Savage Street Church of Christ

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1. LINDA BURGESS says:

   August 3, 2023 at 2:12 pm

   Hi Don. I must disagree with your belief that one can ‘fall away’ and lose one’s salvation. Jesus said that once we are His He will never lose us. John 6:39. If one ‘falls away’ then one was never saved in the first place.
   Linda

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   • Don Ruhl says:

     August 4, 2023 at 5:06 pm

     In John 6.39, Jesus said: “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”

     However, he also said in verse 37: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” He will not cast anyone out, but a person can certainly walk out, and Jesus will not force that person to stay. This is demonstrated later when he was speaking with the same people during the same conversation, that almost all of them were offended by some things that he said, and verse 66 says: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

     We cannot make John 6.39 contradict the many passages that I used in my sermon. In First Corinthians 9.27, Paul said that unless he exercised self-control, he would become disqualified.

     In Galatians 5.4, Paul said plainly: “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

     Paul also reminded Timothy, “that in latter times some will depart from the faith” (First Timothy 4.1).

     Paul also told Timothy that, “some have strayed concerning the faith” (First Timothy 6.20-21).

     This is why the Hebrew writer warns us: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 4.12).

     Hebrews 6.4–6 makes no sense, if it is impossible for a child of God to fall away.

     Moreover, all of Ezekiel 18 is non-sensical, if it is not possible to fall away.

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     • LINDA BURGESS says:

       August 10, 2023 at 12:53 pm

       Yes, Don, all of the above is true, of course. However, there is a great deal spoken by Paul on this subject when he says that it can be very difficult to keep from sinning but with God’s help we CAN do it. All we need to do is depend on Him to help us. If we are truly His child, He gives us the power and the wish (or need) to do this very thing. Without this help from Him, it WOULD be extremely difficult, but He promises us that He WILL be there for us. By preaching so much on
       the danger of ‘falling away’ without also speaking just as much (or more) about this wonderful power so easily obtained makes Christianity sound very much like a difficult life-style and, I believe, puts a stumbling block in the WAY.
       Your’s in Christian love,
       Linda

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       • Don Ruhl says:

         August 14, 2023 at 11:52 am

         In this sermon, I was addressing the false doctrine of Once Saved, Always Saved. However, what you say is true. God is there for us, and I address that far more than I do the possibility of falling.

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         • LINDA BURGESS says:

           August 14, 2023 at 12:27 pm

           I don’t think I am getting my point across. That is; if we are truly saved we already have the power, the need and the wish, therefore we WILL be lead by God to ask for help from God through whatever means. (Going to church is just one of those means.) That is what I think the scriptures mean when they say He will never lose any of us. Therefore, (as I understand it) making it impossible for us to ‘fall away’, thereby completely removing the anxiety or fear (stumbling block) of ‘falling away’.

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           • Don Ruhl says:

             August 16, 2023 at 3:57 pm

             What is the purpose of all those passages I gave you?

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             • LINDA BURGESS says:

               August 16, 2023 at 4:08 pm

               That’s a good question. I’ll have to re-read them and see what God tells me. At first glance it would seem like a contradiction but we know He doesn’t do that. I’ll get back to you.

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2. LINDA BURGESS says:

   August 14, 2023 at 12:35 pm

   So if one is truly saved, he/she will not walk out. Therefore it is not a ‘false doctrine’

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