"Our assurance is not based on our feelings, behavior...but on the character of God...." We may have a question of semantics here, but it seems to me that we are reassured by our subjective experience and objective faith in God's Word. Our ultimate "security" is in God's hands as we are inscribed on the palms of His hands (cf. Isaiah 49:16). We are sealed and a down payment has been paid to guarantee His promise. We are given assurance and security as a GIFT.
One cannot be "unborn" nor "unjustified" and so our salvation is as permanent as adoption can be. God's judgment of our justification is permanent. Christ is interceding for us, so who can be against us?
Do I understand you, that you don't believe in the final perseverance of the saints? Do you believe that it doesn't matter how you live as long as you know you are saved (antinomianism which is libertinism)? False security and presumption are wrong. Do you dichotomize (split into two factions) Christians into spiritual spheres? I don't believe some Christians can sin and say that it's alright because they are "carnal" Christians, but Christians can be carnal at times. (Look at the reality of Rom. 7--"Oh, wretched man that I am.") This is not a "Christian experience," but it is, nevertheless, the experience of many. This seems to be the anticlimax of the book of Romans but it is really the starting point--our END IS GOD'S BEGINNING according to Watchman Nee.
I believe you can fall away, but not absolutely, and finally. I do not believe that apostasy is a "clear and present danger" for the believer. I have heard it said that you should not believe in "eternal security" but perseverance. That means that we cooperate with God in our final security. I disagree with this, partly out of a personal experience where I can say I have strayed from the Lord and He has brought me back out of grace, and partly out of scripture.
The difference is not that we can say, "Now that I am a Christian I can go see a for fun and not worry about my salvation." I do not think any real genuine believer would ever say that it is only hypothetical. You can do what you want to if you love Jesus, but the things you want to do are different and are changed. We are held and kept in His hands and He has a tight grip on us. We do persevere in the end, though we may have our ups and downs and backslide, God, will heal us.
No Christian ever truly presumes on the grace of God or purposely goes astray; it usually happens slowly (he drifts away), by not being in fellowship or not going to church and waking up one day and realizing what you did, as God grants you repentance like the prodigal son. The Christian may go into sin, but he doesn't want to deep inside, he is just succumbing to temptation--it's not a temptation to some, who have no right to judge. God can cure him of his weakness and bring him back to the fold. If God allows it to happen, He has a purpose, because no one can thwart God's plan or resist His will.
One must understand that perseverance does not mean we will not sin frequently, or fall into it, but that our faith will not fail (David never lost faith, though he was out of fellowship for about one year). We should really give God the glory and stress the preservation that He does on our behalf. A word to the wise is sufficient: The Scriptural caveat is, "Let him who thinks he stands to take heed lest he falls" (cf. 1 Cor. 10:12). There, but for the grace of God go I. NB: Security and assurance can be distinguished but not separated--they go hand in hand and cannot exist independently. Soli Deo Gloria!
About Me
- Karl Broberg
- I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.
Monday, April 15, 2019
Assurance Of Salvation Part 5
First of all, it must be recognized that there is no assurance without eternal security, for one would never know if he were to persevere. Apostasy is never the final lot for the Christian--it is not a "clear and present danger," so to speak, even though one can temporarily be led astray by false teachers, Christ is watching out for His sheep. (We can fall from grace, but not absolutely.) "You have fallen from grace..." does not mean you've lost your salvation.
Faith in Christ is faith in His Word. Leaning on the everlasting promises. "Not one of them has failed." Good advice is to take a favorite salvation verse like John 1:13 and call it your spiritual birth certificate. God says it in His Word; I believe it in my heart; that settles it in my mind.
The entire book of First John was written primarily to give assurance of salvation and offers 7 tests that would be impossible without salvation to follow: Loving the brethren (1 John 3:9); Overcoming the world (5:4); Having the inner witness (5:10); Doing righteousness (2:3); Confessing the Lordship of Christ (4:15); Keeping His commands.
There are pseudo assurances such as spiritual interest, Bible knowledge, experiences, and moral behavior.
