Q.
TC asks:
For all of you who do not believe in OSAS [Once Saved Always Saved] , can you please explain how a person who is already saved can then be damned?
A.
This is not a direct answer to your question, just an 'OSAS' musing.
To be 'saved' means to be 'made whole'. Believers will not be made completely whole according to God's purpose until we receive our new bodies in heaven. Salvation (the noun) has a beginning, a middle and an end. We have been saved (a.k.a justified), we are being saved (a.k.a. sanctified) and we will be saved (a.k.a. glorified). Salvation has a 'sweep' to it. Therefore, OSAS technically should be "once having begun the process of being made whole always in the process of being made whole to the end'. Lets see, that would be, OHBTPOBMWAITPOBMWTTE. I don't say this to be a nerd, but there are a lot of verses that will trip up the youngsters in the word unless they are aware of this simple 'sweep' of salvation. Such as:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 [Peter is saying that the trials we go through down here will result in greater rejoicing when we are glorified---the fullness of our salvation. Unless we understand this, this verse might say to some that we are wishing and hoping about our salvation until the end]
The just shall live by faith. various [means those who have been justified [by faith] will continue to walk by faith through the sanctification stage of salvation]
and so on..
Steve
Gospel + Faith = Born Again
And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved".......(click on the picture for more about being saved)
Choose Life Everlasting
For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life..... 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Deck of Reflection
"Once upon a time..."
Awaiting on you all
Heavenly Hollow
flying squirrel house silhouette
Somebody's backyard
I think the problem is not in questioning eternal security, I think the problem is whether people have a genuine salvation experience. Those who truly receive Jesus as their Savior are different than those who THINK they are saved. Those who think they are saved can play the game for a little while but eventually "fall away". These people are the poster children of the "you can lose your salvation" crowd.
ReplyDeleteOnce saved, the Holy Spirit enters you and seals you. There is nothing you can do or nothing any else can do to remove you from God's grip. Who is stronger than God? Refer to Romans 8.
When those who think they have been saved and don't really KNOW the truth and eventually fall away some are left saying "see that person was once saved and is no longer". Can't happen. Can't lose your salvation. The problem is rooted in lack of growth. Lack of accountabililty. Poor teaching. Poor fellowship. Basically the church has fallen on its face.
We ALL need to learn the truth and know the truth and then do what Jesus told us to do. Make disciples. But rather than sacrifice to a life of spiritual growth, we tend to want to kick back and watch TV. How is that working for us? I wonder if there will be discussion groups in Hell on what TV shows people used to watch.
How about you? What is the comparison of the time you read and study the Word compared to how much time you are entertained?