Dear My Redeemer Lives:
You quoted me as in: "Someone said this…
The Church never taught the notion of being “saved” as a permanent state of being that occurs once someone accepts Jesus into their lives
Have you read the bible?
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." And then you provide a Bible verse to support your notion that salvation is a permanent state of being once a person accepts Christ. I suppose if you never read any other verses from the same Bible about what sin is and does, you could remain in error. Many do.
I’ll attempt to explain the verse you quote. If you bother to read the Scriptures from say, Romans 9 or so forward to the passage you quote you should be able to see St. Paul is talking about the Isrealites who though knowing God and the promise of a Messiah, were as yet still denying that Jesus is Lord and the awaited of Isreal. They refused, for various reasons, to accept that the Messiah had come, Who is Jesus. They needed saving from their error and St. Paul was holding them up as an example of how much they had and how much they lost by not calling on Jesus and acknowleging the Messiah had come, preached to them, taught, worked miracles in their midst, etc. then was Crucified, died and buried and then rose. This is the Good News the disciples were preaching from town to town and it was this Good News that certain of the Jews refused to accept. They were what we would consider heretics today. They believed in God, yes, and were good Jews until Jesus came along. They needed Him but refused to listen to the instruments of their salvation, the Apostles and disciples and witnesses to His ministry. All St. Paul wanted them to do was acknowlege that Jesus is Lord, that the Messiah had come and they, the Isrealites were to follow Him. Those who acknowedge the Holy Name of Jesus would be saved indeed, but saved from their errors and the fate of those who die in error which St. Paul knew. St. Paul was much in earnest because he loved them as his own flesh; they were to him extended family. He was trying to save their souls.
If you take this verse out of context and insert your own notion of what salvation means, particularly, refusal to listen to Christ’s ambassadors in this age, the Church and return to your own way of doing things, you too will be like those St. Paul wept over in Isreal who knowing God and having the promise of a Savior, the Messiah given to them, turned their backs on Him at the last. You repeat the error of those St. Paul was trying to retrieve. Had they acknowleged Jesus, they would have become full heirs to the promises and Christian. They didn’t and as you know St. Paul moved on to other places where he might bring the Good News to those willing to listen.
I suggest you discard all thoughts while reading Romans and go to the beginning of it, and prayerfully read through asking God to reveal to you the true meaning of the verses. You will see differently.
Or you could return to “calling on the name of the Lord” to reassure yourself that you haven’t lost your “salvation.”
Peace,
Gail