Predestination and ‘once saved, always saved’

7 Even when I’m walking with danger all around me,

you will preserve my life.

You actively oppose the anger of my enemies,

and you save me with your intervention.

8 Yahweh will get revenge against them for me.

Your loyal affection continues forever.

You don’t abandon the work that you started.

21 “One sibling will turn another in to be executed, and a father his child, and children will be rebelling against their parents and having them put to death.[ref] 22 You apprentices will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the ones who endure until the end, they’re the ones who’ll be saved.[ref]

40 Then the king will answer them, ‘I can assure you that whenever you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, then you did it to me.’

41 “Then the king will also speak to the ones on his left, ‘Get away from me you who are cursed. You’ll go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his messengers.

16 Similarly, there’s some seed that falls onto rocky places where the people who hear the good message happily accept it, 17 but don’t make strong roots—just temporary changes. So when they get mocked or attacked about accepting the good message, they quickly stumble.

35 “I am the bread that gives life,” Yeshua answered, “anyone who comes to me will never hunger, and the one believing in me, will never be thirsty again. 36 But as I said already, although you have seen me you refuse to believe me. 37 Everyone that the father gives to me will come to me, and I certainly won’t turn away anyone who comes to me,

44 No one can join me unless the father who sent me attracts them, and then I’ll be bringing them back to life on that final day. 45 The prophets wrote that the people will be taught by God. And everyone who’s heard and learnt from the father comes to me.[ref]

28 I give them life which will never end so they won’t ever be destroyed, and no one will be able to snatch them away from me. 29 My father is the one who gave them to me, and he’s more powerful than any other, so no one can snatch them away from him.

16 Then I will ask the father, and he will give you a different assistant to be with you all for this age— 17 the spirit of truth. The world can’t accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him.

9 So now that we’ve been declared guiltless because of his blood, we’ll certainly be spared from his severe anger, 10 because if we were reconciled to God through the death of his son while we were still enemies, now that we’ve been reconciled, how much more certain that we’ll be saved by Yeshua’s life!

5 People who are governed by their physical desires think about physical things, but those who are governed by the spirit think about spiritual things. 6 The worldly mindset leads to death, but the spiritual mindset leads to life and peace. 7 The worldly mindset is making God your enemy because it’s not being subjected to God’s law, in fact it’s not even able to, 8 and those who are worldly aren’t able to bring pleasure to God.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you non-Jews, who are like a wild olive tree, were grafted into them, and so you too were able to share in the olive tree’s growth, which came from the root, 18 then don’t brag that you’re better than the branches. If you must boast, remember that you’re not supporting the root, but the root is supporting you.

19 Ah, but then you’ll say, ‘Branches were broken off so that we could be grafted in.’ 20 Well you’re right. They were broken off because of their disbelief, and it’s true that you’re there because of your faith. But don’t get a big head—maintain your reverence for God, 21 because if he didn’t spare the natural branches when they showed disbelief, then he won’t spare you either. 22 So you can see both God’s kindness and his severity—those who disobeyed experienced his severity, but you experienced his kindness. Otherwise you’ll be pruned off, too,

14 Secular people don’t accept things about God’s spirit because they seem foolish to them, and they can’t understand them because it requires spiritual awareness, 15 but spiritual people can discern all these things, even though others can’t correctly discern about them.

26 That’s why I don’t run aimlessly and don’t box like someone punching the air, 27 but I discipline my body and make it serve me, because after preaching to others, I don’t want to end up disqualified myself.

3 I’ll say it again clearly: every man who gets himself circumcised has put himself in debt to obeying all of the law. 4 You were released from the messiah when you moved to trusting in the law in order to be right with God—you fell away from grace at that point.

4 He chose us to follow him even before the creation of the world, so that we could become pure and blameless in front of him. Because of his love 5 he decided in advance to adopt us as his children through Yeshua the messiah. His decision gave him great pleasure 6 and now he’s praised for the greatness of his grace which favoured us, as the one he loved 7 redeemed us by means of his blood and forgave our sins. It was from the riches of his grace[ref] 8 that was poured onto us that we gain wisdom and understanding 9 as he revealed the mystery of his will to us according to his great pleasure as he himself planned.