Some people have spurious faith and fall away and repudiate the faith. They were never true believers according to 1 John 2:19 which says that the went away that it would be manifest that they were not of us. They were enamored with some of the ideas of the faith or philosophies or: "converted" to the program, but not converted to Christ. They are "spiritual dropouts."
Jonathan Edwards wrote an entire book to give assurance as he studied the so-called "holy affections," which were impossible without conversion. (Having fellowship, sensitivity to sin, obeying God, rejecting the world, expecting the return of Christ, decreasing sin, love of the brethren, answered prayer, and experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit). His book was written in 1748 and is called A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections. He wrote it because of the Great Awakening, [which began about 1741] and so many people were being converted he wanted to bring some perspective to the converts.
To remain uncertain is to paralyze our walk and it is God's will for us to "know" that we have eternal life, not just "hope so" (cf. 1 John 5:13). Paul says, "...I KNOW whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to KEEP that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9--Emphasis added). Soli Deo Gloria
Faith in Christ is faith in His Word. Leaning on the everlasting promises. "Not one of them has failed." Good advice is to take a favorite salvation verse like John 1:13 and call it your spiritual birth certificate. God says it in His Word; I believe it in my heart; that settles it in my mind.
The entire book of First John was written primarily to give assurance of salvation and offers 7 tests that would be impossible without salvation to follow: Loving the brethren (1 John 3:9); Overcoming the world (5:4); Having the inner witness (5:10); Doing righteousness (2:3); Confessing the Lordship of Christ (4:15); Keeping His commands.
There are pseudo assurances such as spiritual interest, Bible knowledge, experiences, and moral behavior.
Some people have spurious faith and fall away and repudiate the faith. They were never true believers according to 1 John 2:19 which says that the went away that it would be manifest that they were not of us. They were enamored with some of the ideas of the faith or philosophies or: "converted" to the program, but not converted to Christ. They are "spiritual dropouts."
Jonathan Edwards wrote an entire book to give assurance as he studied the so-called "holy affections," which were impossible without conversion. (Having fellowship, sensitivity to sin, obeying God, rejecting the world, expecting the return of Christ, decreasing sin, love of the brethren, answered prayer, and experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit). His book was written in 1748 and is called A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections. He wrote it because of the Great Awakening, [which began about 1741] and so many people were being converted he wanted to bring some perspective to the converts.
To remain uncertain is to paralyze our walk and it is God's will for us to "know" that we have eternal life, not just "hope so" (cf. 1 John 5:13). Paul says, "...I KNOW whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to KEEP that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9--Emphasis added). Soli Deo Gloria
Assurance Of Salvation Part 4
I agree in theory that one must rest on the promises of God! We are fruit inspectors, but not of each other's fruit, but of our own--only we know if we are experiencing the joy of the Lord, etc. R. C. Sproul says that we "must search our OWN hearts." If we have come to a true love of the Lord, it is added assurance, because this is impossible without saving faith. (Cf. 1 Pet. 1:2-10)
Assurance can be intermittent and immediate assurance is not of the essence but of the well-being of our faith according to The Westminster Confession (ca. 1646). The Christian that says he knows he is saved because he feels it in his heart will be silenced when one of another religion can duplicate his feelings if they are not based on objective historical fact and the Word of God. Without the historical fact of the resurrection, all the feelings in the world would be useless and meaningless and in vain.
The best way to be sure is to have faith in God's Word--holding Him to His promises as the Supreme Promise Keeper: 1 John 5:13, John 1:12, Rom. 10:9-10, et alia. But note well that our faith is not perfect but God only requires UNFEIGNED faith, we are not to be hypocrites but to be sincere and honest with God.
The doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints as the Reformed theology calls it or better known as "eternal security" should be called the doctrine of the "Preservation of the Saints" according to R. C. Sproul because it is really God's keeping power and not our ability. If our salvation depended upon us we would blow it. God does make us responsible for "Keep [yourselves] in the love of God."
