So many would rightly conclude that I at the least ascribe to OSAS and that would be a fair assessment. I do so however acknowledging fully the inherent problems within this theology and the abuses that continue to result from it. There are reasons why many sound theologians oppose OSAS but most of those reasons are rooted in how man has twisted it to ignore sin. The Joseph Prince's of the world make millions by teaching people that they do not have to worry about sin anymore, the Ten Commandments are useless for believers and that God is never angry with them. They can claim they do not encourage a license to sin but that is exactly what they do. The first problem is in the confusion of eternal matters with temporal matters. No one is suggesting the revival of the law when it comes to salvation. Galatians makes it clear that to do so is to render Christ useless to us. When it comes to eternal matters of salvation we rely on our faith in the work and person of Jesus Christ. His blood saves us. That does not however discard the law from our temporal lives. To do so is pure folly. The Bible teaches us that the law is good and holy. It is not a set of punishments for us but guardrails on the highway that is our life, ensuring we do not run ourselves off a cliff. Beloved, the law is not our basis for salvation but striving to keep it should be a result of it. Now that we are in relationship with God we know how sin offends Him and we ought to want to keep His ordinances. Just consider when John the Baptist saw the hypocritical Pharisees coming to get baptized:
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. - Matthew 3: 7-8 (ESV)
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance? Yes beloved. There ought to be fruit as a result of our repentance. The Bible says those that are born again are a new creation and the old has passed away. We are supposed to be obedient. Jesus Himself lamented why we bother calling Him Lord when we will not do as He says? What about those people who will stand before Him on the last day saying "Lord Lord?"
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' - Matthew 7: 21-23 (ESV)
What does He call them? Workers of lawlessness. This eradicates the teachings of Joseph Prince and the greasy grace peddlers. These were clearly "churched" people. They did mighty works, cast out demons, and prophesied in the name of Jesus yet He never knew them. Do not let that little nugget slip by either. Jesus does not say to these people I no longer know you. He says that He never knew them. Not that they lost their salvation but rather that they were never saved to begin with. Now we start to get closer to the heart of the problem and the best solution for these evil days.
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. - 1John 2: 3-6 (ESV)
Those that do not keep His commandments yet claim to know Him are liars. To themselves and to God. The question beloved is not whether we can lose our salvation but whether we are saved at all. Remember that narrow is the way and few find it. Heaven rejoices when one person comes to Christ. We have all grown up in the age of the mega church which spits in the face of traditional orthodoxy. Consider the explanation from Jesus regarding the Parable of the Sower:
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. - Luke 8: 11-15 (ESV)
I think all sides can agree that the first example is of someone unsaved and the fourth is clearly someone saved. The controversy is with the middle two groups of people. In my research I have seen many opponents of OSAS point to these middle two groups of people as examples of people who were saved yet fell away for the reasons provided. That is simply not how I read this explanation at all. First of all, if the first three groups are all saved, then the way does not appear as narrow as the Bible claims. OSAS opponents will point to the fact that group two people received the Word with great joy and thus they conclude they must have been genuinely converted. Once again, I disagree. I am sure we all know people who receive the initial Word with great joy, especially considering how poorly it is being preached today! But they have no root and though they believe for a while they fall away when they are tested. That does not mean they fall away from salvation but rather from their belief. The Bible says it is possible to believe in vain. To believe in a false gospel. To be led astray. Jesus addressed this:
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14: 27-33 (ESV)
So are the ones who fail to count the cost saved and then lost? Not according to this explanation. According to this, they were never disciples to begin with. As for the third group the opponents of OSAS will say that the fact that fruit not maturing somehow equals they were in fact saved. That somehow immature fruit or rotting fruit is somehow indicative of salvation. I respectfully again would disagree. One might be able to convince themselves they are saved but notice that these folks have the seed choked out by things that remain more important to them. The cares of this world and the pleasures of this life. Let us not lose sight of the fact that in the first three groups we are only dealing with seed. Group two has no root and group three is choked out before it can grow. No beloved, it seems to me that the only group that is bearing fruit in keeping with their salvation is group four.
So where does this leave us beloved? The Bible commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. It is not something to be taken lightly as so many do today. I am not advocating for such. What I am advocating for is to work out our salvation as the key verse teaches us. This is a verse that is rarely preached on anymore. It cannot be clearer however. We are to test ourselves to see whether we are in the faith at all. Not whether we have lost our salvation but whether we were saved to begin with. There are only two possibilities. Either Jesus Christ is in us or we have failed the test! Who is Paul writing this to? The people in the church at Corinth! These were self-professing believers! The implication is clear. Not everyone who says Lord Lord is actually saved. Sitting in a church does not make you a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage make you a car. The human heart is wickedly deceptive above all else. It can convince us that our works prove our salvation when our salvation should result in our works. I understand the arguments on the other side. I understand the abuses we see in the church today. I also understand that I could be wrong. I think there are good people of good intent on both sides of the debate. I am hopeful we can agree on one thing at least. We ought to test ourselves to see if we are in fact in Christ. Whether we fell away or were never part of Him is not going to matter when we stand before Him. All that will matter is it will be too late.
Reverend Anthony Wade - July 5, 2015
