Once a Sheep Always a Sheep, or Salvation Deficit Disorder?

[Steve53]

Yeah, it is normal for a believer to fail then repent. I am the same way brother. All I am saying is that if you continue in your sins, without repentance. The sins will keep on piling, and you will be commonly known as a backslider. We even as Christians fall short of the glory of God, and we must still repent.
Taylor

Backslider or not, if one is truly saved they will see the kingdom of Heaven.

[Evangelist16]

Yes sir steve, that is the correct answer.

[Kliska]

Yeah, it is normal for a believer to fail then repent. I am the same way brother. All I am saying is that if you continue in your sins, without repentance. The sins will keep on piling, and you will be commonly known as a backslider. We even as Christians fall short of the glory of God, and we must still repent.
Taylor

The sin can't keep piling on, because there is no more law for believers to transgress...so therefore no more "sin" laid to their charge. This is one of those "meat" teachings that people can take and twist into "sin more so that grace may abound," which Paul obviously teaches against, but the very fact that he teaches against it shows that forgiveness, grace, mercy, etc... does cover those "sins" believers commit after being saved; freedom with responsibility. Sinning doesn't negate salvation, salvation doesn't condone sinful acts, but it does free us from condemnation.

[Evangelist16]

Alright, well lets say I had gotten saved one Sunday. And since there is no more law for believers, I go and look at pornography. Is that sin? And will I go to Hell for that? Without repentance, of course, I have backslided and have broken a commandment with knowledge. Regardless, we all have broken the commandments. If you sin with your conscience you are of the Devil. 1 John 3:8

[kgreen20]

If you're truly saved, you will have a new nature that wants to follow Jesus. That new nature won't want to look at pornography. However, you will also still have that old nature that might still want to look at dirty pictures, if you've acquired that liking before your salvation. Therefore, your new nature and your old nature will be at war with each other. Hence the need for the Holy Spirit.

[Evangelist16]

Exactly kgreen. We are still tempted daily with things, we are always being tested. If we succumb too sin, then we backslide in our faith. When we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior he puts into us all new desires to sow good fruit. But as time goes on, Satan is going to hit us with all he has to see if we will fall away and go back to sinning. And right now, if this is the time for our Lord Jesus to come back...don't you think Satan is going to try and hit believers as hard as he can? So he can make them backslide and miss the rapture? Of course he is. Brethren, everyone can some how relate, being under spiritual attack in many ways of life recently. We have to go back to 1 Peter 5:8. He's around some way trying to see if he can make us stumble right before our Lord comes back for his bride. It is possible for someone to backslide in their faith with sinning.

[Everlasting Peace]

Exactly kgreen. We are still tempted daily with things, we are always being tested. If we succumb too sin, then we backslide in our faith. When we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior he puts into us all new desires to sow good fruit. But as time goes on, Satan is going to hit us with all he has to see if we will fall away and go back to sinning. And right now, if this is the time for our Lord Jesus to come back...don't you think Satan is going to try and hit believers as hard as he can? So he can make them backslide and miss the rapture? Of course he is. Brethren, everyone can some how relate, being under spiritual attack in many ways of life recently. We have to go back to 1 Peter 5:8. He's around some way trying to see if he can make us stumble right before our Lord comes back for his bride. It is possible for someone to backslide in their faith with sinning.

Jack Kelley:

To answer your first question, backslidden is a term some believers apply to others who they feel have reverted to some of their former ways after becoming saved.

Personally I think all Christians are back sliders to some degree, and that those who accuse others of back sliding are judging them in violation of the Lord’s command.(1 Cor. 4:5) “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” is still good advice.

As to your second question, sin does separate us from God. That’s why we need a Savior. Jesus died so that our sins could no longer keep us out of God’s presence. Even after we’re saved we still sin, so Jesus had to die for all our sins, past present and future. After we’re saved we should still confess each time we sin so that God can purify us from all our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) and continue to bless us, but our initial decision to accept the Lord’s death as payment in full for all the sins of our life is all that’s needed to assure our place in heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14)

http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/what-does-it-mean-to-be-back-slidden/

[Steve53]

...don't you think Satan is going to try and hit believers as hard as he can? So he can make them backslide and miss the rapture?

No born again believer will miss the rapture - backslidden or not.

