Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS)

By Dennis Christian

September 2023

I embarked on this study in response to discussions with a dear friend and fishing buddy, who is also a minister of International Churches of Christ denomination. He believes in the security of the salvation of the believer but that a believer can lose that salvation if he or she stops believing, or becomes an unbeliever. I have been a member of the Baptist denomination all of my Christian life, and we believe in OSAS. I hold that belief not just because I am a Baptist but because the logic of conversion (one is born again and cannot be unborn) and the saved state of possessing eternal life (eternal is forever, not temporary). But my buddy doesn’t buy that simple logic and quotes many scriptures to prove he is right. He has not convinced me, and I have not convinced him. Thus, to do him justice (and to validate my belief) I am doing this study. I will address each of the scriptures he quoted and his logic in quoting them and see how this all pans out. I know I am not alone in my view and plan to use previous studies published on this topic to help me understand the relevant scriptures and their context.

I will organize my study as a set of responses to the scriptures my friend quoted in the order that he presented them.

Hebrews 6:4-6 is the first and primary scripture quoted by those who disagree with OSAS.

Here is Hebrews 6:1-12 – the extra verses included for context: “Therefore leaving the ^[a]elementary teaching about the ^[b]Christ, let us press on to ^[c]maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ² of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, if God permits. ⁴ For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, ^[d]since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ⁷ For ground that drinks the rain which often ^[e]falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; ⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close ^[f]to being cursed, and ^[g]it ends up being burned. ⁹ But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that ^[h]accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the ^[i]saints. ¹¹ And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence ^[j]so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

The argument against OSAS is that the people described in verses 4 and 5 are saved, and that verse 6 says they have “fallen away” meaning they have lost their salvation.

Some key questions:

1. Do the descriptions of the people in 4 and 5 really refer to saved people or to unsaved people?
2. Does “to be brought back to repentance” mean to a repentance that implies a saving faith?
3. What does the metaphor about the land that produces good crops or thorns and thistles mean? (Verses 7 and 8)
4. Does the reference to “better things” in verse 8 imply anything about verses 4 through 6?
5. Is the author describing a truly possible situation or could he be using a hypothetical situation to warn believers to persevere to the end of their life on earth, which proves one ‘s salvation was authentic?
6. Are there other scriptures that either support or argue against OSAS??

Dealing with question 1: There is an in-depth study of Hebrews 6:4-6 as to whether or not it refutes OSAS. It is entitled “Perseverance of the Saints: A Case Study from Hebrews 6:4-6 and Other Warning Passages from Hebrews” by Wayne Grudem. I read it carefully and agree with his interpretation of scripture and logic in understanding it. I urge the reader to read it, but here is an abbreviated version of the 76-page paper:

1^st Grudem examines the descriptions of the people in verses 4 and 5 and compares them to the descriptions of saved people all evangelicals would agree on:

The descriptions in verses 4 and 5:

– They have once been enlightened

–  They have tasted the heavenly gift

– They have shared in the Holy Spirit

– They tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age

The consensus among evangelicals on the descriptions of saved people:

1. Regeneration (being “born again”)
2. Conversion (which includes repentance from sins and faith in Christ)
3. Justification (God declares us righteous in his sight)
4. Adoption (God makes us members of his family)
5. The beginning of sanctification (some initial break with actual sin, so that a new pattern of life is begun)

Grudem adds, “In this list, items 1, 3, and 4 (regeneration, justification, and adoption) are entirely works of God. Item 2 (repentance and faith) is entirely a work of man.” I would say an activity of man. ^“Although many would argue that God enables us to repent and believe, all would agree that we repent and we believe; God does not repent and believe for us.” “Item 5 (sanctification) is a work in which God and man cooperate (God empowers us to obey, and we obey).”

Grudem presents evidence and argument that, although the descriptions in verses 4 and 5 could refer to saved people, they could also refer to people who were attending church, heard the gospel preached and the word of God read, had repented of sins, and perhaps even been healed by the power of the Spirit but had not trusted Jesus as Savior. He concludes from these verses that one cannot tell whether the people were saved or not.

2^nd Grudem examines verses 7 and 8 which give an analogy of rain falling on land and the resulting growth of good crops or thorns and thistles. He argues that the analogy refers back to verses 4 through 6, and it is clear that the land that produces good crops refers to the saved and the land that produces thorns and thistles refers to the lost. He concludes that the land that produced thorns and thistles are those described in verses 4 and 5 who fell away, since the land that produced the good crops is obviously the saved, the ones who don’t fall away. He says the analogy does not allow for a third category – land that produced good fruit then changed and produced thorns and thistles. So, the analogy clarifies that the people who fell away were not the saved.

3^rd Grudem examines the “better things” in verse 8 to see what the better things are and what they are better than. He says the better things are work and love and service in their lives (Vs 10-11), and these things accompany or belong to salvation. These are fruits of true believers, to whom the author of Hebrews is now talking. Better than what? Grudem says there are two possibilities (1) better than falling away and incurring God’s judgment or (2) better than the good things in verses 4 and 5. Grudem points out that elsewhere in Hebrews better is compared to something good not something bad. i. e. better sacrifice, priesthood, covenant, etc. The fruits of the believers are better than the experiences of the people in verses 4 and 5, implying that the things in verses 4 and 5 were good, but not as good as work, love, and service, all of which accompany the salvation experienced by true believers.

4^th Grudem looks at Hebrews 3-4 for a comparison with the earlier state of those who fell away elsewhere in Hebrews. Quoting Grudem, “In Hebrews 3-4, the author frequently compares his readers to the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness. As he does in chapter 6, he warns his readers in chapters 3-4 not to fall away. But in chapters 3-4 he gives more explicit statements about the initial Spiritual state of those who eventually fell away. The parallels are instructive, for they show that the author believed that people who fell away in the wilderness (a) had several blessings similar to the enlightening, tasting, and partaking in 6:4-6, but (b) never were saved.”

“For example, the fact that the people in 6:4-6 had been “enlightened” (6:4) means at least that they had heard and understood the gospel. Similarly, the author has already noted that many Israelites with Moses had heard the gospel (in old covenant form) but had never come to saving faith:

For good news came to us just as to them; but the message which they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers (4:2).

