We seem to constantly go back to the entry door, which is faith, which comes as God's gift (Romans 10:14 and 17) to us. It is written that it is He who He chose us. Just as He chose Abraham.
SOVEREIGNTY of God
"[Exodus 33:19] I will have compassion on whom i will have compassion..." - Choosing again. No pat on the back here... It's all by grace. Done deal. But that's only an entry.
SAVED
Some will saved but barely by the skin of their teeth, and so they remain as babies. Hence, [Hebrews 6:1] "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to MATURITY not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. The word MATURITY is (Gr. teleiotēta) [Matthew 5:48 Be PERFECT as your heavenly Father is perfect (Gr. teleios) the same word. Why? Because there is the attainment and not the going back and forth from the door and back to the door.
THE GIFT OF FAITH
THE GIFT OF FAITH
Since faith comes as a gift, (1Cor. 12:9) we receive it, accept and that's our faith. That's it - THE ENTRY DOOR. To what? To God's Kingdom. And once you are in then what? Who is the author of our faith?
Now that you are in the Kingdom go deeper. Call it works, spiritual growth overcoming, triumphing winning, cleaving, walking by faith, in the Spirit etc... it's still doing something. You are saved. You
are IN, why going back to the door back and forth?
Jesus said (please never forget it and do not skip over, it is the key).
[John 14:16-18] “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth" (...),
[John 14:16-18] “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth" (...),
"Another Helper," not the physical person like Jesus was, spiritual teacher and guide.
"whom the world cannot receive, because it
does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with
you and will be in you.“ (...)
Does not (physically) see, nor can (physically) touch, verify, have an opinion about, interpret or even control. Holy Spirit was there with the disciples for Jesus did not speak from Himself; He repeatedly said so. No self. No ego. Complete the Father-dependance.
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
So when Jesus comes He comes as the victor who overcame death for us. And being the Word He will teach us through the Holy Spirit, invisibly, quietly and in total peace, spiritually, as opposed to speaking physically.
Therefore, like the Ethiopian Eunuch, Philip told him that if he believes he must do something too, (he received the gift of faith by hearing Philip preaching from Isaiah 53. Again read Romans 10:14; 17). So the Eunuch entered the Kingdom. Saved. Sealed. Forever. But is that the end? No. All of us must go deeper, grow, mature and attain.
[Ephesians 4:13] ...until we all ATTAIN to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.