The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry defines Apostasy as, “Apostasy is the falling away from the Christian faith. It is a revolt against the truth of God’s word by a believer. It can also describe a group or church organization that has “fallen away” from the truths of Christianity as revealed in the Bible.” Apostasy is real, it is biblical, and the following exegesis will serve as my basis to my belief in why Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS) is not only false teaching but heretical teaching.
I know that there really are people out there who feel like they can work their way to heaven; this is called “works righteousness”. I know that most who believe in OSAS think that everyone who objects to OSAS has to believe in “works righteousness”. This is not at all true; that is not at all what I, and all others who object believe. “Works righteousness” is not what I intend to put across here. That is also not only a false teaching but a heretical teaching. My intent is to show that I believe we are saved by faith, and that God does not hold us hostage after our free will decision for christ. I plan to show that the bible recognizes people who have professed Jesus the Christ as their savior continue to have the free will to walk away from the faith. So let’s start where we should always start, scripture.
Ezekiel 33:13
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
In both the OT and the NT people were saved by Faith. For as much weight is put on the sacrifice in the OT, you had to have faith in the God you were offering the sacrifice to. Abraham had the faith to take his son to be a sacrifice. He had the faith to do what he was told to do. Doesn’t that same faith transcend into the NT and into our daily lives? Additionally, in both the NT and the OT, both persons would sin again, and here is that difference. In the OT another sacrifice was in order. In the NT a prayer of repentance is in order. Both were still believers no matter what. So if that is true, and we have a man who is made righteous by his faith in God’s promise to cleanse him of sin with his repeated sacrifices, why then is he told that if he trusts in his OWN righteousness all of his righteousness will not be remember? If I am not going to remember your righteousness, don’t you first have to be righteous? We are not talking about someone who has always leaned to his own understanding because this verse starts off by identifying the man as righteous. The audience identified is “I shall say to the righteous.” We are not talking to fakes or non-believers. So what we see here is God telling us that if we are righteous, we shall surely live. But if we turn to ourselves, if we lean to our own understanding, all that we have done in Christ’s name will not be remembered. Additionally, all that we do in our own idolatrous name will be iniquity and we shall die for it. Please note that this verse clearly indicates that the man was once righteous and then made the personal free will choice to make himself his God. In the NT terms, he fell back into the ways of his own flesh, he reverted back to the old man he was.
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be a seed planted. Those seeds are these questions, “If it is not possible to give up your salvation for sin, if we are truly sealed and will enter into the kingdom no matter what, then why are we warned to remain committed to God’s will and not our own?” “How can one say that once you are saved you are always saved if the scriptures CLEARLY offer the warning and the consequence of obedience resulting in faith and then disobedience resulting in the second death?” “Why does man try so hard to hide the clear instruction here that one who was once righteous and then, through their weakened faith and free will to turn away from God become unrighteous through sin?”
“It is evidently signified here, that to trust in our own righteousness, whether internal or external, whether graces or virtues, past or present, or to entertain high thoughts of our own attainments in religion, and to put confidence therein, is one step toward a fall, and generally issues in apostacy.”
Romans 6
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
I use this scripture because another scripture commonly use to promote OSAS is Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” I agree with this verse. For those who die in Christ there is no condemnation under the law. To die in the spirit of Christ is to live in eternity. Chapter 8 verse 1 reinforces what so many other verses say and that is at the time of death, if you be in Christ, you will be saved. I could not agree with this Chapter 8 verses 1-2 more. Romans Chapter 6 verses 13-16, however, reminds us that if we are saved, if we are under grace, we are not under the law. So let’s be clear, Paul is talking to saved people here. He says to the saved that if they be under grace, they should not sin. If they sin, if they yield themselves to the sinful desires of the flesh and the wickedness of their minds, they will become slaves to sin, slaves to their wickedness. Even though we are saved by faith, Paul is reminding us that if our works be wicked, our faith is nothing because we can only serve one master. If we obey sin, if we yield to sin then servants of sin we are and we will die in eternal death. This does not address the struggles that we call on Christ to help us with. These verses are specifically talking about the deliberate choice to serve sin, to become a slave to it, as we were before being washed in the blood. It also states that obedience is righteousness. So to those who say that I practice works righteousness, please hear Paul explain that we are to be obedient unto righteousness. We are made righteous by the blood of Christ, and because the righteousness of the Holy Spirit in us we chose obedience to God.