Two verses that might be problematic are Mat. 24:13 and James 5:11 which say, "He that endures to the end shall be saved." and "Blessed is he who endures." These can be seen as "provisos" or requirements, but also as promises! I believe that we can fall, but not ultimately, we can fail the Lord, but not ultimately. We can even embrace heresy, but God will rescue us in the end. God will never lead us beyond that we are able, so there is to be no fear that we will be burned at the stake and lose our faith. We can backslide, but we will not despair. As far away from the Lord that I have gone, but God never gave up on me, even though I couldn't believe how far I had gone after I had come back to him. Soli Deo Gloria!
Assurance can be intermittent and immediate assurance is not of the essence but of the well-being of our faith according to The Westminster Confession (ca. 1646). The Christian that says he knows he is saved because he feels it in his heart will be silenced when one of another religion can duplicate his feelings if they are not based on objective historical fact and the Word of God. Without the historical fact of the resurrection, all the feelings in the world would be useless and meaningless and in vain.
The best way to be sure is to have faith in God's Word--holding Him to His promises as the Supreme Promise Keeper: 1 John 5:13, John 1:12, Rom. 10:9-10, et alia. But note well that our faith is not perfect but God only requires UNFEIGNED faith, we are not to be hypocrites but to be sincere and honest with God.
The doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints as the Reformed theology calls it or better known as "eternal security" should be called the doctrine of the "Preservation of the Saints" according to R. C. Sproul because it is really God's keeping power and not our ability. If our salvation depended upon us we would blow it. God does make us responsible for "Keep [yourselves] in the love of God."
Two verses that might be problematic are Mat. 24:13 and James 5:11 which say, "He that endures to the end shall be saved." and "Blessed is he who endures." These can be seen as "provisos" or requirements, but also as promises! I believe that we can fall, but not ultimately, we can fail the Lord, but not ultimately. We can even embrace heresy, but God will rescue us in the end. God will never lead us beyond that we are able, so there is to be no fear that we will be burned at the stake and lose our faith. We can backslide, but we will not despair. As far away from the Lord that I have gone, but God never gave up on me, even though I couldn't believe how far I had gone after I had come back to him. Soli Deo Gloria!
Assurance Of Salvation Part 3
I hope you see the IRONY in my claiming (in a humble manner) that I am an expert on the subject of salvation assurance. I have studied it for a very long time, but it is my experience that I have learned the lessons through the school of hard knocks. No one really wants to be an expert on this subject, because it is embarrassing that one has struggled in this area. Why do we feel ashamed of our doubts? Doubt is an element of faith, not the opposite of it. I believe, help thou mine unbelief it says, right? \
What I have found out is that without the doctrine of eternal security there is no assurance, and that is why Catholics deny it, even present assurance of salvation. Lutherans are split, some thinking that if you lose your faith, you can lose it, but Martin Luther believed in the security of the believer like Calvin. The point is, is that we won't lose our faith. We can fall, but not absolutely.
There is no experience that you can claim that means your "in." God doesn't want you to base your assurance on experience (re attestation, e.g., tongues)--I don't care if you have prophesied in Christ's name, or have cast out demons. One must have faith in Christ alone for one's salvation, not in experiences, Like Christ said that he is blessed who believes and hasn't seen, so is he blessed who haven't had experiences of wonderment or awe. I am not trying to brag of my knowledge per se, but this is one area where I really believe I have a grip on and a solid take.
God wants us to be sure and the apostle John says in 1 John 5:13 that he wrote the letter that they might "know." Michael Faraday, the great scientist, was asked on his death bed what his speculations were now. He said, "I don't have any speculations, I have certainties!" "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9). Tongues isn't the only attestation experience (cf. Rom. 8:16). Soli Deo Gloria!
What I have found out is that without the doctrine of eternal security there is no assurance, and that is why Catholics deny it, even present assurance of salvation. Lutherans are split, some thinking that if you lose your faith, you can lose it, but Martin Luther believed in the security of the believer like Calvin. The point is, is that we won't lose our faith. We can fall, but not absolutely.
