There are many professing Christians that I’ve encountered throughout the years that downplay the vast important of Biblical doctrine. They tell me that “salvation is not a matter of doctrine”. Can a genuine follower of Jesus Christ actually possess such a mindset?
Salvation certainly is a matter of doctrine, especially when we as followers of Christ must, and can only, point to the scriptures to provide the answer to life’s most important question that must be answer by all …”What must I do to be saved?”
Lately I’ve come across many YouTube videos and articles that feature “Christian” deconversion stories. Whether or not these professing Christians where ever genuine followers of Christ is of course an issue intrinsic to the issue of the eternal security of the believer [and can never, in my opinion, be settled on a subjective level since we cannot know with assurance if any person other than ourselves is, or ever was the genuine article].
Instead, the answer can only be found through the objective truths that the scriptures provide to the question, “Will any Holy Spirit regenerated person ever permanently renounce their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior [and/or the faith once delivered to the saints? [ Jude 1:3].
Contained within the many deconversion testimonies I’ve heard over the years, there are two tragic recurring common denominators that I’ve noticed. First, the virtual equating of allegiance to their particular church denomination [or group of people] with allegiance to their God. In other words, to depart from their particular religious organization = departing from their God. [i.e. – a person cannot possibly serve or walk with God apart from being attached to an organized church group].
Secondly, and intricately related to the first point, these “deconverters” make statements providing compelling evidence that they never had a firm grasp at all concerning the question, “what must I do to be saved”? Frequently they say that it was their water baptism that saved them, or their service to the Pastor, church etc., etc.
In other words, did these people ever truly believe that it is only “by grace through faith and not of works” that a person can be saved with such admissions? They often complain about their inability to have confidence in answering that question [when they were “Christians”] since there are so many conflicting opinions. Most say that they
had never even come to the assurance that God had forgiven them of all of their sins [one day they believe they are on the way to Heaven, the next they believe they are on their way to the Lake of Fire … depending on their behavior from day to day … so very sad indeed!].
It appears to me that they have little to no understanding of what Christ’s shed blood accomplished for all those who have placed all their hope, faith, and trust on His finished work … rather than even 1% of their own works for their justified status before God. It appears to me that no regenerated person will ever permanently renounce their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior [and/or the faith once delivered to the saints [Jude 1:3].
To further illustrate my points [although certainly not to provide compelling evidence for my position], consider the following excerpts taken from one of the many Christian deconversion websites entitled, “Graceful Atheist” :
“DECONVERSION FROM CHRISTIANITY”
A VERY COMMON MESSAGE
Atheism, Deconstruction, Deconversion, Humanism
A Deconversion Story [by David] :
These kinds of messages have become cliché, but I find the need to write it anyway. Mostly this is an attempt to communicate to my friends and family as succinctly but thoroughly as possible the what and the why of my deconversion from Christianity. This is also for those of you readers who have had doubts and have struggled to keep
them contained.
What I am
I am no longer a Christian. In the summer of 2015 after it became increasing more difficult to hold my beliefs against surmounting evidence to the contrary I admitted to myself I no longer believed. I was a Christian for approximately 27 years, until the Jenga tower of contradiction between belief and facts came crashing down. I could
no longer sustain the mental effort it required to maintain belief against the overwhelming lack of evidence for that belief.
I am an atheist. Others, wiser than I, have pointed out that this does not tell you very much about me. To say that I am not something is not very descriptive. The list of things I am not is infinite. But I am not afraid of this moniker. I am not a theist. This means I do not believe in God or gods. I do not believe in the supernatural of any kind. The natural is more than sufficient.
Which Faith?
I happened to grow up in the United States in a nominally Christian household. When I became a Christian in my late teens it was within the context of a culture soaked with Christian themes. But what if I had been born in Saudi Arabia? Wouldn’t I have become a Muslim? What about India? A Sikh or a Hindu? How can I honestly say I would
have become a Christian if I had been raised in a different culture. The answer is I can’t.
