Bible Study OSAS vs. Eternal Security vs. The Truth
OSAS is the belief that once a person gets Saved they are always Saved no matter what they may do in their life or how long it has been since they have been Saved. Inotherwords, with this philosophy one could get Saved at 10 years old live until 80, living in sin the entire time, except the fact that they got Saved.
Eternal Security is very similar to OSAS. Most churches use this as a basis for the belief in OSAS. Quite simply it means that when you become Saved that God has assured your Salvation and is not going to back out of it. We will get into this in a bit.
The truth of the matter is this. OSAS is true and Eternal Security is true but not in the sense that most churches preach. Let’s look at it from a Biblical perspective.
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory…in whom also… you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Eph 1:11-14)
From the VW website:
In the O.T. Ezekiel writes “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.” (Ez18:24)
The N.T. the writer of Hebrews writes “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment… Anyone who..rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy…Of how much worse punishment…will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant…a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” For He said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord…It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:26-31)
So, what of, “Once Saved Always Saved?” Isn’t that what “grace” is? I can “get saved” & continue in sin, after all, “God accepts me just as I am.” So “it doesn’t matter, Grace saves me in the end.”
“Do not be deceived , God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will…reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will…reap everlasting life.” (Gal6:7-8)
What we need to understand more fully is the PROCESS of Salvation. When we come to Christ in faith we are given an inheritance. (Eph 1:11) As we know, as long as we are on this earth, we are subject to all the effects, temptations and sorrows of sin.(Rom 7) We are not yet in Heaven in our new bodies, where there is no sin. We anticipate it. (Rom 8:23) BUT WE ARE NOT THERE YET.
This inheritance exists. It is promised. And for every one who Believes, Endures, and has been Approved; the promise is Eternal Life, the Crown of Life, and Entrance into the Joy of the Lord. (Jas1:12, Mt 25:21) The SURETY of this promise is the Holy Spirit Who seals us, Who is the earnest. This is GOD’S PART of the “agreement.” His promise. It is secure. It is eternal.
As far as OSAS a Believer can cast aside or give back their gift of Salvation. They can choose to no longer desire their gift. Also from the VW website…
There are quite a few references to being “blotted from the book.” As Moses was pleading for Israel, God said, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”(Ex32:33) By inference, the person would have, at one time, been “IN” the book. And ultimately Jesus promises, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Rev 3:5) Again, the implication; the one who is not an overcomer would be “blotted” from the Book of Life.
Jesus speaks of the “cost” of following Him, comparing it to a person beginning to build a building, but not calculating what it takes to finish, and abandoning the project.(Lk14:27-30) Or, the parable of the seed and soils.(Mt13:3-9) You will notice that many of the seeds (1Jn3:9) sprouted; had “life.” But for this reason or that, withered away and died. And of course, once the seed thus sprouted dies, it cannot ever be resuscitated again. “It is impossible…to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”(Heb6:4-6) Because, as rightly stated, “Christ was offered ONCE to bear the sins..”(Heb9:28) “..and there no longer remains [nothing more left] a sacrifice for sins [propitiation for salvation].(10:26)
Considering this, a person can also forget the notion of Saved – Lost – Saved – Lost – Saved again.
This is also more than simply the “judgment seat of Christ.”(Rom14:10) Or the confession that erring children make to the Advocate.(1Jn1:7-2:2) Since it states, “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins”(Heb10:26) for which the children obviously are still under Jesus’ blood.(1Jn1:7)
For those who do give up their Salvation or forsake it willingly they can never be Saved again. Also some more info from the VW website…
Saved – Fall away purposely, permanently. -cannot be saved (again) -better if they had not been born -better if they had not known the Truth -how much worse their punishment?
“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. (Ez18:24)
Some will retort, “That’s Old Testament!” OK then, try this out… “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation. Anyone [in the Old Testament] dies without mercy…of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant…a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? …now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”(~Heb10:26-38)
This expression “draws back” means to “timidly retreat, to withdraw oneself, to turn back, to deny.” What did Jesus say? “No one having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven.”(Lk9:62) And further, “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mt10:33) One of the accolades for Philadelphia was that they had not “denied” Jesus’ name.(Rev3:8) The ones who draw back start following Christ, but decide the cost is too great (Lk14:28), and turn back.
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. (2Pt2:20-21) It says they “escaped” the world and have a “knowledge” of the Lord. They left the world to follow Christ. That’s a definition of “repentance,” which is how one is “saved.”
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit…if they fall away, to renew them to repentance… since they crucify again…the Son of God.” (Heb6:4-6) Since Jesus died “once.” (9:28) Among other things, you notice they “partook” of the Holy Spirit. Again, a definition of a Christian…one who has the Holy Spirit.(Rom8:9)
This is the sorriest state for a person to be in. Not only is he worthy of the worst punishment…he is the only catagory of living humanity that cannot [is IMPOSSIBLE] be saved.
