Once Saved, Now Lost - Part 2a

"IF"

In the previous articles, we discussed how God doesn't mince His words. There are multiple Scriptures where God states that He can blot out names from His book of the righteous (the Book of Life). We examined verses where God speaks of man forsaking Him. These passages must be explained away to mean something other than what the text says if one believes we can never forfeit salvation.

God says that we must believe on Jesus Christ to be saved. That is a condition.

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9

Condition: A prerequisite; that upon which something else is contingent; something demanded as an essential part of an agreement.

There are also other conditions associated with salvation. For example, if you look-up the word "saved" (in the KJV), you will find the following stipulations on what God says must happen:

• Receive the testimony of truth (John 5:32-34; Acts 11:13-14; I Timothy 2:4; II Thessalonians 2:10; I Corinthians 1:18)
• Believe (Mark 16:16; Luke 7:50; Luke 8:12; Luke 18:42; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 5:9-13)
• Be Born Again (Titus 3:5)
  
• Submit to Jesus (John 3:17; John 10:9; Acts 2:21; Acts 4:12; Acts 15:11; II Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:5-8)
• Endure and Abide (Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13; I Corinthians 15:1-2; Acts 27:31; Romans 8:24-25)
  

OSAS proponents use several approaches to get around these conditions. One way is by saying that these are conditions God meets on behalf of man; that part of God's responsibility in "keeping us" is ensuring that these things happen. Or worse, they will claim that we are still saved whether these things happen or not. Yet, once again, we want to look at what the Scriptures actually say.

As we review the following text, I would ask you to consider three things: What is the condition; To whom does God give responsibility for it; and What outcome is tied to it?

Salvation is Conditional

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister." Colossians 1:21-23

Condition: Continue in the faith and Be not moved away
Responsible: If "ye", referring to us

Outcome: We will be presented holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in His sight


Jesus will present us holy, unblameable, and unreprovable IF "we" continue in the faith and are not moved away.

Can we be assured of this promise? Absolutely! Is there a condition attached to it? Yes. Does God indicate that He will ensure we continue and are not moved away? No. He charges us with doing that.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." I Corinthians 15:1-2

Condition: Keep in memory what has been preached

Responsible: If "ye", referring to us

Outcome: We are saved

We are saved by the Gospel we have received, IF "we" keep in memory what was preached.

Not only does this text attach a condition to salvation, it states that if we fail to do this, we would have believed "in vain." Vain here is the Greek word eikē which means "without purpose or success." What "purpose or success" is being discussed here? The purpose of being saved.

It is possible to believe in vain. And according to this text, to believe "in vain" means to be unsuccessful in attaining the goal of salvation. We can actually believe, but have it be for naught. Why? Because we didn't stay mindful of what was preached.

Some might question the quality of "belief" referenced here. What if this person just didn't have saving faith? Yet, we know from the text that this is not the case.

God makes it clear that these individuals are presently saved through the faith they had placed in this Gospel message. He also encourages them to remain steadfast in that same faith. If either the Gospel received was faulty or their belief was not authentic, then how could they now be saved? Further, if the message is wrong or the faith misplaced, then why would God encourage them to remain in that same state?

The Gospel they had received and believed in was sound and true. The faith they had was a saving faith. Yet, God still says they could have believed in vain if they do not keep themselves mindful of what was preached.

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end." Hebrews 3:14

Condition: Stay steadfast in Christ until the end

Responsible Party: If "we", referring to us

Outcome: We are made partakers of Christ

To be a partaker of Christ means to share in Jesus' life. There is no way to receive eternal life in Christ without being a partaker of the life of Christ. Our sharing of His life - or in other words our communion with Him - is what gives us the assurance of being raised with Him in the end.

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Phillippians 3:10-11

"Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." I John 2:24-25

Condition: Let what we heard in the beginning abide in us

Responsible Party: "[You] Let that therefore abide...."; Commands often contain implied subjects, i.e. "Got to the store." The subject in this verse is "You", referring to us.

Outcome: We will continue in the Son and in the Father to receive eternal life

Once again, we are told by God to let the Gospel by which we were saved abide or remain in us. IF we do this, then we will continue in the Son and in the Father and receive the promise of eternal life.

"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Revelation 2:10

Condition: Be thou faithful unto death

Responsible: Be "thou", referring to us

Outcome: Jesus will give us a crown of life

If "we" remain faithful - even unto death - we will receive a crown of life. The Scriptures show that the Crown of Life is given to every person who obtains eternal life. If we look at "who" receives the crown of life, and compare that with "who" receives eternal life, we can see it is the same people.

Those who love the Lord -> Receive a Crown of Life (James 1:12)
Those who love the Lord -> Inherit God's Kingdom (James 2:5)
Those who love the Lord -> Obtain eternal life (Luke 10:25-28)

Those who love the Lord -> Obtain eternal life -> Inherit God's Kingdom -> and Receive the Crown of Life

In spite of what the Scriptures say, some deny that the Crown of Life goes hand in hand with eternal life. Instead, they claim that the Crown of Life it is just one of the rewards given to some of God's people.

In order to hold on to this doctrine, people are willing to pervert the very nature of salvation and deny the reality of faith in Jesus Christ. I know that this is harsh language, but this particular interpretation is very dangerous to the Christian faith, and I will tell you why.

We know from James 1:12 that all who love the Lord receive the Crown of Life. To therefore assert that such people only account for some of those who have received eternal life implies that people who do not love the Lord will receive eternal life!

If people who do not love the Lord can have eternal life, then why would people need to believe in Jesus? If people who do not love the Lord can have eternal life, then who is going to Hell? Such a premise makes God a liar, for He has stated that it is a lack of love for God that makes people reject Him (John 3:19).

No. Only those who love Jesus receive eternal life and these are the same ones who are given the Crown of Life. God says that the condition for receiving this crown is that we remain faithful until the end.

"And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." Hebrews 3:5-6

Condition: Hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm until the end

Responsible: If "we", referring to us

Outcome: We are Christ's house

We belong to Christ IF "we" hold fast until the end.

Have you noticed the connecting theme amongst all of these conditions? In each, God continually admonishes us to continue, be not moved, keep, hold fast, abide, remain, stay, be steadfast. All of these things basically boil down to being faithful.

We have reviewed God's continuing commands to be faithful and have seen that these conditions are tied to the salvation found in Him. Yet, God in His loving kindness also tells us the consequences for failing to meet these conditions.

The next article will examine what God has to say about failing to abide in Him.

This article is part of a 6-part series evaluating a doctrine referred to as Once Saved Always Saved, Eternal Unconditional Security, or Preservation of the Saints.

1. God Doesn't Mince Words
   
   • Names Blotted Out of The Book of Life
   • It IS Possible to Fall Away
2. "IF"
   
   • Conditions for Salvation
   • Cast from God's Body
     
3. Salvation is a Result of Covenant
• God's Relationship With Man is Based on Covenant
• Was the Abrahamic Covenant Unconditional?
  
• Covenant Responsibilities
  
4. Sealed Until the Day of Redemption
5. A Candid Look at OSAS "Support"
• Eternal Life is a Gift
• Nothing Can Separate You From the Love of God
• You Cannot Be Unborn
  
• You Can Only Lose Fellowship with God
• You Can Only Lose Your Reward
• Predestined by God
• Eternal Life is "Eternal"
  
• All means ALL
6. The ONLY Reason Salvation Can Be "Lost"