Assurance of Salvationby All About Parasites Visitor
I'm glad I found this site. I have been having problems with some type of parasite. I think it's springtails. I can feel them inside my ears even during the day. They try to get into my mouth, nose, ears, everywhere they can. I can feel them "flick" their apendages inside my ears. That's why I think they are springtails. It's an awful feeling to think you are being paratized by something so small and pretty much unseen. I wanted to say however, that I am also a Christian, and am glad you are too. But I was wondering how you viewed the subject of assurance of salvation. I have always been taught that "once saved, always saved", but there are many different teachings about this subject. Some Christians and even pastors teach that we can 'lose" our salvation if we stray too far away from God. I don't know what to believe. It's scary in a way to think I might lose my salvation and die and end up in hell anyway. So if that's the case, why become a Christian in the first place? Or that's what people might say when you try to witness to them about their need for salvation. I just wondered what you thought about this subject. The other thing is---I believe we are living, if not in "the last days", then close to it. And if we as Christians are not raptured first, that means we will have to go thru the Tribulation, and the possible execution at the hands of the Antichrist (for those who refuse his mark). Next question for you----do you feel that we should prepare for this event and flee to safety when we see the "mark of the beast" coming? Or do we trust God with our lives and just wait to see what happens? I know in many places in the Bible, the Israelites were to flee from their persecutors. So, do we flee to safety as well? First let me say that I hope you have found some suggestions throughout this site that will help you get rid of the problem you are having with springtails, or whatever it may be that is attacking you. There are various suggestions for a good internal cleanse and immune system boosters, which I believe are very important. One visitor recently suggested that a good, safe, and natural option for decontaminating your home and laundry is Cedarcide. You use their BestYet as a fogger for the house and their PCO as a laundry soak. It's not necessarily "cheap" but if it does the job, it would be well worth it. You can find it at the Cedarcide Store website. Now, to your other questions about assurance of salvation, etc. I personally do not believe the Bible teaches that we can "lose" our salvation. A true or genuine believer is someone who is born into the family of God and has their spirit quickened or made alive again. (John 3 and Ephesians 2) The Bible also teaches that the Holy Spirit seals us unto the Day of Redemption and that we are kept by God. (II Corinthians 1:22, I Peter 1, and Romans 8:38-39) I don't believe that God wants us to be fretting all the time about our salvation. He wants us to have trust and confidence in Him and His ability to save through faith in Christ Jesus. (I John 5:13) I certainly understand why some people may believe that they can lose their salvation. There are a few Scriptures that when taken on their won can lead one to think that. However, I believe it is important to compare Scripture with Scripture and look at the Bible as a whole in order to get a better understanding, asking the Spirit of God to open your eyes to the truth. I am by no means saying that a person can "pray a prayer" for salvation and then go out and live their life like a child of the Devil feeling secure in a heavenly destination. The Scriptures in no way indicate that is the case. If we are a genuine child of God, we are free from the power of sin, NOT free to have the power to sin. When we sin, we will feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and seek forgiveness. If we do not, we can expect the chastisement of the Lord. If we don't receive that chastisement, God tells us that we are not really His children at all. (Hebrews 12:5-11) I also believe that we are nearing the return of the Lord. Rarely a day goes by that I don't think about it by viewing the events locally and around the world. I do believe that we will be "caught up" with the Lord (rapture) before the Great Tribulation period. (I Thessalonians 4) But, I wouldn't say that I am 100% confident on the timing of it. :) This is one of those areas in the Word of God that I don't understand completely. If we do have to go through the Tribulation, I don't recall any place in Scripture where it indicates that we can't do our best to flee from possible persecution. If we do have to face the persecution, I honestly believe that the Lord will give us the strength and the grace to endure whatever comes our way, just has He has does in our daily lives when we walk close with Him. Hope this helps alleviate some of your doubts about assurance of salvation, etc. I'm not a great theologian or anything, but I do love the Lord and have lived my life trying to please Him and become more like Jesus. Please let me know if I can be of further help. Blessings, Angie |
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