I beg to differ. I believe Once Saved Always Saved is not a teaching taught in the Bible. On the contrary, the Bible teaches against such a belief big time in many places.
So if salvation is a sovereign act of God, then that means that man cannot be held accountable for any sin or evil he does because God could have prevented him from sinning by forcing salvation upon him. God could have stopped man from sinning (or at least to "sin less" according certain Eternal Security proponent's odd definition on holiness). Anyways, why have a judgment of men if it was God who put man there? It makes no sense. That would be like creating a robot to kill people and then later putting that robot on trial for murder. It is illogical.
Now, while it is true we are born again spiritually according to John 3:3 and Titus 3:5, this is not a forced regeneration against our own will. How so? Scripture says,
"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and
their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with
their eyes, and hear with
their ears, and should understand with
their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." (Matthew 13:15).
Did you catch what this verse said? It says the people's heart is waxed gross and is dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed, .... LEST (UNLESS) .... at any time THEY SHOULD SEE with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart. It is a person's choice to choose God. If not, then this life would be meaningless and we are just puppets of God.
Sorry, but Calvinism is not being taught in these verses. How so?
Well, if you were to look at Romans 8:12-13, it says,
12 "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."
Okay. Verse 12 is a condition. If Calvinism was true or God forced saved us, then why would Paul make conditional statements like he does in verses 12 and 13? It makes no sense. Paul says in verse 12 to the Roman church that we are debtors not to live after the flesh (sin). Okay. If all believers are going to just automatically obey God and do the right thing because they have a new heart, then why does Paul tell the Roman church here to not live after the flesh (sin)? If being regenerated was a choice by God, then why does Paul say (in verse 13) to the Romans church that, IF they live after the flesh (sin) they will die? Why does Paul also add that the Roman church can obey God by telling them to mortify the deeds of the body (sin) and live? Why does Paul give them a choice? If forced regeneration was true, it would make no sense for Paul to say this.
Not true. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, when the son returned home from living a life of sin and was willing to repent towards his father and before all of heaven, his father said that his son was "dead" and is "alive again." This parable of course was speaking in spiritual terms. The son was spiritually dead when he was living in sin (away from the father) and he became alive again spiritually when he decided to come back home and seek his father's forgiveness (and become a hired hand).
But when you read John 3:15, you MUST also read about the "Condemnation" mentioned in John 3:19-21 to get the context. Verse 20 says that all who do evil hate the light and neither come to the light unless their deeds should be reproved (corrected). This means that believing in Jesus does not make for an allowance for doing evil because John 3:20 says those who are doing evil have not come to the light.
Eternal Life is a person and not a thing.
Eternal Life is Jesus Christ. For Christ alone has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16). For he that has the Son has life and he that does not have the Son, does not have life (1 John 5:12). In other words, we must abide in the Son in order to have life (Eternal Life). Okay so how can we have an assurance in knowing the Son (i.e. to abide in Him and have Eternal Life)? 1 John 2:3 says, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." On the flip side: 1 John 2:4 says, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
Eternal Security can easily be disproved by pointing out the surrounding context of a verse that supposedly proves it. For there hasn't been a verse (that supposedly proves Eternal Security) that I was not able to refute using Scripture.
In fact, I am not sure how a person can read the Bible and ignore all the verses that refute the unbiblical teaching of Eternal Security. For when a person reads their Bible they will see a refutation of Eternal Security in the majority of the New Testament (and in some cases, depending on the book, they will see a refutation of Eternal Security on almost every page).
Long List of Verses Refuting Eternal Security or OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved):
- Matthew 7:21-23 - Jesus only “knows” those who do Father God’s will; all others are practicing lawlessness.
- Matthew 10:33 - Whoever denies Jesus before men He will also deny before His Father in heaven.
- Matthew 12:31-32 - Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This means verbally cursing or speaking bad about the Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 13:18-23 - 2 people types (no root, unfruitful) come to eternal life, and then return to the lost state.
- Matthew 25:44-46 - Those who do not help even one needy soul will go into everlasting punishment.
- Mark 8:35-36 - Whoever desires to save his (old) life, or gain the whole world, will lose his soul.
- Mark 9:43-48 - Get rid of whatever causes you to sin; it will cause you to be cast into hell fire.
- Luke 9:23-25 - Whoever does not deny himself for Jesus’ sake will be destroyed (eternal death).
- Luke 14:26-33 - Jesus warns prospective believers how difficult and costly it is to be His disciple… will they have enough to finish this life of placing Him above all else, bearing their crosses, etc.?
- Luke 18:9-14 - Jesus taught that the man who was more justified was the one who humbled himself and cried out to God for mercy before God vs. the man who did not do so.
- John 3:19, 20 - An important point about "The Condemnation" is that those who loved darkness hate the Light because they loved the pleasure of their own evil deeds, unless of course their deeds should be reproved (that is).
- John 12:25 - He who loves his life in this world will lose it (eternal life) later.
- John 15:1-6 - Christians who do not bear fruit (are not abiding in Jesus) are thrown into the fire.
- John 17:3 - Eternal life is actually “knowing” Father God and Jesus Christ. Do you really know them?
- Romans 1:29-32 - Anyone practicing such sins is deserving of death due to God’s wrath on unrighteousness.
- Romans 2:5-11 - Wrath is coming to those who are unrighteously self-seeking and do not obey the truth.
- Rom 6:15-23 - Be a slave of God and to righteousness for holiness, resulting in holiness and eternal life.
- Romans 8:1-8 - Anyone who is carnally-minded (is living according to the flesh) will die spiritually.
- Romans 8:12-13 - We are not debtors to the flesh; if we live according to the flesh, we will die.