“Similarly, the fact that the people in 6:4-6 had “tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come” (6:5) means at least that they had come to know by personal experience something of the excellent qualities of God’s Word, and something of God’s great power breaking into their lives. But the author has also noted similar experiences in the lives of unbelieving Israelites who were with Moses: they had experienced remarkable miracles (what could even be called “the powers of the age to come”) in the plagues on Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna from heaven, the water from the rock, and even the very presence of the glory of God among them in the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Yet they had never been truly saved: “…your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.  Therefore, I was provoked with that generation, and said,

‘They always go astray in their hearts; they have not known my ways‘ (3:9-10).”

“He does not say that they once had believing hearts and then went astray, but rather, “They always go astray in their hearts.” He does not say that they had previously known God’s ways and then had turned astray, but rather, “they have not known my ways.” They had heard the good news, heard the voice of God, tasted the powers of the age to come, but they had never believed.”

“The point of this is simply to say that the people of 6:4-6 have some experiences that are compatible not only with the situation of those who are saved, but also with the situation of some who notoriously fell away, and the author tells us in explicit language that the Israelites who fell away were never saved in the first place. This conclusion is consistent with our earlier evidence that the people who fell away in 6:4-6 were never saved in the first place either. Furthermore, this passage resembles what we found in 6:4-6 regarding the kinds of people the author discusses, for in chapters 3-4 only two kinds of people are in his mind: those who do not believe and fall away, and those who believe and persevere. He contemplates no third category (people who first believe and later fall away), either here or in 6:4-6.”

5^th Grudem does a comparison with language describing the saved elsewhere in Hebrews. He identifies criteria for the kinds of passages to select, and lists the characteristics of the truly saved and supporting scriptures. He begins with several descriptions of what God has done in the lives of those who are saved:

1. God has forgiven their sins (Heb. 10:17; also 8:12).
2. God has cleansed their consciences (Heb. 9:14, 10:22)
3. God has written His laws in their hearts (Heb 8:10)
4. God is producing holiness of life in them (Heb 2:11, 10:14, 12:10, 13:21)
5. God has given them an unshakable kingdom (Heb 10:34, 11:16, 12:28)
6. God is pleased with them (Heb 10:38, 11:5-6, 12:28, 13:16, 13:21)

Grudem now tums from these six descriptions of what God has done in the lives of the saved to descriptions of actions or qualities which characterize their lives:

7. The saved have been enlightened (Heb 10:26-39)
8. The saved have faith (Heb 3:6, 3:14, 4:3, 4:14, 6:12, 20:22, 10:38-39,11:1-40, 12:2, 13:7,
9. The saved have hope (Heb 6:11, 6:18, 7:19, 9:28, 10:23, 10:34, 11:10, 11:26)
10. The saved have love (Heb 6:9, 10:24, 13:1)
11. The saved worship and pray (Heb 4:15-16, 7:19, 7:25, 10:19, 10:22, 12:28, 13:15),
12. The saved obey God (Heb 5:9, 11:7-8, 10-:36, 11:17, 11:25,12:10-11, 12:14)
13. The saved persevere (Heb 3:6, 3:14, 6:11, 10:23, 10:32, 10:36, 10:39, 12:1,3,5,7)
14. The saved enter God’s rest (Heb 4:1,3,11)
15. The saved know God (Heb 8:11)
16. The saved are God’s house, His children, His people (Heb 2:10-13, 3:6, 8:10)
17. The saved share in Christ (Heb 3:14)
18. The saved will receive future salvation (Heb 1:14, 5:9, 7:25, 9:28)

Grudem then notes that only one of the 18 items is included in Hebrews 6:4-5 – the saved have been enlightened. But he points out enlightened could simply mean hearing and understanding the gospel, which the saved no doubt had experienced. But so could the lost who then rejected it or refused to trust in Christ. Gruden argues that if the author wanted to make clear that the people in verses 4 and 5 were saved, he certainly knew how to do it from the list above. I add that considering the Holy Spirit inspires scripture, the Holy Spirit could have inspired the author to make it clear they were saved, but He didn’t.

Grudem’s conclusion regarding Hebrews 6:4-6

Quoting Grudem, “We began with the question: Does Hebrews 6:4-6 describe people who had experienced the decisive beginning stages of a genuine Christian life, and who then had fallen away and lost their salvation? Careful analysis of the terms used to describe these people before they fell away showed that, while the terms could be used to apply to genuine Christians, they could also be used to apply to people were not yet Christians but who had simply heard the gospel and had experienced several of the blessings of the Holy Spirit’s work in the Christian community.  In other words, these terms tell us that the people had experienced many of the preliminary stages that often precede the beginning of the Christian life, but they did not tell us that the people had experienced any of the decisive beginning stages of the Christian life. Therefore, the Spiritual status of these people before they fell away could not be determined on the basis of the terms in 6:4-6 alone.”

“However, an examination of the metaphor of the field in verses 7-8, which the author uses to explain verses 4-6, showed that the people in 4-6 were like a field that received frequent rain but only bore thorns and thistles. This indicated that, in the author’s mind, the people in 4-6 had received many blessings but had never borne good fruit because they had been like bad ground the entire time: there had never been true Spiritual life in them.”

“An examination of verses 9-12 led us to a similar conclusion. Though the author had been speaking of the possibility of some of his readers falling away, his view of most of them was much different: He felt sure that, in general, his readers were in possession of “better things” than the preliminary experiences in 4-6, and that the better things were in fact “things belonging to salvation.” This implied that the blessings of 4-6, while positive, nevertheless did not belong to (or accompany) salvation. Then in verses 10-12 the author names those “better things” as the good fruits of work, love, service for others, hope, faith, and patience. A comparison with chapters 3 and 4 showed that the author thought of the rebellious people of Israel in the wilderness as people who had experiences similar to being enlightened, tasting the blessings of redemption, tasting the goodness of the word of God, and associating with, seeing, and benefitting from some of the works of the Holy Spirit — yet they never had faith (4:2), they always went astray in their hearts (3:10), and they had never known God’s ways (3:10). This example provided a parallel case of another group of people who had many remarkable experiences of blessing from God, but were never really saved.”

