"Perhaps the best way to resolve the issue of assurance is to turn it into a non-issue by making God's will preeminent in our life."

It takes many years before we make God's will pre-eminent in our life. Many are the wasted years when we followed our own will, our own desire, our own reasoning & imagination.

Good post. 

I think "that is the question"..........
Mike,    I agree with you..........When... "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want....."
not,     When I say the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
Next to "never having believed"..........is the tragedy, "having believed in vain".
God Bless You All

Mike, I also have struggled with this concept but recently have thought of it more in relational terms.  If my life is about being as close to God as possible, being the best friend of God's I can be----then its a nonissue.

Cheryl:  It's located in Ephesians 2:8-9. 

I find this topic fascinating for the responses I've heard over the years.  so many of the responses are mere theory, with no practical implications; for instance, the classic phrase "Once saved, always saved."  It sounds great and takes into account God's power but it doesn't call for our response, which all of Scripture does.  

There is obviously verses supporting both sides and because of this it only makes sense that both sides are true.  We are often sure about our Biblical beliefs because we have Scripture to back it up, and on this issue it is very easy to argue from either vantage point with a very adequate defense.  Our struggle lies in the fact that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than ours.  To understand how it works, He must reveal it.

It is my belief that we can't lose our salvation and God doesn't ever take it back; however, Scripture makes it clear that it is our choice, along with examples of those who or can walk away from the faith (Ps. 125, Alexander & Hymaneus, in one of the epistles talking specifically to Christians it mentions how our actions can lead to the same fate as Satan himself.  If our theology doesn't change our actions and promote living for God then we ought to throw that theology away.  It's better to believe the truth which may be harder to accept because of it's implications on our lives, but it's better than letting Satan use the same trick he used in the garden by twisting god's words to make Adam and Eve believe they were okay. 

The truth is where their is no obedience there is no faith, and faith is what justifies us.  You can't have faith without obedience.  I think of how I couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve as a child because I couldn't wait to see what Santa brought me.  I would listen to see if I could hear him, it was a lot of fun.  My belief in Santa motivated expectant actions, and faith in God will always bring about relational closeness with Him and others.  

I John 5:13 was quoted up a bit, and it sounds dogmatic, but to truly understand it you need to read chapter 4 and 5.  John says we know the salvation we have because of how we behave basically, and the way we behave if it pleases god comes from God's grace.  It all works together, you can't have one without the other.  Arguments for or against each side are true but only partially always to the exclusion of many passages.

Paul said of himself toward the latter part of his life, the he had the hope of salvation and it wasn't something that he had already attained.  Everywhere we see the word saved it seems our culture assumes it means eternal life, but the word saved simply means healed.  Salvation is aprocess that we classify into 3 different parts: justification, sanctification and glorification because of our theology, but the word simply means healed.  It seems to me that as we accept God's offer of grace and healing we are saved little by little, and right on into eternal life if that is our practice in this life. 

I'll be quiet on this note, my belief is that our man-made formulated doctrines have done irreparable damage to the narrow, graceful way of Christ, and it should all be thought about and viewed discerningly, but not used as I springboard for our decisions, not these man-made doctrines (eternal security or you can lose it).  The Bible can easily dismantle both arguments.

Hopefully hepful not offensive, but helpful.    

I missed knowing that if I died, I would be with Him....because I was walking with Him in obedience to the best of my ability. I was doing the things He asked of me...and now we begin again....and I am saved by grace through faith.....but faith without works is dead.  My love for Jesus will activate and motivate my actions and lifestyle.

You wrote this very "wisely" I would say.  I am not a once saved always saved person, but for those who are, I just say, "Well, why risk it?  Just live for the Lord, and no worries."  And that is kinda what this is saying.  Make your calling sure. :D 

I think people want to think once saved always saved, therefore they feel they have a safe base to slide into. But if we're not totaly following Gods word wouldn't that put us at risk as being on the fence.  You know either be Hot or Cold..hmmm then again we all sin and ask forgiveness with hopes we make it into heaven. And isn't that what it's about to be with our loving Father.
The best choice I think would be strive to live a Godly life, God knows we fall short but why keep falling over the same mistakes. You get burned once you learn to leave the thing that burned you alone.