salvation can never later be taken away from you, no matter what you do later, is just that, preaching of the doctrines of men. That doctrine of men essentially does away with around 1/3 of Paul's Epistles about warnings to the believer to remain focused on Christ Jesus and doing His work.
That false doctrine of man is especially designed to serve sin, because it allows a believer to think that they don't really have to make changes in their life away from sin. Under such a false belief system even serial killers could start their own Christian Church!
God's Promise of Salvation through His Son Jesus Christ is for those who CONTINUE in The Faith, and Paul taught for those to see theirselves as already dead to the law.
But at the same time he also taught what will happen for a believer that turns away from Christ and that Salvation, and falls away from Christ Jesus, thus revealing that His Salvation Promise is not going to be mocked by those who turn away from Him to follow the ways of the world instead, with their wrong thinking of still being in that Promise. This is why Peter said it would have been better for an apostate to have never believed and remained ignorant than to have once believed and given the knowledge of Christ and then turn away.
Man's preaching that once you believe on Christ Jesus that His Promise of Salvation can never later be taken away from you, no matter what you do later, is just that, preaching of the doctrines of men. That doctrine of men essentially does away with around 1/3 of Paul's Epistles about warnings to the believer to remain focused on Christ Jesus and doing His work.
That false doctrine of man is especially designed to serve sin, because it allows a believer to think that they don't really have to make changes in their life away from sin. Under such a false belief system even serial killers could start their own Christian Church!