There is no experience that you can claim that means your "in." God doesn't want you to base your assurance on experience (re attestation, e.g., tongues)--I don't care if you have prophesied in Christ's name, or have cast out demons. One must have faith in Christ alone for one's salvation, not in experiences, Like Christ said that he is blessed who believes and hasn't seen, so is he blessed who haven't had experiences of wonderment or awe. I am not trying to brag of my knowledge per se, but this is one area where I really believe I have a grip on and a solid take.
God wants us to be sure and the apostle John says in 1 John 5:13 that he wrote the letter that they might "know." Michael Faraday, the great scientist, was asked on his death bed what his speculations were now. He said, "I don't have any speculations, I have certainties!" "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9). Tongues isn't the only attestation experience (cf. Rom. 8:16). Soli Deo Gloria!
Assurance Of Salvation Part 2
I am sort of an expert on this subject and would like to share some lessons I've learned in my spiritual journey.
Assurance is not presumption as the Catholics would have you believe, for Augustine said it was faith, even though Catholics say you must have a divine revelation to the effect to be sure of one's numbering in the elect; otherwise one is sinning unto presumption. There are four possibilities of assurance (according to R. C. Sproul): One can be sure of salvation and not be saved; one can be unsaved and know it; one can be saved and know it, or one can be saved and not know it. Assurance doesn't belong to the essence of faith (according to The Westminster Confession).
Some people have syllogistic (a major premise, followed by a minor premise, leading to a conclusion) assurance (As John MacArthur would say.): All Americans are saved, I am an American, ergo I am saved! They can be very ridiculous and there are many people talking about Heaven that are not going there, as the spiritual says. This is the phenomenon of false assurance.
True assurance comes from tried and proven faith through trials and tribulations and tests. One may or may not have an emotional reaction at salvation, but one shouldn't cling to the memory of some experience in the past as assurance, but only to present obedience and fruit. "Only he who is obedient believes, and only he believes who is obedient," said Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Obedience is the true test of faith--Abraham obeyed God.) God is not impressed with feelings but with faith. A relationship based on feelings is shallow. The person that says he knows he is saved because of a warm feeling will be silenced when someone of another religion can duplicate his experience. One must base his assurance on the Word of God and stand on His promises and take God at His Word.
Assurance is commanded and enhances our sanctification and if one is or a backslider his assurance may be taken away. "Be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure ..." (2 Pet. 1:10). "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves..." (2 Cor. 13:5 cf. 1 Cor. 11:28).
We are guaranteed by God to endure to the end and not to lose our faith. Hab. 3:18 says that "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord" through the crops fail, etc. Only when one loses the Lord has he lost all, and a Christian cannot lose the Lord. However, it is a synergistic effort or you could say we persevere as God preserves. Soli Deo Gloria!
Assurance is not presumption as the Catholics would have you believe, for Augustine said it was faith, even though Catholics say you must have a divine revelation to the effect to be sure of one's numbering in the elect; otherwise one is sinning unto presumption. There are four possibilities of assurance (according to R. C. Sproul): One can be sure of salvation and not be saved; one can be unsaved and know it; one can be saved and know it, or one can be saved and not know it. Assurance doesn't belong to the essence of faith (according to The Westminster Confession).
Some people have syllogistic (a major premise, followed by a minor premise, leading to a conclusion) assurance (As John MacArthur would say.): All Americans are saved, I am an American, ergo I am saved! They can be very ridiculous and there are many people talking about Heaven that are not going there, as the spiritual says. This is the phenomenon of false assurance.
True assurance comes from tried and proven faith through trials and tribulations and tests. One may or may not have an emotional reaction at salvation, but one shouldn't cling to the memory of some experience in the past as assurance, but only to present obedience and fruit. "Only he who is obedient believes, and only he believes who is obedient," said Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Obedience is the true test of faith--Abraham obeyed God.) God is not impressed with feelings but with faith. A relationship based on feelings is shallow. The person that says he knows he is saved because of a warm feeling will be silenced when someone of another religion can duplicate his experience. One must base his assurance on the Word of God and stand on His promises and take God at His Word.