I contend we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.
Even within Christianity we have a tremendous amount of disagreement. Catholics and Protestants. Evangelical and Main liners. There are something like 2000 different Christian sects alone. As an evangelical we call many of them cults. But how do we determine what is a cult and what is gospel?
How does one determine whether one faith is more right than another? If your answer is the bible re-read the line about 2000 different sects of Christianity. Most of them use the same Christian bible.
Even within a narrow group like Evangelicals , who or what decides between two contradictory beliefs? Is pre-destination correct or is it human choice? Is baptism submersion or will a sprinkling do? Is it pure grace or good works that saves a person? I had strong opinions on
each of these as do those who would have disagreed with me. But there is no way to determine which is true and which is false.
It comes down to cultural microcosms. If you were raised Baptist, then pre-destination is true. If you were raise Pentecostal then speaking in tongues is true. All the while both groups point to the other with disdain.
It was when I began to look at what my in-group considered to be cults trying to understand why a person would believe these “crazy” things, that it occurred to me that they saw my beliefs as just as crazy. And atheists thought we were all crazy.”
“Is it possible for a Christian to convert to atheism?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV4sWHIIhro&t=16s
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, “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.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
Rapture Bound Outreach 
Hi. Just found your website yesterday through your blog on the 2 solar eclipses in America that are parted by seven years – which I found very interesting. I was born and bred on a very similar belief as you (I’m 52) and my dad (in his 80s) still does a blog with similar content as yours which is called – WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. I got married 26 years ago to an ex-catholic who a year after we were married decided to return to the catholic faith. I was rather upset about this and it had been a point of contention for much of our married life until I started to ignore our differences. I just finished a diploma in Ministry (through a Pentecostal/Evangelical College/University) and to be honest I was dissatisfied with the lack of answers to the questions my husband puts forward. I 100% agree with your statement that salvation is a matter of doctrine. You say in this post that “we must and can only point to scripture” to answer what we must do to be saved.
I know this is a long comment but I hope and pray you will answer these questions for me.
Firstly – why do we believe in sola Scriptura when this doctrine is not in the Bible? In 1 Tim 3:15, Paul talks about the Church being the pillar and foundation of truth.
Secondly – If the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth, which church would that be because many “churches” have false teachings. Jesus in Matt 16:18 tells us that He would build His church; He then proceeds to change Simon’s name to Peter (like when Abram became Abraham), which is important, and then Jesus bestows the keys of the kingdom of heaven on Peter. Where is the church Jesus started and continues to build, the one in which we can find this truth that Paul speaks about?
Thirdly, if we believe in solar Scriptura, why do we ignore James who is pretty clear that faith without works is dead and that a man is justified by works and not faith only – James 14:26. There is nowhere in the bible that says that salvation is by faith alone. Paul does talk about not being saved by works of the law but that doesn’t cover good works.
What are we to do with James 2:24 (man is justified by his deeds and not faith alone), or when Jesus said you must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life (John 6:53-56) or Peter in Acts 2:38 where he calls for repentance and baptism in Jesus Christ for the cancellation of a debt, the penalty of sin, and for the receiving of the Holy Spirit. John 3:5 tells us, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”. 1 Peter 3:21 says that Baptism now saves you. I can’t find anywhere in the bible that says these are symbolic, they clearly say these things save you. Matt 7:21 says that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom of God – so one has to do the will of the Father and not just believe to be saved.
I know there is a lot here but I would really appreciate an answer to these questions.
Many Blessings
Cheryl
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Hi Cheryl – thank you for your reply. Although your questions are many, they are also all so critical. Also, all of the questions you raise, in essence, revolve full circle back to one solitary scripture …… Ephesians 2:8-9, – what I call “The Great Gospel Axiom.”… that is, being able to receive/embrace/believe what these verses are saying. Salvation comes only by God’s grace through faith …. apart from any work man can perform … a message that most stumble over, thinking that that message is either “too good to be true” or “too easy” [i.e. – a form of “easy believism”] … that is the huge pit where many unfortunately fall into.
