Not By Works

Those in the NOSAS camp are generally quick to unfairly label those in the OSAS camp as promoting a 'license to sin.'

ALL false religions and cults strongly oppose OSAS and teach salvation by works, including Roman Catholics, Mormons, SDA's etc..

Meanwhile, non-osas, the doctrine of the early church fathers (who were NOT works salvationists) is still alive and well.

All criminals wear black hats and have Tommy guns.
Therefore, everyone who has a black hat and a Tommy gun is a criminal.

Meanwhile, non-osas, the doctrine of the early church fathers (who were NOT works salvationists) is still alive and well.

Meanwhile, non-osas, the doctrine of the early church fathers (who were NOT works salvationists) is still alive and well.

Hi, the Holy Spirit seals Jesus' disciples with God's Law (Ephesians 4:30; Isaiah 8:16). Now, many Christians want this seal to refer to some kind of unbreakable bond that binds us to God in order to advance the OSAS idea...a kind of ligature that a kidnapper would use to rob us of our freedom.

However, in Scripture, the words "seal" and "sign" are synonymous (Romans 4:11), which means the function of the Biblical seal is not to deprive us of our freedom of choice, but to serve as an identifier of those who belong to God in the midst of a sinful world - a "mark" if you will that shows we worship not the Beast, but God.

That's why Jesus said people would know us by our good fruit - obedience. But, those who turn their back on God's word after "they have escaped the pollutions of this world" will be lost...likewise, Scripture says "if they (those who partake of the Holy Ghost) should fall away" it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance."

Continuing to believe is not working to earn salvation.
I'm not aware of a scripture that says 'believing' is among the works that constitute the works gospel.
Are you aware of one?

Reading the entire letter, we see the works James is talking about:

"26If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." - James 1:26-27

14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." - James 2:14-17

James says the person who does not have those works--actionable love for others, and doing right--has a faith that is dead, which he says can not save. You say he's not talking about being saved in regard to salvation. But John shows us this matter of loving a brother or sister and doing right, is very much a matter of faith in salvation. He says the person who does not have those works is not a child of God:

"10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister." - 1 John 3:10

The person who does not have the works James is talking about is not a child of God.

The Bible defines 'faith' as the surety that something you can't see really is true.
God gives us this ability--this faith--to know the gospel we can't see really is true.
We have the choice to accept or reject what God has shown us to be true.
Our responsibility is to not walk away and reject what God has shown us is true but to embrace it and retain it in our hearts to the very end.

If your faith is failing or weak, go back to the One who authored it. He'll charge you back up.

Scripture is clear it is one act faith (born from above) that saves.

God did not set up this "continuing to believe to be saved" you are adding it into the scripture.

Matthew 18:21-35

I believed in Jesus as a young child but I may have not understood or known he was God.

Does Scripture address this?

What is it about the free gift being revoked in Matthew 18:21-35 that you do not understand?

Continuing to believe is not working to earn salvation.
I'm not aware of a scripture that says 'believing' is among the works that constitute the works gospel.
Are you aware of one?

The huge problem I have with your theology is you claim if one ever stops believing, it is impossible for them at any point to repent and turn back to the Lord.

Do you mean not all of the church fathers? The church fathers were not infallible and neither were their writings. Out of one side of their mouth, they appear to teach that salvation is through faith and is not by works, yet out of the other side of their mouth, teach that water baptism is necessary for salvation. Roman Catholics quote the church fathers a lot in order to support salvation by water baptism, infant baptism, transubstantiation etc.. which is why I do not put a lot of stock in the writings of the church fathers.

http://justforcatholics.org/a116.htm
https://carm.org/early-church-fathers-baptism
https://www.catholic.com/tract/early-teachings-on-infant-baptism

Apparently, Hebrews 6:4-6 is referring to the person who has refused all of God's attempts to bring them back to faith in Christ. At which point He makes it impossible for them to come back. I think mitigating factors determine who He does that to, and when.

In the case of the Galatians, they had been deceived into returning to the law and away from Christ for justification. Perhaps that's why He gave them the time and space to repent. We will see at the Judgment if they heeded God's plea through Paul to come back. If they did not, at some point God would have turned them over to their unbelief and made it impossible for them to come back.

Hi there, it's interesting how one text says eternal life is irrevocable while other passages such as the parable of the Unmerciful Servant clearly demonstrate the contrary.

Instances such as these in Scripture usually result in the problem of Cognitive Dissonance and it is my experience that in the pursuit of a resolution, the mature Christian prioritizes truth-seeking over comfort, while the immature Christian does the opposite.

The search for truth leads us to the only explanation that we can find: "Conditional Salvation" - which says the promises of God, including the irrevocable gift of eternal life, can be claimed only by the exercise of living faith through the indwelling power of an enthroned Savior.

The OSAS Christian, having prioritized comfort over truth-seeking, employs the only neurological coping mechanism left to his disposal that can restore cognitive harmony: cast out the uncomfortable New Truth for the peaceful familiarity of the Old Truth...and that is how the OSAS crowd manages to either deliberately misinterpret the plain meaning of these aforementioned contrary passages or just pretend they don't exist altogether.