Re: Once Saved, Always Saved?

this point is constantly discussed here without actually being alluded to in a manner as direct as you have put it. i suppose it boils down to the question, "when are we saved?" for a saved person is just that.

another way it is discussed is as the doctrine of "eternal security" and even gets included in questions of "predestination". all of these ideas have their genesis in scripture, but they must all be reconciled to all of the rest of scripture. the ones that come to mind, and which seem to answer the question of when one is saved, are these:

Matthew 10:22
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Matthew 24:13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Mark 13:13
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

then, of course, the question is what constitutes the end? at any rate, i take what jesus says over what anyone else has to say in the matter, as he is the savior and the one to whom the father has said to listen. and if my experience with the scriptures is any indication, they are usually not as clear as they first appear to be. our perception changes as we gain experience with the lord and mature. and that takes commitment and obedience to jesus.

to question whether or not one is worthy of salvation is a moot point - none of us are. to question whether or not one can be saved is to question the lord himself, and would be counter productive. to demand assurance of salvation...what would be ones motive in that?