“Then an examination of descriptive terms used by the author to describe Christians elsewhere in Hebrews revealed that only one term in 6:4-6 (“enlightened”) was used elsewhere to describe believers, and that term referred only to hearing and understanding the gospel, not to any of the decisive beginning stages of the Christian life. The most significant finding was that none of the other seventeen descriptions of true Christians in Hebrews was used in 6:4-6. This indicated that if the author had wanted to say that it is impossible for true Christians who fall away to come back to salvation, he certainly could have done so clearly, but he did not. In 6:4-6 he chose to use language [I would say the Spirit led him] that does not describe those who are truly saved.”

“Therefore, confining our attention to the book of Hebrews itself, and examining 6:4-6 in its immediate and broader context within the book, leads us to the conclusion that the people in this passage who experienced many blessings and then fell away had never truly been saved in the first place.”

I believe Grudem makes a convincing case that the people in Hebrews 6:4-5 were at the least not necessarily saved, and even a good case that they were clearly not saved.

Next: But Grudem is not finished. He continues on with two more thrusts:

1^st He analyses other warning passages in Hebrews to compare their teaching with Hebrews 6:4-6

2^nd He compares Hebrews 6:4-6 with other NT passages regarding the perseverance of the saints

A summary of Grudem’s analysis of other warning passages in Hebrews

Hebrews 2:1-4

Grudem says, “This text has not created controversy regarding the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, for it contains no phrases that might indicate the decisive beginning stages of the Christian life. The only possible exception to this is the second person plural, “we.” He said the use of “we” by the author was a convention used to include himself in the group being addressed. He adds, “The passage is similar to 6:4-6 in that the people warned are those who have heard the gospel message and experienced miracles (this is similar to tasting the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come). As in 6:4-6, we cannot tell whether people who have had such experiences are believers or not. They are simply warned against drifting away after these experiences.

Hebrews 3:6-4:13

Quoting Grudem, “In these sections the repeated warning is against hardening their hearts against the message which they have heard (3:8, 12, 15; 4:7). The hardness of heart accompanies unbelief and falling away from the living God (3:12, 19; 4:2), and also is evident in disobedience (4:6, 11).

For our purposes 3:14 is especially relevant:

For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm to the end (NASB).

“This verse provides an excellent perspective on the doctrine of perseverance. How do we know if “we have become partakers⁸⁰ of Christ”? How do we know if this being joined to Christ has happened to us at some time in the past?⁸¹ One way in which we know that we have come to genuine faith in Christ is if we continue in faith until the end of our lives. D. A. Carson writes, ”close attention to the tenses in Hebrews 3:14 reveals an extra ingredient in this verse. We have become (gegonamen) — in the past! — partakers of Christ if we now, in the present, hold firmly to the confidence we had at first. It follows from this verse that although perseverance is mandated, it is also the evidence of what has taken place in the past….If persevering shows we have (already) come to share in Christ, it can only be because sharing in Christ has perseverance for its inevitable fruit.””

“Therefore, far from saying that those who have been saved can lose their salvation, this verse says that only those who persevere in the Christian life were ever truly saved (savingly participated in Christ) in the first place. And the implication is that those who fall away never did become partakers in Christ — those who fall away show that they never were saved.” Grudem adds that the purpose of all the passages about falling away “is always to warn those who are thinking of falling away or have fallen away that if they do this it is a strong indication that they were never saved in the first place.”

Hebrews 10:26-31

Grudem states that these verses are similar to 6:4-6. Quoting Grudem, “We conclude that there is no decisive consideration in Hebrews 10:26-31 to make us think that it refers to someone who was genuinely saved. It refers rather to someone who heard and understood the gospel, and joined in worship before God with the assembly of Christians, but who rejected this great privilege and therefore became liable to “a fearful prospect of judgment” (10:27).

Hebrews 12:25

Quoting Grudem, “No new issues arise in this warning text, but once again we should notice that the warning is against rejecting the message that has been heard. This is the same warning that he has issued throughout the epistle (2:1; 3:7-8, 15; 4:1-2; 6:4-5; 10:26). Those who are in danger of falling away are those who have heard and understood the message, and have associated with the congregation of believers, but have given no clear indication of their response or their internal Spiritual state. But neither in this nor in any of the other warning passages do we find indications that true Christians can lose their salvation.

Comparison with related passages in the rest of the New Testament

Quoting Grudem, “To this point I have not brought into the discussion any considerations from the doctrinal teachings in the rest of Scripture on the perseverance of the saints. But the question we are investigating is ultimately a theological one, and therefore, for Christians who think that the whole Bible is our ultimate authority in doctrine, it is necessary at some point to compare the exegetical conclusions on 6:4-6 (and the other warning passages) with the teachings of the rest of Scripture (which really forms the larger “context” in which any passage appears).  Far from being inappropriate, I think this procedure is necessary for right exegesis m general, and especially for exegesis that attempts to contribute to understanding doctrinal questions. John Owen observed this long ago:

“And so usually doth it fall out, very unhappily, with men who think they see some peculiar opinion or persuasion in some singular text of Scripture, and will not bring their interpretations of it unto the analogy of faith, whereby they might see how contrary it is to the whole design and current of the word in other places.”

“In fact, the idea that we should not attempt to find exegetical conclusions that are consistent with the teachings of other passages is an artificial restriction that none of the original readers faced, for they all had knowledge of the Old Testament and of the apostolic teaching which they had received (which was consistent with the content of our New Testament), and that knowledge influenced their understanding of each epistle they read.”

Grudem does not include here the substantial weight of biblical evidence that teaches that genuine Christians cannot lose their salvation. He has argued this at length in the following references: “Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), chapter 40, “Perseverance”; also The First Epistle of Peter, TNTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), pp. 58-59.”

Other NT scriptures that support OSAS

John 10:27-28: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

This verse states that, for a person who is saved, they know Christ, and Christ gives them eternal life, and they will never perish. If a person could lose their salvation after they are saved, then it would make Christ a liar in that He did not give them eternal life and they did perish. This shows the absurdity of the view that one can lose their salvation; Christ does not lie.

