The free gift of God is eternal life as it says in the passage Meggido quoted. Free gift. Not works. Unless one thinks Paul is contradicting himself?
Jesus said this was eternal life......
[SUP]3 [/SUP]This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
How can OSAS teachers claim eternal life is salvation? Salvation actually means : deliverance, perseverance and safety
Eternal life is the free gift of inheritance and given once you overcome and is a benefit of salvation/deliverance....not salvation itself....
salvation is compromised of many spiritual blessings, which are....the forgiveness of sin, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the deliverance from the powers of darkness.
Jesus says this in Rev 2.7 & Rev 3.5-6, 20-22
[SUP]7 [/SUP]He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
[SUP]5 [/SUP]He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. [SUP]6 [/SUP]He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
[SUP]20 [/SUP]Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. [SUP]21 [/SUP]He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. [SUP]22 [/SUP]He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Notice the conditions in these passages? One must overcome and then Jesus will...this is not one and you are done...this is covenant relationship language...you must and Jesus will based on what you do....Now notice Rev 3.21
[SUP]21 [/SUP]
He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
There is a propensity of certain people to place Jesus on a divinity stool, he himself rejected in Philippians 2. Jesus himself had to overcome to finish his race....he said above overcome as I also overcame...when one studies out how Jesus overcome, eternal security will actual lose its appeal and one will come to understand what covenant relationship is all about....and it's core is obedience to Father...
Heb 5.7-10
[SUP]7 [/SUP]In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. [SUP]8 [/SUP]Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. [SUP]9 [/SUP]And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, [SUP]10 [/SUP]being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Luke 22.39-44
[SUP]39 [/SUP]And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. [SUP]40 [/SUP]When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” [SUP]41 [/SUP]And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and
began to pray, [SUP]42 [/SUP]saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” [SUP]43 [/SUP]Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. [SUP]44 [/SUP]And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.
OSAS assumes and lump together the inheritance of eternal life as an instantly granted spiritual blessing of the New covenant when you are saved according to their doctrine....The Word says eternal is a free gift, but obtained by and through overcoming and enduring to the end....Just as Jesus did....their view of Jesus is more of a figure of future attainment reward, than the example of overcoming now...and the Bible shows us that Jesus was an example for us today not a future reward to be attained later...
OSAS also places faith into faith.....not faith in Jesus to work through you now and just later....