- Romans 11:20-22 - Fear unbelief, that if you do not continue to have faith, you will be cut off like the OT Jews.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Anyone practicing such sins is unrighteous, and will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- 1 Corinthians 15:2 - You are saved, if you hold fast to that word (the gospel) … unless you believed in vain.
- 2 Corinthians 7:10 - Godly sorrow over sin leads Christians to repent, which leads to salvation.
- 2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine and test yourself to see if you are in the faith, unless you are disqualified.
- Galatians 5:1-4 - Christians are warned: those who later have attempted to be justified by law, … have been estranged from Christ and have fallen from grace.
- Galatians 5:19-21 - Anyone practicing such sins (the works of the flesh) will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- Galatians 5:24 - Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- Galatians 6:7-8 - Don't be deceived: sowing to the flesh reaps corruption, sowing to the Spirit reaps eternal life.
- Ephesians 5:3-6 - Believers practicing such sins will not inherit God’s kingdom, but will incur the wrath of God.
- Ephesians 5:25-27 - Jesus gave Himself for a glorious Church which will be sanctified, holy, without blemish.
- Philippians 2:12-16 - Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, holding fast the word of life …
… so that: (1) you may become blameless, and (2) Paul did not labor in vain concerning you.
- Philippians 3:7-14 - Paul presses on to attaining the goal of gaining Christ, knowing Him, and being found in Him.
- Colossians 1:21-29 - Jesus’ desires (and Paul labors to warn and teach) to present “holy and blameless” and “perfect in Christ Jesus” those who continue in faith, not moved away from the hope of the gospel.
- Colossians 3:5-6 - Believers practicing such sins beware: the wrath of God will come upon sons of disobedience.
- 1 Timothy 4:1 - Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith.
- 1 Timothy 5:11-15 - Some younger widows are condemned; they cast off their first faith and turned after Satan.
- 1 Timothy 6:3-4 - Paul says that if any man teaches contrary to the words of Jesus and the doctrine of Christ is proud knowing nothing.
- 1 Timothy 6:9-14 - Greed and love of money drowns men in destruction and perdition; Instead, pursue godliness and lay hold on eternal life (and keep this command without blame).
- 1 Timothy 6:17-19 - Commands for the rich (yes, Christians) to follow, so they may lay hold on eternal life.
- Titus 1:1-3 - Faith and knowledge of the truth lead to godliness, in the hope of eternal life.
- Hebrews 2:1-4 - Warning about drifting away: how shall we escape, if we drift and neglect so great a salvation?
- Hebrews 3:6 - We belong to Christ, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
- Hebrews 3:12-15 - Beware of an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, for we are only partakers of Christ if we hold steadfast to the end.
- Hebrews 3:17-19 - The OT Jews who sinned (did not obey) could not enter into God’s rest (the Promised Land).
- Hebrews 4:1 - Let us fear lest any of us come short of entering God’s rest (God’s promise of salvation).
- Hebrews 4:11 - Be diligent to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall according to the OT example of disobedience.
- Hebrews 6:4-8 - Those enlightened and partakers of the Holy Spirit who fall away will be rejected and burned.
- Hebrews 10:26-27 - If we sin willfully after receiving knowledge of the truth, expect God’s fiery judgment.
- Hebrews 10:29-31 - The Lord will judge His people. “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay”, says the Lord.
- Hebrews 10:35-39 - Endure in the faith, and do not be like those who draw back to perdition.
- Hebrews 12:14-15 - Pursue holiness (w/o which no one will see the Lord) lest anyone falls short of God’s grace.
- Hebrews 12:15-17 - Many believers become defiled, and finding no place for repentance, are rejected.
- James 1:12-16 - Love the Lord, endure temptation to sin; do not be deceived, sin results in spiritual death.
- 1 Peter 1:8-9 - Believing, you will receive the end of your (enduring) faith—the salvation of your souls.
- 2 Peter 1:10-11 - Be diligent to make your call & election sure, so you won’t stumble, but gain the kingdom.
- 2 Peter 2:1, 14 - The false prophets (i.e. believers) are those who have eyes full of adultery and cannot cease from sin.
- 2 Peter 2:20-22 - If Christians are overcome by worldly sins, they are worse off than they were before knowing the way of righteousness, they turned from the holy commandment delivered to them.
- 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, God will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- 1 John 2:3-5 - We are sure that we “know” God and are “in” Him, if we keep His commandments.
- 1 John 2:24-25 - If God’s word does not abide in us, the Father and the Son will not abide in us, nor we in Them, and we will not receive the promised eternal life.
- 1 John 3:15 - If you hate your brother, you’re like a murderer who has no eternal life abiding in him.
- Jude 1:4 NIV - There are those false believers who turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality
- Jude 1:20-21 - 3 things for Christians to do, while looking for God’s mercy unto eternal life.
- Revelation 2:11 - He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death (eternal death)
- Revelation 3:5 - He who overcomes will not have his name blotted out from the Book of Life.
- Revelation 14:9-11 - Those that worship the Beast and take his mark drink of the wine of the Wrath of God and will be thrown in the Lake of Fire.
- Revelation 21:8 - Anyone practicing such sins will go into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
- Revelation 21:27 - Anyone practicing such sins is not in the Book of Life, and will not enter the New Jerusalem.
- Revelation 22:14 - Anyone who does not do God’s commandments does not have the right to the tree of life.
- Revelation 22:15 - Anyone practicing such sins will be outside the gates of the New Jerusalem.
- Revelation 22:18 - If any man takes away from the prophecy of the book (i.e. the Scriptures), God will take away their name out of the Book of Life.
Source:
Your handy-dandy long list of verses against OSAS