There is a big difference between the popularly obsessive theme of salvation ...and of sanctification. This thread is about sanctification in both purity (as a gift) and maturity...apprehending that for which we have been apprehended.
Salvation is to remain faithful till the end. So nobody is finally saved until the finish line. That is the essence of what a race is. We now have a living HOPE (so often confused with faith) ....for a good end to our race of faith..which is moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day.
During the time we are here, however, we can either advance in the Lord or waste our time. The servant who buried his talent is obviously of the latter sort. Those who advance do so by grace through faith...working out their salvation with fear and trembling...knowing the terror of facing the Lord in judgment.
I believe I do understand your spiritual view much better now, since I have read more of your posts. I tend to agree with its core. There are still a few wrinkles or maybe not, I need to review more. I show some wrinkles to you, I expect. It is just a matter of patience, more learning, more time of each other, under the tent of the Spirit.
Now I do agree that the initial time and the initial event of salvation through the grace of God is the beginning of the journey and a new life style in sanctification. The new man and spirit of Christ are both willing
to work together to the will of God until the end of the race, of our lives. It is the maintenance of salvation till we die that counts for everything. Christ helps us stay focused and stay on track as we form a habit of yielding our will more and more to the Father by Christ’s involvement and as comforter. The walk usually starts off slow and them picks up as it becomes a permanent habit of humility and giving our all. So when the switch backs occur, and the hills face us, we can more easily handle them. The home stretch then becomes a breeze.
There is one area I still need to clarify a bit….words are only so precise…
Now the acronym of OSAS as
I understand it, is not a carnal ‘unsaved’ view or a Calvin view, or a religious view. It means that God chose me as he already saw it before I was born, that I grew, stayed on the track and moved forward with Christ. That to me means OSAS. God does not revoke my new spirit, or just yank it out of me
if I have engaged it (spirit of Christ) and incorporated it into my life. Now the if is because the initial faith given to me as a gift from God endured in my heart. The seed was planted in cultivated soil of my heart - it took to root. This faith that caused me to repent, changed my will and thus my mind, was not from a hardened or partially cultivated heart. My heart was uncompromising, and fully open to the seed of life.
OSAS just gets a bad name because most think immediately it is a Calvinist, Lutheran or Augustinian view only. Well I believe I do not follow them even though some finer points have a common basis such as being chosen etc..
Now those that initially receive the free gift of salvation and become spiritually dormant and neutral as if they just need to say ‘I have accepted the grace and I still believe’ every Saturday or Sunday, do not maintain their salvation in holiness and therefore were
never saved to eternal life and God never chose them in the first place. They dropped off the spiritual radar screen, they got off the track altogether, as they contemplated carry their own cross. Or they just dropped off, may be a few times and took short cuts and wandered back on it each time, as if no one was looking and is disqualified or rejected in the next ‘life.’
Saints are chosen of God and never chosen of themselves. It is really intended to be a deeper thought…not a surface catch expression.
Epi, if you are a saint and what I read over these months, it indicates to me that it is the case, and you choose and chose to do the work and will of God. Then believe me God knew this already, because
you have a heart that is willing to use his spirit he gave you, to truly change your life into the image of Christ. He knew your heart and that
its will would choose Christ every time over any human spirit, pleasure, false comfort or security or enticing worldly vise. You walk you cross alone (cannot do it any other way) in faith and hope, to the end.
Bless you brother,
APAK
They who abide in Christ walk in the same way and power as He did on earth. As He IS so are we in this world.