Romans 8:29-30: “²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Verse 29 says God foreknew who the saved would be and that He ends up justifying and glorifying them. Since glorification isn’t complete until a saint dies or Christ returns, then a once-saved person must make it all the way to the end of his or her life to be glorified. God foresaw that the once-saved person made it to glorification. That is saying the once-saved person persevered to the end, the same thing that Hebrews 3:14 says.

Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30, “¹³ In ^[a]Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also ^[b]believed, you were sealed in ^[c]Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is ^[d]given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” “³⁰ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^[a]by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” At the moment of salvation, we are sealed with the indwelling Spirit. Sealed means possession and security and is a pledge or guarantee of the security of our salvation

Philippians 1:6, “ For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” God or Christ is the one who began the good work in you (converted you to a Christian). Paul is confident that God is up to completing the task, that is, salvation to the end.

1 Peter 1:3-5, “³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  Once we are saved our inheritance is imperishable, will not fade away, is reserved for us, and is protected by the power of God.

Scriptures that assure the saved they HAVE eternal (not temporary) life

John 3:15-16, “¹⁵ so that whoever ^[a]believes will in Him have eternal life.¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that He gave His ^[a]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:36 “³⁶ He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not ^[a]obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 5:24, “²⁴Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

John 6:47, “⁴⁷ Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

John 10:28, “²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” It is clear here that eternal refers to length not quality of life.

Acts 13:48, “⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of ^[a]the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.´ Clearly, these could not lose their salvation. Here appointed is equated with eternal life.”

Romans 5:21, “¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:22-23, “²² But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you ^[a]derive your ^[b]benefit, ^[c]resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Timothy 1:16, “¹⁶ Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those ^[a]who would believe in Him for eternal life.

1 Timothy 6:12,” ¹² Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

1 John 5:11, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

1 John 5:13, “¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Continuing from Grudem’s comments above

He adds, “But it must be said that those who take the view that 6:4-6 describes genuine Christians who lost their salvation have an obligation not only to give a reasonable explanation of 6:4-6, but also of” these passages above “which repeatedly teach that true Christians will certainly persevere.”

“But is our basic claim that 6:4-6 describes unsaved people consistent with other passages in the New Testament? Does the New Testament speak elsewhere of people who had heard and agreed with the gospel, and had associated with the church, but never had been truly converted? It does in a number of places. For example, Jesus speaks of people who give an initial impression of faith but then fall away:”

“And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;  and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away (Mark 4:16-17).”

“They “hear the word” (they are enlightened) and they respond with joy (this is as least tasting the heavenly gift and the goodness of the word of God). But they were never truly saved, for Jesus says, “they have no root in themselves.” They fall away and are lost.”

“As for becoming “partakers of the Holy Spirit,” Jesus also speaks of those who so strongly resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit that they commit blasphemy against him:”

“And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come (Matt. 12:32).”

“And the people who say on the last day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? (Matt. 7:22) were never born again, for Jesus says to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers” (v. 23). (Note that he does not say to them, “I knew you once but now I do not know you,” but rather, “I never knew you.”)”

“Similarly, Stephen says to the unbelieving Jews, “you always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). There was a convicting work of the Holy Spirit which they experienced (we might say they tasted of it, or became partakers in it), but they stubbornly rejected it.”

“John also writes of people who associated for a time with the church, but their falling away demonstrated that they never were truly part of the community of believers:”

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us (1 John 2:19).”

“When we put together the testimony of these verses, we realize that there are people who have genuine Spiritual experiences that are at least as strong as those mentioned in Hebrews 6:4-6, but who have never truly experienced salvation. Therefore, our interpretation of 6:4-6 does not make it a unique or unusual passage in the New Testament generally, but one which fits well with other sections of the New Testament.”

Other views on Hebrews 6:4-6 by those who defend OSAS

Quoting from Grudem: “Three other less common views can be mentioned here.

“(1) The community view: V. D. Verbrugge proposes that 6:4-6 speaks not of individual people at all, but of a Christian community that is danger of falling away.³⁷ Most interpreters mention this proposal as interesting, but few have been persuaded by it. McKnight rightly objects that both the warnings (3:12; 4:1; 10:28-29) and the exhortations to persevere (11:1-40 gives many positive models) assume that the author is concerned with individual apostasy, and also that Verbrugge’s argument for Isa. 5:1-7 as the background to 6:7-8 is not convincing.³⁸ Furthermore, verses 7-8 picture land that is completely blessed or completely cursed, an idea suitable to a picture of individual believers, but incompatible with either possibility Verbrugge foresees (communal faithfulness with some apostates present, or communal apostasy with some faithful believers present). Finally, the enlightening, tasting, partaking, and repenting, are best understood as individual experiences that precede saving faith, and there is nothing in the context that would let the readers know that the author intends to be speaking of a community here.”

“(2) The Christian maturity view: Thomas Oberholtzer argues that the warning is addressed to true Christians, but says that the warning is not against apostasy but against failing to press on to maturity in the Christian life. Therefore, the judgments that would follow are only loss of reward, not loss of salvation.³⁹ However, Oberholtzer’s argument fails to be persuasive for the following reasons: (1) He says the metaphor of fiery judgment in v. 8 refers only to loss of reward, not eternal condemnation, because the thorns are burned, not the ground (p. 326).”

“But this overlooks the feminine singular relative pronoun h□s (v. 8), which must refer to the ground (gQ), not the plural “thorns and thistles.” The final end of the ground is “to be burned,” which surely signifies not loss of reward but eternal condemnation. (2) His translation of verse 9, “better things that accompany salvation” (p. 327; he follows the RSV), fails to account for the epexegetical kai in that phrase, and therefore fails to take account of the fact that the “things” are better precisely because they accompany salvation. This means that the people in 6:4-6 do not have salvation, contrary to Oberholtzer’s contention.⁴⁰ (3) He incorrectly minimizes the sense of adunatos, “impossible,” in verse 4, saying that it means that those who fail to press on to maturity also fall away from “worship participation in God’s house” and thereby put themselves “beyond encouragement by others in the community” (p. 323). But adunatos has a much stronger sense that this: Oberholtzer’s view essentially makes it mean “difficult” or “unlikely.”⁴¹ In addition, it is simply not true that it is impossible to restore to repentance Christians who at one point in their lives fail to press on to maturity — this would be a new doctrine of “grow now or remain immature forever,” which the Bible nowhere teaches. (4) Oberholtzer incorrectly minimizes the seriousness of the sin in verse 6: “they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.” This is a public repudiation and mockery of Christ⁴² characteristic only of hardhearted unbelievers; it is not simply a failure to press on to Christian maturity. (5) His argument that the context is one of encouraging the readers to press on to maturity (5:11-6:3) is correct, but that fact (recognized by all interpreters) does not require his understanding of 6:4-6. Several solutions have been proposed, and one definite possibility is to see this progression of thought:

Let us go on to maturity (5:11-6:3),

for it is impossible to restore church attenders whose Spiritual status is unclear, and who do not go on but fall away (6:4-8),

and even you who are clearly saved need to persevere earnestly (6:9-12).”

