Hello MDC,
my brother until now I have not seen any scripture. It is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of scriptures. Simply stating something doesn't make it so.
Yes Eternal life is in Christ, that is why we have to stay IN CHRIST to have eternal life. The Spirit is Life and this Spirit is an investment God made in us, we have to keep it and preserve it. That is what I see from scriptures.
Again preserving a free gift is not earning it. After I became born again, I strive hard to stay on the narrow road, I have forsaken sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. If I go back willingly to a lifestyle of sin, I will be cut off. If I also am fruitless to the Kingdom I will be cut off.
You said: "As far as
John 15, those who are being cut off are nothing more than false professors, tares among wheat, fruitless wolves among sheep."
There is nothing in that figure that even alludes to the fruitless branches being some kind of false brothers. This is something put in there to make it fit with the preconceived doctrine.
He said: EVERY branch IN ME that doesn't bear fruit will be cut off. He is saying they are branches. Branches are branches because they are attached to the Vine. They extract living sap (Spirit) by the Vine (Jesus). But if we are in Christ, we have to LET the Spirit produce the fruit for the Kingdom. That is because we can resist the Holy Spirit.
Acts 7:51 - You
stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always
resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
If we can resist the Holy Spirit that means the branch can prevent the Holy Spirit from producing the fruit for the Kingdom. That is why Jesus cursed the fig tree when it didn't produce in its season, He meant to say that it is the fault of the tree.
Now notice here,
John 15:6 - If anyone does not
abide (remain, stay)
in me he is thrown away like a branch and
withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
Jesus is saying to ABIDE IN HIM. To say that we have to abide (remain) in Him, means that we are already in. If I say to you, remain in the house, that means you are already in the house.
Why does the branch wither? Because it got cut off from the vine. That means the branch was living. Why was it living? Because it was in the vine and extracts life (SPIRIT) from the vine. The Spirit is life.
To make the branches some kind of false brothers, or false teachers is just pushing things INTO scriptures to make them say something they don't say. All this to make the passage fit with OSAS.
Can you answer for John 15:6 please?
Thank you brother MDC. All this with love.
God bless you!