def said in post #281:
Believers are saved when they received the gift of God (initial salvation); they remain faithful until the end (ultimate salvation).
Note that Calvinism's mistaken doctrine of once-saved-always-saved through assured perseverance (remaining faithful until the end) unwittingly ends up logically requiring Christians are robots. For if Christians can't choose to do evil to the point where they can ultimately lose their salvation, they no longer have free will. Also, the mistaken doctrine of assured perseverance unwittingly ends up logically requiring a Christian can have no present assurance he's truly saved. For if a Christian who doesn't persevere to the end was never truly saved, no Christian can presently have the assurance he's truly saved. For no Christian can know if he will persevere to the end. Down the road he could fail to persevere and so end up showing he was all along only a fake Christian, a self-deceived hypocrite.
def said in post #281:
Those who believe in Once Saved Always Saved, there is only one salvation, the Spirit keeps them sanctified till the end.
Note the Bible doesn't teach once-saved-always-saved, but shows that initially saved people, that is, Christians, will obtain ultimate salvation only "if" they continue in the faith to the end (Hebrews 3:6,12,14, Colossians 1:23). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that, instead of wrongly employing their free will to depart from the faith, to no longer believe, to commit apostasy (Luke 8:13; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Hebrews 3:12, Matthew 13:21), to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Hebrews 6:4-8, John 15:6; 2 Timothy 2:12b, Mark 8:35-38, Hebrews 10:38-39, Matthew 24:9-13).
Also, even if they do continue in the faith, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they also patiently continue to the end in obedience and good works (Romans 2:6-8, James 2:24, Matthew 7:21, Philippians 2:12b; 2 Corinthians 5:9, Hebrews 5:9; 2 Peter 1:10-11, Hebrews 6:10-12, Philippians 3:11-14; 1 John 2:17b), as in works of faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3, Galatians 5:6b, Titus 3:8) (not works of the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that, instead of wrongly employing their free will to become utterly lazy without repentance, to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Matthew 25:26,30, John 15:2a).
Also, even if they do continue in faith and good works of faith, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they also continue to the end to repent from every sin they commit (Hebrews 10:26-29; 1 Corinthians 9:27, Matthew 7:22-23, Galatians 5:19-21). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that, instead of wrongly employing their free will to commit unrepentant sin, to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Luke 12:45-46; 2 Peter 2:20-22, Romans 8:13; 1 John 5:16, James 5:19-20).
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they get water-immersion (burial) baptized into Jesus Christ's death for our sins (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21, Romans 6:3-11, Colossians 2:12, Galatians 3:27, Acts 2:38). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that (cf. Acts 22:16a).
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they partake of the divine flesh and blood of the bread and wine of Communion (John 6:53, Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that (cf. John 6:60,66).
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they forgive everyone for every wrong (Matthew 6:14-15). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that (Matthew 18:21-35).
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they do all they can (Romans 12:18) to make reparations to and peace with everyone whom they've ever wronged (Matthew 5:23-26, cf. Acts 24:16). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that.
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they help other Christians in need (Matthew 25:34-46). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that (3 John 1:10b).
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they provide for their families (1 Timothy 5:8). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that.
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they don't commit the unforgivable sin, which is blaspheming God's Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29). An example of blaspheming the Holy Spirit is saying an act performed by the power of the Holy Spirit (e.g. Matthew 12:28) was performed by Satan (Mark 3:22-30). There's no assurance Christians will never choose to say that (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:39b; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they don't remove words from the book of Revelation and publish the altered text as if it were the original, without repentance (Revelation 22:19). And there's no assurance they will never choose to do that (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:2).
Also, Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they don't worship the future Antichrist and his image, and don't willingly receive his mark on their right hand or forehead (Revelation 14:9-12, Revelation 13:16-18). And there's no assurance they won't choose to do those things (1 Timothy 4:1).
Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they continue in God's goodness to the end (Romans 11:20-22). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that (Luke 12:45-46).
Christians will obtain ultimate salvation only if they overcome to the end (Revelation 3:5, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 2:26). And there's no assurance they will choose to do that (Revelation 21:7-8).
All this is said not to engender any unhealthy fear in Christians, but the healthy fear which all Christians are supposed to have (e.g. Romans 11:20-22).
And all this is said not to engender any despair in Christians, but the healthy, close-clinging to the person of Jesus Christ Himself, which all Christians must continue in (John 15:4-6). For while God makes it possible for Christians to do the right things (Philippians 2:13) toward their ultimate salvation (Romans 2:6-8, Philippians 2:12b, Matthew 7:21), this is possible only so long as they continue to abide in Jesus. For on their own, apart from Jesus, they can't do anything good (John 15:4-5).
Also, Jesus isn't a hard taskmaster. He will never give Christians more work to do for Him than they can easily bear (Matthew 11:28-30). So if Christians ever get stressed out that Jesus is asking them to do too much, it's not Jesus asking them to do whatever is stressing them out (Luke 10:40-42). They need to take a step back and ask Jesus what particular spiritual work He's actually asking them as individuals to do (Mark 13:34, Romans 12:6-8).