“(3) The hypothetical view: Thomas Hewitt adopts a “hypothetical” view of these verses, that is, that the writer is telling what would happen if a true Christian could ever fall away, even though in fact that could never happen: “the writer is dealing with supposition and not with fact, so that he may correct wrong ideas.”⁴³ But surely it would be useless to warn the readers against something that could never happen, and that without telling them that it could never happen. Nicole says, “When there is an insuperable barrier there is no need to give warning concerning dangers on the other side!”

Grudem concludes:

“Each of these three alternative views, then, deserves mention, but none of them has enough evidence to be persuasive.”

I disagree. I believe the hypothetical view is another real possibility. I believe Grudem shortchanged this view. In his Christian Theology, Erickson presents a more convincing argument for this view as follows from page 993, “The other possibility is that the referents in verse 4 -6 and verse 9 are the same. They are genuinely saved people who could fall away. Verses 4-6 declare what their status would be if they did. Verse 9, however, is a statement that they will not fall away. They could, but they will not. Their persistence to the end is evidence of that truth. The writer to Hebrews knows that his readers will not fall away; he is convinced of better things regarding them, the things that accompany salvation. Now we are able to correlate John 10 [vs:27-30] and Hebrews 6 [vs 4-6]. While Hebrews 6 indicates that genuine believers can fall away, John 10 teaches that they will not …the grace of God prevents them from apostasizing. God does this, not by making it impossible for believers to fall away, but by making it certain they will not. Our emphasis on “can” and “will not” is not inconsequential. It preserves the freedom of the individual. Believers [genuinely saved people] are capable of repudiating their faith, but will freely choose not to.”

Back to Grudem, “At this point someone may ask: If salvation is sure and permanent, what is the point of the warnings and commands given to the believer? The answer is that they are the means by which God renders it certain that the saved individual will not fall away.” I would add that it is “one of” the means.

Other verses my friend offered as proof against OSAS

Hebrews 2:1-3 has already been addressed by Grudem

Hebrews 3:7-13 has already been addressed by Grudem.

Hebrews 1:26-31 has already been addressed by Grudem

Hebrews 12:25 has already been addressed by Grudem.

Hebrews 3:12 was covered, but I’ll address my friend’s comment that “brethren” must refer to saved people, and therefore because they are warned against falling away, it must be possible for a saved person to fall away. But I would argue that the author was addressing a church where some attending are saved and some are prospects who have experienced the same kinds of good things as in Hebrews 6:4-5. So, the ones who may fall away need not be the saved. Verse 14 confirms that. The truly saved will hold fast their belief until the end of life. They will not be the ones that fall away.

James 1:13-15: Once again my friend assumes that the word “brethren” refers to saved people. The book of James was written to fellow Jews (the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad), some of whom are saved and some of whom are likely not saved. Further, the death mentioned in verse 15 is the death we all are sentenced to because the wages of sin is death, and we all have sinned. So, verse 15 depicts the lost to begin with, not those who were saved and now, because they sinned, they are lost again. The saved-on-earth are not depicted anywhere in scripture as able to be sinless. We are charged to not sin, but as Paul covers in Romans 7, we still reside in fleshy bodies and will sometimes stumble and sin doing that which we did not want to do. That’s why the saved need 1 John 1:9.

2 Timothy 2:12: This states that “if we endure, we shall reign with Christ.” But we have already acknowledged this truth in Hebrews 3:14. The truly saved will hold firm their faith until they die, meaning therefore, if people don’t hold firm until they die, they were not truly saved.

Romans 6:16: Here Paul is exhorting believers to stop sinning because they no longer are slaves to sin and they have the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable them to resist temptation. He is also implying that if they yield their bodies in an ongoing, willing way to keep practicing sin, they may not really be saved. He is not saying that if they slip up and sin, doing what they did not want to do, then they lose their salvation.

1 Corinthians 10:1-12: The examples are of what happened to disobedient, evil craving, idolatrous, immoral, testy, grumbling Jews who were in Moses’ camp on their way to the promised land. God chastised them by taking their physical lives. It is not clear that God condemned them to hell. The warning for Christians here is that sin has consequences, and Christians should take heed lest they fall into sin. Note in the next verse Paul assures believers that no temptation is so great that they have no way to resist it. These verses are warnings not to sin, not that you will lose your salvation if you do.

John 3:36, 5:24: John 3:36 contrasts the outcome of one who has proven his belief in Christ through obedience to Him with one who either rejects, believes not, or refuses to obey Christ. The former has eternal life while the latter receives the wrath of God.  John 5:24 similarly says that one who believes in Christ has eternal life and does not come into judgment (condemnation) for his sins.  My friend asserts that if one can go from being lost to being saved, then it must be true that one can go from being saved to being lost. But, he is asserting what he is trying to prove. These verses in no way imply they are reversable.

1 Corinthians 9:27: Paul says he “buffets” his body, his flesh lest he succumb to sin and be disqualified. Disqualified from what? Losing his salvation? No, losing his witness and perhaps his position as Spiritual leader, and perhaps losing some of his heavenly rewards. As an apostle, pastor, and teacher of the Gospel, if he were to sin and it became public knowledge, his ability to effectively continue will likely end. He has disqualified himself.

