ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED...????...heaven to hell and back again...
Posted : 3 Sep, 2010 02:30 PM
was curious about the doctrine of once saved always saved.....being the son of a great baptist preacher....i had heard this many times growing up and its still taught today.....I know what i believe today....its goes something like this...
once saved always saved....? yes,no and yes...maybe...!!!!
ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED...????...heaven to hell and back again...
Posted : 27 Oct, 2010 05:39 AM
tj121, greetings!
Heard a sermon on this before by 1 or 2 preachers out there. One of them I admire very much; Dr. Charles Stanley Sr.
The only problem is that it defies both reasoning and logic. God defies reason and logic as well with some things but if I could present one example in the form of a story;
John*, at 22 years of age learns about Jesus through a co-worker who is kind, supportive, and always there to listen or help. John sees Christ & fruits of the Spirit though this co-worker and accepts Jesus into his heart to be his Lord, his Love, and his Savior. It's not that John doesn't have a conscience but is rather finally taking a good luck at that conscience.
John starts to study the bible daily, listens to sermons on the radio a few times a week to stay in God's word, and this continues on for several years and a transformation is seen from within. The Spirit shines through him daily, and he helps a few close friends come to know Jesus the way he does.
Later on down the road in life, John gets into a pinching bind in life. He keeps praying & starts to plead with God near daily for deliverance, for sustenance, or assistance of any kind from above. One of his Christian friends is no longer Christian, another he cannot reach or find. The God I know... isn't about meeting all of our wants and desires but we He knows what we truly need, and sometimes that is a wilderness for shaping. John decides that after a year of praying for help, and getting involved with poor influences when it looks like God isn't doing a thing.. to turn to an atheist lifestyle, or a secular humanist if you prefer.
Today, one of John's most prioritized tasks is trying to lead people away from their perceived "delusion" of God or His Son, Jesus. He moves on to seek ill pleasures of the flesh because there are no more cut and dry moral rules of adherence. John is writing a book about God being a big delusion and wants to see it on every bookshelf in the world.
Jesus still loves John dearly and weeps, but is John still forgiven when he gives up the ghost? Over the remainder of his life, John led a self centered life, one of simple pleasures while attempting to indoctrinate people around the world that Jesus isn't even real. He is somewhat successful in this caveat.
I'm sorry I haven't brought any scripture here to back up a single word typed here, getting rusty on verse numbers! I do want to say that in regards to the two thieves on the cross with Jesus at Calvary, of one which asked Jesus Himself for forgiveness and was saved.. I truly do believe that man next to Jesus, *not* that thief next to Jesus, but that *man* (he was forgiven) next to Jesus is there with Him this very instant in Heaven where we all feel a deep calling as home. It's not a well documented facet of life, but many people who are at their last breath on Earth sincerely try to reach out to God... and He is merciful as well as loving.
On a final note, my feelings indicate truly that "once saved always saved" can easily be a key to a doorway of destruction. The first time I heard it, the discernment light kicked on. That's the "Examine it closely & biblically!" notification to me.
Also, one could ask if God has both the ability to add a name to the Book of Life up there, as well as the ability to remove a name from the Book of Life up there. Or is He restricted to only adding names?
God knows our hearts better than we do. Put your faith in Him, rather than doubts and disagreement.
While almighty God will use tragedy or hardship for His glory, He does not want even [b]one[/url] to perish eternally and He is also in *complete* control.
*John is a fictional character used for this story. It was either that or Francis.