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be seeds planted. Those seeds are these questions, “If it is not possible to give up your salvation for sin, if we are truly sealed and will enter into the kingdom no matter what, then why are we commanded, as an already saved people, to not yield to the members of our bodies that lust after sin?” “If we cannot fall from grace, why are reminded to whom we yield ourselves to obey, then his servants we are?” If OSAS is a true biblical fact, why are we warned about becoming ‘instruments of unrighteousness’? Why teach us about yielding to our flesh and sin at all if we cannot sin our way out of heaven? How can one be willfully, knowingly, happily and consistently disobedient to God, and still have the Holy Spirit in him?
Galatians 5
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
“In this chapter the apostle exhorts to stand fast in Christian liberty, and warns against the abuse of it; and directs to shun various vices, and encourages, to the exercise of several graces, and the observance of several duties; and concludes with a caution against vain glory, provocation to wrath, and envy: and whereas, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, he had made it appear that the believers under the Gospel dispensation were free from the bondage of the law, he begins this with an exhortation to continue steadfastly in the liberty of the Gospel; and the rather, since it was what Christ obtained for them, and bestowed on them; and to take care, that they were not again brought under the bondage of the ceremonial law, particularly the yoke of Circumcision, Galatians 5:1, and dissuades from submitting to it, by observing, that it tended to make Christ unprofitable to them, Galatians 5:2, and that it laid them under an obligation to keep the whole law, Galatians 5:3, and that it made Christ wholly useless to them; and that such who sought for justification by obedience to the ceremonial law were apostates from the Gospel of the grace of God…. There is the liberty of grace, and the liberty of glory; the former of these is here meant, and lies in a freedom from sin; not from the indwelling of it, but from the dominion, guilt, and damning power of it; from the captivity and tyranny of Satan, though not from his temptations and insults…. Christ is become of no effect unto you,…. Or “ye are abolished from Christ”; or as others by an “hypallage” read the words, “Christ is abolished unto you”; for by their seeking for justification by their own works, it was all one to them as if there was no Christ, and no righteousness in him, and no salvation by him; they had nothing to do with him, nor he with them:….ye are fallen from grace; that is, either from that grace which they professed to have…. or else from the Gospel of the grace of God, from whence they were removed, through the influence of false teachers”
John Gill’s work on this is extensive. I have left a lot out, believe it or not. The point here is that Paul often tells us to be on guard, to be watchful, to stand fast, and to beware. There are so many admonitions to Christians, saved children of God, to be alert to the pitfalls of sin and the power of Satan and the false prophets. 14 times in the NT we are told to beware, 6 times we are told to stand fast, 7 times we are told to endure and 4 times we are told to “be not deceived”. We are given warning after warning to not go back to the ways of the old flesh, to be aware of sin and the draw that it has on our flesh. Notice how Paul states that Jesus HAS BECOME no effect. Paul did not say Jesus ‘has not been’, or ‘has never been’. Paul uses the word ‘become’. This is a clear indication that he is talking to saved people who have Jesus, and then get entangled AGAIN in the yoke of bondage, rendering Jesus no effect in them, causing them to FALL FROM GRACE. Paul just nullifies OSAS. This is very important because a huge argument from the believers of OSAS is that a person who spends years serving God and professing their salvation through their faith could not have ever been truly saved if they decide to walk away. They argue that from the second of their profession and subsequent conversion, their decision for Christ was not genuine; it could not have been genuine. However, we do see that we are talking about believers, people who truly believe, and then make the decision to walk away. They fail to heed all the warnings; they fail to remain steadfast in the faith. They failed to hear the gospel which is not just a teaching of love but a true warning of the power of sin, the power of flesh and a never ending desire to satisfy ourselves through worldly snares and entanglements. In the gospel we truly need to see the reason for Christ. Christ came and died for our sin. A sin that was so powerful that it consumed like a fire, destroying and killing everything it touches.
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be seeds planted. Those seeds are these questions, “If it is not possible to give up your salvation for sin, if we are truly sealed and will enter into the kingdom no matter what, then why the warning to not be entangled AGAIN with the yoke of bondage?’ “How can we do something again, if we never did it or have not stopped doing it?” The wording here indicates that we once did it, stopped, and are susceptible to doing it again, so how can man not recognize a previous genuine faith and yet man finds themselves in a higher office to declare that a previous faith was not genuine?” “How can Christ become “No Effect” if he was not effectual to you from your original conversion?” “In order to BECOME no effect, doesn’t he have to have been effect at one time?”
