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 had two two years after marrying Gloria, Gromacki began his educational journey by attending the Baptist Bible Seminar to earn his bachelor's degree in theology by earning his master's degree in theology at Grace Theological Seminary to finish his studies, however, he began teaching at Cedarville University in 1960. He was a teacher of theological studies for about forty years. As for the other works he has written, Gromacki has written a total of fifteen books and a survey of the New Testament. Say No to Plagiarism Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Exist." Bandit? Get the original essay Book 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 get lost. To be lost is to be “unaware of one's spiritual loss until convinced of one's moral situation by the Holy Spirit” (13). Gromacki wanted to convey that a lost person is one who is broken and also goes against the will of God. Gromacki also wrote that a lost person tends not to be spiritually aware of the spiritual position they are in, which benefits Satan. One of the main topics Gromacki focused on was the question: “Why do people get lost? ” To answer the question, Gromacki provided four reasons that explain and answer the question. The next chapter of the book addresses the question “what does it mean to be saved? Gromacki emphasized the idea that many people don't know what it means to be saved. He defined salvation as a lost person realizing that they have broken the will and commandments of God. It also includes the person repenting and asking for forgiveness for the sinful acts they have committed. Gromacki also noted that he believes God is the one who initiates salvation, not the lost person. In addition to this, Gromacki wrote a couple of reasons why a saved person cannot lose their salvation. The author concluded the chapter by stating the process of 'sanctification' that the saved person goes through. The third chapter of Gromacki's book deals with the main topic of the book. Titled “Does God Guarantee Our Salvation? ,” Gromacki used this chapter to highlight a couple of characteristics of God. He also explained how these characteristics, such as His grace and justice, play a vital role in the process of a person's salvation. Additionally, Gromacki used characteristics to tell the reader how God guarantees salvation. One of the ideas that Gromacki also highlighted in the chapter was the thought that God himself is the one who “chooses,” for lack of better words, those in whom he wants to work so that they can be saved. Gromacki has stated several times that there is nothing the lost person can do to save themselves. The fourth chapter of Salvation is Forever addresses the theme of the principles contained in the Bible. Gromacki listed a total of ten different ideas that were intended to encourage the reader regarding his salvation. One of the principles he lists delves into the meaning of the word “never” in John 4:13-14. Gromacki explained that the Greek meaning of “never” has deeper implications for the reader to understand that, once obtained, salvation cannot be lost. The ten principles were not just meant to belisted to encourage the reader regarding his salvation, but they were also there so that one could truly evaluate whether he was truly saved. For example, the seventh principle stated: «persistent sin after profession reveals the lack of authentic conversion» (100). Chapter five, the longest chapter in the book, addresses passages in the Bible that seem to contradict the idea of eternal security. Overall, Gromacki has stated several times that passages that people present as contradictions are often misinterpreted. To demonstrate this, Gromacki contextualized the passages to interpret their meaning. There were also times when Gromacki used another passage to give better meanings to misinterpreted passages. One passage that Gromacki gave meaning to was Matthew 7:21-23, in which Jesus declares that there will be some “believers” whom He will not recognize even though they claim His name. Gromacki used John 6:63-66 to clarify the message Jesus was trying to communicate. The final and shortest chapter of Salvation Is Forever was primarily about the reader. Gromacki used this chapter to summarize the overall message he tried to convey. He, in case the reader has forgotten, stated that salvation truly is forever. Gromacki, throughout the chapter, continued to challenge two types of readers. The first group of readers he challenged were those who saved themselves. He said they should evaluate themselves to see if their life aligns with the Bible's teachings regarding how a believer should live. Gromacki then challenged the second group of readers, the readers who are not saved. Gromacki encouraged them to evaluate their spiritual standing before God and even confess that they had sinned against Him. He concluded by telling them, “With open arms, receive him and embrace him as your Savior” (184). Evaluation Gromacki's main purpose in writing the book was to tell the reader that a believer can never lose his salvation. He wanted to provide reasons that would support his belief. A second purpose that Gromacki seemed to have was to provide a set of “principles” that a believer should follow to demonstrate that he or she is truly saved. Overall, the author achieved his intended purpose. He gave reasons to support his claims throughout the book and did not hesitate to dissect opinions that opposed his own. The opposing opinions mainly revolved around scriptures which were often misinterpreted. As mentioned above, an entire chapter was dedicated to addressing problematic scriptures. An example of this was previously reported above regarding a passage in the book of Matthew. The seventh chapter of the book of Matthew finds Jesus preaching the "Sermon on the Mount." As Jesus nears the end he states: Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. In that day many will say to me: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name performed many mighty works? ' 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 could lose their salvation. To clarify this misunderstanding, Gromacki clarified the verse by linking it to a passage in John 6:60-71. This specific passage focuses on Jesus stating that there are some disciples who lack faith and only follow Jesus to gain some knowledge from an academic standpoint. They were disciples who were not believers. Gromacki further explained by stating:.
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