But given that we are saved by the grace of God through faith apart from works (Eph. 2) then I don’t understand your argument. Are you saying that works are ultimately what saves? That’s almost like believing that the Christian is still under the law, don’t you think?
Our "response", both in heart, and deeds, to God's offer of salvation determines if we are saved. No one is "justified" by deeds, we can not claim the level of perfection needed to be saved. But we must have deeds, or we will not be Luke 20:35 ... counted worthy to attain that age
Joh 14:15-16 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
Joh 14:22-24 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
The fact is the Father's love is not poured out if we don't make a choice to go God's way.
Quoting from
The Way and Free Will
OSAS and Lawlessness
Now let’s move to the issue of preservation of salvation. The acronym OSAS stands for Once Saved Always Saved. It is the logical conclusion of accepting Predestination. If God fixes destinies, if I am saved now, then I will always remain saved. The thinking that I will be saved no matter what can lead to (although not always) the thought that it does not matter if I sin, which in turn can lead to lawlessness, even a falling away from Christ.
To counter the thought of OSAS we will show from scripture that people can lose their salvation after receiving it.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. (NKJV, Hebrews 6:4-6)
The first passage shows us clearly, that people who were “once enlightened” - given sight by God, “have tasted the heavenly gift” and have even “become partakers of the Holy Spirit”, can fall away from God, and if they die in sin, will be crucifying Christ again.
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. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A DOG RETURNS TO HIS OWN VOMIT,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” (NKJV, 2 Peter 2:20-22)
Peter also shows this same fact, that people who have escaped the pollution of the world can again be entangled in them and lost.
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 which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 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? (Heb 10:26-29)
Hebrews states that there is a worse punishment for those who fell away knowing Christ.
Even Jesus Himself spoke of casting away people who draw away from Him.
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. (Rev 3:16)
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. (Rev 2:5)
Lampstands in scripture refer to the Holy Spirit; so Revelation 2:5 is a very severe warning, if as a Christian we go back to sin, and don't repent, God will remove the Spirit from us.
2Pe 3:17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
So from the scriptures, we can see that OSAS is not logical.