Revelation 2:10
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
The book of revelation is not the story of the Apostle John. It is the testimony of Jesus Christ himself, given to and recorded by the Apostle/Disciple/Prophet John, the one whom Jesus loved. Let’s get that straight right now, it is very important. Jesus Christ himself stated that the Church of Smyrna and Philadelphia needed no rebuke. Of the seven letters he told John to write; only two were without rebuke. This is incredibly important because it establishes who Jesus is talking to here. Jesus tells the church, you are about to be persecuted. Many believers and followers are going to be persecuted and martyred. Jesus does not tell them, listen, you are sealed, do not worry about it. You will be in heaven with me forever. No, there are no such words here. Instead, Jesus says, “be faithful unto death.” Do not forsake him. Jesus goes on to say that he who overcomes unto death, he who does not fall to the flesh, he who does not try to save himself, he who dies faithful shall not be hurt of the second death. The second death will be more righteous than the first death. It will be an eternity of reward or suffering, depending on the choices we make- right up unto death. We are to overcome every day. In other words, our race does not end at the start line; it ends at the finish line. We are warned here to be faithful until the end because there will be those who will not be. There are those who are faithful for a season, but not to the end. Again, how can you not be faithful at the end, if you were not faithful in the beginning, if you never were faithful at all? A huge argument of OSAS believers is that if you are not faithful in the end, then you were never faithful. They have to have that position otherwise OSAS falls to the ground. But that is not a biblical teaching anywhere in the bible. God tells us through His inspired word that people are faithful in the beginning, and fail. Failure is a part of life. However, we see the promise from Christ again; if we are faithful until the end, THEN will He give us the crown. Jesus does not say that He will let us keep the crown he gave us at the beginning. In fact, if we are sealed, why do I need to be told to be faithful unto death? Wasn’t my faithfulness on the day I was sealed and trusted Him as my savior good enough? Of course it was. Because you professed with your mouth, you were saved in an instant. But that was the beginning of a journey, not the end.
The particular promise here is made to him that should “overcome”; that is, that would gain the victory in the persecutions which were to come upon them. The reference is to him who would show the sustaining power of religion in times of persecution; who would not yield his principles when opposed and persecuted; who would be triumphant when so many efforts were made to induce him to apostatize and abandon the cause.
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be seeds planted. Those seeds are these questions, “Why does Christ single out the person who overcomes if it is true that all who cry out onto the LORD will be saved?” “Why is there a stipulation of being “faithful unto death” in order to receive my crown if, as a saved man today, I already have my crown?” “And according to the commentary of the learned Albert Barnes, How does one abandon a cause that they were never a part of?” “Why do I have to be told to be faithful unto death if I have been sealed and cannot possibly walk away when I chose myself over God during my time of persecution?” “What does Mr. Barnes mean when he states, ‘him who would show the sustaining power of religion in times of persecution’; who ‘would not yield his principles when opposed’ and persecuted; who ‘would be triumphant when so many efforts were made to induce him to apostatize….” If, once I am saved, I am saved once and for all?
Matthew 5
20 For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Jesus is teaching in his sermon on the mount. He is teaching his followers. He is telling them how a follower of Christ should view things, respond to things, and think about behavior. Jesus himself is laying down some expectations. What I find very interesting is that he lets people know, as he talks about obeying the 10 commandments, having hate in your heart, having lust in your heart, and dealing with those who hate you, that there is a consequence for behavior. What he doesn’t say is that it is all going to be okay because you are saved. In fact, Jesus doesn’t even say that as a saved person all you have to do is repent. What he tells His followers is that if you have a problem that can lead you away, deal with it. Jesus does not literally mean to pluck you eye out or cut your hand off, but he does mean that, even as a saved man, if you are looking at a woman and lusting after her then alter your eye sight, stop looking. He is saying that if your hands become idle and become the devil’s playground, put them back to work, and stop using them for sin. He clarifies, to his followers that the behavior of self-discipline is so important because failing at it, even if it be something like looking with lust in your heart, will result in the casting of your whole body into hell. Jesus Himself warned against falling from grace because He knew that man would be tempted and that many would fail to remain steadfast in the faith. Notice that Jesus says nothing about losing rewards. He does not say, “because you believed but failed, you will receive less in heaven”. He says the whole body will be cast into hell. That does not sound anything like the teaching of OSAS to me.
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be seeds planted. Those seeds are these questions, “Why does Jesus tell saved people, the people who are following him, they need to make drastic changes (thus the hyperbole about plucking your eyes out) if they sin, or that if your righteousness does not exceed the scribes and Pharisees they will not enter heaven? Why doesn’t Jesus just say that if you lust after another God and Jesus won’t like it and will probably take away some of your rewards because you are saved and sealed forever no matter what?
Romans 11
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
Again, Albert Barnes commentary on this subject is extensive.
