YOU SAID: [color:red]I don't quite understand how I did not respond to your tree of life illustration. I simply said that the holy city was also mentioned as being taken away. This by itself makes my case. I fail to see how "take away his part" means "never had a part in the first place." This violates the simple denotation of this passage. You make bold assertations that I must take John 6 in its most literal sense (which I do), why can't you say the same here? Concerning Revelation 3:21, this does make a statement of security, but it does refers to when we will enter New Jerusalem, not the present time. Recall also that all overcomers will eat of the tree of life (Revelation 2:7), thus if one performed the act mentioned in 22:19, it would be an obvious indicator that he was no longer an overcomer.

Josh you are the one that is grasping at straws, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Even here you did not respond [Linked Image] you just switch the argument as you always do. You avoid the truth and embrace error as shown by your constant return to it.

Now to ease your understanding look back over what I said. If you THINK this verse has reference to the SAVED then look at Dabney’s illustration I gave in the other post (which of course you failed to understand, as John 3 say you will not [color:blue]see until….), but if you think it is to the UNSAVED then they “never had a part in the first place—.” This last statement was to show you that the verse in question could NOT be speaking about lost people (as you seemed to see from your own analysis of it). Thus, since it CANNOT be in reference to the lost person, but the saved alone, and since the saved can not be lost, Dabney’s explanation is clear as it gets. Sorry I did not make this clearer for you in the original post.

YOU SAID: [color:red]And yes, I am well aware that Christ has full ownership of believers. We are also sealed by the Holy Spirit, which guarantees security from any power in the world that might try to drag us away from Christ (see Romans 8:38-39). This does not guarantee that a believer cannot walk away from God. If this did happen, that person would be cut off from by God the Father (John 15), for He is sovereign and has the right to do so with what is His.

So again you assert man’s free-will above God’s sovereignty. Josh you speak from both sides of your mouth…..you say God [color:red] guarantees security from any power in the world that might try to drag us away from Christ (see Romans 8:38-39) and then in the same breath say [color:red] this does not guarantee that a believer cannot walk away from God . Now the last time I checked I am of this world and any powers I use here (including my will) are used here in this world, but since as YOU SAY no power on earth may drag me away, thus once saved how could I ever be lost, since NO POWER on earth can drag me away???? Your own argument defeats you.

YOU SAID: [color:red]And yes, Christ promises believers His new name. And? He also promises us eternal life, but the promises only apply to those who do not fall away. As I stated before, the fact that a person can have their part in the tree of life taken away proves that it is possible for a believer to fall away and not be classed as "he who overcomes." This promise would not apply to them.

So now you have God changing His mind, changing our names, changing our eternal state, changing His elective plans which are perfect and which were there before the foundation of the world. You know you DENY so many of God’s attributes it is no wonder you deny Him as Lord as well, for how could you believe in a God that apparently in your theology is constantly unable to make a decision that will stick…….Joshism only works if God is a puppet (for you say WE and not God’s grace see to it that we overcome) and even then a string may break and everything will get changed again [Linked Image]

[color:red] This is baloney. Arminianism at its best, the only theology you throw out is—baloney? You make your case very weak indeed!

You need to re-read what Dabney said—he did not speak as you say [color:red] God does not make idle threats, false testimonies, or give warnings against things which cannot occur, but rather imposes those said fears so they may be [color:blue]the very means designed by God to keep us from the sin in question. And again you exalt one of God’s attributes above another, for God is also a judge. Josh GOD IS MORE THAN LOVE! He is more than the sum total of all His attributes. He is the I AM! He does not change and will not change. He will not exalt one attribute of His above another though at times we may see one attribute more fully than at other times.

You need to take the advice of the Book of Revelation: Take God's warnings seriously!

Reformed and Always Reforming,