In Reply to: Re: OK, I'll bite posted by CB on July 09, 2010 at 08:53:55:
...can someone be "unborn again"?...that idea struck me some time ago...I even found it now little time ago on youtube too...a preacher stressing that point.Much of this topic is also covered in a radio interview between Dan Corner and Dave Hunt...
Dave Hunt is to my knowledge definitely pro OSAS
but not pro TULIP (Calvinist 5 points)
Some seed in Mt 13 withers...in Luke 8:13.. parallel:...they believe for some time (salvation verses like John 3:36 have believing in the participle presents time-function...meaning continous concept...otherwise it should be in the aorist, like one time...once upon a time believing...may be that's why they harp in the apostolic letters always on the need to keep on believing...bearing fruits)
Another thing is, that Judas Ischariot heard the word...saw the saviour and all the miracles and yet betrayed him...Satan taking place in him...I figure through his doubts opening the door...but in another way, he kind of was foreordained...because Jesus took/elected all the 12??!!
Anyway, even Simon Magus...believed and got baptised (water...Acts 8), but he wanted the HG through money...so I figure with Simon Peters rebuke...and the later testimonies about him...he didn't get it...it seems, he made a career as cofounding big parts of Gnosticisism.
Last not least James tells us, that also the devils believe, but tremble...
It led me recently to the thought, that one must have the gift of saving faith...like saving grace.
For right now I have figured, that the people it talks about in Hebrews 6 are not people with saving faith to begin with...not born again...
they don't bear fruits...they are likened with weeds.In Mt 13 the people, who fall away immediately are the ones "listening to Satan"...where it falls to the wayside (kind of the "highway" of life???)...with the others 2 it withers and only one spot has perfect conditions.
(Main theme of Hebrews 10 is for me rejecting Christ and therewith sinning "willingly"...one knows the message of getting the sins forgiven in Christs, yet doesn't accept that)
It brought me to think, that you got to bear fruit in the Christian life...that's where the circle could be closing again in pietism ; )
But to point it out, saving faith/grace has to be asked for and accepted first (otherwise it becomes a works-religion...self-glorification)...but the works/fruits should prove it (epistle of James...plus the warnings of bad fruits in 1.Cor. 6 etc.)
I think it was Josh McDowell?? who has covered thaqt concept, that those who fall away, were not really saved in the first place...
It's a bit similar to knowing lots about marriage
(head-knowledge)...but never having really taken that step