“The process of grafting consists in inserting a scion or a young shoot into another tree. To do this, a useless limb is removed; and the ingrafted limb produces fruit according to its new nature or kind, and not according to the tree in which it is inserted. In this way a tree which bears no fruit, or whose branches are decaying, may be recovered, and become valuable. The figure of the apostle is a very vivid and beautiful one. The ancient root or stock, that of Abraham, etc. was good. The branches – the Jews in the time of the apostle – had become decayed and unfruitful, and broken off. The Gentiles had been grafted into this stock, and had restored the decayed vigor of the ancient people of God; and a fruitless church had become vigorous and flourishing…
It is true they were broken off; but in order to show that there was no occasion for boasting, he adds that they were not rejected in order to admit others, but because of their unbelief, and that their fate should have a salutary impression on those who had no occasion for boasting, but who might be rejected for the same cause….
The continuance of these mercies to you depends on your fidelity. If you are faithful, they will be preserved; if, like the Jews, you become unbelieving and unfruitful, like them you will be also rejected. This fact should repress boasting, and excite to anxiety and caution….
If God did not refrain from rejecting the Jews who became unbelievers, assuredly he will not refrain from rejecting you in the same circumstances. It may be supposed that he will be quite as ready to reject the ingrafted branches, as to cast off those which belonged to the parent stock. The situation of the Gentiles is not such as to give them any security over the condition of the rejected Jew….
Christians do not merit the favor of God by their faith and good works; but their obedience is an indispensable condition on which that favor is to be continued. It is thus that the grace of God is magnified, at the same time that the highest good is done to man himself….
In relation to them the favor of God was dependent on their fidelity. If they became disobedient and unbelieving, then the same principle which led him to withdraw his mercy from the Jewish people would lead also to their rejection and exclusion. And on this principle, God has acted in numberless cases. Thus, his favor was withdrawn from the seven churches of Asia Revelation 13, from Corinth, from Antioch, from Philippi, and even from Rome itself….
If they do not continue in willful obstinacy and rejection of the Messiah. As their unbelief was the sole cause of their rejection, so if that be removed, they may be again restored to the divine favor.”
I read this to mean that Abraham was the father of the faith, and in the example Paul speaks about the Jews using Abraham as the root, just as in Christianity, Christ is the root from which his followers feed. The account of the Old Testament and the foundation of the faith is in that root. The chosen people, the Nation of Israel, were the continuation of the root called the branches. Because of their unbelief, God removed the unbelieving branches and gave way for the Gentiles, all who did not belong to the Nation of Israel, to be grafted into the faith. We Christians also call this the Great Adoption. Because of our belief we are a fruitful branch that is grafted onto the tree of God’s chosen people. The fact that God did not refrain from removing unbelieving Jews, which is a really powerful statement because the Nation of Israel was/is the chosen people of God and had that place securely on the tree. Yet God, clearly and profoundly and without dispute, defines their presence on the tree as conditional to their belief and obedience. In fact, Paul teaches, and Barnes expounds, that if God would grant them position on the tree and then remove them from the tree for their non-belief, Gentiles should not boast their fortune for being grafted onto the tree over the removal of the non-believers from the Nation of Israel. Boast about the Root; boast about God, but not the misfortune of the Jews who have been removed. God goes further to say through Paul that if the Jew who has been removed, restores his faith, God can restore his position on the tree.
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be seeds planted. Those seeds are these questions, “If OSAS is a truth, then why does God speak about His ability to restore a man? How does one be restored if they were never in an original condition? Why does one need to be restored if they never fell out of the original condition? If I was grafted onto the tree because of my belief and cannot be removed according to OSAS, why am I warned to not be like the Jew who was on the tree and then removed because of a lack of belief? If my faith is all there is to being saved, why is obedience “an indispensable condition on which that favor is to be continued”? If my unbelief means, according to OSAS theology, that I was never saved, how did I get on the tree to be removed from the tree? Which one is it, does God make mistakes regarding who He puts on the tree? Do we fool God with our belief and then to cover up His mistake he removes us from the tree? Or do we continue to have free will throughout our life and are held accountable for our own actions, rewards or consequences?
Galatians 6
6 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
“I shall endeavor, as well as I may be able, to state the true meaning of the passage by an examination of the words and phrases in detail, observing here, in general, that it seems to me that it refers to true Christians; that the object is to keep them from apostasy, and that it teaches that if they should apostatize, it would be impossible to renew them again or to save them.”
He shows that this spiritual growth is the surest way to prevent that dreadful sin of apostasy from the faith.
