Brothers in Christ Jesus. After much prayer for Wisdom I am starting this thread in an attempt to unite our teaching against the foreign, and strange doctrines being introduced as truth, if it be God's Will. First let us remember that our calling is to not only bring the Gospel to the heathen, but also to rescue the Children of God from the false shepherds who keep them trapped in the fear, mis-trust, and hopelessness of false doctrine. If we accomplish this by simply turning one heathens eyes to God, or by setting one Brother free from deception, then we have done God's Work, and we are truely of "blessed feet".
As we already know our teaching is Holy Ghost driven. We boast not in ourselves, or our wisdom. 2Cor 4:5 .Nor do we boast in deeds, sacraments, holy days, or activity, for our Lord tells us that it is not we who "willeth", or "runneth", but rather it is God's Mercy that Elects us for Salvation....Romans 9:16
I have seen alot of good teaching here by my brethren as they proclaim the Staying power of Eternal Salvation. The Scriptures given are poignant , and clear, HOWEVER, make no mistake, for every Scripture given by a Child of God to support Eternal Salvation, the stranger is quick to respond with Scripture to attempt to refute God's Word. Remember, the stranger, and his children can never reconcile Scripture, with Scripture, they simply exist to try and make scripture appear to contrdict itself.
THIS, is where we come in. Having the Mind of Christ, we must NOT simply try to counter Scripture, with Scripture, but rather We must Reconcile Scripture with Scripture. When we see the stranger attempt to use Scripture, to refute Scripture, we must take his "imaginations", and self exaltation, and make it CAPTIVE, and OBEDIENT to Jesus.
Therefore, I will start out by addressing some Scriptures which some have used to attempt to refute Scriptures that point to Eternal Salvation. I will NOT do this by simply posting more Scripture, but rather I will attempt , if it be Gods Will to reconcile the Scriptures with Gods promise of Eternal Salvation. Due to the busy time of year, it may take me several days, or weeks to address all the Scriptures listed below,but I will do so in acomplete fashion, so any help from my Brothers would be great. It's my hope that this thread will not degenerate into a bicker fest. We who are the Children of God MUST make sure that we stay focused.
The following 36 Scriptures are the ones I will reconcile with Scripture. They were posted in an attempt to make Christians believe that they can lose Salvation. Pray for me, that I may teach in Wisdom, and keep the stranger in check, and reconcile these Holy Scriptures, with ALL Scripture.
36 Bible texts that refute "eternal security"
Ezek 3:20; 18:24-26 righteous
turns away, commits iniquity
die in sin
Mt 25:1-13
took lamps and went to meet Christ
5 were foolish
"I do not know you"