Ephesians 2:8-9, ” For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST. The exclusion of human merit in salvation allows God to receive all the glory and praise for His redemptive plan …. all who seek an alternative means of salvation are in essence boasting in themselves …. an abominable sight in the eyes of God. Faith is the only instrument that allows a person to receive the cleansing properties of Christ’s atoning blood.
Now, as it pertains to the issue of water baptism, a person being submerged under water by another person is clearly a work of the flesh. It has absolutely no regenerative power/properties whatsoever. It is a symbolic act, and one that priorly regenerated persons do as a subsequent act of obedience … but not for their regeneration/salvation. You see, no amount of obedience will ever save any person, it is only by faith in Christ’s atoning work that is the sole condition of justification … acts of obedience will follow in the lives of those who were truly regenerated – as a result [or by-product] of the new heart they received at their new birth experience. Now, if water baptism is that which saves/regenerates a person, then why did the Apostle Paul water baptize so very few during the course of his ministry? … he placed very little emphasis upon it, and very much upon the power of the blood in Christ’s atonement.
Only God the Holy Spirit can regenerate the soul of a person dead in their transgressions and sins … and he does not do this during the rite of water baptism, He does that work the very moment that a person places their trust in Christ’s atoning work/blood for the forgiveness of their sins … water baptism follows afterward ….sometimes minutes later, sometimes months later etc.etc.
This is why merely religious persons are falsely led to believe that the water of John 3:3-5 refers to water baptism [they have no real perception/idea of what salvation by grace through faith actually means] … they can only perceive it through their carnal/fleshly eyes/understanding. Here’s an article shedding light on it’s true meaning :
http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2074-77052022000100064#:~:text=INTRADISCIPLINARY%20AND%2FOR%20INTERDISCIPLINARY%20IMPLICATIONS,present%20at%20a%20natural%20birth.
Concerning James 2:14-26, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”
James is in no sense whatsoever implying that a person is not justified by grace through faith in Christ’s atoning work here. What he is simply stating is this : there are many who profess to be followers of Christ who never show any signs or evidence of an inward renewal by the operation of the Holy Spirit. All those who have genuinely been regenerated [born-again] will evidence good works as a by-product or result of them becoming new creatures in Christ. Will good works exist in the lives of the regenerated? absolutely , but never as a condition that must be met in order to be saved, but as a guaranteed result in the lives of those who have actually been saved … past tense …. not of works – lest any man may boast.
You see, whether or not a person accepts the idea of sola scriptura, they will still have to deal with “the Great Gospel Axiom’ [what I refer to as the message contained in Ephesians 2:8-9]. The issue of justification by faith was the bigger issue by far during the Protestant Reformation, rather than sola scriptura …. since the issue of sola scriptura in the debates between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants always revolved full circle back to the subject of justification by grace through faith apart from works anyways.
You said, “Matt 7:21 says that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom of God – so one has to do the will of the Father and not just believe to be saved.
Again, the reality is that all of those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit [those who have actually been born again] will strive to do the will of their Father [as imperfectly as that may appear at times … due to the remains of their sinful fleshly nature remaining within their constitutions]. And, as a result of receiving their new Holy Spirit indwelt nature, they will naturally and organically seek to please their Heavenly father — although their rotten bags of flesh hinder them along the way. Jesus also added in your stated passage that all that do not fall into this category never knew Him … they were never genuinely regenerated … they were not regenerated and then were later “unregenerated …. Jesus makes this clear.