They may be enlightened. Some of the ancients understand this of their being baptized; but it is rather to be understood of notional knowledge and common illumination, of which persons may have a great deal, and yet come short of heaven. Balaam was the man whose eyes were opened (Num. 24:3), and yet with his eyes opened he went down to utter darkness.
They may taste of the heavenly gift, feel something of the efficacy of the Holy Spirit in his operations upon their souls, causing them to taste something of religion, and yet be like persons in the market, who taste of what they will not come up to the price of, and so but take a taste, and leave it. Persons may taste religion, and seem to like it, if they could have it upon easier terms than denying themselves, and taking up their cross, and following Christ.
In the verses of Galatians 6:1-6 we clearly, and profoundly, see that from the highest of faith (having been enlightened) it is possible for man to fall away by blaspheming the savior, and rejecting His sacrifice for salvation.
I believe that these verses directly address the blaspheming of the spirit. I do think that a disobedient heart is not blaspheming as I know that the scriptures talk about those who at the great white throne of judgement cry out about all the works they did, and how they served the church. Yet they are still rejected because they did not work for the glory of God but for their own glory. I believe that is the difference between Galatians 6 and Romans 11. Sin exists in Romans 11, the sin of pride and idolatry. In those verses we are taught that we can fall from grace for the depravity of our sin, that we serve sin. In Galatians we are showed the sin of Blasphemy. We are also told there is no restoration for that sin. We are told in the bible that there is one unpardonable sin and that is blasphemy. We are told here that even a believer can turn from God and commit the most egregious of all sin. We have said that “a sin is a sin is a sin”. We have also said that to God everything that is a sin is equal, no one sin outweighs another. But we have also been taught that blasphemy is not equal. There is no return from that sin, but there is restoration from all other sin as long as sin is not the final condition at death, that true repentance has been made before death.
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be seeds planted. Those seeds are these questions, “If the theology of OSAS teaches that a person never falls because if they fall they were never truly saved in the first place, how does one then explain the bible’s statement that for those who have ‘once known Christ’ to be restored if they reject Christ (which is the definition of Blasphemy)? How can the bible say, as clearly as it does here, that this reprobate has known Christ, has tasted the heavenly gift, have been partakers of the holy spirit, have once been enlightened and yet can still have the free will to commit the one unpardonable sin and blaspheme (reject) Christ and the gift of salvation? I, personally, believe that this is such a powerful verse in the dissolution of OSAS.
2 Peter 3
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.
An argument that OSAS believers make is that John 10 states, “29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” As a person who does not subscribe to OSAS, I totally believe this verse. I do NOT believe that any man can take you from Jesus. In fact, I do NOT believe that Satan himself cannot take you away from Jesus. Please look at this verse with much discernment. We must first understand that Jesus is talking to his followers. He is telling them about false prophets, and wolves in sheep’s clothing. He was teaching that He is the Shepherd, He is the only Shepherd. He is stating that His followers are a people that God the Father gave to Him. He tells us that His sheep know Him as the Shepherd, and He knows His sheep. After reminding His followers about who He is, He warns all of us, again, to beware, but to beware of what? How about to be aware of those who are wicked and who would lead you astray? But wait, no one can pluck you out of God’s hand. Does the bible contradict itself? No, it does not. This verse is warning about being led astray. While no man can pluck you out of God’s hand, the bible clearly indicates that you are always free to walk away on your own. And these warnings, all of what we have talked about up until now, are warnings because God knows how strong our flesh is. The Holy Spirit led the writers of the bible to harp on remaining steadfast, and enduring to the end. That’s because if you allow yourself to be led astray, your desire to remain in the faith grows weaker and weaker, instead of stronger and stronger. What is the result, falling from your steadfastness; falling from your faith. The bible uses the word “fall” over and over. Yet, OSAS would have us believe that for a believer there is nothing to fall from, and for those who fall, well…..you were never in that high position of enlightenment in the first place. Even though I believe the Holy Bible, the blessed commentators, and the Holy Spirit Himself has taught us here to the contrary. Man went from perfection, being a perfect creation, living in a perfect place, having perfect communion with God, to evil. Man “FELL” from grace, was punished, and told that because of the sin of man, death now entered the life. The greatest example of how wrong OSAS is is the Garden of Eden. How much more perfect was that place. To live in heaven, to have God himself walk and talk with you in the Garden and have communion with Him every day, how great is that? To want for nothing, to be sick from nothing, to feel no pain, to not have to work hard, to not have hard labor/child birth, to truly be equal with one another, man and woman. Mankind was once in the perfect place. But we fell, an example of falling in Romans 11, and death and sin entered in. If I subscribe to OSAS am I to believe that the Garden never existed, or that Adam and Eve were evil from the start? Am I to believe that the serpent never really lied to them and did not play as huge of a part in the fall of man as he did because man was not really saved in the first place?
