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Thirdly, you have not dealt with the examples I took from Scripture. They are in there for a purpose, and I described one reason why they are placed there. It is not necessary for you to agree with what I said, but I submit that if you do not agree, then it is necessary for you to supply a reason why such incidents are in the Bible. Otherwise you are basing your arguments on rhetoric, and not on facts.
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Here is an example of my attempt to reconcile two verses favored by both sides:
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John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand
In order to be able to reconcile verses like this with being able to lose eternal life you need to have an understanding of what eternal life is and is not.
Eternal Life is a condition that exists in Christ alone. Only those that are “in Christ” are experiencing Eternal Life. The following verses are all ***ociating (Eternal) Life to Jesus Christ. So the answer to the question, what is the proper biblical Eternal Life? would be that Jesus Christ is Eternal Life.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:48 I am that bread of life.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him
1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
1John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
From this we can see that eternal life is not a quan***y of life. If you take time to read the verses supplied and check the context you will soon see that eternal life is Jesus Christ himself. Jesus, the life, is eternal. Eternal life has always existed and will never end that is why it is called eternal life. Eternal life was eternal before you or I had it and if we were to fall away eternal life will still be eternal. Believers have nothing to do with eternal life being eternal.
It is true that no man will pluck the saved out of the father’s hand. The idea of being plucked and wandering off are very different. Hebrews 3:12 warns us about departing from the living God. A believer departing is different than someone or something plucking us from the Father’s hand. In the parable of the lost sheep, the sheep was actually lost. In this case the sheep was recovered but if it was not it would have died outside the care of the shepherd.
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Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
This indicates how close God is to us but is not indicating OSAS.
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Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame
This is supporting that a saved person can fall away.