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OSAS is Unbiblical
By J.

I believe that the terminology of "Once Saved, Always Saved" (OSAS) is misleading, misguided, unbiblical, and potentially dangerous. The terminology “perseverance of the saints” might be a more accurate label for the concept, but is too aligned with a specific “ism,” even if it is the quite popular Calvinism.

No one can come to hold this doctrine (OSAS) who goes by the Bible alone and in its entirety if they have studied the Bible carefully on Robinson Crusoe's Desert Island apart from the false Sirens of denominational teaching.

Nevertheless, I taught it to many students in Sunday school over many years. I was raised at Highland Park Baptist Church in Highland Park, Michigan, a suburb inside of Detroit, Michigan. This was and still is a very sound, Bible believing church. Dr. Lehman Strauss was the pastor there when I was in my late teen years. The founding pastor, Dr. William G. Coltman, was there in my younger years.

Upon a more careful study of the subject, I think I have found the proper Biblical expression of what is the truth in this matter:

The Bible teaches the absolute eternal security of the believer, not the unbeliever.

The Greek text of every salvation verse, John 3:16 and the rest, that promises salvation as a result of our belief places the verb for belief in the present tense, which in Greek includes the concept of continuing belief, not a one time act of faith. The facet of Greek grammar which displays this feature is called "aspect."

It IS possible to stop believing: Jesus said so in Luke 8:13,

Quote:
Luk 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Clearly, "which for a while believe" tells us that they believed only for a while; therefore, they stopped believing.

Don't tell me they never truly believed. Jesus said explicitly that they did believe—for a while.

The point is, those who lacked spiritual depth ("have no root"), or those whose faith was crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, things which "choked the word," did not continue to believe, but stopped believing, and brought no fruit to perfection (Luke 8:14).

The practical application of this truth for evangelism, soul winning, and discipleship is obvious. We must follow the admonition of Hebrews 3:12, 13,

Quote:
Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Proper follow-up and instruction of new believers is most essential!

Those who support the unqualified doctrine of "Once Saved, Always Saved," or unconditional eternal security, are in direct denial of another Bible doctrine, the doctrine or teaching of the Bible regarding the possibility of apostasy. There is much in the Bible on this subject, and it cannot simply be ignored or swept under the rug. If you are unfamiliar with the related Scripture, a beginning general resource which contains much unclassified Scripture on the subject would be Nave's Topical Bible.

The Bible delineates two categories of apostasy: moral apostasy, and doctrinal apostasy.

Moral apostasy is clearly warned against in many passages, but to me the clearest passage is 1 Corinthians 6:9-11,

Quote:
1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Other passages which teach the same truth include Galatians 5:16-21,

Quote:
Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
and a similar passage in Ephesians 5:5,

Quote:
Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
These three passages are very specific regarding the kinds of sins (in the category I have labeled "moral apostasy") that will cause a person to have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God, IF these sins are willfully practiced and not repented of; if these sins mark the person's willful life style or manner of life. A true believer who falls into such sin will seek God's help in extricating him or herself from such sin, and be sorrowful (2 Corinthians 7:10) for such sin:

Quote:
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
This does NOT mean what some interpreters mistakenly teach, that such a person cannot repent and return to true belief in Christ: it is stating that if we depart from Christ by such moral apostasy, there is no other sacrifice for sins that will avail for our salvation, and if we fail to repent, we have lost our salvation.

Doctrinal apostasy is warned against in 1 Timothy 4:1,

Quote:
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
The word “depart” translates the Greek word “aposteesontai,” our English word “apostasy.” The word "apostasy" in Greek (apostasia) "in its religious use necessarily includes a prior turning to God" (Heinrich Schlier, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 1, page 513, note 4), a concept rendered certain here by the next words "from the faith."

Notice Paul's concern for the welfare of those he has previously won to Christ as expressed in 1 Thessalonians 3:5,

Quote:
1Th 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
It does not appear from this remark that Paul taught or believed in unconditional eternal security. See the "if" in verse 8. To what purpose are the warnings to believers in Scripture, if what is warned against is not possible in the first place? We need to exercise care in formulating our doctrinal systems that we do not wrest Scripture by arbitrarily denying even the possibility of what so many texts repeatedly warn against: doctrinal and moral apostasy.

Quote:
1Th 3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
In Greek there are four kinds of "if." The "if" in 1 Thessalonians 3:8 is called by grammarians the "First Class Condition," and in plain English, is the kind of "if" in the indicative mood which does not express any doubt, but assumes the truth of the supposition. In 1 Thessalonians 3:8, Paul assumes they are standing fast in the Lord.

A similar statement using the same class of "if" is found in 1 Corinthians 15:2,

Quote:
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Paul assumes they have kept in memory what he preached to them. He assumes they have in fact held fast to what he has taught them.

But the point is, "unless ye have believed in vain." Paul develops the entire chapter, 1 Corinthians 15, to provide careful teaching about the resurrection from the dead, since some among them were saying that there is no resurrection from the dead:

Quote:
1Co 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
In context, therefore, an example of doctrinal apostasy would be to no longer believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, or the doctrine of resurrection generally. There are certain groups (like the Jehovah's Witnesses) among us today who do not believe in the bodily resurrection from the dead, and argue most strenuously against it, despite clear Biblical proof for the doctrine (John 2:19-22. Luke 24:39).

Paul specifically teaches in no uncertain terms that belief in the bodily resurrection (there is no other kind of resurrection known to Scripture) of Jesus Christ is a requirement for salvation:

Quote:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Greek grammarians call the kind of "IF" in Romans 10:9 the Third Class Condition. It involves the use of the subjunctive mood, and makes salvation contingent upon belief in the resurrection of Christ. Thus, it is an absolute requirement.

A person does not lose his or her salvation "at the drop of a hat," as by failing to confess a sin committed during the day then experiencing death during that night's sleep. Salvation is lost only when the person willfully persists in moral or doctrinal apostasy.

There are different degrees of reward (Matthew 5:12) and punishment (Luke 12:48), and perhaps our rewards could be affected by inadvertently unconfessed sin, but this would not result in the loss of salvation if our heart attitude is to stay as close and faithful to Christ as we can. James clearly teaches that none of us are perfect (James 3:2 with James 3:8). The proper attitude is described in 1 John 3:2, 3,

Quote:
1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Genuine believers follow a life of holiness, an absolute requirement found in Hebrews 12:14,

Quote:
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
I, personally, have no doubts concerning my security in Christ: it is absolute, because I continue to believe in Him, and continue to hear His word, as He commanded.

Only those who meet the conditions specified in John 10:27,

Quote:
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
can claim the security promised in John 10:28,

Quote:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

 

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