In the last two weeks, we covered many of the “once saved, always saved” doctrine’s favorite Scriptures. We found flaws in their interpretation. We also gave a little of the doctrine’s meaning and history. We counteracted their Scriptures that seem to contradict with other Scriptures. But it was solved by placing Scriptures in context. Today we continue to examine their “proof” Scriptures.
I Corinthians 1:8: (Jesus) will also confirm you to the end, that
you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
OSAS adherents maintain that God’s confirming us to the end, and our
blamelessness, are without conditions. So, they say, once saved, always saved.
My response is, you must consider contexts of Scripture. What about Paul’s
words in Colossians 1:22-23, which defines blameless?
…to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
23 IF indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are
not moved away from the hope of the gospel
Seems that being blameless has a condition attached to it, “IF you continue
in the faith...not moved away.” There’s the word “IF” again. Unfortunately,
some people didn’t hold fast to the faith; they grew discouraged, or tests
(such as persecution) overwhelmed them. And they took the easy way out,
abandoning the faith.
As to the idea of "continuing in" the faith: I Timothy 6:12 says,
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you
were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many
witnesses.
“Laying hold” suggests a drowning swimmer who stretches his last bit of
strength and grasps the lifesaver, gripping it firm—knowing that if he lets go,
he will die. That should be the feeling we get for God’s offer of eternal life.
“Fight the good fight” is another aggressive action that you have to do. It’s a
behavior, not just belief in the head.
Did you know the true Gospel includes both "belief and holding
fast" in many Scriptures? In I Corinthians 15:1-2, we find:
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are
saved, IF you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed
in vain.
Believing “in vain,” or futilely, can only mean one thing—not following
belief with works that evidence the Spirit is within you, and motivating you to
produce fruit—then you are “holding fast.” It means some Corinthians believed,
and he's warning them, hold fast to your salvation, and don't get to where your
belief is just a lazy mental assent. So it’s possible to be saved, then
unsaved.
On the sower again, consider Jesus’ explanation of the seed landing on rocky
ground (Luke 8:13):
13 But the ones
on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy;
and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
The Greek word “receive” is in many Scriptures used for people as a litmus
for being initially saved—if you don’t “receive” His word, you’re unsaved; if
you do, you’re saved (see John 3:11, 12:48). But then it says, “they believe
for a while.” The problem is, some people are unable to endure to the end. They
lose their salvation (i.e., "fall away"); this means spiritual death
(Matthew 10:22 and 24:13, to cite just a couple of examples). They "fall
away" from a faith they were attached to. When attached, saved; when
fall away, become unsaved.
Hebrews 6:4-6: For in the case of those who have once been
enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers
of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of
the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them
again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and
put Him to open shame.
OSAS adherents say to us, “this seems to be saying, a person can never get
salvation back once they walked away. But doesn’t that sound like a God who is
too unforgiving, for that argument to be true?" Then the OSASers would
say, “we have an argument for these verses that expresses God in a kinder
light—we don’t believe this person was ever saved—he was close, but never
saved. Being so close, and turning away, means he will never be saved—since he
missed Christ at the best opportunity. Then the hardened his heart.”
To that argument I respond by first, asserting that we believe it's possible
to get re-saved. Remember my comments in a previous blog on the prodigal
son; he was a son, went away, “dead” as the father testified. then reconciled back
with his father again.
Secondly, I believe Hebrews 6:4-5 says this person initially got saved. (How
else would you be “partakers of the Holy Spirit?”) But we don’t have to
conclude what OSASers want us to conclude. Does he lose his salvation forever?
Does that make God unforgivably mean-spirited? How do we explain this phrase
“it is impossible to renew them again to repentance?” In answer, it requires a history study to
understand it. At that time, if a Jew got saved, he would be thrown out of the
synagogue. Let’s say, under heavy peer pressure, he wanted to abandon the
Christian faith and be a synagogue-attending Jew again. The synagogue would
make him confess publicly that Christ was a criminal—thus, he would be
confessing that Christ was operating under Satan. Attributing to Satan the
clear work of the Holy Spirit, especially for those who were a living witness
of His works, was probably an unforgivable sin (Matthew 12:31-32). Proof of
this idea is in the dark words of Hebrews 10:29. Look at the phraseology of
what evil they have done in such a confession of apostasy:
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 by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of
grace?
Thank God, such phrases don’t get said about most unsaved people. Most
people have opportunity for repentance and re-obtaining salvation. So, this
Hebrews example was a special narrow case for Jews during that time—it is not a
universal rule.
I Thessalonians 5:23-24: Now may the God of peace Himself
sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is
faithful, who also will do it.
And Hebrews 10:14:
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being
sanctified.
OSAS adherents read from I Thessalonians, God will “sanctify you
completely,” “preserved blameless,” and “will do it,” and figure that these are
jobs up to God only. But the word “may” crept in, “may your whole
spirit…be…blameless” It’s almost like the whole statement is Paul pronouncing a
blessing, giving wishes on them rather than a doctrinal statement. And “may” is
not a certainty. It’s not “you can be assured that.” So the verse is not “God’s
job only” since He is a God of certainty, not a God of “may”-be. The believer's
free will then must be an expectation.
