"Perseverance of the Saints" or "Once Saved Always Saved"...different expressions of the same doctrine?

Are these two expressions of the security of the believer one and the same doctrine? I think that depends on who you ask. It may seem to be a petty, or perhaps even "non-issue" question, but I believe our understanding of this important doctrine is shaped by how we understand and interpret Biblical revelation, ie: the nature and character of God, the nature of fallen man, the nature of salvation and all it's components--regeneration, repentance, conversion, faith, justification, adoption, sanctification, glorification. At the risk of pinning labels on any one group, as an observation, it has appeared to me that those who hold to the expression "once saved always saved", by and large, also hold to a "carnal Christian" doctrine. On the other hand, some might lay the accusation on the reformed doctrine of "perseverance of the saints", that it implies that one might be truly saved, yet in the end, because of some lapse or failure, not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. It is my hope that some in both these camps will offer their own understanding of this doctrine, and it's implications, based on what the scriptures teach, because I believe all would agree that it is not just a matter of mere theological speculation, but one of eternal importance.

Church Governance & Discipline....What does the Bible teach?

I must admit, this issue is one which I have been bewildered about in the fourteen years of my Christian walk. As a Baptist, I know that we say we are "congregational" in church government...however for me at least, it's been difficult to exactly define. In neither of the two churches I've been a member of, has anything concerning church government been taught. To make matters more confusing, in both those churches, how that government is structured(if indeed it could be called a structure)plays out differently in each congregation. No doubt a result of the belief that each local expression of the body of Christ is autonomous. But I find that variance raises a question for me...which local expression is right? What do the scriptures say about this?

To my admittedly limited knowledge on the subject, there are basically three main forms of church government employed by the various denominations: Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Congregational. All the churches who govern themselves under these three forms, I'm sure believe that the one which they employ is the most Biblical expression. I think regardless of one's views, those views should be conformed to the teaching of scripture. So this brings me back to the question: which form is Biblically correct, or at least the closest to the Biblical pattern? Why, or why not?

I've heard it said that the three marks of a true church are: 1) The faithful preaching and teaching of the Word. 2) Right administration of the sacraments/ordinances. 3) Discipline. Though we might disagree on what constitutes these three marks, I think we could all agree on the importance of all three to any church. What role does church governance have in these three important matters? As we weigh in on this issue and ponder the questions it raises, let's keep in mind these three "marks" of a faithful church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dispensationalism....Is it Biblical?

I grew up in Baptist churches...I didn't come to faith until I was thirty-seven years old..but in my growing up years, the only eschatological view I remember being taught (though at the time I didn't know what it was called), was dispensationalism. After becoming a believer, the church where I was a member had a Bible reading program which led us through the entire Bible, in the chronology, in a year. It was during that time that I began to question the validity of the premill/pretrib view. As redemptive history began opening up to me...there was a unity and continuity that I saw in it that just didn't seem to fit into that scheme. Of late I've been studying covenant theology from a Baptist perspective..my views are still in formation on that...though I think I can say I'm definitely NOT dispensational. There's been an increasing interest in last things in the past few years with the release of the Jenkins/LaHaye Left Behind series. I hope a few folks will weigh in with their views on this subject, as I think we'd all agree that it's important for us to know what the Bible teaches on these important subjects.