1. I'm not about to spend time looking through 17 pages of this old thread to find my own quote.

2. Your anti-intellectualism is quite amusing. But my Bible says:

Romans 12:2 (ASV) "And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

That is what the Spirit does THROUGH MEANS which God has providentially provided. In this particular case, God eternally and providentially had me provide you with myriad texts that show that no true believer, one for whom Christ died will ever be lost. Thus, Rev. 21:19 is to be understood by the plethora of didactic passages which teach the eternal security of Christ's sheep; those whom the Father gave Him and in whom the Spirit dwells to provide the promised perseverance and eternal life which was given when the sinner first believed. This is true, of course, in the case of every TRUE believer but it is not applicable to everyone who simply professes to believe. No true believer will be nor can be stricken from the Book of Life. However, the majority of those who simply profess to believe never have nor will have their names written in the Book of Life.

[It would appear that you are hostile to the doctrine of the Perseverance/Preservation of the Saints, correct? In short, you believe that someone for whom Christ died can be ultimately lost and be cast into eternal hell... would that be a fair assessment of your view?]

Therefore, the warning is an inducement to persevere and to make one's "calling and election sure". This is not rocket science nor is the understanding of it to be relegated to some alleged 'voice from God' telling you how you should understand such things. It is ascertained by intellectual study with the mind being enlightened to see and then embrace the truth of it by the Spirit of God. The Spirit doesn't by-pass the natural faculties God created man with but rather uses them no less than he did to those men who wrote the Bible.

Lastly, your attitude is becoming rather brash and it might be well that you temper your hostility. On this board it is encombant that you maintain civility and respect. It's your first day and you haven't made a good impression upon me nor the others on Staff. Catch my drift, Snowbank? wink

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simul iustus et peccator

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