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  • Essay / "Salvation" by Robert Glenn Gromacki: book review

    Robert Glenn Gromacki is the author of Salvation is Forever. He was born September 20, 1933 in Eerie, Pennsylvania. He married Gloria Gay Julyan on June 4, 1954 and was two years after marrying Gloria, Gromacki began his educational journey by attending the Baptist Bible Seminary to obtain his bachelor's degree in theology. He continued his studies in theology by obtaining his master's degree in theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. before completing his studies, he began teaching at Cedarville University in 1960. He was a professor of theology for approximately forty years. While teaching, Gromacki was also a pastor at Grace Community Baptist Church in . Ohio for about twelve years. As for the other works he has written, Gromacki has written a total of fifteen books and a survey covering the New Testament Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Don't. should not be”. Banned'?Get the original essayBook Summary The first chapter of Salvation is Forever is titled "What Does It Mean to Be Lost?" " In this chapter, Gromacki explained to the reader what it means to be lost. To be lost is "to be unaware of one's spiritual loss until one is convinced of one's moral situation by the Holy Spirit" (13). Gromacki wanted to communicate that a lost person is a person who breaks and even goes against God's will Gromacki also wrote that a lost person tends to not be spiritually aware of the spiritual position in which he is. It turns out, which benefits Satan. One of the main topics that Gromacki also focused on was the question: "Why are people lost?" In order to answer the question, Gromacki gave four? reasons that explain and answer the question. The next chapter of the book deals with the question "what does it mean to be saved?" Gromacki emphasized the idea that many people do not know what it means to be saved. a lost person realizing that they have violated God's will and commandments. This also includes the said person repenting and asking for forgiveness for the sinful acts he or she has committed. Gromacki also noted that he believes it is God who initiates salvation, not the lost person. In addition to this, Gromacki wrote some reasons why a saved person cannot lose their salvation. The author ended the chapter by stating the process of “sanctification” that the saved person goes through. The third chapter of Gromacki's book dealt with the main subject of the book. Entitled “Does God Guarantee Our Salvation?” ", Gromacki used this chapter to highlight some characteristics of God. He also explained how these characteristics, such as His grace and righteousness, play a vital role in a person's salvation process. Additionally, Gromacki used the characteristics to explain to the reader how God guarantees salvation. One of the ideas that Gromacki also highlighted in the chapter was the idea that God himself is the one who "selects", for lack of better words, those in whom he wants to work so that they will be saved. Gromacki has repeatedly stated that there is nothing the lost person can do to save themselves. The fourth chapter of Salvation is Forever addresses the subject of principles found in the Bible. Gromacki listed a total of ten different ideas intended to encourage the reader regarding his salvation. One of the principles he set forth delved deeper into the meaning of the word “never” in John 4:13-14. Gromacki explained that the Greek meaning of "never" had more intense implications so that the reader would understand that once obtained, salvation could not be lost. The ten principles were notnot only intended to encourage the reader as to his salvation, they were also present so that one could truly assess whether he was truly saved. For example, the seventh principle states: “continuing sin after profession reveals the absence of true conversion” (100). The fifth chapter, the longest in the book, discusses passages from the Bible that seem to contradict the idea of ​​eternal security. Overall, Gromacki has repeatedly stated that passages presented as contradictory are often misinterpreted. To prove this, Gromacki contextualized the passages to interpret their meaning. There were even times when Gromacki used another passage to give better meaning to the misinterpreted passages. One passage that Gromacki made sense of is Matthew 7:21-23, in which Jesus states that there will be "believers" whom He will not recognize even if they claim His name. Gromacki used John 6:63-66 to clarify the message Jesus was trying to convey. The last and shortest chapter of Salvation is Forever was mostly about the reader. Gromacki used this chapter to summarize the overall message he was trying to convey. In case the reader has forgotten, he affirmed that salvation is truly eternal. Gromacki, throughout the chapter, continually challenges two types of readers. The first group of readers he challenged were those who are saved. He said they should evaluate themselves to see if their lives match the Bible's teachings about how a believer should live. Gromacki then issued a challenge to the second group of readers, those who are unsaved. Gromacki encouraged them to evaluate their spiritual standing with God and even confess that they have sinned against Him. He ended by telling them “With open arms, receive him and embrace him as your Savior” (184). Evaluation Gromacki's whole purpose in writing the book was to tell the reader that a believer can never lose his salvation. He intended to give reasons that would support his belief. A second goal that Gromacki seemed to have was to give a set of "principles" that a believer should follow to prove that he is truly saved. Overall, the author achieved his goal. He gave reasons to support his claims throughout the book and did not hesitate to dissect viewpoints opposing his own. The opposing views mainly revolved around scriptures which are often misinterpreted. As mentioned above, an entire chapter was devoted to addressing problematic scriptures. An example of this was given above regarding a passage from the book of Matthew. In chapter seven of the book of Matthew, Jesus preaches the “Sermon on the Mount.” As Jesus nears the end, he declares: Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. In that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many mighty works in your name? 'And then I will declare to them: 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity. Gromacki knew that this passage could imply that some people might lose their salvation. To clear up this misconception, Gromacki clarified the verse by connecting it to a passage in John 6:60-71. This specific passage focuses on Jesus stating that some disciples lack faith and follow Jesus only to gain knowledge from an academic perspective. They were disciples who were not believers. Gromacki then explained by stating: They knew he was a miracle worker.