"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." (I John 2: 28)
In this verse there is an exhortation, and the tense of the word "abide" carries the meaning of “keep on abiding in him.” The Hardshells argue that there are no commands or exhortations in Scripture for believers to persevere in order to be finally saved. But, this verse overthrows that reasoning.
The Greek word for "abide" is "menÅ" and means, according to Strong, to remain or not depart. It includes the idea of enduring or persevering.
What is the reason given for continuing to abide in Christ? It is "that" ("hina" in Greek which denotes purpose) we "not be ashamed before him at his coming," or "when he shall appear." Now, there is no way that any Hardshell can make this into a "time salvation." The word "ashamed" carries with it the idea of being dishonored and disgraced.
Thus, the exhortation of the Apostle is that believers should persevere and remain in Christ in order that they may be saved in the day of the Lord. Now, let our Hardshell brother at theearstohear blog show how this verse does not overthrow his reasoning.
No comments:
Post a Comment