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be seeds planted. Those seeds are these questions, “why are we warned over and over about REMAINING steadfast if there is no danger of losing it?” “If we cannot fall, why does the bible continuously say that if we do not remain focused we CAN and WILL be led astray resulting in a fall?” “How can you fall from place you were never at?” “How do you reconcile the fact that the bible states that no man can pluck you out of the hands of God and the FACT that it tells you to remain steadfast so that you are not led astray, because if you are led astray you can fall from grace, you can fall from being steadfast?”
James 5
“12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”
In chapter 5 we see James talking to saved people, no doubt. We have the first head of the church of Jerusalem, the brother (half-brother) of Jesus Christ himself, calling his audience, “Brethren”. There is no doubt that he is talking to the saved. He implores them to have patience. His audience was people who saw and were talking about the observation of the ascension. They believed the “second coming” was coming any day. James was teaching them to have patience and to live for Christ. He spoke of many different positive behaviors, and loving behaviors. But then he says, “above all things”. That should get your attention. He then tells not to swear, or else you fall into condemnation. What is the significance of this? The significance is that condemnation is the judging that no man should engage in. We walk around saying that we should not judge. This is also a false teaching. We are to judge. For our own welfare we judge what is good and what is dangerous. We judge what is healthy and unhealthy. We judge what is right and what is wrong. All this judging we do for our benefit and the benefit of others. How does iron sharpen iron if we do not identify that we, you and I together, are dull? How do we talk to others about sin, if we do not examine the rotten fruit? It is the condemnation part that we are not to engage in. None of us are righteous enough to pass condemnation on each other. So the importance of this verse is that James, such an important person in the bible and in our faith, tells us that if we engage in unacceptable behaviors we are liable to fall into condemnation. Again, unless we remain steadfast, unless we are aware of the false prophets, unless we guard against being led astray, we may fall into condemnation, which is the technical way of saying ‘be sent to hell’.
Even if you do not agree with my analysis here, there should be a seed planted. That seed is this question, If I am a brother to James, a member of the church body of Christ, how can I face condemnation, unless I fall from Grace?
Luke 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.
In this verse Jesus is teaching by telling a story, a parable, about the seed sower. Then we see an explanation about the parable. In verse 13 we see an explanation that completely disproves OSAS. We see here believers “receive the word with joy”. Jesus is not saying that the falsely received the word, or in any other minimizing or nullifying way indicate that the word they received was false, insufficient, or not genuine. In fact, he clearly says that they receive it with joy. To continue on, Jesus says they believe for a while. Jesus is calling them believers and acknowledges that they believe for a while. Time is always a question in the bible. What is a while; a couple of hours, days, months, or years? But when temptation comes, they fall away. An argument OSAS subscribers offer when a person spends any amount of time “Producing spiritual Fruit” is that they were never really saved. They were good people, but all of their work, all of their service was actually Idolatry. They served themselves because they were never saved and the spirit was not in them. However, for the days, months, or years of service, while a person is producing fruit, exhibiting Christian behavior, there is never any question. We thank they, praise the LORD for them, testify what great examples of Christians they are. We call each other brother/sister. We put people in office in the church. We make people go through classes before they join the church, and when they graduate we welcome them as members. We make people agree to denominational rules or regulations. And most importantly, we always say that we cannot judge the faithfulness of a person. However, when a person falls, all of this work seems to dissipate. When the flesh takes over, and the believer “falls” and rejects Christ, the cry has to be that the original conversion was not genuine. That person was never really saved because if they were they would never walk away from God. All that time, we were fooled. The spirit that is in us was unable to see the total lack of the spirit in the other person. What would happen if we had a rule that said that a Pastor, the shepherd of the flock must be removed if he allowed an elder to be in a position of authority in the church and was not able to discern the genuineness of the conversion? I mean really, who wants a leader who so bad at seeing a fake. After all, they are to be called by God, not simply someone who choses ministry as a career path. There must be a blessing from God, right. The pastor or preacher even must be above reproach, and held to a higher standard. So how are so many fooled by this? I don’t think they are fooled, I think they have no control over another human being’s free will and that they are not to blame at all. The bible clearly states that there will be believers who will fall away from the faith, who will be led away by false prophets/teachers/preachers so the admonition is for use to be aware, stay awake, be on guard, hold steadfast to the faith, and remain in constant prayer and communion with God and so on.
