Once saved always saved?

[MrJim]

Not OSAS; I take a view closer to Lutheran/Orthodox

 

[Colabomb]

I see our faith as a path. Either we are living a life of repentance, on the path, or we are not, off the path.

We stumble constantly, the question is, do we acknowledge it and keep walking? Repentance is as much an attitude as it is an action.

We may not even see all of our sinfulness, but are we determined to fight it when we do?

 

[Simon_Templar]

Warnings of falling away does not equate hellfire. It does indicate that life is going to be one long chastisement until the person returns to God. This is what happened to me.

Losing one's salvation in my opinion is a man-made doctrine by which the church controlled the believer.

Now, I have said something very hard to swallow, I realize. So, I will say this.

If I am wrong, then, I have erred in a very bad way and may have led others to error.

If you are wrong, then, the worst error you have made is to remind people to be faithful.

So, in the end, when I have a doctrine in dispute, I look towards which error would be the worst. In my opinion, if OSAS is error, then, our error would be worse than yours.

So, I hold that it is highly possible that OSAS is incorrect. However, it is difficult for me to give that belief up due to my own personal experience.

So, let me leave it at that until I have studied this doctrine. I admit that I have relied on teachings of my church rather than my own study and revelation by The Holy Spirit.

Lisa

obviously I disagree with the first couple of sentances but the latter portion is wisely said.

One thing we can have confidence in is if we seek truth, God will reveal it to us. Just make sure you seek truth, not merely to prove your own view. You seem to be willing to question and to hold your own view up to scrutiny, that is the first step.
I personally put a great deal of reliance upon the words of James as well.. if any lack wisdom, let them ask God and he will give it liberally. (liberal is good in that context )

 

[Iosias]

The key verse is IMO

Philippians 2:12, 13 "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

 

[MrJim]

The key verse is IMO

Philippians 2:12, 13 "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Yeah that's a sobering passage.

Regarding the "They were never saved to begin with" reasoning, this Philippians passage is for that. Most everyone knows someone that was "on fire" for God and then fell away and returned to their old life. It could happen to any of us, and while we can each say "Yeah I'm saved" now and believe it and others believe it, are we really? Were the "deconverts" just faking, or mislead?

My absolute most frightening passage in scripture:

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Here the sheep & goats are seperated~here we are not judged on our "doctrines" but on our actions. It's not salvation by works, but simply the expression of salvation--Christ's body doing Christ's work. The judgment isn't a theology quiz.

So why the "fear & trembling" in the Philippians passage? I think it's answered here in Matthew.

 

[Miss Shelby]

That's some good stuff right there, MrJim.

 

[magdiel]

I agree.