Perhaps by reading my most recent articles that I posted will help give you a clearer understanding of my answer to your questions. Hope this helps …. Blessings!! Steve
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Hi Steve. Thank you for your reply I really appreciate it. I have thought about your answers but I still feel like we have to ignore many scripture verses to get to faith alone. Thanks again – God Bless
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Hi Cheryl – Well, here’s the thing, it surely is faith alone in God’s grace [His provision for the sins of humanity displayed at Calvary by the precious sacrificial Lamb of God – Jesus Christ]] that justifies a person before God. If the nature of that faith was genuine, a “saving faith”, if it was directed at the proper object and abandoned any hopes in being justified before God by our performance, by our good works … then, and only then, that faith will never be alone. God the Holy spirit will so effectively work in the lives of the regenerate that they necessarily will, at least over the passage of time, manifest the fruits of regeneration … it’s simply a spiritual axiom.
In the end, we are told that OJAJ [Once Justified Always Justified] is the gospel truth in so very many passages, such as Romans 8:30 where it is plainly stated that all that have been justified [past tense] will be glorified [future tense] according to the author of the Book of Romans [most likely the Apostle Paul]. Transformation [i.e – sanctification] by the inward working of the Holy Spirit is guaranteed to each person who have placed their faith in Christ’s atoning work. However, there are good reasons why justification and sanctification are two distinct and separate words … they speaks of two different components within salvation. Failure to separate them and understand them leads to a spurious understanding of the gospel message and salvation itself. It’s right here that so many have been ‘tripped up …. as follows :
Connecting the Dots between Justification and Glorification :
Romans 8:29-30,”For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
The above passages (“The Golden Chain of Redemption”) clearly tell us that all who have experienced justification will also receive a future glorification.
Justification refers to the act which declares a person righteous in the sight of God. In Justification we are saved from the penalty of sin. This work is entirely of God (passive) and outside of us through the imputed (legally credited) righteousness of God in Christ. It is past, finished, and as the Greek tenses often show – done once and non repeatable. This is done by grace through the vehicle of faith alone.
‘Therefore being justified by faith…’ (Rom.5:1). It affects our very spirits, making them legally perfect… ‘the spirits [not souls or bodies] of just men made perfect’ (Heb.12:23).
This justification comes through imputation. In Romans 4 the word ‘logizomai’ is mentioned 11 times in a classic Pauline and Reformation passage on Justification. ‘Logizomai’ is translated as: imputed, credited, reckoned, accounted.
Romans 4:3,”For what does the say Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted
[‘logizomai’] to him as righteousness.” This Scripture is a direct quote from Genesis 15:6 where the Hebrew equivalent ‘chashav’ is used. The idea is that God registered, counted, credited Abrahams faith as righteousness. Again this word is used in a legal sense and is essentially an accounting term (Lev.25:27; 50, 52; 27:18,23). Hence the reformers called this a ‘legal’ and ‘forensic’ righteousness. The Reformers also called it an ‘alien’ righteousness because it was and always will be a righteousness outside of us.
This righteousness is in fact a person, as Jeremiah 23:5,6 says: ‘…The Lord our
righteousness…’, (‘Yehowah our tsadheq’; see also Phil.3:9). ‘Our righteousness’ now sits on the right hand of God! Thus this righteousness is not of us but is substitutionary: ‘He shall justify many for He shall bear their iniquities’ (Is.53:11- literally: ‘make many to be accounted [‘tsadeq’] righteous’).
Sanctification (although not specifically mentioned in Romans 8:29-30) refers to a separation from sin and the world; and a separation to God and His word. In sanctification we are saved and being saved from the power of sin. Sanctification is past (‘positional’ at salvation) and present continuous (‘progressive’) by the indwelling Holy Spirit from within:
1 Corinthians 6:11,”And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
2 Timothy 4:18,”The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” — The word here, ‘bring me safely’, is the Greek ‘sozo’ – the same word for ‘save’. This work will continue until Glorification:
Philippians 1:6,”And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
1 John 3:3,”And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure”
Glorification is the final step in the application of redemption, that final change and redemption of the body. In glorification we are saved from the presence of sin in us and in the world. 1 Peter 1:9,”receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls..”these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”- Romans 8:30.
