I have actually looked up all of these verses which are taken by many to go against OSAS- to be honest, there is not a single one which cannot be easily interpreted as backing up OSAS- here are some I discussed on another forum site:
Jude v5- reference to those who into the full witness of the Holy Spirit, refuse to enter God's rest, despite God pleading with them to do so.
Eventually when God cannot do anything to persuade that person to accept his gift of grace, he cuts them off- they commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 3 v5 God has the power to enable his children to overcome. This is a promise that he will never blot their names out of the book of life.
Phillippians 2 v12 I believe this is talking about serving and living in REVERENCE do God. If we are truly God's children, we have nothing to be afraid about- but nevertheless God demands our respect- to 'fear' God. You would tremble before God if you were a true Christian not in fear, but in total awe and respect.
The assistant pastor at my church on Sunday, was talking about people having to leave churches during the revivals of the 19th and early 20th centuries, because the presence of God was so strong and powerful, it too much for them to bear, even though they were saved.
Hebrews verse- talking about false Christians who knew the truth have had the full witness of the Holy Spirit in their lives to such an extent they have outwardly reformed their lives, but choose to reject Christ and commit willful apostasy anyway thus they are crucifying Jesus all over again and their open rejection of him is putting him in public disgrace. They are betraying him deliberately knowing who Jesus is as Judas did.
John 15- talking about those who are not truly God's children and fall away/ do not remain in Jesus and so are thrown into the fire.
A true Christian will always remain in Christ even if they fall away for a time, sometimes many years.
2 Peter Ch2 v20.
This is the most contradictory verse to OSAS I know of. I believe it is talking about those who knew the gospel the TRUTH had the full witness of the Holy Spirit in their lives, followed Jesus for a time- therefore 'knew' him, but Jesus never knew THEM.
Because they fall away and become a son/daughter of perdition, they are worse of in the end than they were before when they did not know the truth but still had the chance to be saved.
Sadly I know of people who are now worse off in this life, let alone for eternity, since they fell away and committed wilful deliberate apostasy against Jesus.
I would say the most scary verse on this is Luke 12 v 46- though I believe this is refering to those who believe the gospel but refuse to become Christians and sin how they please, believing that they won't die or that Jesus is not going to come back- I believe this is a warning against refusing to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour immediately by putting it off and assuming that nothing can happen to you, or that Christ won't return until you do decide to become a Christian.
I also think that we can interpret the verses about, standing firm/enduring to the end and overcoming as actually describing who is a true Christian and who isn't. Whether someone continues in or returns to their faith in Jesus or not is a sign of whether they are truly God's children or not and whether God is keeping them faithful to the end through his power and NOT as a result of their own abilities to remain faithful. If we had to endure to the end in our own strength, don't people think that Satan wouldn't make sure that NO ONE made it? He is far more powerful than WE are if it is ultimately our responsibility to remain faithful, abstain from sin and endure to the end through overcoming. How could ANY of us endure to the end/overcome were it not for the fact that the ONE who is in us is greater and stronger than the god of this world?!
So I believe by such verses, the bible is talking about the signs which accompany a genuine christian -whether or not they remain faithful/endure to end and overcome is a sign of the genuineness of their conversion and whether or not God is really at work in them.
I think these verses are also there so we can make sure that we are genuine Christians, if we find ourselves beginning to fall away from our faith or fall into a life of deliberate sin, then this is a call to make our election sure, by making certain that we have genuinely trusted in Christ alone for our salvation and forgiveness of all our sins and that the Holy Spirit is really there to work in our hearts and keep us from falling.
"The only verse though Ruht that I cannot explain in a OSAS context though is Ezekiel 18 v24: But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things that the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guity of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.
Does this mean in a OSAS context that if a Christian continues to deliberately sin despite God trying to bring them back, they will die physically to bring an end to their Godless lifestyle, but not lose their salvation, or is it talking about those who fall away before they enter God's rest i.e. were never saved? They are righteous for a while but do not remain righteous?
Do you have any ideas Ruht, does anyone else who believes in OSAS? I know it is one of the key verses for those who don't believe in OSAS."
This passage is a good one, and quite simple if one stands firm on the foundation of grace without wavering, for this is simply referring to man's own righteousness, those who attempt salvation through their own righteousness. One must remember to apply line upon line and precept upon precept and remember that one is not saved by what one does or doesn't do, - one's own righteousness - but through the righteousness of Christ, HIS righteousness.
You see, it is not possible for the truly righteous covered in the righteousness of Christ to "turn away," for the righteousness of Christ is secure, because Christ is indeed always righteous.
And God 'hints' at that and bears witness to that in the 31st verse of that chapter, when he mentions the righteousness of Christ and the subsequent new birth; if you are able to discern it.
Actually, what this chapter does is bear witness to the futility of trying to get salvation through one's own righteousness; and then the attempted turning of man by God to the righteousness of Christ. See this what Ezekiel says later:
"Therefore thou son of man, say unto the children of the people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust his OWN righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but his iniquity that he hath committed he shall die for it." - Ezekiel 33:12&13
Therefore the self-righteous will not stand, if they sin just one time; there is no grace for the self-righteous. But he that trusts in the righteousness of Christ, he cannot fall:
"No weapon formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of ME saith the Lord." - Isaiah 54:17
"And be found in him, not having my OWN righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of GOD by FAITH." - Philippians 3:9
I hope you can see this now, Berkshire. You see, you simply waivered in faith a little instead of trusting absolutely in the righteousness of Christ, and because of that doubt and a little fear you failed to look at the verse closer, and wait on God to open your eyes to it. But that will come as you learn to steadily trust in the righteousness of Christ, and stand firm on that sure foundation. Then, as God has promised, to him that hath even more shall be given; which means when you have faith in that sure foundation, God will open your eyes to more and more scripture, as it really means, not what your own fear and doubt thinks it means.