2 Peter 2:20-22: The context is Peter addressing false teachers. In other words, the ones he is referring to in Verses 20 to22 are already assumed to be false teachers – as opposed to saved persons. They had heard the gospel and had been influenced to change some sinful habits (defilements of the world). Their status is similar to that of those depicted in Hebrews 6: 4-5. They had experienced some benefits by being with God’s people, but it is not clear they had been saved. Having the “knowledge of Jesus Christ” is not the same as trusting in him in an attitude of repentance. Knowledge of Christ is what the demons have, but they are not saved. So, this scripture is not a clear example of saved perrons losing their salvation.

Galatians 5:4: Here Paul is upset with the Judaizers’ teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation. They were adding to the true Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. In Galatians 1:6 Paul says, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.” Again, in Galatians 3: 1 he says, “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?” Paul was greatly upset because the Gospel of Christ was being distorted by mixing it with the Old Covenant. Namely, that they must be circumcised. Christian doctrine and practice were still in the formative stage; scripture was still being written. Paul was intent on making sure heretical thought did not distort the Christian message for all future generations. Thus, Paul cannot state strongly enough the wrongness of this heresy. So, he takes it to the extreme and accuses them of going back to Law obedience for justification and leaving salvation by grace through faith. He admonishes them in verse 2 by saying “Christ will have no benefit to you” and in verse 4 by saying “You have been severed from Christ…you have fallen from grace.” These are shock statements to nip this heresy in the bud; to make them see the magnitude of the error they were being led into by the Judaizers. What they were doing was tantamount to leaving salvation by grace through Christ and going back to Law obedience. But, had the Galatians stopped believing in Christ? No, they had not renounced their faith; their error was in adding circumcision as an additional requirement. Did Paul really think they had lost their salvation? No, In verse 10 he says, “I have confidence in you in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view.” No other view than salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

1 John 1:5-7: “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; ⁷ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

My friend argues that we are saved as long as we are walking in the light, and if we stop walking in the light, we therefore lose our salvation. This is similar to Hebrews 3:14 which says, “For we have [now] become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.” So, if we do not hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, then we have not [now] become partakers of Christ or any time in the future. I added the [now} for clarity. That means we were never partakers of Christ. The ones who appear to believe then fall away were never partakers of Christ. In the words of 1 John 5:7, at the end of their lives, true believers will still be walking in the light. The ones that stopped walking in the light were never true believers. Hebrews 3:14 clarifies 1 John 1:5-7 in that these verses do not support the case of once saved then losing one’s salvation. They support the case of once saved always saved.

Romans 4:8: “Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”. Who is that man my friend asks? He answers, “The one walking in the light with God, not sinless by actions, but faithful in actions by following Jesus, and thus sinless in fact by that continual cleansing by Christ’s blood.” To this I heartily agree.

Revelation 2-3: My friend cited the churches denounced for various reasons in these chapters as evidence that one can lose his salvation. But a close look at the admonitions to the churches reveals that they are in the nature of “Whom the Lord disciplines He loves.” In other words, they are being called out for their faults with the intent to bring them to repentance and cause them to change for the better. It is not the case that these churches, who were once accepted and doing God’s will, are now rejected and disowned by God (lost their salvation) because of their sins. These are God’s people, imperfect they may be, whom God has disciplined because He loves them

Others’ arguments against OSAS

From “Debunking “Once-Saved, Always Saved” by Vladimir Savchuk:

“There is plenty of evidence that suggests that it’s possible for believers to willfully turn away from their faith in Jesus Christ.

“God gives us the choice to accept Him or reject Him. It’s evident in the words: “whoever believes” found in John 3:16. But, we don’t lose our free will once we surrender to the preaching of the Gospel and to the Holy Spirit who leads us to repent and turn to Christ. Salvation is not an irreversible decision! Giving your life to Christ is not like joining a Colombian cartel with no chance of getting out. You can renounce your citizenship if you live in the USA. If you’re married you can break the covenant of marriage with your spouse. I am not saying that you would want to renounce your salvation, but you can. You’re not trapped. “

Rebuttal: Even though we have free will, some decisions are irreversible. If I murder someone, I am forever after a murderer. I can’t un-murder the person. Likewise, we are permanently changed when we are truly saved. Jesus said when we are saved, we are born again, we are born spiritually. Once one is born, he cannot be unborn. Paul said if anyone is in Christ they are a new creature, old things are passed, all things become new. Our old self was crucified with Christ, and we have a new nature led by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Further, salvation is a gift from God, the gift of eternal life, and scripture says the gifts of God are irrevocable. Once you are saved, it is eternal. It lasts from then on meaning it is not reversable. Trusting Christ as Savior changes you forever. You did the trusting and God did the irreversible changing.

Romans 11:20-22 “…But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you also will be CUT OFF.”

“Using the example of the Israelite nation and how they were cut off due to unbelief, Paul argues that we, non-Jews, are saved by faith and we should continue in His kindness or else we will be cut off as well. Why warn about the possibility if it’s not possible for believers to be cut off?”

Rebuttal: Paul is telling the Gentiles not to get self-righteous or conceited because the majority of Jews have rejected their Messiah, and the Gospel has been brought to them. He uses the metaphor of the olive tree. It is the Abrahamic covenant in which the Jews originally had the position of privilege as God’s people. Now they were rejecting Christ and the Gentiles were believing in Him and, as believers, now had the privilege as God’s people. Paul is saying to the Gentiles don’t be conceited, just as the Jews as a people lost their privilege because they (most of them) rejected Christ, if most of you reject Christ, you could lose your position of privilege. Just as not all Jews (natural branches) were cut off – only the unbelieving Jews, so also not all the Gentiles (wild branches) could be cut off – only the unbelieving Gentiles. So, this is not a scripture that says a believing person, Jew or Gentile, can lose their salvation.

“The logic of “once saved, always saved” is very flawed at best.

“For example, they say, “once you are born again, you can’t be unborn” and therefore you can’t lose your salvation. But there are many spirit beings who were once children of God. For instance, there were angelic beings like Lucifer and the others who took part in his rebellion and are now outside of God’s family. The Bible often uses the picture of a family and marriage to illustrate the spiritual reality of belonging to God. But, everyone knows that you can disown your own family, and even divorce your spouse.”

