Hi, Tribe! There are three distinct and separate views of "Once Saved Always Saved"; but all of them assert, "If they aren't saved NOW then they were never TRULY saved in the FIRST place!" But Scripture really stands against that. Check out those spoken of in 2Pet1:1-4; and then another group in 2Pet2:20-22. BOTH groups are described with the SAME EXACT GREEK WORDS --- "apopheugo-escaped" (corruptions ch1, defilements ch2) through the "epignosis-saved-knowledge" of the "Kurios-Lord" and "Soter-Savior Jesus Christ". It's really not possible to contend that "the SECOND group was NEVER saved". They are word-for-word-the-same; and we cannot deny the ch1 group WAS saved. But the ch2 group "epistrepho-ek-TURNED-AWAY-FROM the holy commandment; far better to have never KNOWN (epiginosko --- truly KNOWN) the way of righteousness, than HAVING known to TURN AWAY from the holy commandment."
In Heb10:26 it says "if we continue sinning willfully after having RECEIVED knowledge ('epignosis', SAVED knowledge) of the truth..." So that by WILLFULLY CONTINUING to sin they have thrown away Jesus' Sacrifice for themselves. Repentence means "180-degree-turn"; away from sin; but they CONTINUE IN SIN.
See James 1:14-16: "Each is tempted when he is carried away by his own lust; then when lust has concieved, it births sin, and sin brings death. DO NOT BE DECEIVED beloved brethren!" To whom is James speaking? (Beloved brethren!) Did he REALLY MEAN "brings spiritual death"? ("thanatos") Seems that he did, doesn't it? And if you read James 5:19-20, I don't see how you can understand that as anything BUT "warning against falling-from-salvation" (or, more to the point, admonishing US towards those who FALL from salvation).
(If someone speaks to you of SEALS in Eph4:20, remind them that it says "sealed unTO the day of redemption" and not "unTIL"; remind them that Eph1:13 shows the SEAL is founded on BELIEF; and belief can fall if one is deceived by sin into unbelief --- see 1Tim4:1)
What if one DOES "fall away, even to death"; can they return? According to Rom11:23, according to the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, according to James5:19-20, YES!!! (Do you know there are SOME who contend that the PRODIGAL was still SAVED, WHILE he was drunk and prostituting and living in sin & decadence? Shall we show them 1Cor6:9-15, Gal5:19-21, Jesus' words in Matt7:15-20?)
I "ran" the entire book of Hebrews to who how much it rejects OSAS. You would be surprised how many people reject the ENTIRE LETTER, claiming "it doesn't apply to US!" It is equally fun to "run" the entire second letter of Peter (see 2Pet1:9-11, 2:20-22, 3:14 & 17 especially) to show how strongly Peter stood against OSAS. And the entirity of the New Testament (not just Hebrews and James and Peter) really asserts "OSNAS". Colossians 1:23 & 2:8, 2Jn1:7-9, passage after passage asserts "OSNAS"...
The reason this question carries such importance, is because of the ESSENCE of salvation --- it is FELLOWSHIP with Christ, with the Spirit, and with God through Christ. Thus we are first told to RECEIVE Christ, and then to WALK IN HIM. The gift of salvation is NONE of us, ENTIRELY of Him; yet it is received by us, and abided in by us. "KEEP YOURSELVES in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of Jesus Christ to eternal life." What could Jude have possibly meant (21) other than "OSNAS"? What? God is ABLE to keep us (Jd24), but we also keep ourselves abiding in Him --- it is a FELLOWSHIP, a walk between two; God, and man.
"As you have RECEIVED Christ, so walk IN Him!" Col2:6
Jesus said, in John15, "Abide in Me, and I (will abide) in you." Abiding in Him IS SALVATION; "the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1Jn4:16 "He who HAS the Son of God HAS THE LIFE; (he who has NOT the Son has not the life); I write this that ...you may KNOW you have eternal life". 1Jn5:11-13
"If anyone does NOT abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, dries up, is gathered and cast into the fire. IF you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask what you will and it will be done..." Jn15:6 Is "abiding in salvation", EVER presented as "unavoidable, irresistible"?
