Erinwilcox said:
I'm against the OSAS in the way that it is usually used, but once a person is TRULY saved, they will then always remain TRULY saved.
I personally would say it differently. I would say a person who is ordained to eternal life by God from the foundation of the world can never be lost.
Your statement depends on your definition of the word "saved". If you define it as "eternally secure in heaven" then you will have problems with a mirad of scriptures, where the writers of the NT warned Covenant members to persevere in the faith or they would be cut off from the vine (John 15), or that the Gentile Christians in Rome would be cut off from the covenant(Rom 11). Paul acknowledge that the Corinthians were saved if they continued in his teaching (1Cor 15:1-2). He also told the Christians in Colosse (Col. 1:20-23) that they were reconciled to Christ "IF" they continued in the faith. We are told to make our calling and election sure (1Pet 1:10) because unless we are doing the things that show the fruit of the Spirit in our lives we have no assurance of salvation.
On the other hand if we define "saved" as being "delivered" as the Bible does, then one possibly could enter into the covenant with God through belief and baptism, be delivered from the world, have his sins forgiven, receive the blessings that God gives to His Covenant people, and continue on that way for years, then fall into unbelief and turn away from the faith and die in his sins. Was this person ordained to eternal life? Nope but I would, according to the biblical definition of the word, consider him "saved" while he was in the covenant. If we don't look at the scriptures covenantally we will be in contradiction with the Word. Sure the Arminian and the OSAS folk can both find some scriptures to back their views but neither side can or will deal with the scriptures that contradict their position. In my opinion, only from the covenantal view can these things be understood correctly. In the OT a person who was in covenant was one of God's people and therefore saved, those outside of the covenant were heathen and lost. What has changed?
In reformed circles the trend is to move away from the historic reformed views of covenant and move closer to a Baptistic view which largely does away with New Covenant responsibility and teaching. It is incomprehensible to me that God changed the salvation process from the OT to the NT. Both the OT and the NT believers looked to the Messiah for salvation. In the OT to believe was a lifestyle not a one time act but in the NT "to believe" has suddenly become a one time act that gives someone a "get out of Hell free card". Personally I believe when Paul told the jailer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house", he was talking about a life time of belief not just a momentary mind change.
I was told once that if the man in 1 Cor 5, who was sleeping with his father's wife and was excommunicated by the Church, died he would still go to heaven because he was saved. What do you think?
GLJCA