Rebuttal: The example of Lucifer and the other angels who rebelled against God is not an example of being unborn, it is an example of disobedience and the resulting consequence. Likewise, the examples of disowning your family and divorcing your wife are not even close to the same as being unborn. Yes, they are rejection of a relationship, but you did not become unborn – you still exist. When a person is born again into eternal life, yes, they chose to do it, but because God then changed them, they cannot undo what God did.

“Another logical reasoning is that salvation is eternal, but if you can lose it then it means salvation is only temporary. As I mentioned before, nowhere does the Bible hint that it is impossible to renounce or forfeit our salvation once we have received it. The Scriptures are clear–a believer can backslide, a coin can get lost, sheep can go astray, and a son can become prodigal. A backslider is on dangerous ground and needs to be challenged to repentance, lest his backsliding leads to apostasy. We can also consider Judas Iscariot, who was a part of the inner circle of Jesus but ended up betraying Him and committing suicide.  “”

Rebuttal: Nowhere in the Bible? Really? You are contradicting many scriptures that affirm eternal life.  You can’t change the meaning of a word to suit your view. Eternal means forever, not temporary. The examples of backsliding and the prodigal son are not examples of losing salvation but of sin in the believer’s life for which he needs to repent. The example of the lost coin is about either the value of every single person to God or the value of receiving eternal life. God wants all to come to repentance and faith, and there is nothing more valuable than the gift of eternal life.

“Christians can’t lose their salvation but they can willfully choose to forfeit their salvation by walking away from the Lord.

“We are convinced that true believers will enjoy the assurance of their salvation. We need not be afraid of losing our salvation like a wallet dropping from a pocket in a careless moment. The Scriptures assure us as believers of God’s provision and of the sustaining power of His Holy Spirit. Acknowledging that there is a real danger in backsliding and that we are able to abandon our salvation, does not mean that we should live in continual fear of doing the unthinkable.”

“For instance, a passenger flying on a plane is guaranteed to reach his destination. They will arrive at their destination safely unless they choose to do something crazy like open the cabin door and jump out. Forfeiting salvation is like jumping out of an airplane.”

Rebuttal: First, acknowledging that we are able to abandon our salvation is accepting an untruth. Hebrews 3:14 states that if we are truly saved, we will endure in faith until we die. Therefore, if we abandon our faith, we were never truly saved. Likewise, the jumping out of the airplane is not an analogy of a saved person renouncing their faith. It could be an example of a lost person showing they were lost when they had been pretending to be saved.

From Eternal Call.com

John 15:1-6 “5 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He ^[a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already ^[b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit ^[c]of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”

Author comments: “The context of this parable is very straight-forward. The Lord Jesus is talking to His disciples which is clear from verse 3 where He is telling them they are already clean because of His word they have received. Jesus then goes on to say that as branches who are already in Him, they should now abide in the vine and produce fruit by the living sap (Spirit) extracted from the vine (Himself). He is saying that if we don’t abide in Him and if we don’t bear fruit, we will but cut off from Him and thrown away. Then because we are no longer in Him, we will be withered and will be good for nothing except to be burned (notice how this is similar to the salt of the earth that loses its saltiness and is no longer good for nothing). “ “It is clear therefore, that this passage is talking about true born-again believers that could lose their salvation if they don’t remain in Christ. The only reason one will ignore this is precisely to make the passage fit with an already fixed preconceived doctrine we have in our minds. That is not reading OUT of the scriptures but reading INTO them what we want them to say.” “

Rebuttal: Cut off and burned could refer to losing one’s salvation or to losing one’s rewards.  I believe it is the latter. Why? Because salvation is a gift from God, it cannot be obtained or retained by good works. By saying these lose their salvation, you have God saying, “You didn’t work enough to retain your salvation.” This is not consistent with grace. Therefore, being cut off and burned must refer to loss of rewards due to no or few works, but their salvation is secure as 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 says.

Hebrews 10:26-29 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. ²⁸ He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: ²⁹ Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Author comments: “The central intended message of the [Hebrews] author is to warn from backsliding wilfully into a lifestyle of sin and from the consequences of such a fall in verses 27 and 29. This passage of scripture is packed with terms designating brethren who are already born again and on the way of salvation. Notice the terms we already discussed above in verse 26. The author mentions sinning willfully after coming to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus Himself is that Truth as He Himself said: John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. “

“As we have shown previously the term “knowing Christ” is used to design believers in a close fellowship with Christ through the fellowship of the Spirit. Then the author mentions the consequences of falling away. He says that sinning willfully and deliberately will remove the once for all sacrifice of Christ on the cross and then there will remain no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for judgment. Verse 29 is the pinnacle of the passage and completely goes against the doctrine of OSAS. The author shows that insulting the Spirit of grace is worse than disobeying the Law of Moses of the Old Covenant. By so doing, the backslidden Christian is said to have deliberately chosen to trod under foot the Son of God. How can one do that unless they had access to the Son of God? One cannot put the Son under their feet or insult the Spirit of Grace unless they have Him. The reborn brother who backslides deliberately is also counting the blood of the covenant by which he (the brother) was sanctified, an unholy thing. Sanctification is a process that is a work of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as we have also shown.”

“In light of the whole passage, it is clear that one can lose their salvation after being born again.”

Rebuttal: The author staged his argument by picking a non-consensus term “knowledge of the Lord” to equate to conversion. Above, Grudem lists the consensus of evangelicals for terms defining the saved. I repeat them here:

Consensus among evangelicals on the descriptions of saved people:

1. Regeneration (being “born again”)
2. Conversion (which includes repentance from sins and faith in Christ)
3. Justification (God declares us righteous in his sight)
4. Adoption (God makes us members of his family)
5. The beginning of sanctification (some initial break with actual sin, so that a new pattern of life is begun)

Note, that “knowledge of the Lord” is not in the list. Why? Because knowledge of the Lord does not save, trusting in Him does. The demons have knowledge of the Lord. The term in Hebrews 10:26 is actually “knowledge of the truth”, which I concede is knowledge of the Gospel message. But, as we just said, that does not mean those who have heard the Gospel are all saved. One must repent toward God and believe the message to the extent of trusting what Christ did on the cross to pay for their sins. As Grudem argued for Hebrews 6:4-6, the people here in Hebrews 10 have heard the good news, but they have not believed in it for salvation. These are people who have received the wonderful good news of the Gospel, yet have rejected it, treating Christ’s suffering and death as nothing Holy (as unholy). The blood of Christ paid the price for these peoples’ sins to save them and set them aside (sanctify) from their would-be punishment, yet they treated His sacrifice like dirt. Their punishment will be great.