We see in 1 Timothy 1, Paul telling Timothy about Alexander and Hymeneaus who Paul turned over to Satan because they made a “Shipwreck” of their salvation. How does one do that if once upon the ship of faith one cannot wreck that ship of faith? In 1 Timothy 5, Paul is declaring how widows should be treated, and how Christians should care for and love one another. In verse 8 Paul declares anyone who fails to provide for their house has turned from the faith. How does one turn from something they never had. If OSAS is a true doctrine, why does Paul say they turned from the faith instead of saying their faith was in vein, or that it was not a sincere faith? That’s not what he says at all. Not only does he say that they turn from their faith, but he says that this apostate is worse in the eyes of God than a person who has never believed at all. There are so many stories as these in the bible that talk about falling from grace. Many!! But I will end this particular thought with 1 Corinthians 10: 1-12. In his letter to the church of Corrin, Paul is addressing the believers. He is reminding them of their fathers (ancestors). These people were believers. Paul specifically takes note that they were baptized, that they ate of the spiritual meat, that they drank of the spiritual drink which Paul specifically came from the spiritual rock which is Christ. Paul makes specific reference to the acceptance of Christ and taking communion. He never once says that this was all fake, or not genuine conversions. What he does say, and what he does do, is he puts this out there for the audience to whom he is speaking. Believers! He is reminding them that just because they are saved, does not mean they cannot fall from grace. He goes on to mention sin. Paul specifically uses the real example of the sins of lust, as they lusted after evil things, idolatry, as they entertained themselves instead of the LORD, tempting Jesus, and the murmurings or complaining. My favorite is the fornication piece. It is my favorite because sexual immorality is so rampant in this present day. There is adultery happening in the very houses of God. But hey, what does it matter right? OSAS!!! In verse 8 Paul tells why it all matters. In this day, Paul tells of 23,000 who committed some form of fornication and fell. He did not say they were never really saved, he says they fell. And in Verse 12 Paul clearly says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”. This is why it is important to me that the real teaching be spoken. There are many walking who thinks he is standing, and is NOT taking heed. Everything is good; everything is okay, because I am saved. I do not need to do any work. I do not need to allow the spirit to work through me. I am good. I will just pray and God will make it right, I don’t need to do anything. I will love my lost loved ones or friends by not telling them the gospel, not talking to them about their sin and about hell which will consume them some day because that is not my job. I am saved and forever saved; I don’t have to do anything. Oh but brother, oh but sister, you are the brethren to whom Paul is speaking. You are prime to fall for you are not aware.
In my observations of OSAS sermons, I often see a contradiction. I will hear the sermon of how great eternal salvation is, but then (usually in the same sermon) hear something that talks about being aware of satan’s attractive lies. Instead of preaching about how Satan is trying to steal your soul, the consequence is less rewards in heaven. To me, what I hear in that sermon or conversation is that Satan is concerned about me receiving my full reward in heaven. To me, that makes Satan’s efforts to make me fall about me. But I thought everything was supposed to be about God? I am nothing without Him. I literally hear that, and have people come right out and tell me that as a saved person it is important to be obedient so that we can receive our full rewards. I do agree that the bible clearly indicates that those who finish the race well will receive rewards and those rewards will be based on our degrees of obedience to God while here on earth. I do not believe in works righteousness, but I do believe that once we have the Holy Spirit He brings forth work that Glorifies Almighty God. How obedient we are, and how much work we give over to God earns those rewards, and everybody will be different. However, in my mind, to say that Satan cares about those rewards and wants to get in the way of me receiving my full reward makes those rewards all about me instead of God. That sounds a lot like Idolatry to me and that is why I choose to call OSAS heretical teaching. Let’s get something straight right now. Satan does not only NOT care about your rewards, he doesn’t care about you period. The bible says that he travels “to and fro looking for whom he may devour”. The last time I checked, devour does not mean to nibble away at some rewards. He is looking to make you fail, to take you totally and eternally away from everlasting life with our Heavenly Father. Satan is not doing that because of you, he is doing that to you because of God. That’s right, this is not about you or me; this is about God. Satan’s objective is not you, it’s to inflict as much pain and sadness on God as possible. Satan knows how this is going to end, he is going to fight, and he is going to go down swinging. He is also going to take as many souls with him as he can. He is not going to do that so he can have some party in hell, some festival of friends, and he is not doing his work so he can have some trophy case of all the rewards he took from us. God is the creator, He created us all, so to not have us in heaven with Him, makes Him infinitely sadder than we are when our kids don’t make it home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. But He is righteous and knows that we all had a choice and so guilt is something He will not feel. We make choices to come to the alter, and we make choices to walk away. We are creatures of FREE WILL. So NO, this is not about our rewards. This is about total separation. Make no mistake about that. Again, you lose one reward and then maybe another and then maybe another, the next thing you know even your rewards in heaven become insignificant. This is the warning coming true. This is us not staying awake and seeing that this is not about going to heaven with a plethora of awards. It is simply about getting to heaven. Do not let OSAS prevent you from going to heaven by letting it convince you that Satan is only interested in your rewards. Satan wants you away from God to hurt God. You are just a tool to help him meets his goal. To satan, we all are nothing but a means to an end.
