Destined To Reign

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Bro. Robbins

You know what is meant by that terminology.

Yes, Bro. Robbins, I know what is meant by the terminology, but I just HAD to inject some smart mouth remark.

People a lot smarter than I and a lot better than I have argued over the security of the believer and have not agreed with one another. I think we have seen extremes both ways ranging from the "Once in grace always in grace but with a dirty face" to people who are always afraid of losing their salvation through a careless word, an angry response to pain, or a minor infraction of the pastor's teaching.

The people described in Hebrews 6:1-9 were enlightened, had tasted of the heavenly gift, were partakers of the Holy Ghost, and had tasted of the good Word of God and the power of the world to come. This sounds like they were not just nibbling on samples but had committed at one time. Now they had "fallen away" and it was "impossible" to renew them to repentance. Some say this could only refer to those who had left the sacrificial and legal system of the law, accepted Christ's sacrifice and His righteousness, and then later repudiated Him and His work and went back under the law. Maybe.

The folks described in 2 Peter 2:20-22 had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord but had later become entangled by them and and overcome. The Apostle said their latter end was worse than the beginning and it would have been better if they had not known the way of righteousness.

In Romans 9, 10, and 11 where the Apostle Paul speaks of Israels past present and future, he warns that if Israel could be cut off by unbelief we can too because we stand by faith.

I know we should not establish doctrine by a parable but in the story of forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35, the man was forgiven a large debt but that forgiveness was rescinded when he did not forgive a debt owed to him. Jesus warns about an unforgiving attitude and seems to say we can lose our forgiveness from Him if we have an unforgiving attitude toward others.