Do we ever know for sure if we are? (If we are ever saved I assume?) A mon avis, that would be when we are in Heaven, and no longer in a position to make mistakes and sin (heaven will be perfect so no sin will take place).
hi Mr Dave!
well, i do believe not only
can we know we are saved,
we are to know it.
here's where i suppose we greatly differ theologically, specifically re
Soteriology.
for me, a simple reading of The Bible shows that we are SAVED by Grace through faith (qualifier: saving faith). i believe God Purposed and will Accomplish the absolute redemption of all who receive saving faith, which is by Grace, not of works....Grace, Faith, Jesus: ALL GIFTS
i believe God calls, God saves. He is able, and He is willing. He has Purposed it, and it will be.
1 John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Romans 3:24
and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Romans 4:4
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due
......you know the rest.
What John Wesley said,
Soooo, We get to heaven (are fully saved) by God's grace, a grace that is always present (that is prevenient grace) that works within us, from pardoning (that is, the justifying grace), through the transforming of us to make us holy (that is, sanctifying grace), up until we become fully saved and are truly living with God.
This is all made possible by God's love, mercies... and Christ's atoning sacrifice.
i find all this to be man's reasoning since he can not understand the power of God, nor the Purpose of God, nor the Finished Work of Jesus Christ.
look Mr. Dave: God is FULLY ABLE to justify the ungodly:
Romans 4:5
And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
what seems to be missed is that not only are we graciously forgiven our sins by the Penal Substitutionary Atonement, we have Christ's Righteousness (born under Mosaic Law, LIVED TO perfectly FULFILL IT) imputed to our account....BY FAITH. and He died and rose, according to the Scriptures.
this is for HIS GLORY.
its not our doing.
To the rest of your post,
I totally agree that fulfilling the first commandments is not easy and that the whole meaning is deeper. Christian Perfection doesn't say it's easy to perfectly love God but that it is possible, it is possible to refrain from all forms of idolatry however slight, it is possible to give money to the homeless man on the street (or any other example of showing love to our neighbour) etc...
hi Dave.
i couldn't disagree more.
it is NOT possible for man to fulfill even the First Commandment (even Christians, no matter how holy or devoted). we do not grasp how HOLY God is, and what the FIRST COMMANDMENT really means. only Jesus fulfilled The Law. Jesus is Divine.
the Law's purpose is primarily to
- establish God's PERFECT STANDARDS (as revealed to man....i feel great fear when i consider that He has condescended to even make THE LAW so "simple" - He is far GREATER than the Law given at Sinai.
-
show us how sinful and unable and utterly hopeless we are
-
point us to Jesus Christ, the Righteousness of God, which we may partake of through Faith in HIM - His Work...on our behalf...Jesus is the only way to God and eternal Life.
- the Law provides us with our moral and judicial imperitives whereby we may live a life on this earth in keeping with His Love and Justice - it can not bring us to eternal life.
It is possible to stop willfully sinning (in our fallen state some things will still happen though that run contrary to God's law).
i'm sorry Dave.
sin = transgression of The Law....you call it "run contrary to"....Mosaic Law does not allow for that redefinition.
unless he has changed the definition of that, we are still sinners.
one sin = DEATH.
so, we are either still sinners and in trouble, or God through Christ has performed a Redemptive Work APART FROM OUR SIN whereby He is able to satisfy His requirement for punishment of transgression of the Law, AND
impute the required Righteousness (PERFECTION) to enter His presence: is this something we do? no. Jesus DRANK THE CUP OF WRATH MEANT FOR ME AND YOU, and He is PERFECT.
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
does james mean to say, then, that in order to not be accountable for ALL OF THE LAW, we should only try to fulfill parts of it? or is he saying we are incapabale of pleasing God under Law?
Galatians 5:2
Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
Galatians 5:3
I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
is Paul saying as long as we don't submit to circumcision we can please God under the Law?
This living a holy life is sometimes seen by others as being legalistic, and trying to gain favour with God, but it is not, this must always be a response to what God has already done for us. Surely by allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us, it is possible to love God fully.
I think I've answered some of your points, sorry if I've just given you a rambly post
Dave...i truly am grateful for this discussion, and your graciousness.
i know we are to live right and be separate, strive to PRACTISE righteousness and live for God.
but the evidence that The Holiness Movement doctrines ARE legalistic in the starkest form is in its inherent inability to move away from Arminianism; and in its misunderstanding of Whose Righteous Garment has been provided for the WEDDING.
~ love you
child
Soli Deo gloria