Let's use a Scripture that many people like to refer to combat OSAS....
1 Co 6:9Or do you not know that the unrighteous[SUP]
b[/SUP] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,[SUP]
c[/SUP]
10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Usually people stop here. But the next verse tells the real story of OSAS...
11And such
were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Washed - Soapy bucket anyone?
Sanctified - Were sanctified - not being.
Justified - Were justified - just as if it didn't happen.
By Christ and His Spirit.
Scripture points out what we shouldn't be doing, but it always leads us to WHO WE NOW ARE...
That's why Jesus said this:
Matthew 7:17"So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Jesus changed your tree. And when you AGREE that you're a new creation. And the old has passed away and the new has come... you start to PROVE the WILL OF GOD for YOU.
Romans 12:2
2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, so that you may
prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
What are you RENEWING YOUR MIND TO?
THE GOSPEL!
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
6We know that our
old self[SUP]a[/SUP] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
7For one who has died has been
set free[SUP]b[/SUP] from sin.
8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
11So you also must consider yourselves
dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
You're now in Christ Jesus and alive to God. And because of this "tree change" you bear fruit naturally. What fruit? The fruit of the Spirit. Stop trying to work for it. Rest in what He has done. And let His good works THAT HE PREPARED come naturally.
Ephesians 2:10
10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand so that
we would walk in them.
C.