If our salvation is based upon Christ's finished work, us being saved by grace through faith, how is it that people profess that we can lose our salvation? There are believers opposed to OSAS and usually its opposed for the reason that they believe people end up excusing sin, living like a heathen and being perfectly fine with it. I find this to be a straw man of sorts, and a misunderstanding of God's grace.
Anyways, I know this topic is probably discussed all the time, and there are going to be some groans that I opened up another thread on the topic, but if someone could, I would like an awesome response in defense of OSAS. In like manner, if someone could make a rebuttal to OSAS.
I just want to see both sides, clearly presented. Relatives I have discuss this and it can be heated at times, because so much of one's doctrines can be influenced by this one belief. The accusation being, "You always revert to OSAS", but if that is true (OSAS), then there is no systematic reason for the other doctrines to be false (or used as an excuse to not make a rebuttal).
For a rebuttal, I think I'd start with the passage at the heart of the gospel of salvation:
Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
Now I'm going to alter the text so that it's in
error...
Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
What's missing is "faith". We know that Faith is required to receive the gift of grace, because grace is received *through* faith. So if we removed "faith" from the Ephesians passage it's no longer true.
Q: Who must exercise faith to receive the free gift: God or the man/woman?
A: The man/woman
This means they have a part to play in salvation; the "abiding" part. Surely grace is a free gift but to
claim it we must ourselves do something: believe. Scripture says every person has been given a measure of faith (
Romans 12:3), but just because someone has been given some faith doesn't mean they use it. Scripture says faith can grow (
Luke 17:5), and it also says faith can be dead (
James 2:14), both of which are the result of what the person is doing with it.
So if the gift of grace (in order to be saved) requires faith the question is, "is it possible for a person to abandon their faith?"
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
To "abandon" faith means that they once had faith but no longer have it or use it...and we know that
without faith it's IMPOSSIBLE to please God (
Hebrews 11:6).
Without continued faith how can one continue to abide in Christ?
...Without abiding in Christ how can one possess his grace?
...Without grace how can one remain saved?
So God's grace is like Noah's ark during the flood that destroyed the world. Folks can choose to stay in the boat and remain safe or they can jump out of the boat and be destroyed. They can keep walking forward or turn around and be turn to stone. They can cast out demons and witness miracles, walking right beside Christ, but then they can also choose to betray him for 30 pieces of silver and end up being destroyed in the end.
So this is why Christ said to John by the spirit the following:
Revelation 14:12
Here is the *patient endurance* of the saints: that they keep the commandments of God and [keep] faith in Jesus
Matthew 24:13
"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