Assurance is commanded and enhances our sanctification and if one is or a backslider his assurance may be taken away. "Be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure ..." (2 Pet. 1:10). "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves..." (2 Cor. 13:5 cf. 1 Cor. 11:28).
We are guaranteed by God to endure to the end and not to lose our faith. Hab. 3:18 says that "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord" through the crops fail, etc. Only when one loses the Lord has he lost all, and a Christian cannot lose the Lord. However, it is a synergistic effort or you could say we persevere as God preserves. Soli Deo Gloria!
Assurance Of Salvation Part 1
My area of expertise seems to be the assurance of salvation since I have backslid so many times and have had to repent and do the first things over and go back to square one so to speak ("I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely"). Sometimes I have compared myself to other Christians and have been discouraged, e.g. when they say they hear God's voice audibly and I don't, I think something is wrong. It is not just a matter of curiosity, but for our well-being.
We are commanded to seek assurance: "Let us draw near to God with full assurance of faith;" "Be diligent to make your calling and election sure..." "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves...." It seems like I have been saved many times, which I know is not biblical. I have a tendency to compare myself with others and wonder if I should be experiencing the same thing e.g., hearing audible voices from God.
I know the best assurance is that which comes from a holy and obedient life per Is. 32:17, which says, "The fruit of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance." Chuck Swindoll adds that only obedient Christians can have assurance. Disobedience and consequent chastisement take away one's feeling of the joy of salvation and one may doubt his position in Christ.
Remember: David prayed for the "joy" of his salvation to be returned in Psa. 51:12, not his salvation (after Nathan had told him of his sin and he repented). Soli Deo Gloria!
We are commanded to seek assurance: "Let us draw near to God with full assurance of faith;" "Be diligent to make your calling and election sure..." "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves...." It seems like I have been saved many times, which I know is not biblical. I have a tendency to compare myself with others and wonder if I should be experiencing the same thing e.g., hearing audible voices from God.
I know the best assurance is that which comes from a holy and obedient life per Is. 32:17, which says, "The fruit of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance." Chuck Swindoll adds that only obedient Christians can have assurance. Disobedience and consequent chastisement take away one's feeling of the joy of salvation and one may doubt his position in Christ.
Remember: David prayed for the "joy" of his salvation to be returned in Psa. 51:12, not his salvation (after Nathan had told him of his sin and he repented). Soli Deo Gloria!
Is Assurance Automatic?
Assurance belongs to the well-being of faith, but not to the being of faith (the bene esse, not the esse). It is not an automatic fruit, but, like all fruit, must be grown. Obedience and sanctification bring about the testimony of the Spirit within. Now, when I am talking of assurance, I am not talking about objective assurance or the knowledge that Christ died and rose again according to Scripture, but the subjective reality that it applies to you personally--like maybe you wonder if you have repented enough, etc.
The church of Rome has a pernicious doctrine that denies any assurance or ultimate security, except by divine revelation to that effect. The Canons of Dort (ca. 1618) condemned this position. They affirmed that it arises from good works, a good conscience, measure of faith (it can be intermittent or in degree), and from the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit ("The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God").
Christians can struggle with assurance and have carnal doubts, but usually, this is in the state of backsliding and maybe God's way of warning him. Martin Luther called this attack the "Anfectung" of Satan, whereby he wants to take away our security in Christ. The Westminster Confession asserts that infallible assurance does not belong to the essence of salvation.
We can feel abandoned by God, but we aren't, for He has promised us he "will never leave us nor forsake us." Sproul says we do not have to know we are saved to be saved, and I agree from personal experience. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (which really means God preserves as we persevere) affirms not only our present security but also our continuity in the state of grace and in the end we will not fall from it.
