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.
OSAS is not the logical conclusion to accepting predestination. Secondly, and apart from, predestination is taught in scripture.
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.
Your conclusion here does not follow. OSAS states that ONLY those born again do not loose their salvation, it does not teach that all that profess being a believer prior to being born again will not loose their salvation. In order for your book to work you need to present an honest presentation of what OSAS actually teaches.
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.
Let’s study these passages in context.
1. Hebrews 5 sets the audience.
“Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”
Hebrews 5:11-14 NASB1995
Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the
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Paul is speaking to people that are extremely immature in their faith. Their understanding is “elementary” and need “milk” (like a baby that cannot eat solid foods yet). Paul states that all partaking in milk are “not accustomed to the word of righteousness”. These are people that are not yet born again. They dont have saving faith.
2. Hebrews 6 begins with “therefore” meaning that it is Paul’s conclusion from chapter 5 (my point 1).
“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,”
Hebrews 6:1 NASB1995
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God
bible.com
This sets the stage for the verses that follow. Paul is going to try for them to ”press to maturity” (put into reality their unrealized profession of faith) is going to give them a warning first about what happens if they remain immature and not fully accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.
3. Let’s touch on verses 7 and 8 before moving to verses 3 to 6.
“For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”
Hebrews 6:7-8 NASB1995
For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles
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This is a teaching that was first taught by Jesus in His parable in Mat. 13.
“And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.””
Matthew 13:3-9 NASB1995
and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they h
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There are different stages of faith. People can do a profession of faith, even go to a few services and Bible studies, and still not become a believer. The writer of Hebrews is referring directly to this parable.
4. Verses 3-6.
“And this we will do, if God permits. 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, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 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.”
Hebrews 6:3-6 NASB1995
And this we will do, if God permits. 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, and have tasted the g
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Do you now see who Paul is referring to? Some of these immature in the faith people “tasted the heavenly gift”, “been partakers of the Holy Spirit” , and have ”tasted” the good word of God, but never advanced to actually becoming believers and be born again. They never gave their hearts to Christ. So this people can be likened to the second and third soils in Jesus parable. To these people tasting the truth is not enough to keep them from falling away from it. They tasted the truth, they did not advance to maturity (solid food), they did not exercise repentance, and now they have no hope of restoration because of they rejected Christ with full knowledge. They never had saving faith.
We’ll start the discussion with theses verses and move to the others. This post is long enough. I expect your reply to include your exegesis directed strictly to these verses as I have done.