Again, you assume that your position is correct.
I have demonstrated that two groups exist—those elect to salvation, and the non-elect (Rom 8:30; 9:22-23; Jn 3:39; 1 Pet 2:8 etc.).
You claim that a third group exists, but you have yet to support that from scripture; instead, you take words that stir your emotions, and attach the meaning “loss of salvation” to all of them.
Where in Sacred Writ is a statement that describes the group that Catholics claim God predestined to grace only—He foreknew them, predestined them to grace, called and justified them, and then lets many of them lose their justification and be condemned to hell?
Where is that stated?
Those verses you gave dont say there are only two groups, the Bible (taken as a whole) says there are those who are never saved, those who are saved but fail to persevere, and those that are saved and persevere.
A few other passages, besides the ones I have already given, that come to mind are:
I Cor 10 1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that
our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6
Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
The people being set free from Egypt is equivalent to a Christian being set free from the bondage of sin in their former life. Their sojourn in the desert represents our life of struggle against sin. Yet many of the Israelites did not remain faithful at various points along the way and fell to their death. Paul says this is a warning to us. If it is impossible to fall then this “warning” is not a warning.
Luke 8 11"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root.
They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those
with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
This explicitly says there are more than two groups, and that there are groups that believe for a time but fall away and dont persevere.
II Peter 1
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9
But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For
if you do these things, you will never fall,
Here in verse 9 is a person cleansed from their sins but is not persevering in good works.
Again, the Catholic position is
taking Scripture as a whole. Those passages I listed above present severe problems to your theology, especially Lk 8:13 and 2 Pt 1:9.
Im not assuming my position is correct and this
can be proven by the fact you have no explanation for passages like “love grows cold”. The term “persevere”
means nothing in your theology because the concept of failing doesnt exist, thus the concept of persevering doesnt exist.
If someone is on the edge of a cliff the possibility of falling exists, thus they must persevere in keeping their balance so they dont fall off the cliff. In your theology it would be as if you are standing on flat ground and saying you will never fall, well of course because the concept of falling doesnt exist, you are not persevering.
