#19
Post
by RickD » Sun Oct 29, 2017 7:10 am
Ottoman wrote:RickD wrote:Ottoman wrote:Must one understand eternal security in order to be saved? I've heard some say that it IS part of the gospel and a necessary requirement for salvation. I've heard others say no, it's a growth, sanctification issue...a doctrinal issue that one learns after salvation. I've heard good arguments from both sides. Just curious what you guys think.
As someone who unabashedly believes in eternal security, I don't think someone has to understand that he is secure in Christ, in order to be saved.
Believe in Christ. Trust in him for salvation. Period. That's all that's needed for salvation. The rest may or may not come as one grows and matures as a believer.
I agree, but when you ask someone if they trust in Christ and they say yes, then you ask them if there is anything they could do to lose their salvation and they say yes like murder/suicide...are they really trusting in Christ? Should we present them with biblical evidence for eternal security? The reason this all came up was because I heard someone say bringing up the issue of eternal security when witnessing can confuse people, because it has to do with their walk with Christ once they are saved. I tend to disagree. If a person is not convinced of their salvation, satan will tear them apart in their thinking, causing them to doubt and question their salvation.
If I understand what you're saying, I think we have two separate issues.
1) if one trusts in Christ for salvation, one doesn't need to believe in eternal security, in order to have eternal life
2) if one doesn't believe in eternal security, that may hurt their walk with God, and/or cause doubt of his salvation to creep in. But we still need to remember that once one is secure in Christ, one is secure in Christ eternally.
So yes, I agree it's important to talk about eternal security with a believer. Having doubt about eternal security certainly can hinder one's spiritual growth as a believer.
John 5:24
24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Kenny wrote:
"You don’t need faith, logic, reason, proof, or anything else to be atheist, all you need to do is reject what someone told you."
St. Richard the Sarcastic--The Patron Saint of Irony