That's what Scripture says; in 1Jn3, "he who practices righteousness IS righteous (even as Jesus is righteous), he who practices sin is of the devil; by this the children of God and the children of the devil are exposed..."Do you mean that people can lose their salvation by returning to sin (effectively crucifying Christ again)
In Heb10:26 it says "if we continue sinning willfully after having RECEIVED knowledge ('epignosis', SAVED knowledge) of the truth..." So that by WILLFULLY CONTINUING to sin they have thrown away Jesus' Sacrifice for themselves. Repentence means "180-degree-turn"; away from sin; but they CONTINUE IN SIN.
See James 1:14-16: "Each is tempted when he is carried away by his own lust; then when lust has concieved, it births sin, and sin brings death. DO NOT BE DECEIVED beloved brethren!" To whom is James speaking? (Beloved brethren!) Did he REALLY MEAN "brings spiritual death"? ("thanatos") Seems that he did, doesn't it? And if you read James 5:19-20, I don't see how you can understand that as anything BUT "warning against falling-from-salvation" (or, more to the point, admonishing US towards those who FALL from salvation).
Have you ever read Eph4:30? Paul presents "grieving the Holy Spirit" as POSSIBLE; if you DO grieve Him, will He remain? He won't remain according to Heb10:29, will He?And that if one returns to sin, but then repents of it, the Holy Spirit is still guiding you and you are still saved?
(If someone speaks to you of SEALS in Eph4:20, remind them that it says "sealed unTO the day of redemption" and not "unTIL"; remind them that Eph1:13 shows the SEAL is founded on BELIEF; and belief can fall if one is deceived by sin into unbelief --- see 1Tim4:1)
What if one DOES "fall away, even to death"; can they return? According to Rom11:23, according to the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, according to James5:19-20, YES!!! (Do you know there are SOME who contend that the PRODIGAL was still SAVED, WHILE he was drunk and prostituting and living in sin & decadence? Shall we show them 1Cor6:9-15, Gal5:19-21, Jesus' words in Matt7:15-20?)
I "ran" the entire book of Hebrews to who how much it rejects OSAS. You would be surprised how many people reject the ENTIRE LETTER, claiming "it doesn't apply to US!" It is equally fun to "run" the entire second letter of Peter (see 2Pet1:9-11, 2:20-22, 3:14 & 17 especially) to show how strongly Peter stood against OSAS. And the entirity of the New Testament (not just Hebrews and James and Peter) really asserts "OSNAS". Colossians 1:23 & 2:8, 2Jn1:7-9, passage after passage asserts "OSNAS"...
The reason this question carries such importance, is because of the ESSENCE of salvation --- it is FELLOWSHIP with Christ, with the Spirit, and with God through Christ. Thus we are first told to RECEIVE Christ, and then to WALK IN HIM. The gift of salvation is NONE of us, ENTIRELY of Him; yet it is received by us, and abided in by us. "KEEP YOURSELVES in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of Jesus Christ to eternal life." What could Jude have possibly meant (21) other than "OSNAS"? What? God is ABLE to keep us (Jd24), but we also keep ourselves abiding in Him --- it is a FELLOWSHIP, a walk between two; God, and man.
"As you have RECEIVED Christ, so walk IN Him!" Col2:6
Jesus said, in John15, "Abide in Me, and I (will abide) in you." Abiding in Him IS SALVATION; "the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1Jn4:16 "He who HAS the Son of God HAS THE LIFE; (he who has NOT the Son has not the life); I write this that ...you may KNOW you have eternal life". 1Jn5:11-13
"If anyone does NOT abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, dries up, is gathered and cast into the fire. IF you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask what you will and it will be done..." Jn15:6 Is "abiding in salvation", EVER presented as "unavoidable, irresistible"?
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