Wip, I got saved by the drawing of the Holy Spirit. That's the only way anyone gets saved. If someone is reading the bible, and they get saved, it's because the Holy Spirit opened their understanding and drew them in.
There are theologians that are barking in hell right now because they refused the wooings of the Holy Spirit. Their arrogance and intellect they refused to lay down. As a little child they must come. Not full of the knowledge of the tree of good and evil.
Hi withheld,
Have you considered that salvation is a process not a one time event. The Scriptures speak of salvation in three tenses, past, present, and future.
The ultimate goal of salvation is an inheritance in the kingdom of God. No one has received that inheritance yet. Consider Paul's words to the Epehesians, he told them that they had been sealed with the Holy Spirit who was a "down payment" until the future redemption. The Holy Spirit is a down payment on one's salvation. The process isn't completed upon reception of the Spirit. Salvation will ultimately come at the resurrection, until then the process continues. Consider the words of Peter and Paul.
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1Pe 1:4-5 KJV)
Notice Peter's words, "salvation ready to be revealed atthe last time". It's apparent from this statement that His readers were not in possession of salvatioin because it hadn't been revealed yet. They were still in this process of being saved, they were in a covenant relationship with God that would ultimately end in slavtion as long as they continued in the covenant.
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Phi 3:10-12 KJV)
Here Paul speaks of apprehending the resurrection from teh dead in the future. Notice he says he has not been made complete (perfect).
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of
them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Heb 11:8-13 KJV)
In this passage Paul says that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all heirs of the same promise and that they had bnot yet received it. The promise is the eternal land inheritance that God promised to each of these three men. None of them received the promise. The only way God can fulfill this promise is to reaise these men from the ded and give it to them. This speaks of the resurrection. It is this promse that is the Christians hope.
Jesus spoke to His disciples telling them they would face persecution and those who endured to the end would be saved.