I don’t agree with OSAS because it indicates that you have free will to go to the alter but you do not have free will to walk away. Jesus is the perfect gentleman. Have you ever heard that? He does not make anyone follow him. He stands at the door and he knocks, but there is no door knob on His side, you have to open the door to let Him. Once you let Him in, then you are a hostage. No matter how much you may want to walk away, no matter how much you may sin, you are His forever. It is that, or you were never his to begin with. I have literally watched too many people serve with a servant’s heart, and after a tragedy, the loss of a child or spouse, a devastating divorce, or an affair that led to the divorce that created such guilt that the person would rather throw everything away than try to make sense of their own behavior. They are the reasons for the warning. We are to be zealous in our faith. We are to be excited about being servants of God. The problem is that we are not. Churches as a whole have stopped engaging the community, in fact, have been, for a while now, permitted the communities and the world to come inside the house of God and change how they do things. They are no longer the house of God, but a social hall for worldly people. I believe OSAS is a teaching that has allowed us to become weak. In our weakness, tragedy and satan has the upper hand. We are too weak to handle our own consequences. God doesn’t cause divorce, sin does. God did not bring death into this world man did through sin. In our daily exercise of life and choices, we set into motion consequences. Everyday we are to exercise faith so that when consequences come, or when persecution comes, we are firm in our faith, we are awake and aware, we are steadfast, and we are dressed in the full armor of God so that we may stand and endure unto the end.
In closing OSAS just does not make any biblical sense. The devil looks for whom he may devour, not interrupt. We must be aware so that we do not fall, not stumble. We must remain steadfast so that we may enter in. We must be aware of false teachers so that we are not led astray. I don’t believe that all who subscribe to OSAS are not going to heaven. I do believe that most do understand that there is obedience to our faith. But I also fear that there are some who do not understand that God wants a reciprocal relationship with us. This means that He said He will always honor his end of the promise, so we must too. We must live a holy life to the best of our ability. We must NOT become friends with the world. We must reject our flesh, and die to ourselves daily. We must spread the Gospel, even to the members of our own families even if it means they chose to never speak to us again. We don’t make any exceptions here on earth because He did not make any exceptions when He went to the cross. Once we accept with our mouths we have work to do. Yes, the greatest gift is love, but make no mistake; that love spoken of is God’s love. Human love is flawed, it is emotional, it is temporary, and it is conditional. God’s love is perfect and that is the gift! We love our neighbors by not stepping on their feet, by not telling them the truth, by letting them live in their sin without even peaking one word of God’s love for them and we call that love. We are to love people to heaven, not to hell. OSAS does teach that there is room for error, and promotes a laziness that is mentioned NO WHERE in the bible. You cannot live in sin, go to church on Sundays, and think you are saved. Living in sin and sinning are two different things. Once again, teaching is important. We all fall short of God’s glory. But to slip up, knowingly or unknowing, is different than living in it day after day. I witness church going folks promoting alcohol in the vicinity of addicts, I know religious people in church who leave a Sunday sermon and then go get drunk during watching a pro sporting event. I know Christians who praise professional athletes more than they ever talk about God. I see men and women come to church dressed so scantly that watching them walk is like watching some soft porn show. I know many people living in idolatry, thinking they are the center of the world who use the God-on-a-shelf doll whenever they need to. Otherwise, they are in control. OSAS promotes this through its teaching that all you had to do is truly mean that you want Christ in your life and you are saved. Sin is these big things, but the smaller things are just personal choices. No they are not. Jesus says, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” These are not Moses Ten, these are his. Dress modestly, love your neighbor, do not drink to excess, come out from among the world and be separate, and so on. Friends, please hear me, I cannot steal your salvation. Satan cannot steal your salvation. God will not fail on His promise of salvation. You, and only you, can make the choice to walk away from the greatest gift you will ever have. Please be aware, please be steadfast, please endure until the end, and please finish well!
If you stand in the mirror what will the reflection tell you about yourself, and what are you going to do about it? May the peace of God be abundantly heaped upon you and your house, straight from the cross to the Christian!
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