No Scripture states that we boast in our faith. Paul wrote that we boast in "the hope of the glory of God."
Yes, but in that passage, he mentions two different boasts: 1) boast in the hope of the glory of God and 2) boast in our tribulations. I was making reference to his second mention of boasting.
Why do we boast in our tribulations, according to Paul?
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint . . .
Focus on the word in bold: "knowing" We boast in our tribulations KNOWING that bla, bla, bla. This kind of knowledge isn't found in a book. This is the kind of knowledge that we learn by experience. Paul is talking about experiential learning. We acquire knowledge about ourselves through direct practice. We reflect on our faith experience to identify a new and permanent quality of our faith.
What do we know about our faith from experience? God tests us. Some of us fail and fall away, while others of us remain. And the more times we remain, the more our confidence builds until we eventually come to realize that our faith is permanent.
Many people have learned through their own experiences that difficult and challenging times can help develop perseverance. Perseverance, in turn, can lead to a proven faith, which brings about hope that does not disappoint. The Greek word used to describe "proven faith" is δοκιμήν, which refers to something that has been tested and proven. To illustrate this concept, the Greeks used to test pots to see if they leaked. Those that passed the test were labeled as "tested and proven," while those that leaked were labeled as "tested but not proven" and were deemed unfit for use.
According to Paul, a tested and proven faith is the solid basis for hope. To say that a proven faith might fall away is to deny what the apostles teach us about the connection between the testing of our faith and our confident expectation in our being glorified at the return of Jesus Christ. If an unbreakable faith was not possible, then no one would have a basis for hope. The only thing remaining would be fairy tales and wishful thinking.
It is NOT as you suppose, that we
might fall away simply because we
can fall away. In Paul's view, God leads those whom he is saving into a state of "assurance", which is solidly grounded on proof. How does Jack know he is being saved? Jack has proof. How does Mary know that she will be saved and see her Lord when he comes? She has proof. The basis of our hope in the gospel is the testing and proof of our faith.
No Scripture teaches that born again Christians will remain faithful; in fact, as I have shown you before, Paul admonishes the Elect to remain faithful to inherit the promises.
Yes, the Apostles teach that Born-Again Christians will remain faithful. Warnings and exhortations do not support the idea that faith can never be tested and proven. Both are true.
James teaches us of the Believers responsibility to remain faithful to inherit the Crown of Life.
I disagree with your interpretation. James is not teaching believers about their responsibility. He is noting those among the believers who are "blessed". Blessed are those believers who survive the testing of their faith. Why? Because when God tests our faith, this affords us an opportunity to know ourselves.
Suppose a rich landowner won't pay John his wages. Since John is unable to feed his family, he wonders whether God is good and whether he can continue to believe in a God who doesn't seem to care for those of faith. But John doesn't lose his faith and he keeps believing. What does John learn about himself? He learns that if his faith can survive such extreme hardship then it can survive whatever else God might bring his way. John learned about the quality of his faith. His faith is deemed "dokime" -- proven. And according to the Apostles a "dokime" faith will never fail.
The guarantees that Spirit indwelt Christians have is dependent on them to remain diligent to walk by the Spirit who lives in them.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is our guarantee.
Paul taught us that the indwelling Spirit will only give Eternal Life to the Christians who sows to the Spirit without giving up.
But contrary to your interpretation, he is not saying that one must first sow to the Spirit and keep sowing to the Spirit before God pours out his Spirit into the heart. You have that backwards. A person continues to sow to the Spirit because the Spirit has been poured out in our hearts. Action follows inwardness.
To know, is to have experiential knowledge, or at least knowledge of something.
To foreknow, is to have experiential knowledge ahead of time.
Really? How does that work? Let's say that someone flips a coin at 5 o'clock and it comes up heads. To know whether it was heads or tales one must be at the event at 5 o'clock. (As you say, to know is to have experiential knowledge of the event.) Suppose one is allowed to bet on the outcome. Knowing the outcome in advance would be a great advantage. But we can't know the outcome until it happens.
Let's invent a machine, "the Visionator," that allows us to see ahead in time. With the Visionator we can know the future before it happens. At 3 o'clock we can place a bet on "heads" for a coin-flip that will take place at 5 o'clock.
But let's be more accurate here because the accuracy of language is required at this point. The Visionator does not have the ability to witness a coin flip before it happens. Rather, it relies on empirical knowledge and somehow "sees" the future event, allowing it to report back the outcome to us. To clarify, the Visionator must be present at the event in order to know whether it was heads or tails and report back the result accurately. Our decision to bet on "heads" is made possible because the Visionator exists in the future and it has the ability to report to us who are living in the present. The Visionator's keen awareness of what lies ahead still depends on experiential knowledge.
But God is not a "Visonator"; he is a creator. His knowledge of the future is not based on seeing the future; it is based on creating the future. God is not using his Visionator in order to pick and chose whom to bless based on what a person will do in the future. God's election is based on creating people who will do what needs to be done and having them do it.
Your use of the word "cause" expresses very clearly what you mean.
Words need context for meaning.