“1 John 3:2,”Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Ephesians 1:11,12,” In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”
God has predestined or predetermined that all who would place their trust in Christ’s atoning work alone as their only hope as being accepted as righteous before God will in fact experience a future glorification. All those who have experienced this justification before God have already been glorified in the eyes of God; they are now simply playing out in real time the intermediate stage of their promised salvation (i.e., sanctification).
If we have trusted in the true Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the substitute for our sins, and His righteousness alone – in his death burial, resurrection…then justification, sanctification and glorification are a foregone conclusion (Rom.8:28-30; Eph.1:3-14).
However, as you well know, this is not a foregone conclusion in the minds of many of those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. It is my sincere conviction that many fail to properly connect and assimilate these three stages of redemption, resulting in their rejection of my above truth claims.
Frequently, the lack of, or even the non-existence and never-existing, of a person’s assurance of their right-standing before God can inevitably be traced back to his failure to properly understand and embrace the true nature of conversion.
The vast importance of the role of assurance in salvation simply cannot be overstated. When a person is genuinely regenerated/converted he knows it, though buffeted at times, this core conviction will never die. The very nature of conversion and regeneration insures that the believer will receive this knowledge. Therefore, assurance is of the essence of saving faith.
Hebrews 11:1,”Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.”
(NASB).
Assurance is the believer’s full conviction that through the work of Christ alone, received by faith, he is in possession of a salvation in which he will be eternally kept.
It is the unregenerated by the Holy Spirit that have never received assurance that their sins were forgiven, the fear of death lingers within them (whether or not they vocalize that reality). Hebrews 2:14-15,”Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
It is only those renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit that can confidently say that they no longer fear physical death…Rom.8:11,”But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The scriptures clearly teach that those who are genuine, blood-bought, Holy Spirit regenerate followers of Jesus can and will have assurance of their acceptance before God, and that all their sins have been blotted out through Christ’s atoning work.
Subjectively speaking, this “knowing” or assurance is seen in Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”
The objective truth is found in 1 John 5:12-13,”He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
How incredibly priceless are these dual realities! Associated with this is [a very critical question to ponder], a question that is derived from a Molinist perspective : “If any genuinely regenerated (and therefore justified) person will ever fall away and lose their salvation or “place in Heaven” one day, then how can any individual ever be certain that they will not be counted among those who will lose out on Heaven being their eternal abode at some point subsequent to their new birth experience?”
It surely appears to me that any person who believes that there will be some (or even one regenerate person) who will lose out on Heaven cannot claim that they will enter Heaven … assurance for them becomes a logical fallacy.
You see, those that view a believer’s perseverance merely from the perspective of conditionality will inevitably struggle (if they have actually been regenerated at all at one point in their lives) with issues of insecurity concerning the reception of a heavenly inheritance. As I have said before, this is not to say that persevering by faith to the end of a person’s life isn’t a necessary condition for salvation, or that fruits of salvation do not ever need to exist or be manifested in a true salvation experience – they most assuredly will.
The “cause-effect” aspect is perhaps the most important concept to recognize and embrace in the relationship between salvation and behavior. The faith that saves is a faith that will persevere – God will preserve us..1 Thessalonians 5:23-24,” Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”
1 John 5:4,”For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
At the point of a believer’s conversion/new birth experience, he has not only been promised a future heavenly inheritance, but was also guaranteed to be renewed and transformed by the Holy Spirit in such a manner in which his lifestyle will be characteristically righteous (although far from sinless perfection) according to 1 John 3:9.
The following section (in quotes) is taken from an article by “Berean Christian Bible Study Resources”, entitled,”Eternal Security (Once Saved, Always Saved)?” :
“Part IV Saving Faith –
Take into consideration the fact that the Bible at times uses the word “believer” to refer to false brethren. For compare Acts 5:15 “Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” with Gal 2:4 where Paul spoke of the same circumstance “This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.” For Acts was speaking of the outward claim and affiliation, but Paul speaking of their inward conviction.
Jesus and Paul speak likewise of wolves in sheep clothing. Thus the outward “faith” is merely skin deep. I content that such faith is not the kind of faith that saves. Non-application oriented faith does not save because it’s not genuine faith. Anyone who has genuine faith in any particular thing will end up taking action on it.
