All I'm saying is that people who change their minds were never saved.
But upon what basis can that claim be made?? Jesus Himself TELLS us about those who "believe for a while". I do believe that words mean things.
You can't 100 percent deduce from this part of the parable that sprouting seed is indicative of real faith. If anything it is indicative of a false faith because it didn't last.
Well, sure, one can close their mind to that. But there is nothing in Scripture about a "false faith". Jesus didn't use that word. In fact, He SAID the second soil "believed for a while", with nothing to define that as a false faith. It is only a speculation or a preconceived idea that to "believe for a while" means a "false faith".
But here is the definition of a "false faith". Trusting in anything or one for eternal life other than the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith surely is false, and does not save. But, saving faith is faith IN Christ FOR eternal life. 1 Tim 1:16
Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for
those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
See, I've given you Scripture that SAYS what I believe.
That's all good but I don't believe he had real genuine faith until he persisted in the faith.
That would be a preconceived idea pressing down on what Scripture says. The man dedicated much of his life to evangelism. One would have to argue that he was a conscious deceiver to have been an evangelist. Not plausible. Towards the end of his life, in an interview he said he "missed Jesus". No hostility, just melencholy.
Fortunately, God's grace is far greater than man's colossal failures and sins! And I have no doubt that C Templeton is very happy about that now!
No - and my number one reason for this is Hebrews 6:4-6 which makes it clear that one who had genuine faith and fell away cannot be restored to repentance.
Why think that not being restored to repentance means loss of salvation?
If such a person does exist there is no hope for them to return to the faith.
The verse says nothing of returning to the faith. Faith and repentance are not the same.
In light of the Hebrews text here I believe the parable of the sower is describing false faith which leaves room for such people to be truly converted in order to start living their lives (as scripture commands) for Christ.
Except there is no such words in the Bible as "false faith", "spurious faith", etc, although many reformed pastors use those words all the time to support their ideas.
When the Bible speaks of faith, it means faith in Christ for salvation. Every time. There are no verses that say otherwise.
If there were verses that actually and clearly SAID what your view claims, I'd have to agree with you. But the opposite is true. There are verses that demonstrate believers who have fallen from the faith.
1 Tim 5:11-15 and younger widows. What do you make of that?