Free Grace, here's a Catch 22 for you, 2 in fact. According to you, those who do what 2 Pet 1:5-11 (my signature) below exhorts will not just go to Heaven, but receive an Abundant Entrance, or more Rewards. Well, very good then. I'm going to aim for that, and work for that, by God's Grace.
Before there are any rewards, there must be the qualification for entrance itself. By that, I mean, being saved in the first place.
When a mere earthly job or whatever promises more rewards, how many people rush to try to have it. So much more should we store Treasures in Heaven, as the Lord said, by doing Good Works.
So far, no catch 22.
And where I disagree is not indeed that those who don't labor more won't be rewarded more; they will, be as also 1 Cor 3:8, and 3:13-15 says, but that these Good Works, by God's Grace, "help confirm our calling and election". If you need to do something to confirm a plane ticket, say, it's not confirmed already.
Well, I certainly disagree with that. Peter wasn't saying that the "ticket to heaven" hasn't been confirmed yet. And it is only confirmed by a change in lifestyle. That would be salvation by works, whether you understand that or not.
Peter WAS saying that one's calling and election IS confirmed or evidenced by the list that Peter gave.
That's why this verse is strong evidence against OSAS.
Not at all. It's about reward for those who ARE saved. This is how Peter opened his epistle:
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ
have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
So, right here, in v.1, Peter is confirming his audience's salvation. Then he moves past the issue of getting saved, to the issue of reward.
OSAS is true if we mean Once Justified, Always Justified. Once Baptized, Always Baptized. Once Sanctified, Always Sanctified. And also, if you Persevere in Faith, or in Good Works, then you received the Grace to Persevere from the Lord.
OK, I see that you are confused. To be "justified" means the SAME thing as to be saved. Why do you apparently think otherwise?
How about these, as well: once a son, always a son. (OSAS
). Once a recipient of eternal life, shall never perish (John 10:28).
But not once saved, always saved, in the sense you mean it.
I mean it in the SAME SENSE that Jesus spoke of in John 10:28. He gives eternal life, and the recipient shall never perish. You can call that what you want. I call it OSAS.
I agree if you sin little, and don't work for the Lord, you'll lose rewards from Him. Such persons will be "saved, but only through fire", with their works burned up as 1 Cor 3:13-14 also says. But if you sin gravely, unto death, and don't repent at all, and even turn your back on Christ, you won't be saved at all.
Except no verse says this. There are no verses that clearly communicate that salvation can be lost.
So, EVERY verse Arminians use to "defend" the warning about loss of salvation simply do not understand the verses.
But, here's the 2nd Catch 22 for you. According to you, most everyone who has ever said a 30 Second Sinners Prayers (and I'm sure most on this forum have said it, including me; and including most non-OSASers) are once saved, always saved, and nothing absolutely whatever they do or don't do can change then. Well, very good then, we're pretty much all saved then!
You have just one teeny tiny problem here with your supposed catch 22. I reject ANY kind of prayer that saves. That started sometime in the 18th Century, I think. Say a prayer, repeat after me, etc.
Words DON'T save anyone. There are zero examples of anyone being told to pray for salvation. That's NOT how one receives salvation.
The key is what a person BELIEVES.
So much for your catch 22's.
Final question: if someone who you believe was OSAS has now backslidden from Christ and is an Atheist, would you even try to Evangelize him?
If that person had believed on the work of Christ alone for his salvation, then Jesus GAVE him eternal life. And on that basis, and THAT basis alone, Jesus says he shall never perish. I believe what Jesus said. You either still don't understand or you simply don't believe Him.
So, no, evangelization is irrelevant in that case. What that person needs is a strong rebuke for leaving the faith.
According to you, he's still going to Heaven, right? If you sin gravely, i.e. unto death, you lose Christ, or the Holy Spirit, Who is our life.
No, you don't lose either. Where are you getting your ideas from? you make claims, but don't back them up with verses that clearly teach what you claim.
If you die without having Christ in you, you cannot go to Heaven.
That would be a person who NEVER believed. So, I agtee, they cannot go to heaven.
That's why it says clearly:
"6God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” 7To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. (Rom 2:6-7) King David (Psa 62:2) and King Solomon (Prov 24:12) said similar things.
<sigh> Paul was telling his audience (including us) how to EARN eternal life. iow, be perfect. That's what "by perseverance in doing good" refers to. Paul meant by keeping the law perfectly one would EARN eternal life. And such a person would have NO NEED for Jesus to die for their sins. They wouldn't need a Savior, since they would have EARNED salvation by themselves.
Do you think you can fulfill Rom 2:6-8? That would be you already have been since early childhood.
But, Paul went on to make very clear that NO ONE can fulfill Rom 2:6-8.
Rom 3:9,10, 20, and 23 prove that.
Notice that Jesus Christ Himself says the same as Rom 2:6 in Rev 22:12, which means it still applies in the New Covenant:
"12“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done." (Rev 22:12)
God Bless.
Well, you apparently missed the key word in v.12 "My reward". That's the key. Heaven or salvation isn't a reward. That would mean it is EARNED.
But Eph 2:8,9 refutes that idea completely.
Do you understand the meaning of grace? It means 'unmerited favor'. iow, salvation without having to work for it.
