Just catching up on my reading here and see my previous input was challenged.RZehr wrote: ↑Sat Dec 02, 2023 9:50 pm Is there no such thing as being deceived, or being a false prophet? Is it the mouths profession, or is it the fruit, of a man that is more trustworthy?Sudsy wrote: ↑Sat Dec 02, 2023 5:06 pm Can a professing believer be saved if he/she does not follow Peter's sermon instruction to be immersed in water in Jesus name and not repent for their disobedience ?
I think there are various questions that can be made to challenge salvation looking at a text in a certain way.
I'm going with the witness of the Spirit within that gives us assuarance that we have a saving faith. Scripture says we can know we are saved when our spirit bears witness with the Holy Spirit that we are children of God and this I experience so what man believes otherwise is his issue, not mine.
Yes, we certainly can be deceived and Satan is the great deceiver who disguises himself as a servant of light 2 Cor 11:13-15. And yes it is more than just the mouths profession but scripture says the mouths profession that Jesus is Lord is important (Romans 10:9-10). And scripture says it will be by their fruit that we will know who the false teachers are. However, it doesn't say a true Christ follower will produce perfect fruit and fruit is not produced in an instant.
Myself, I don't think 'simple obedience' is also easily extracted from the scriptures. If what Jesus said to the rich young ruler in how to have eternal life is what everyone must do to get to heaven, then most of us, if not all of us, won't get there. That is why I believe our relationship with the Holy Spirit is of primary importance to guide us in the way that we should go and our understandings of just what the scriptures are saying that God requires of us in the lives we are living today.
For almost 2,000 years most all Christ followers have not had the scriptures as we have our own copies today. What guide did they have for whether or not to be involved in wars ? It would appear that the primary Christian belief was along a 'just war' belief even after the scriptures were available to all. Am I to ignore that and believe all war participants in wars will not be saved / cannot rightly call themselves Christians ? Should I use the 'few there be that find it' be applied to nonresistance as to whether professing Christians are obedient and whether they will be saved ? Should I believe if we are not baptised by immersion we are living in disobedience and won't be saved ? Are women who don't wear a head covering of sorts and therefore living in disobedience not be saved ? Will musical instruments used in worship send those who do to hell ? And we could go on and on about where we are living in perceived disobedience.
Anyway, as I said before, I believe we can know we have eternal life as scripture says despite all our failings. I love that hymn 'Blessed assurance Jesus is mine'. It is not my works of righteousness that saves me but according to His mercy I am saved. Titus 3:5-7