2 Peter 2:20-22 ^20 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.²¹ For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the Holy commandment delivered unto them.²² But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

Author comments: So, it is very evident that a born-again Christian can be again entangled in sin and overcome. As I said, a person cannot escape sin unless they are justified and forgiven. Justification happens when someone comes to saving faith and is converted, that is what being born again does, that is what conversion is: receiving the Spirit. Moreover, as stated before, the “knowledge of the Lord” is indicative of a born-again Christian. When one is born again and when the Spirit dwells within, only then, one starts knowing the Lord. Ironically, this “knowing” of the Lord is precisely what is said about the sheep of Jesus in John 10:27-29, which is the passage OSAS proponents use to back up this false doctrine. Let us look at it:

Rebuttal: The answer to this was discussed above in the response to my friend’s scriptures against OSAS. I repeat here for convenience:

The context is Peter addressing false teachers. In other words, the ones he is referring to in Verses 20 to22 are already assumed to be false teachers – as opposed to saved persons. They had heard the gospel and had been influenced to change some sinful habits (defilements of the world). Their status is similar to that of those depicted in Hebrews 6: 4-5. They had experienced some benefits by being with God’s people, but it is not clear they had been saved. Having the “knowledge of Jesus Christ” is not the same as trusting in him in an attitude of repentance. Knowledge of Christ is what the demons have, but they are not saved. So, this scripture is not a clear example of saved perrons losing their salvation.

Galatians 5:1-4 “ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.² Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.³ For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.⁴ Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

Author’s comments: The central intended message of Paul in this passage is that of warning: Paul is telling the Galatians to stand fast in the freedom of Christ and warning them that if they go back to the Law of Moses they will fall away from grace and that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross will profit them nothing. If “Falling from grace” (Galatians 5:4) does not mean losing salvation, OSAS believers have a big task on their hands.

Rebuttal: We have already addressed this passage but will repeat here for convenience:

Here Paul is upset with the Judaizers’ teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation. They were adding to the true Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. In Galatians 1:6 Paul says, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel.” Again, in Galatians 3: 1 he says, “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?” Paul was greatly upset because the Gospel of Christ was being distorted by mixing it with the Old Covenant. Namely, that they must be circumcised. Christian doctrine and practice were still in the formative stage; scripture was still being written. Paul was intent on making sure heretical thought did not distort the Christian message for all future generations. Thus, Paul cannot state strongly enough the wrongness of this heresy. So, he takes it to the extreme and accuses them of going back to Law obedience for justification and leaving salvation by grace through faith. He admonishes them in verse 2 by saying “Christ will have no benefit to you” and in verse 4 by saying “You have been severed from Christ…you have fallen from grace.” These are shock statements to nip this heresy in the bud; to make them see the magnitude of the error they were being led into by the Judaizers. What they were doing was tantamount to leaving salvation by grace through Christ and going back to Law obedience. But, had the Galatians stopped believing in Christ? No, they had not renounced their faith; their error was in adding circumcision as an additional requirement. Did Paul really think they had lost their salvation? No, in verse 10 he says, “I have confidence in you in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view.” No other view than salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

Key questions: In the discussion with my friend, it seems to me it comes down to these two questions:

1. Can a person who has been truly saved lose their salvation because they stopped believing in Christ? This is what my friend says can happen. So, is scripture clear this is something that does happen to some people?
2. Is it true If a professed Christian, who may even be obedient for a period of time, stops believing in Christ, then they never had true salvation to start with. This is what I believe. So, does scripture support this view?

Answer to question 1:

Scriptures like John*:31-32, Matthew 10:22, and Colossians 1:22-23 warn believers that their faith must endure to the end of their lives to be saved. This would seem to say that the answer to question 1 is “yes.” But, then we come to Hebrews 3:14, “⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,” This verse clearly states that only those who persevere to the end of life are truly saved. So, I am truly saved now if my faith endures until I die. Am I truly saved now if I renounce my faith between now and when I die? The answer is clearly “no.” In other words, the one who professes and even acts like he is saved and then later renounces his faith was never truly saved to begin with.

Answer to question 2:

Hebrews 3:14 answers this question directly consistent with what we argued in the answer to question 1. The professed Christian who does not hold his faith firm to the end of life was not a partaker of Christ, was not truly saved in their initial state of belief.

For a more detailed analysis of questions 1 and 2, I refer the reader to Grudem’s Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, topic “A. All who are truly born again will persevere to the end” pages 971-975, topic “B. Only those who persevere to the end have been truly born again” pages 975-976, and topic “C. Those who finally fall away may give many external signs of conversion” pages 976-986.

Conclusion: When my friend asserts that a person must continue to believe until the end of life to be saved, I agree with him. When he says that a person can be saved at some point in life even if they don’t maintain their faith until they die, then I disagree with him. They were never saved else their faith would have endured to the end. Perhaps we can coin a term for eternal security that we both can agree on. He believes “Security of the Believer” is a good term, but that to me is tarnished when he says you can be saved and lose your salvation if you stop believing. How secure was that salvation? I will propose a term that I think he and I can agree on “Once Saved Always a Believer.”  To my friend he could say, “OK, that is consistent with “Security of the Believer” since the person never stops believing, and I could say, “OK, that is consistent with “Once Saved Always Saved” since I believe Hebrews 3:14 states that once truly saved a person will never stop believing. I love my dear friend and fishing buddy. As a minister of the Gospel, he has written books about various Christian doctrine, including defending his belief that one can lose his salvation. Do I think I can convince him of my view on this. Likely not since his roots are deeply sunk into his belief.  But I have at least tried to show where scripture, the ones he cited and the ones I have cited, supports OSAS. I imagine we will agree to disagree on this just as the many believers have since Christ’s first coming.