Truly, no one who is alive right now has been saved yet. Men have concocted such a thing as "once saved, always saved," or, they say, "if saved always saved." This is a gross misunderstanding of Scripture and God's ways in saving man. Only in an eternal sense, such as a man or woman has died and has gone to be with our Father in heaven can they say assuredly "I am now saved and will always be saved."
Consider this verse, 1 Peter 1:9, "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
Luke 21:33-36 is a very sobering passage for us, let us not wrest away the trembling by evil presumption. Think: if Jesus said that Luke 21 passage to His disciples, what of us? Of all men on the earth after Jesus, the Holy apostles of Christ were above all men in eminence, power, faith and love. But what of us? Have we as individuals or as a congregation of so-called believers come close to what they did by faith? I am trembling even now writing this, that for so many the words of Jesus will ring true when He returns: "is there faith on the earth?" I could weep...
"Today is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2) says the Spirit to 40yr old saints and to babe's in Christ AND also a general call to the unsaved sinful world. Do you see it? Every day we are to make our calling and election sure, never sliding back, "keeping His Word" as Jesus in John 8:31 says. I take the several "todays" in Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 to be the context in which present tense saving faith works. There is no such animal as past tense faith; faith is NOW, Today, moment by moment. Are our moments governed and ruled by the faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15)?
Israel had the promise but forfeited the promise, the rest and the promised land by sin and doubt. So God said to chosen Israel, that first generation that went through the bloody sea and drank of the rock (which is Jesus Christ), "they shall not enter My rest," though I believe God 'willed' them to enter that rest.
Help me if I am wrong, but I don't see our faith today as being any different than the faith Israel was commanded to exercise then except for a bloody sea it is now a bloody cross. Have you entered with Jesus into His death? Are you crucified with Him? And raised to new life? Are all things in your life "of God"? (See 2 Corinthians. Chapter 5)
Consider this verse, 1 Peter 1:9, "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
Luke 21:33-36 is a very sobering passage for us, let us not wrest away the trembling by evil presumption. Think: if Jesus said that Luke 21 passage to His disciples, what of us? Of all men on the earth after Jesus, the Holy apostles of Christ were above all men in eminence, power, faith and love. But what of us? Have we as individuals or as a congregation of so-called believers come close to what they did by faith? I am trembling even now writing this, that for so many the words of Jesus will ring true when He returns: "is there faith on the earth?" I could weep...
"Today is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2) says the Spirit to 40yr old saints and to babe's in Christ AND also a general call to the unsaved sinful world. Do you see it? Every day we are to make our calling and election sure, never sliding back, "keeping His Word" as Jesus in John 8:31 says. I take the several "todays" in Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 to be the context in which present tense saving faith works. There is no such animal as past tense faith; faith is NOW, Today, moment by moment. Are our moments governed and ruled by the faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15)?
Israel had the promise but forfeited the promise, the rest and the promised land by sin and doubt. So God said to chosen Israel, that first generation that went through the bloody sea and drank of the rock (which is Jesus Christ), "they shall not enter My rest," though I believe God 'willed' them to enter that rest.
Help me if I am wrong, but I don't see our faith today as being any different than the faith Israel was commanded to exercise then except for a bloody sea it is now a bloody cross. Have you entered with Jesus into His death? Are you crucified with Him? And raised to new life? Are all things in your life "of God"? (See 2 Corinthians. Chapter 5)