Likewise Paul speaks of a “vain” faith, which I contend is not genuine faith. For example he says, “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” 1Cor 15:2 Notice also the tenses here, which cannot be explained other then by the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. For he does not say, “By this gospel you will be saved if you hold firmly”, but rather “By this gospel you are saved if you hold firmly”. For a person who doesn’t continue in the faith is not indicative that they lost their salvation, but rather that they had never been saved to begin with, their belief being futile. Likewise, notice Jesus description of those who “believed for a while”, speaking of the sower who sowed the Word of God to those whose hearts were characterized as rocky ground. “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.” Luke 8:12 Notice that the Word stayed only on the surface, failing to take root in their hearts, and as such their faith was vain, only having a surface faith, but not genuine faith.
And again in the case of 1John 2:19 John evaluates those who leave the faith as never having been saved to begin with based upon the principle that “if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us”
The faith that saves is the faith that perseveres. Thus Jesus said, “he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Mt 24:13….
(Promise of Eternal life based on a past condition or point in time event) :
Likewise with all the verses which speak of salvation contingent upon faith, but which use the aorist tense. The aorist tense is a tense in Greek (the language of which the New Testament was originally written in) which expresses a point in time or historical event, as opposed to present tense that has a strong sense of continuity, stronger than we generally use in English.
John 10:9 I am the gate; whoever (ean) enters (aorist subj) through me will be saved. (fut ind) He will come in and go out, and find pasture.(all fut ind)
Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls (aorist subj) on the name of the Lord will be saved.(fut indic)
Acts 16:31 They replied, “Believe (aorist imp) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (fut ind) — you and your household.”
Rom 6:5 If we have been (perfect) united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
Rom 6:8 Now if we died (aorist) with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Rom 10:9 That if (ean) you confess (oarist subj) with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe (aorist subj) in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
1Tim 2:11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died (aorist) with him, we will also live with him;
The future indicatives are basically promises of that which will occur, not simply may or may not occur. For the subjunctive would be used for possibility, but the indicative for certainty. But notice the condition. Here each example is a case in which a promise of future salvation is contingent not upon continued faith, but upon a past or point in time event. Not that there isn’t a continued faith, for in fact there is. But since perseverance is inevitable, therefore salvation can be spoken of as being contingent solely upon one’s initial faith, if it is genuine.” Therefore, it is also true to say that all of a genuine believer’s future sins were been blotted out at the point of his conversion experience.
Kenneth Keathley, in his book entitled “Salvation And Sovereignty, A Molinist Approach”
basically summarizes the truth claims I have presented in this post under the heading of
“A Variation Of The Evidence-Of-Genuineness Position” :
(1) The only basis for assurance is the objective work of Christ – Christ is the foundation of assurance; good works merely support and confirm.
(2) Assurance is the essence of saving faith – a certain knowledge of salvation is simultaneous with being saved. Subsequent doubts may come, but a core conviction remains.
(3) Saving faith perseveres or remains until the day when it gives way to sight – Perseverance is a faith that cannot be annihilated. Perseverance is more a promise than it is a requirement.
The Roman Catholic’s false gospel largely emanates from their refusal to separate the terms justification and sanctification. However, many denominations that profess to hold the title “Protestant” mistakenly share in the same doctrinal heresy [just ‘wrapped in different colored wrapping paper’] … not even realizing that they are promoting the same error, the same false gospel message, of the Roman Catholic Council of Trent. Right here is where the heart of the enemies deception lies, and those of us who would dare to step into Satan’s sacred territory here face the attacks of the very multitudes of the deceived that we are attempting to shake out of their delusion. The enemy knows very well that precisely here lies the balance of the souls of mankind.
