Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ames!sun-barr!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: ta00est@unccvax.uncc.edu (elizabeth s tallant) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: John MacArthur on "Once Saved Always Saved" Message-ID: Date: 19 Feb 91 03:12:30 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of NC at Charlotte Lines: 30 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In his article, John MacArthur presents an argument that salvation is not permanent. In return, I wish to say that salvation is permanent, and what he cited are examples of people who may have never been saved in the first place. Mechanically repeating a prayer and signing a card do not give someone salvation, and people who have done these acts without any form of sincerity would not gain salvation through them. This is a popular position of people who believe in permament salva- tion. By and large, we believe that once a person recieves salvation, he or she does not lose it. Yet, just because someone says he or she is saved does not mean that he or she is saved. While only God can judge individuals, we suspect that many who claim to be Christians and then utterly and permanently reject all that they profess may have never been Christians in the first place. The Bible warns us that there will be false teachers and false prophets. These people are put into place to make Christians fall and stumble. One of these people who convincingly professed to be a Christain (but deliberately lied) and then committed all sorts of atrocities would be enough to start making others doubt their salvation. According to "permament salvation ministers", this is exactly what the devil wants - to get people to start doubting their salvation and their relationship to God, which will in turn throw them into all sorts of confusion. We urge people to be sure of their salvation from the beginning, and do not doubt it after that.