That makes it less certain, leading to "may."
From the Hebrews verses, you also must consider the phrase “those who are
being sanctified.” It’s not as strong as “those whom He sanctifies,” which
OSASers would like to see. It leaves the door open for the believer’s will—who maybe
doesn’t do works of sanctification. As it so happens, folks…I have a Scriptural
list of things they (or we) should do for sanctification. It just “happens” to
be in the verses immediately prior to the I Thessalonians verses above. I am
speaking of I Thessalonians 5:11-22:
Therefore comfort each other and edify one another… recognize those
who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to
esteem them very highly in love... Be at peace among yourselves…warn those who
are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good
both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18
in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things;
hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
I counted 19 verbs for us to do for sanctification! Yes, works for us to do!
While we're on the subject, let us also remember that Ephesians 2:8 and 9,
supposedly all God’s grace—goes along with verse 10, things we should
do. Take a look:
For by grace you have been saved through faith… 9 not of works, lest
anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works (takes effort on our part), which God
prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (takes effort on
our part).
Further proof on how we can’t lay back is found when we look at many
Scriptures, especially by Paul, on how the saints should be ready to do battle
with Satan and his minions. We’re not just talking about losing a few crowns in
heaven, or losing fellowship with God. No, that’s not a powerful enough
motivator. We’re talking about battling to preserve our place in heaven
itself—versus hell. In Philippians 2:25 and II Timothy 2:3,4 the saints are
soldiers. In Acts 20:24 and I Corinthians 9:24, saints are called runners in a
marathon. In Matthew 20:1ff, we’re workers in a vineyard. In Ephesians 6:12,
we’re wrestlers against the forces of darkness. In Acts 4:29, we’re slaves of
God. All verses listed have to do with keeping our eternity on the line. And
here’s one to memorize from Hebrews 12:3-4:
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against
Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not
yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
This says, we must endure suffering because Jesus suffered. But let us
resist sin to bloodshed if we are tested; we must kill sin; we must cleave to
the noble cause of standing up with Christ. We cannot get discouraged, saying,
“Well, Jesus was God, so He had no “real” temptation, so how can I try to do
it?” Let us remember, He was fully Man too. Let us never forget the extremes of
pain that He knew was coming, and how He sweat drops of blood in
Gethsemane—which physicians tell us is only possible in supreme agony. How can
we, in the face of that Example, in the face of many Scriptures telling us to
fight sin with all we have, continue to believe that sanctification is all up
to God to do! Such a belief, spread for deception, will erode people’s desire
to work at eradicating sin. Do you see the verbs in Hebrews here?
“Resisted…striving.” Clear meaning there. Don’t go blind reading too many
common-taters telling you to ignore what’s clearly in print.
Lastly, in this section, consider another idea: What does Paul say about the
possibility of losing his own salvation? Does that seem hard to believe? He was
such a giant in the faith: How can anybody have perfect assurance if Paul
didn’t? Well, read I Corinthians 9:27:
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I
have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
The word “disqualified” comes from the Greek “adokimos,” which is properly
translated, per Vine’s Dictionary, as “rejected; not standing
the test.” The test is salvation. The same Greek word appears in Romans
1:28; I’ve emphasized the word that translates adokimos:
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God
gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those
things which are not convenient.
Reprobate means "not standing the test." It comes from the
same root as "probate," which we get "probation" (a test
for the former prisoner to acclimate to society). Since men, under test,
rejected God, God had to reject them. Finally, after many such failures, "God
gave them over." Man is then reprobate, and worthy of hell. Paul uses the
same word about himself, as a motivator for him to stand up against the devil.
He is disciplining his body (actually, the Greek word says he is beating, or
buffeting his body), to kill its worldly lusts. We're not advocating
flagellating here; but Paul is actively suppressing the flesh's desires so as
to be more open to the Spirit’s desires. He does this because he doesn’t want
to become rejected by God. So, folks, if Paul is striving for holiness like
this, if he fears God this way, if he wants to abide in Christ every day,
shouldn’t we? Of course we should. He knows what he might lose if he doesn’t.
Do we?
Another insightful verse section on Paul’s lack of presumption about God is
Philippians 3:10-14:
…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the
fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any
means, I may attain (doesn’t sound very self-assured) to
the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained
(again! Paul doesn’t feel much OSAS), or am already perfected; but I
press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold
of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended (where’s
the “we’ve got it already” that OSASers claim?); but one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things
which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus.
You hopefully get my point. Now I ask you, what would we give to become a
spiritual giant like Paul? (Or would we decline that opportunity?) But look at
the watchfulness and conditionality he displays here: I suspect his striving,
his humility, his lack of presumption, lack of assurance, his fear of God,
actually made him more appropriate for God’s work. Or, if we don’t have those
attributes worthy in God’s sight, how can we expect to do great things for Him?
Next week: Concluding verses that contradict “Once Saved, Always Saved”
Acknowledgement: Dan Corner, “Conditional Security of the Believer
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