[Evangelist16]

Hey Jack :). All I am saying bro, is that when we do sin repentance is required. I have judged anyone at all, but there are back sliding is a result for someone who has gone back to sinning. It is natural for people to sin, and after we are saved and reborn we still sin, but repentance is needed when we do. We can not continue in our sins regardless, if we say we are saved and keep not his commandments, we are liars and the truth is not in us (1 John 2:4). It's not possible to be saved then keep living a sinful life and say you have eternal life. John the beloved teaches us that right there in 1 John. We all as Christians must read 1 John carefully, it shows specifically about Christians sinning and how we can backslide.

[Steve53]

Hey Jack :). All I am saying bro, is that when we do sin repentance is required. I have judged anyone at all, but there are back sliding is a result for someone who has gone back to sinning. It is natural for people to sin, and after we are saved and reborn we still sin, but repentance is needed when we do. We can not continue in our sins regardless, if we say we are saved and keep not his commandments, we are liars and the truth is not in us (1 John 2:4). It's not possible to be saved then keep living a sinful life and say you have eternal life. John the beloved teaches us that right there in 1 John. We all as Christians must read 1 John carefully, it shows specifically about Christians sinning and how we can backslide.
http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=9
http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=2

Article VII. SALVATION ONLY THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE

Owing to universal death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again; and that no degree of reformation however great, no attainments in morality however high, no culture however attractive, no baptism or other ordinance however administered, can help the sinner to take even one step toward heaven; but a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word, is absolutely essential to salvation, and only those thus saved are sons of God. Our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin and was made a curse for us, dying in our room and stead; and that no repentance, no feeling, no faith, no good resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of any church, nor all the churches that have existed since the days of the Apostles can add in the very least degree to the value of the blood, or to the merit of the finished work wrought for us by Him who united in His person true and proper deity with perfect and sinless humanity (Lev. 17:11 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Lev.+17%3A11); Isa. 64:6 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Isa.+64%3A6); Matt. 26:28; John 3:7 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=John+3%3A7)–18; Rom. 5:6 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Rom.+5%3A6)–9; 2 Cor. 5:21 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=2+Cor.+5%3A21); Gal. 3:13 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Gal.+3%3A13); 6:15; Eph. 1:7 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Eph.+1%3A7); Phil. 3:4–9; Titus 3:5 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Titus+3%3A5); James 1:18 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=James+1%3A18); 1 Pet. 1:18 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=1+Pet.+1%3A18)–19, 23).

The new birth of the believer comes only through faith in Jesus Christ and that repentance is a vital part of believing, and is in no way, in itself, a separate and independent condition of salvation; nor are any other acts, such as confession, baptism, prayer, or faithful service, to be added to believing as a condition of salvation (John 1:12 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=John+1%3A12); 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:29; Acts 13:39 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Acts+13%3A39); 16:31; Rom. 1:16 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Rom.+1%3A16)–17; 3:22, 26; 4:5; 10:4; Gal. 3:22 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Gal.+3%3A22)).


Article VIII. THE EXTENT OF SALVATION

When an unregenerate person exercises that faith in Jesus Christ which is illustrated and described as such in the New Testament, he passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life, and from the old creation into the new; being justified from all things, accepted before the Father according as Jesus Christ His Son is accepted, loved as Jesus Christ is loved, having his place and portion as linked to Him and one with Him forever. Though the saved one may have occasion to grow in the realization of his blessings and to know a fuller measure of divine power through the yielding of his life more fully to God, he is, as soon as he is saved, in possession of every spiritual blessing and absolutely complete in Jesus Christ, and is therefore in no way required by God to seek a so-called “second blessing,” or a “second work of grace” (John 5:24 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=John+5%3A24); 17:23; Acts 13:39 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Acts+13%3A39); Rom. 5:1 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Rom.+5%3A1); 1 Cor. 3:21 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=1+Cor.+3%3A21)–23; Eph. 1:3 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Eph.+1%3A3); Col. 2:10 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=Col.+2%3A10); 1 John 4:17 (http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=KJV&passage=1+John+4%3A17); 5:11–12).

[04] Defend the Faith and God's infallible Word, not the ways of the world, homosexuality, liberalism, socialism, false translations, false theologies, Mysticism, or deceptive cults and other heresies. We believe in only one true gospel of saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone in His shed blood for our atonement, Old Testament looked forward to God's provision of the sacrifice, New Testament looks back to God's provision of the sacrifice. Do not promote, two gospels, hyper Dispensationalism, Arminianism, hyper-Calvinism, nor other ideologies of religious legalism. Do not play 'devil's advocate' for the sake of argument.