I would encourage you to check out Alan Ballou and not Alan Manson. Alan Manson (while I agree with him on Initial Salvation, and Final Salvation), I don't agree with Alan Manson's unloving attitude or overly controlling behavior (which seems cult like). Alan Manson believes being born again (in that he thinks it happens later in the Christian life), and he believes in the Pre-Existence of the Soul of the Believer in Heaven before one is physically born into this world. While I was willing to agree to disagree with Alan Manson on these points so as to talk with him as a brother in love, he started to treat me like an enemy because I don't accept these two odd views that are not in Scripture. He kept write me book length replies by email and telling me how I was wrong and there is a wall between us (with him actually making a drawing to show the wall with two people on either side of the wall).
Alan Ballou (while he does not believe in the Trinity - and it breaks my heart to know this), he has probably the best videos I have ever seen on Sanctification for salvation (hands down). He really gives you a ton of verses in short span of time. Alan Ballou is also loving a person to talk with by email. I know it does not sound appealing to watch somebody who does not believe in the Trinity, but I have not seen anyone else do videos on Sanctification (as a part of our salvation) like he does. He gives you tons of verses, and I want to go back through some of his videos and take lots of notes on the verses he provides.
I am glad to hear that you came out of Perpetual Belief Alone Salvationism. I am glad you can relate to Adam's story. I am still investigating what Adam believes still by watching more of his videos. At times he says we are initially saved by God's grace without works and yet at other times he appears to say that faith can never be a belief at any point in our lives as Christians. So I am not sure what he means by that.
I hold to the view that faith is like a two sided coin.
It starts off as a belief alone in being saved by God's grace without works (in our Initial Salvation), and then faith matures and grows in doing the work of faith and or in being faithful (in the Sanctification
Process of the Spirit).
To learn more: Check out my write up here (at Christian Forums) to check out the verses (if it sounds like your cup of tea).
Alan Ballou's longer videos are even better - IMHO.
But I am praying for him to be able to one day see the truth of the Trinity in Scripture.
So glad I was able to bless you, sister. God's Word is amazing and he can definitely use people for His glory indeed.
Stay strong in the power of the Lord's might and His Word always.
BH, I was reading your post here and see that you mentioned "sanctification." That's interesting to me because I haven't discussed this subject in quite some time.
The point I want to prove here is that just as we have no part in our salvation but hear and believe, so it is with our sanctification.
We have no part in that either! Let me show how that is!
There are 3 levels of sanctification,
Positional / Progressive / Glorified
Positional sanctification occurs at the moment of being justified. You are justified by Grace through faith and given a position in the Kingdom of God. Here is that position.
1 Cor. 6:11
" And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
This is your new position in Christ, and notice it is done by "the Spirit of God." You had no part in that but to hear and believe.
Progressive sanctification will now be carried out in your life as long as you live by the Holy Spirit. He is ridding you of your sin and creating slowly but surely Christlikeness in you. Here is that sanctification.
1 Thes. 4:3
" For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:"
This is all the work of the Holy Spirit, He is the Sanctifier. All we do is believe and turn from sin. Hearing and believing He will do it.
This is where the flesh and Spirit have war. The sin nature of the flesh is warring against the work of the Spirit. Paul has many thing to tell us about this warfare and how to overcome by the Sprit.
Glorified sanctification or Ultimate sanctification as some use, is the final sanctification. This seals up the sum of who we will be. At the resurrection we are "wholly sanctified" by the Spirit and we are as He is, perfect. Here is this sanctification.
1 Thes. 5:23
" And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
This truth is revealed in Eph. 1:13-14
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirt, as Paul says here, is the down-payment on our salvation. We are not fully purchased by His redemption until the resurrection. This is where we are "fully sanctified" by the Holy Spirit.
But don't misunderstand me! We are assured of salvation the very moment we believe, and we are as saved then as we will ever be.
But in the legal aspect of things, our salvation is finalized at the resurrection when as John said, "we will be like Him."
What I'm saying here with all of this is that we have no part in our salvation at all! Just to hear and believe. If you believe, you will allow the Spirit to do all this. The good works, and all works are performed by the Spirit through us. We have no part in that either, just to hear and believe as we receive His Word. As I have said before about the works, just walk through that door He has opened for you, and always be prepared to see that open door He has laid out just for you!
You make it so difficult, Bh! With your way none of us have a chance to enter into the Kingdom of God.