1. It cannot give faith for faith comes by the word of God (Romans 10:17)
Faith does not come from the word of God---faith comes from our own HEARTS---
from HEARING the Word of God...
"For with the HEART man believes (has faith-to-salvation)..."
13. The Holy Spirit does not give revelation today as revelation is completed (Jude verse 3).
Jude says "the FAITH was delivered once for all"---it doesn't say that there are no prophesies today...
12. The Holy Spirit does not work miracles today, as the miracles are now written (John 20:30?31).
That's not what it says at all! Did you even READ this Scripture?
14. The Holy Spirit does not work miracles of confirmation, as confirmation ended when revelation ended (Mark 16:16?20).
Again you must not have READ it---nothing here that says "end". While we are "not to put the Lord God to the test" (Matt3:7,Deut6:16), Paul was BITTEN by a snake and
nothing happened to him... Acts 28:3
Isn't this true love never fails. But then you see that prophecies, tongues, and knowledge (not head knowledge but spiritual knowledge provided directly from the HS. SEE 1Cor 12:8) They will fail and they will cease.
WHEN? When the PERFECT COMES. (1Cor3:10) Hasn't happened yet. THAT will happen when JESUS returns. You are correct that 1Cor14:20 is a
rebuke against immature tongue-speaking (thinking they were HOT because they TONGUED), but Paul also says, "do not FORBID". And Paul says, "earnestly desire the higher gifts, especially that you may prophesy"...
It's either a promise of something in the future, or an instant event right here and now. It can't be both. You have vacillated between these two positions.
No it's not, no I haven't. Salvation is "IN CHRIST"---
"he who HAS the Son has the life---I write this that you may KNOW you have eternal life". Eternal life is the goal, the promise,
the inheritance, the reward (Col3:24). Salvation is our GRASP of that inheritance. Thus, "he who endures to the end is saved"---meaning, "he who remains saved to the end, is saved"---displaying the SECOND meaning of saved, "saved-to-the-end", "eternal life".
Eternal life is the goal, saved is HAVING CHRIST---having the eternal life. If we REMAIN IN CHRIST, remaining saved, then we will be SAVED-ETERNALLY.
"Saved" has two meanings---saved now, and saved finally.
What does *snip* mean?
I have already demolished this argument. It relies on a facile appeal to superficial proof texts, in the absence of a wider Scriptural context. It is intellectually dishonest, and theologically untanable.
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name". RECEIVING CHRIST, is identical to BELIEVING.
"As you have RECEIVED CHRIST, so walk IN Him." "He who HAS the Son, HAS the (eternal) life." We HAVE Jesus by RECEIVING Him, as LORD and SAVIOR. Which am I to believe---you, or Scripture?
But this contradicts your previous assertion; to wit, "Salvation is RECEIVING CHRIST---plainly stated in John1:12."
Apparently you're not understanding the essence of salvation---salvation is IN CHRIST. Those in Acts 10:44-48
BELIEVED, RECEIVED CHRIST---and they were saved, filled with the Spirit, spoke with tongues.
...and they were NOT YET WATERBAPTIZED...
But this also contradicts your previous assertion; to wit, "Salvation is RECEIVING CHRIST---plainly stated in John1:12."
Let's see what salvation is---it is ONE THING,
with SEVERAL DESCRIPTIONS!
1. Believing (John3:16)
2. Doing the will of God (Matt7:21)
3. Humbled as a child (Matt18:3-4)
4. Born-Again (John3:3)
5. Receiving Christ (John1:12)
6. Abiding in Christ (John15:1-7, 1Jn4:15-16)
7. Walking in the Spirit, walking in Christ (Rm8:12-13, Col2:6---
As you have RECEIVED CHRIST, so walk IN Him"
8. Immersed in Christ (not water), old crucified/dead, new born (Rm6:4-11, Gal2:20, 2Cor5:17)
9. Baptized in the Holy Spirit (different from water) (Matt3:11)
10. Righteous, godly (1Jn3:4-12)Jms1:2-4,12)
11. Saved through fire of trials ("Every tree that bears fruit, He will PRUNE that it may bear more fruit"---John15:2) (1Cor3:15,1Pet1:7, Jms1:2-4,12)
Do you understand now? One SALVATION,
many descriptions---
all equally valid, all identical---all referring to the ONE SALVATION
He says we are buried by baptism into Christ. "Baptism" means "immersion in water"; ergo, in order to be "in Christ", we must first submit to baptism.
Baptism does
NOT mean
"immersed-into-water", it means "IMMERSED". Haven't you been looking up the verses we've been throwing at you? Since you are disinclined to look them up, then I'll quote Matt3:11:
"I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who comes after me ...WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT"
The Greek, means "immerse". Let's use the ACTUAL meaning in the verse:
"I immerse you in water, but He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit".
Christ will immerse with the Holy Spirit,
not water. Is it finally clear? Or will you contend that John means "immersion-in-the-Holy-Spirit-THROUGH-WATER"? Be careful---if you take THAT path,
then you ALSO MUST contend that sinners are immersed in Hell-fire THROUGH WATER!!! Are you prepared to argue that Hell is through WATERBAPTISM???
Matt3:12 explains that the FIRE in 3:11, is for the CHAFF, IE Hell.
BECAUSE Holy Spirit baptism is SEPARATE AND DISTINCT from waterbaptism, then the "IMMERSION INTO CHRIST" of Rom6, which is equivalent to IMMERSION IN THE HOLY SPIRIT (both refer to SALVATION), Rom6 is ALSO not speaking of waterbaptism!!! It is IMMERSION INTO CHRIST! Both, "IMMERSION ITO CHRIST", and "IMMERSION INTO THE HOLY SPIRIT" happen at SALVATION---and NEITHER means WATER!
But you have not yet proven that they were saved before baptism.
The burden of proof is left to the accuser---if you REALLY BELIEVE that they were
"filled wiith the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, but were NOT SAVED, then please, PLEASE show me the Scripture
where the Holy Spirit INDWELLS THE UNSAVED!
Does Hellfire come through WATERBAPTISM? If you answer "NO", then you are FORCED to admit that HOLY-SPIRIT-IMMERSION is DIFFERENT AND SEPARATE from waterbaptism.
If you admit that the Holy Spirit WILL NOT indwell unbelievers, if you will simply read Paul's words in Acts 11:17, "God gave the same gift as He gave to us AFTER BELIEVING", then you have NO CHOICE but to accept that they BELIEVED---and they RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH that belief---and they were SAVED!
...but they were NOT WATERBAPTIZED!!!