Phil,

This is also an interesting subject, and I hope to see more on this
subject. I'm going to pray about it and then I'll respond more later when
I'm not so busy.

Lovingly,
Pat Ferguson



At 02:06 PM 4/25/04, you wrote:
>Since leaving the Baptist church I was in back in January of 1986, I have
>gotten into this debate with bunches of Charismatics over the years.  My
>best friend here in Denver, Keith, is a dogmatic you can lose your
>salvation, type of guy and we have gone around and around by the hour over
>this one.  In fact, any Charismatic that finds out that I am not 100 percent
>in agreement on how they believe about this issue, goes out of their way to
>try and convert me.  One day, at a weekly mens breakfast where Keith and I
>were members, this topic came up.  The assistant pastor, Joe, is a great guy
>and pretty easy going.  He made the mistake that morning of touching on the
>topic of eternal security or losing your salvation.  Man, the wheels came
>off that morning breakfast fellowship as Keith dug into his list of Biblical
>proofs concerning the fact that you can, in fact, lose your salvation.  At
>one point, Joe, knowing that I had come out of the Baptist church, leaned
>over and said, Do you believe all this stuff now, Phil?  I laughed and said,
>Well, I am still about 51 percent eternal security and 49 percent that you
>can lose your salvation.  I have studied all the proof texts on both sides
>and I have argued this issue with people a whole lot smarter than I am but I
>have noticed one very interesting thing.  In ever case, I have never met a
>Baptist or Charismatic who believes they will lose their salvation.  Why?
>They don't plan on giving up on God or turning their back on the Bible.  So
>I feel pretty safe by the time the debate on this doctrine is all over and
>said and done and back in the box.
>
>Phil.