I'm not sure how we can claim this is a ridiculous idea. Certainly the conversion isn't genuine, but to reject the very idea that some people believe they have been converted but were not is really odd to me. I'm honestly trying to figure out if someone is trolling here because it shouldn't be too difficult to understand that some seeds have fallen on stony ground where they started to grow but were chocked out. That's "partial success", but also "complete failure" at the same time. Partial conversion wouldn't buy you anything. It wouldn't grant you a ticket into Heaven. I wouldn't consider it really a good thing at all unless it later has the potential to lead to genuine conversion. But I'm failing to see why this has become such a controversial issue here.
I can not speak for others here, only for myself.
You said..........
"I'm not sure how we can claim this is a ridiculous idea."
I for one am not saying that it is a ridiculous idea. I am saying that Biblically, there in no such thing!!!
IF we are using the example of ...........
" foxhole "conversions", peer pressure conversions, Revival conversions that "don't stick", stony ground conversions, marriage accommodation conversions, forced conversions", as the basis for our opinon, THEN that IMO is the ridiculouse idea!
Those examples are clearly those people who did not receieve the Lord Jesus by faith upon hearing the gospel. Their personal choices based on pressure to do something to get something for their choices is not salvation at all.
Now I understand and even agree with the premise that ..........
"it shouldn't be too difficult to understand that some seeds have fallen on stony ground where they started to grow but were chocked out".
Someone who has heard the gospel, read the gospel, had the seeds poured over their stoney heart does NOT make them "partcially saved". If so, what Bible verse can be posted to substainate that????
That person may have heard, but until they "Believe and accept Christ" my brother, they are still 100% lost!
Romans 10:17.........
"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God".
Acts 17:31
"And they said, "BELIEVE UPON the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved"!
One must confess the Lord Jesus to be saved and can not be coerced, or pressured or "lets make a deal".
1 John 2:19
"They went out from us,
but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us".
What is John's point???
John places 5 tests and this is the 5th one (another syllogism) by which the believers may find out whether the self-authenticating people who claim to be a believer is actually a truth or a lie.
First it is to be expected that a false (make believer) will come about. Where there is truth, there is always a lie.
So then the meaning of this verse or play on words is very obvious. They (make believers) associated with the real believers but they were never real believers to begin with. John here uses a contrary-to-fact condition in the Greek to express his proof that the false believers (make believers) are in fact imposters.
Therefore, the examples of ................
" foxhole "conversions", peer pressure conversions, Revival conversions that "don't stick", stony ground conversions, marriage accommodation conversions, forced conversions",
can NOT be used to substainciate some who is "partically saved" because There is NO SUCH THING BIBLICALLY AS PARTCIALLY SAVED.
Man is either saved or he is lost and there is no such a thing as "in-between/partically". IMO of the Scriptures.
The Bible declare through the same John in Rev. 3:13-15 to the church in Laodica................
"I know thy works that thou art neither cold not hot, I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art luke warm and neither cold not hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth".
I John 4:15
"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God".