13 And you people also, after hearing the message of truth, the good message about being saved, were confirmed by receiving the spirit of pure promise after you believed. 14 This spirit is the deposit on our inheritance until we procure the freedom which has been bought for us, leading us to praise God’s greatness.

29 Don’t let any bad talk come out of your mouths, but rather words that are helpful to encourage others and to show grace to them. 30 And don’t sadden God’s holy spirit, because he is the one who recorded your names for the day when the price will be paid to buy you all back.

10 So I will endure everything so that the ones that God has chosen will also be able to receive their salvation in Yeshua the messiah and live with him forever.

9 Slaves need to conform to their master’s commands, aiming to please. They shouldn’t speak against their masters 10 or be pilfering from them, rather they should display their good faith so that their actions add to the teachings of God our saviour.

11 This is because God’s grace which offers salvation to all people has appeared 12 and teaches us that when we distance ourselves from ungodliness and worldly lusts, we can live sensibly and justly and devoutly in the present age.

11 As I decided in my severe anger:

‘They will never be entering into my peace.’

12 Brothers and sisters, watch out in case any of you has an evil heart with unbelief which leads you to withdraw from the living God.

6 So then, having left the basics of the messiah’s message, we should move on towards maturity—not repeating the foundations of repenting from useless religious actions and faith in God, 2 of teachings about immersion in water and prayerfully placing your hands on people, and the resurrection of the dead followed by eternal judgement. 3 And we’ll be moving on from all that if God permits.

4 It’s impossible for those who’ve understood this and who’ve tasted the heavenly gift and become partakers of the holy spirit 5 and who’ve tasted God’s message and the powers of the coming age 6 and who’ve fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. It’s like they themselves are executing God’s son again and publicly shaming him.

7 The land that soaks in the frequent rains and grows crops suitable for those who are cultivating it, is receiving a blessing from God, 8 but if it’s producing thorns and thistles,[ref] then it’s useless and a liability and will end up being burnt off.

26 If we keep on sinning after learning about the truth, then there’s no sacrifice left for our sins, 27 but the certain expectation of fearful judgement and of a fiery anger that will consume the god-haters.[ref] 28 Anyone who rejected Mosheh’s law would receive the death sentence without mercy by the strength of two or three witnesses,[ref] 29 so how much more severe punishment do you all expect might be considered appropriate for someone who trampled God’s son underfoot and who has considered the blood of the agreement as cheap[ref] and who has insulted the spirit of grace? 30 Yes, we know who said,[ref] ‘Vengeance is mine—I’m the one who’ll repay them,’ and again, ‘Yahweh will be judging his people.’ 31 It’s a scary thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

20 Because if they have escaped the defilements of the world by their knowledge of our master and saviour Yeshua Messiah and yet get entangled again, they are defeated and have ended up worse off than at the beginning. 21 It would have been better not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it and to turn back from the holy instruction that was passed on to them. 22 The proverb is correct in what it says and has happened to them: “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and “A sow that’s been washed wallows in the mud again.”[ref]

6 If we say that we and him are relating well together and yet we’re walking in the darkness, then we’re lying and not living the truth. 7 But if we’re walking in the light, just like he walks in the light, then we’ll get along well with each other, and his son Yeshua’s blood is removing the consequences of all our sins.

11 And this is the testimony: that God gave eternal life to us[ref] and this life is in his son. 12 Anyone who has the son has life, but anyone who doesn’t have the god’s son, doesn’t have eternal life.

19 My fellow believers, if any of you have wandered from the truth and someone helps them back, 20 then you should know that someone who helps a sinner to come back from their deceitful ways will be saving their soul from death,[ref] and their many sins can be forgiven.

4 But you do have a few people in Sardis who haven’t stained their records, and because they are worthy, they’ll be dressed in white and walk with me. 5 So anyone who conquers will be dressed like that in pure white, and I certainly won’t erase their names from the Book of Life, but I’ll declare their names to my father and to his messengers.[ref]