Southern Baptist Beliefs

Displaced Bama Fan · April 13th, 2005, 02:33 PM

I was raised Presbyterian and really struggle with the "once saved, always saved" mentality of Baptists. I don't believe it first and foremost.

Let me ask you all if you believe in the "once saved, always saved" concept?

If so, why?

Let me throw a scenario at you while you ponder this:

A little boy was "saved" at age 8...he grows up to be a greedy slum lord, whore mongering, cheating husband who routinely beats his wife or better yet, a somewhat crooked/greedy politician. Is he still going to heaven when he dies if he doesn't repent?

Let me know what you think.

Gman4Bama · April 13th, 2005, 02:39 PM

Yes I believe in the once saved always saved because.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins one time. And he says in his word that if you trust in him nothing can pluck you out of his hands.

There is a big difference in saying your saved and actually being saved.

BamaJeff · April 13th, 2005, 02:55 PM

	Quote:	Gman4Bama
	Yes I believe in the once saved always saved because. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins one time. And he says in his word that if you trust in him nothing can pluck you out of his hands.

True. But you still have a choice whether you will remain faithful or fall away. If you receive Christ and choose to abide by the word of God, then NOTHING can take away your salvation. But if you let your spiritual guard down, I think you can fall back (backslide) and be out of the will and grace of God.

bamabake · April 13th, 2005, 03:03 PM

	Quote:	BamaJeff
	True. But you still have a choice whether you will remain faithful or fall away. If you receive Christ and choose to abide by the word of God, then NOTHING can take away your salvation. But if you let your spiritual guard down, I think you can fall back (backslide) and be out of the will and grace of God.

Not true. Not biblical either

Bodhisattva · April 13th, 2005, 03:03 PM

I had a roommate in college that believed he had cover for all his shady activities because he had been "saved." He cheated on exams, cheated on girlfriends, stole from me, etc. Of course, he had most people fooled because he played up his piety. There was always a justification for his actions, and he professed that he could do anything Monday through Saturday because he attended Church on Sunday.

My take: Do you think God is stupid? He knows what you do, and he knows the intent of what you do?

I lost track of this guy after college. I suspect he's working his way up the political ladder.

Bodhi

Gman4Bama · April 13th, 2005, 03:04 PM

I agree with you but if you backslide doesnt mean that your lost. I sin everyday does that mean im lost? nope. it means im human. When I asked Jesus in my heart as my personal Savior I only have to do that once. Each day I sin ( because I am human ) I have to ask for forgivness.

I accepted him through faith not of anything that I have done to earn it.

BamaJeff · April 13th, 2005, 03:20 PM

	Quote:	bamabake
	Not true. Not biblical either

Would you care to explain? Great men of God in the Bible failed God and had to repent. If they failed God, and had to REPENT AGAIN, what on earth makes you think that YOU are an exception? Even if you have been saved, you are still a creature of CHOICE. God made you that way because he wants you to CHOOSE him and remain with him BY CHOICE.

BamaJeff · April 13th, 2005, 03:23 PM

	Quote:	Gman4Bama
	I agree with you but if you backslide doesnt mean that your lost. I sin everyday does that mean im lost? nope. it means im human. When I asked Jesus in my heart as my personal Savior I only have to do that once. Each day I sin ( because I am human ) I have to ask for forgivness. I accepted him through faith not of anything that I have done to earn it.

Let's get one thing straight. There is a difference between sinning because you are human and PRACTICING sin because you think God's grace is a blank check to sin. Some folks say "well I have accepted Christ. Now I'm covered by God's grace and I can live and do whatever I want with no consequences." That cheapens the grace of God!

ValuJet · April 13th, 2005, 03:31 PM

This is one thing I have never been able to understand:

A man who's led a life of womanizing, gambling, etc., all the vices of life, then, on his deathbed, accepts Christ with a pastor at his bedside. It's the old "just in case" syndrome, no?

I understand it is our mission to bring as many people to Christ as we can, but this could be problematic. And I have heard of many people who accepted Christ as their savior a day before croaking.

...I also understand that I do not stand in judgement. I just look at this situation with a big question mark.

IHateUT · April 13th, 2005, 03:34 PM

Ephesians 2:4-9:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

Hebrews 9:26-27 :

Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Hebrews 10 9:14

9Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Romans 3 23:24

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1 13:14

13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Romans 8 31:39

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[l] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

To name a few...To say we can lose our salvation is to say that the Blood wasn't good enough. We have all sinned and fallen short. If works do not save us, how can works keep us saved? Once and for all...

bamabake · April 13th, 2005, 03:35 PM

	Quote:	ValuJet
	This is one thing I have never been able to understand: A man who's led a life of womanizing, gambling, etc., all the vices of life, then, on his deathbed, accepts Christ with a pastor at his bedside. It's the old "just in case" syndrome, no? I understand it is our mission to bring as many people to Christ as we can, but this could be problematic. And I have heard of many people who accepted Christ as their savior a day before croaking. ...I also understand that I do not stand in judgement. I just look at this situation with a big question mark.

God saved Paul after a life of murder :
Galatians 1 12-16

KillVols · April 13th, 2005, 03:39 PM

We will all have to stand before God one day and account for our actions..
Jesus did not give us religion he gave us a personal relationship with God.
Also, is there one sin that is worse than another? I believe sin is sin in the eyes of God.

If he ask Jesus in his heart he never leaves... no matter how far one strays... he speaks to you and reminds you.. He is always there.. I know this as fact because I am living proof!

Good topic.

bamabake · April 13th, 2005, 03:42 PM

	Quote:	BamaJeff
	Would you care to explain? Great men of God in the Bible failed God and had to repent. If they failed God, and had to REPENT AGAIN, what on earth makes you think that YOU are an exception? Even if you have been saved, you are still a creature of CHOICE. God made you that way because he wants you to CHOOSE him and remain with him BY CHOICE.

Galatians
2 16-21

I never said I was an exception to anything. Gods word is very clear on this subject.

..For if justification (rightousness, aquital from guilt) comes through(observing the ritual of) the Law then Christ (the Messiah) died groudlessly and to no purpose and in vain.(His deathwas the wholly superfluous).