Yes, faith without works is dead, but you see, the world is full of ‘good people’ who are on their way to hell – in other words, just how good does a person have to be in order to enter Heaven? … and, just how good does a person have to be in order to possess assurance of their forgiveness before God? see my article ““Christian Deconversion”? – Part 2” here : https://raptureboundoutreach.com/2023/06/07/christian-deconversion-part-2/ > …. Hell will be filled to the brim with “good men”… “moral” men … as well as “religious” men who all have this one thing in common … they have never been born again. Those who have been born again do not boast in their so-called “moral excellence” as the basis or ground for their right-standing [justification] before God; they boast in the cross of Christ alone [Galatians 6:14].
Hope this helps,
God Bless!
Steve
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Firstly, James warns that you can deceive yourselves. James 1:22-25 NIV- “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
What must I do to be saved?
Hear – Believe and receive – Confess – Repent – Be Baptized
First, we need to hear. Matt 13:13 – This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
We need to believe and receive. John 1:12 But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
We need to confess. Romans 10:19 – for with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.
We need to repent… Acts 17:30 – Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. Acts 3:19 – Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.
We need to Be Baptized … Jesus in Mark 16:16 says … Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Acts 22:16 – And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
Galatians 3:27 – For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
On the day of Pentecost Peter preaches and then this happens…
Peter Acts 2:37- 42 – Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Breaking of Bread
Jesus says we need to abide in the vine.
“Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. The branch cannot itself produce fruit, unless it abides on the vine. Likewise, you cannot produce fruit unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and is dried up. Such branches are picked up and thrown into the fire and burned.”
How do we abide in the vine?
John 6:53-58 – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”
Is adding symbolism to all these verses scriptural (sola scriptura) or trusting in man’s wisdom 1 Cor 1:19 – For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
Christ’s Church.
Col 1:24, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.
Which church?
1 Tim 3:15, talks about the Church being the pillar and foundation of truth. If the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth, which church would that be because many “churches” have false teachings? Jesus in Matt 16:18 tells us that He (Jesus) would build His church, He then proceeds to change Simon’s name to Peter (like when Abram became Abraham, which is important), and then Jesus bestows the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven on Peter. Where is the church Jesus started and continues to build, the church in which we can find this truth that Paul speaks about?
To be saved into God’s kingdom means God ruling over every area of a person’s life (obedience), receiving a new life, a new identity, and a new kingdom. This is the good news that Jesus proclaimed, because of what Jesus achieved through the cross there is now an invitation to be in God’s kingdom and to share a table with the King who reigns with grace. Jesus declared that to enter the kingdom of God one must do the will of the Father and the word of God tells us we must believe/receive, confess, repent, and be born again of water (clearly baptizm) and the Spirit.
Jesus shows the way in Matthew 3:13-17 – The Baptizm of Jesus – “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Yes, God is the only one who can save, that is why we cannot boast, but scripture shows that we must also participate in our salvation by being obedient and doing all that is instructed of us.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 … Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good.
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Well, it appears that we will just have to agree to disagree over the answer to the question, “what must I do to be saved?”. I simply cannot afford to compromise my perspective concerning this question [but I also realize, that you are most likely taking the same position]. I hope and pray that there’s no hard feelings involved here … and also truly hope and pray for the best for you my friend!! Steve
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Thanks Steve. I appreciate that you have taken the time to respond and I look forward to reading future posts as I have been enjoying your content since finding this blog. There are definitely no hard feelings, I just seek to follow after God in Spirit and in Truth as I know you do too. I have found myself on a bit of a journey this past year trying to answer questions I had previously thought I had the answers to. As you said, the answers really are important.
Also, you have probably already seen this but if not this is really cool (and short) – God signed His name in your DNA – https://fb.watch/l8klGhEuJv/
May God bless you abundantly Steve.
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Yes – I’ve seen that awesome message. It appears to me that very soon the MOB will erase/alter that DNA pattern out of those who receive it, thereby making them irredeemable… they will no longer be in the image of God. The moment a person receives it, it is as if they died, there remains no more opportunity to be covered by the precious blood of Jesus; tragically, time will have simply run out for them.
Blessings!
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