In sum, we are exhorted to "make our calling and election sure," and it a tremendous benefit or boon to our well-being to have this knowledge which leads to higher levels of sanctification. Remember, it's not an automatic fruit, and we can be saved without assurance, but the more pressing concern is those who have false assurance and think they are saved when not. Soli Deo Gloria!
The church of Rome has a pernicious doctrine that denies any assurance or ultimate security, except by divine revelation to that effect. The Canons of Dort (ca. 1618) condemned this position. They affirmed that it arises from good works, a good conscience, measure of faith (it can be intermittent or in degree), and from the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit ("The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God").
Christians can struggle with assurance and have carnal doubts, but usually, this is in the state of backsliding and maybe God's way of warning him. Martin Luther called this attack the "Anfectung" of Satan, whereby he wants to take away our security in Christ. The Westminster Confession asserts that infallible assurance does not belong to the essence of salvation.
We can feel abandoned by God, but we aren't, for He has promised us he "will never leave us nor forsake us." Sproul says we do not have to know we are saved to be saved, and I agree from personal experience. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (which really means God preserves as we persevere) affirms not only our present security but also our continuity in the state of grace and in the end we will not fall from it.
In sum, we are exhorted to "make our calling and election sure," and it a tremendous benefit or boon to our well-being to have this knowledge which leads to higher levels of sanctification. Remember, it's not an automatic fruit, and we can be saved without assurance, but the more pressing concern is those who have false assurance and think they are saved when not. Soli Deo Gloria!
My Assurance
My area of expertise seems to be the assurance of salvation since I have backslid so many times and have had to repent and do the first things over and go back to square one so to speak. Sometimes I have compared myself to other Christians and have been discouraged, e.g., when they say they hear God's voice audibly and I don't, I think something is wrong. The existence of the written Word of God doesn't preclude audible revelations or voices today. But I have learned to believe in the Word of God itself. The Bible doesn't preclude the possibility of God's audible voice today. My favorite slogan vis-a-vis assurance: God said it in His Word, I believe it in my heart, that settles it in my mind. Soli Deo Gloria!
Empirical Assurance
My doctrinal area of expertise and domain and what seems to be my element seems to be the assurance of salvation, since I have backslid so many times and have had to repent and do the first things over, and it seems like I have been saved many times, which I know is unbiblical. I have a tendency to compare myself with others and wonder if I should be experiencing the same thing: like hearing audible voices from God.
I know the best assurance is that which comes from a holy and obedient life per Isaiah 32:17 which says, "the fruit of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance." Disobedience and consequent chastisement take away one's feeling of the joy of salvation and one may doubt his position in Christ. In the Golden Chain of Redemption (Rom. 8:29-30), no one is lost in the shuffle! Soli Deo Gloria!
Distinguishing Works In Salvation
The best Scripture I've seen for the proof of eternal security is Rom. 8:30 which says that none will be lost--all who are foreknown will be justified. Without eternal security, there is no assurance of salvation, (the two can be distinguished but not separated) like the Romanists maintain.
If our salvation depends on our works we might blow it in the end--how do we know that we will endure to the end to be saved? The Bible always speaks of eternal life as something we have now, not after we die. If it is eternal it cannot be interrupted or lost. In a works religion you just never know how much is enough or how little is too little to lose it. Jesus said all manner of sin can be forgiven except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, so what sin do they think cannot be forgiven--Jesus makes intercession for us when we sin (Heb.7:25; 1 John 2:2). Your only way to have full assurance is to for salvation to depend on God and to be of grace alone! Soli Deo Gloria!
If our salvation depends on our works we might blow it in the end--how do we know that we will endure to the end to be saved? The Bible always speaks of eternal life as something we have now, not after we die. If it is eternal it cannot be interrupted or lost. In a works religion you just never know how much is enough or how little is too little to lose it. Jesus said all manner of sin can be forgiven except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, so what sin do they think cannot be forgiven--Jesus makes intercession for us when we sin (Heb.7:25; 1 John 2:2). Your only way to have full assurance is to for salvation to depend on God and to be of grace alone! Soli Deo Gloria!
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