This is a mistaken characterization of my position. A Strawman. I believe a person will "endure to the end" because they are truly saved, receiving all they need from the Holy Spirit in order to endure.
No one on this board denies that we receive from the Holy Spirit all we need to endure. However, to receive from the Spirit all that you need to endure, you are obligated to
continue in the faith to live, walk, and sow to the Spirit who dwells in those who believe. These are the ones the Spirit leads, because many will resist, quench, insult, and grieve the Holy Spirit:
Romans 8:12-14 (NIV)
Writing to the Church in Rome
12 Therefore,
brothers and sisters,
we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.
13
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but
if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Galatians 6:7-9 (WEB)
Writing to the Church in Galatia
7
Don’t be deceived.
God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh
reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit
reap eternal life. 9
Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will
reap in due season,
if we don’t give up.
No, I am not saying "faith is a past experience." This is your Strawman version of what I'm saying. Faith is an integral and constant necessity in walking with God. "The just shall live by faith," Paul wrote. I believe it. But the salvation of the believer is a one-time event.
Yes, we already know you believe that once you believed that you are guaranteed salvation. Apparently you believe that means, that your faith is guaranteed to continue as well.
Despite what you believe, that is not what the Scriptures teach us. Rather, the Scriptures keep warning and admonishing us to continue in the faith, to endure in the faith to the end, to be eternally saved.
The Scriptures give us no guarantee that you will continue in the faith, but
salvation is guaranteed to those who do continue to believe onto the end.
Luke 21:34-36 (WEB)
Speaking to His followers
34 “
So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly. 35 For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth. 36 Therefore
be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and
to stand before the Son of Man.”
1 Corinthians 10:1-12 (WEB)
1 Now
I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5 However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6
Now these things were our examples, to the intent
we should not lust after evil things,
as they also lusted.
7
Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” [
Exodus 32:6]
8
Let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.
9
Let us not test Christ, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents.
10
Do not grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer.
11 Now
all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for
our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12
Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.
Hebrews 3:12-15 (WEB) 12
Beware, brothers and sisters, lest perhaps there might be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief,
in falling away from the living God; 13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”, lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ,
IF WE hold the beginning of our confidence firm to the end, 15 while it is said,
“
Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.” [
Psalm 95:7-8]
Hebrews 4:11 (WEB)
11
Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest
anyone fall after the
same example of disobedience.
Romans 11:20-22 (WEB)
20 True;
by their unbelief they were
broken off, and
you stand by your faith.
Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God didn’t spare the natural branches,
neither will he spare you. 22 See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those
who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness,
if you continue in his goodness;
otherwise you also will be cut off.
Revelation 14:12-13 (WEB)
12
Here is the perseverance of the saints,
those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” 13 I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that
they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.
Revelation 3:1-5 (WEB)
1 “I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2
Wake up and keep the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent.
If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you. 4 Nevertheless you have
a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments.
They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5
He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Galatians 6:7-9 (WEB)
Speaking to the Galatian Church
7
Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap.
8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh
reap corruption.
But
he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
9
Let us not be weary in doing good,
for we will
reap in due season,
if we do not give up.
Ephesians 5:3-9 (WEB)
5
Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater,
has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.
6
Let no one deceive you with empty words. For
because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. 7 Therefore
do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light, 9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
1 Timothy 1:18-20 (WEB)18 I commit this instruction to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them
you may wage the good warfare, 19
holding faith and a good conscience, which
some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith
1 Timothy 4:1-2 (WEB) 4 But the Spirit says expressly that in later times
some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 2
through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron
1 Timothy 4:14-16 (WEB) 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the elders. 15 Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all. 16
Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
1 Timothy 6:18-21 (WEB)
18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; 19
laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold of eternal life.
20 Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some profess, and thus have
wandered from the faith.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
As a Christian, that you appear to believe you are,
- Have you ever been tempted to sin?
- Did you sin?
- Did God provide you a way out?
- Did God's providing you a way out guarantee that you would never fall into temptation?
I believe you have since you believe obedience and sanctification are optional.
No one disagrees with these Passages. God does provide a way out, but that does not
guarantee that we will take that way out.
You have repeatedly said yourself, that the Corinthians were living fleshly, in sins, showing by their sinfulness that obedience was optional.
Obviously God provided a way out, but not all of them will be obedient to the faith. And, as the Scriptures keep warning, some will be tempted beyond recovery and will fall away.
In this sense, sanctification in practical living is temporarily "optional." Spiritual sanctification, though, is not. But, thankfully, this sanctification is a perfect work of God, utterly impossible for us to achieve on our own, that He performs upon us in and through Christ.
That is your belief, but not from God.
Sanctification is never optional.
Obedience is never optional.
That is a doctrine straight from the pit of hell.
God ransoms those who believe demonstrated by living holy, sanctified lives before him. There is no middle ground, no option to live unholy lives in any way.
1 Peter 1:14-18 (NIV)
14
As obedient children,
do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written:
“Be holy, because I am holy.”
17
Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors
God did not ransom the Christian to live optionally sanctified lives before Him.
James 1:12-16 (WEB)
12
Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for
when he has been approved,
he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. 15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin.
The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Hebrews 12:14-17 (WEB)
14 Follow after peace with all men, and the
sanctification (holiness)
without which no man will see the Lord,
15
looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God,
lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it, 16
lest there be any sexually immoral person, or
profane person, like
Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. 17 For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.
Romans 6:19-23 (NIV) Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness,
so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?
Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been
set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Go ahead and keep believing that obedience to God is optional.
Go ahead and keep believing that sanctification unto God is optional.
But don't promote your false doctrines on a Christian Message board where people come to here to learn the Gospel of Lord Jesus.
