My comments in ()
I am just trying to figure out what you believe. What you said so far sounds similar to beliefs that I have argued against for many years using the Bible.
( If you just asked me I would tell you. Instead you like to make assumptions and then next thing you are trying to tell me what I believe. I don`t like that.)
But can mortal sin (like murder, adultery, hate, etc.) separate a believer from God and cause them to abide in spiritual death?
( Of course.)
Do believers need to confess and forsake sin in order to maintain salvation?
(Of course.)
A moment ago you said there are plenty of differences between you and Calvin. Now you are saying that you are not going to waste your time studying Calvinism. So which is it? There are only 5 points in Calvinism and there are many websites that describes what these beliefs are.
( I know Calvinism because I have debated some. I have zero interest in reading what Calvin said apart from the pain of researching him for debating. Not going to do it to make you happy LOL! )
I don't believe that should be your attitude. Learning about what other Christians believe should be important to us in order to reach them if they are teaching something that is not biblically correct. We are told in the Bible to contend for the faith, and to correct and rebuke with all long suffering and doctrine.
( You do that in your own denomination, your own church, your own brethren that you have some responsibility for and who will listen to you. You can`t expect to come into a situation like this and rebuke everybody and then suddenly they all see the light and agree with everything you say. It doesn`t serve God to have that mentality. You remind me of me about 20 years ago. One day you`ll wake up, be burned out, and realize you used a bunch of your eneargy in a way that didn`t help anyone.)
I asked you to share your beliefs, and you initially simply refused to give me any answers. I am glad you gave me a little bit more information this time out. That was good, but I was expecting a more lengthy reply in why you disagree with me in this thread regarding this topic (Besides just the attack of my character). Again, if I assumed something wrong about your beliefs and they are not true, I would like to know all of what you believe on the matter that contradicts what I stated. I am more than happy to apologize if I assumed something wrong about you. But just know that I have had many tell me they are for holy living in the OSAS camp and then later they turn around and say they can sin and still be saved. So you will have to forgive me if it sounds like you oppose what I am saying with Scripture and to not be suspicious of your beliefs. Again, lay it all out for me in your view on sin and salvation. Be as exhaustive on this topic as you can. Do not do it to help me, but do it to help others who may come across this thread reading.
(But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little)
(This is just a recreational activity to me. I contribute content over time. So far it`s over 600 posts that collectively reveal much about me.)
The problem is that I asked you and you did not initially share. But again, I am glad you did share a little bit of info. here in this second post. Thank you for that, but I was hoping for a lot more so as to understand why you are hostile to what I have posted here with Scripture.
( I think I`ve been pretty straight to the point. You can`t accuse somebody of being something they are not, accuse them of believing things they don`t believe without a reasonable expectation that you will irritate them by doing so.)
( The best way to understand my theology is to realize that I only care about what Paul taught Gentiles to believe and do. I have no interest in what I will generously call interpretations of the scriptures that came later.)
How exactly do you see that I did that?
( Did what? You are so used to beating your strawman that you forgot to tell me what you think I thought you did.)
I believe that believers are intially and foundationally saved by God's grace through faith in Christ.
Being saved by God's grace is:
(a) Seeking forgiveness with the Lord Jesus Christ.
(b) Believing that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was risen three days later (the gospel).
(c) Receiving Christ as one's Lord and Savior.
Without this first act of salvation, no believer can be saved. Meaning, no act of good works can be done until they are first saved by God's grace through faith in Christ. In fact, if a believer happens to fall into sin on rare occasion, do they go out and do a good work to offset that sin? No, no. Most certainly not. They go to God's grace by confessing their sins to Jesus in order to be forgiven of those sins (1 John 1:9) (1 John 2:1).
But after we are saved by God's grace, we have to enter the Sanctification Process as a part of God's plan of salvation. So no I do not believe in putting the cart before the horse as you falsely assume or accuse me of.
( Only problem is you did put the cart before the horse. I didn`t have to make anything up to prove it.)
So you are of the view like OSAS proponents on this thread who believes we are saved and then we are changed automatically to follow the Spirit?
( I don`t believe it`s automatic. I strongly oppose those who do)
Before you said that a believer can fall away. What does that look like?
( In the Bible falling away means to stop believing Jesus is Messiah. In our day it`s like a former Chrisitan who becomes athiest, agnostic, non religeous in some way or converts to another religeon.)
I don't get that impression when I read Revelation 21.
( What impression? You`re talking to the strawman again.)
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination, or
maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.” (Revelation 21:27).
Revelation 22:14 says,
“Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city”
( These are standards that can only be met by having the covering of His righteousness and the help of His Spirit. Your efforts are filthy rags in his sight. In the original Hebrew it meant something more filthy then a dirty towel. You want to know why I`m disagreeing with your opinions? There you go.)