(Proverbs 7:25 KJV) Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
I could never be a Calvinist and, although I consider them brothers in Christ, I usually cannot attend a church for long if the pastor believes in P. What is “P”, you say? It is the last letter in TULIP and represents the “perseverance of the saints”. Even there it is not the phrase but the way it is understood. I understand it to mean that those who persevere to the end will see eternal life. The Calvinist sees it as an ironclad guarantee of salvation even if you drift into apostasy.
This verse is a reminder and a warning to stay on the path of righteousness. Obviously we have times when our attention may wonder or we get careless. This is not about a momentary drift. This is about making decisions that turn us aside. It is serious because whatever your theological persuasion, look down a few verses and you see that the danger of this drift is hell, Sheol, and death.
So? Stay focused. It makes a difference.
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2 comments:
As I'm sure you realize, those of us who believe "once saved..." believe that those who choose to go back permanently to sin had a phony conversion in the first place. I assume that's not your belief.
Some of the best discussions I had were with a guy who believed that. As I pointed out to him, I was more secure in my salvation than he was because he could never know if he was really one of the elect. What if he only thought he was saved but he really wasn't? How would he know? He couldn't. I can. Thus I am more secure even though I believe that I have the freedom to turn my back on God.
Grace and peace
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