Mt 25:14-30 Christ's own slaves
hid talent
wicked lazy, cast into outer darkness, weep & gnash
Lk 8:13 receive word with joy, believe
temptation, persecution
fall away
Lk 9:62
put hands to plow of kingdom
looked back to former life
not fit for kingdom
Lk 12:42-48 steward in charge of Christ's servants
beat slaves, drunkenness
cut in pieces, assign with unbelievers
Jn 15:1-6 branches
does not abide
thrown away, dried up, burnt
Acts 4:32;5:1-11 of those who believed
lied to Holy Spirit
God struck dead
Acts 8:9-24
Simon the sorcerer believed, baptized, received HS
offered money
heart not right, wickedness, gall of bitterness, bond of iniquity
Acts 20:17,28-30 elders, shepherds of church
false doctrine
drawn away
Rom 11:13-23 wild olive, grafted in v17, stand by faith V20
unbelief, not continue V20,22
not spared, cut off V21-22
1 Cor 9:26-27
Apostle Paul, preached to others
body not slave
Paul disqualified
1 Cor 10:1-12 standing (feel they are saved) V12
immorality, crave evil, grumble,
fall V12
Gal 2:11-14 Apostle Peter
false doctrine, hypocrisy
Literal Greek "stood condemned" V11
Gal 5:4 severed & fallen indicates previously joined and standing
seeking to keep OT
severed from Christ, fallen from grace
Gal 6:1 restore indicates once saved
caught in trespass
needed to be restored
1 Ti 1:18-20 Hymenaeus, Alexander: shipwreck indicates they once sailed good.
rejected faith and good conscience, blasphemed
their personal faith shipwrecked, delivered to Satan
1 Ti 4:1 fall away indicates once saved
false doctrine
fall away from faith
1 Ti 5:8 passage addressed to Christians
doesn't provide for family
denied faith, worse than unbeliever
1 Ti 6:10 passage addressed to Christians
love of money
wandered from faith, pierced selves with pangs
2 Ti 2:16-18
Hymenaeus and Philetus: gone astray indicates once correct
False doctrine: resurrection past
gone astray, upset other's faith as well
Heb 3:12
brethren
evil, unbelieving
fall away from God
Heb 4:1-2,11 brethren, addressed to Christians
unbelief, disobey
short of God's rest, fall
Heb 6:4-8
once enlightened, tasted heavenly gift, partakers of HS, Bible & powers to come, renew indicates restore to former cleanness
sin
fallen away, can't renew, crucified Christ again and put in open shame
Heb 10:26-31 recived knowledge of truth. no longer remains indicates they once had forgiveness
sinning willfully
no forgiveness of sin, fearful judgment
Heb 10:38-39
God's righteous, Christians
shrinks back
God has no pleasure in him, destruction
Jas 5:19-20
brethren, Christians
strays from truth, sin
soul will die in sins, sinner
1 Pe 5:8
Christians
sin
devoured by devil
2 Pe 2:1
Christians, "among you" had been bought by Christ
false prophets
swift destruction
2 Pe 2:20-22
escaped defilements of world by Christ, entangled again, returns to mire indicates they were once untangled and clean, known way of righteousness, had washed
entangled, overcome, turned away, returns to vomit/mire
last state worse than first, better they never had became Christians
2 Pe 3:17 beloved, Christians
carried away,
fall from own steadfastness
2 Jn 8-9 Christians, have accomplished
not abide in doctrine, false doctrine
lose, no reward doesn't have God
Rev 2:4-5 Christians in Ephesus
left first love
fallen, lampstand removed
Rev 3:5 Christians in Sardis
deeds incomplete
are dead
Rev 3:16-17
Christians in Laodicea
lukewarmness
spit out of Christ's mouth
Well mgman, how about these? These don't count or maybe you think we should leave them out?
Romans 11: 21-22 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he spare not thee. V:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on then which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Heb.6:4-6
[4] For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
[5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
[6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Mark3:28-29
[28] Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
[29] But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Gal.5:4
[4] Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
mgman, for every Scripture you post, you are reconciling Scripture with Scripture! What makes the Scriptures you post HolierThan Thou?
__________________
Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
Ezek 3:20; 18:24-26 righteous
turns away, commits iniquity
die in sin
While in this context it appears that a righteous man can turn from righteousness, we, through the Holy Ghost need to reflect what is going on in the first chapters of Ezekiel. The prophet is pointing the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, and His Charge from God. You see Jesus Christ was sent as a Watchman as we see in verse 20, to warn the house of Israel, which is a picture of the coming Church. In these verses He is literally among the people, as He will be among Israel during His coming Ministry. Let us read the 20th verse in full......
***Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.***
The key to this verse is understanding that the righteous man is a picture of the man before his fall. The sin committed in the garden erased all righteousness that man could claim, for Scripture tells us that "No one is righteous", and that without the intercession, or warning of Jesus, they will sin, and perish. HOWEVER, the Scripture is reconciled when we read verse 21...........
***Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.***
Here we see a different righteous man, for since the Bible proclaims that man by himself can never be righteous, we must realize that this different "righteous" man is a picture of a Child of God, ie a person who has received the intercession, or warning of Jesus Christ, thus making his Spirit incapable of sin. Armed with this Knowledge, we can now reconcile this Scripture, with Gods other Scriptures, and use it to enhance the teachings of God that proclaim that Salvation is eternal, and cannot be lost.
Matthew 25
1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh
Here we see Jesus once again hide His Word from the unsaved, as He gives this parable to His Children. In this parable we see a picture of the Children of God who represent 5 of the virgins, who are called "wise". The other picture is the picture of the children of satan. They are the 5 virgins called "fooloish" . The heart of this parable teaches that the True Believer will always be assembled at the Return of Christ, being able to be recognized by Jesus, by their lights that shine through the dark world. The unbeliever, or the "foolish" virgins, will run around at the last minute, trying to purchase light from the worldly merchants, but they will never be taken home with the BrideGroom, because of them it is said, that "He knew them not".
The reality of this parable teaches that Gods Bride is eternally secure, and that those imposters who pretend to be His Bride, will be passed over, and left without a light.
In order to do so, we must read the Scripture in context, paying close mind to the parable......
-------------
5A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
16No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
17For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
18Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
-----------------------------
In this parable we see clearly that the seed is the Word of God, or the Gospel message. Many read this parable incorrectly, and try to equate the Seed, with man, and this is why it can lead to confusion. The parable is simply saying that Gods Word cannot grow in a climate that is barren, or wrought with false teaching. This is why so many churches are dead. The Seed of God, His Word can never grow in the worthless soil of religion. This is why so many people are stunted, and immature, and cling to the teachings of their various denominations.
HOWEVER, notice where God says His Seed, that is His Word will grow, and prosper.......in the good ground, and in the GOOD HEARTS of the True Believers, for you see in other Scripture it says that the Word of God, The Seed, is written upon the HEARTS of the Believers. That is where it grows. The unsaved man looks for Gods Word in print, and trys to understand with his unfruitful mind, which leads to confusion.
Let us examine the Scriptures found in Luke 9:61-62
***And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.***
Here we see a man who says he wants to follow Jesus , yet he is asking Jesus to allow Him time to go back to his home, and settle farewells, which in effect is saying that he is truely unsaved, and void of faith, for this parable speaks of the false christians who claim to follow Jesus, while never losing concern for the world.
Jesus simply tells this man that a True Child of God never looks back once Chosen for Salvation, hencing proclaiming again that Salvation is Eternal.
To Reconcile Scripture
