How can Protestants believe in once-saved-always-saved??

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The Bible, which Protestants claim to go by and know so well… distinctly disproves the once saved, always saved doctrine…

How can Protestants read passages like Matthew 18:23, James 2:12, Matthew 25:31 and many, many others and still come up with this belief??

Just wondering… don’t get it… :confused: :confused:

🤷
 
Keep in mind that there are alot of Protestants who don’t believe in that kind of Happy Meal theology. Most Protestants are generally sincere, well-meaning people who are doing their best to live out a Christian life. I would contribute most anyone who subscribes to this false belief to be simply ignorant, or spiritually immature. Pray for them.🙂

I want to add, for the people you find that do believe in OSAS, talk through it with them, and be sure they are really saying what you think they are. I know alot of people that say OSAS, but when you talk to them and go in depth, it’s not really what they believe.
 
Kevin42 said:
Keep in mind that there are alot of Protestants who don’t believe in that kind of Happy Meal theology. Most Protestants are generally sincere, well-meaning people who are doing their best to live out a Christian life. I would contribute most anyone who subscribes to this false belief to be simply ignorant, or spiritually immature. Pray for them.🙂

I want to add, for the people you find that do believe in OSAS, talk through it with them, and be sure they are really saying what you think they are. I know alot of people that say OSAS, but when you talk to them and go in depth, it’s not really what they believe.
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LOL Happy Meal theology, I have to remember that! 👍

Anyway, many who DONT believe in Happy Meal theology DO accept OSAS, this is especially true of those of Reformed Protestant denominations, and when you go in depth they DO believe salvation cannot be lost.
 
Even as a protestant, I don’t like the OSAS theology. There’s no such thing as a free ticket to Heaven.
 
Kevin42 said:
Keep in mind that there are alot of Protestants who don’t believe in that kind of Happy Meal theology. Most Protestants are generally sincere, well-meaning people who are doing their best to live out a Christian life. I would contribute most anyone who subscribes to this false belief to be simply ignorant, or spiritually immature. Pray for them.🙂

I want to add, for the people you find that do believe in OSAS, talk through it with them, and be sure they are really saying what you think they are. I know alot of people that say OSAS, but when you talk to them and go in depth, it’s not really what they believe.
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Hi. I have a question for you, What is OSAS? I have never heard of this before. It’d be wonderful if you could answer this for me. Thanks in advance.
 
Once Saved Always Saved implies that a person has the free will to accept Christ but then loses that free will to reject Him. Does once damned always damned make sense?? Same principle…God Bless…teachccd 🙂
 
One should mind the distinction between Once-Saved-Always-Saved and the perserverance of the saints in Protestant theology.

A good number of Protestants would not accept OSAS. The Protestant Reformers would not have accepted it.

OSAS basically means that, once one is justified, once one has “been saved,” there is nothing he or she can do to annul eternal salvation. One could fall into grave mortal sin and still one’s salvation is assured.

The Protestants who don’t hold to OSAS generally, in my experience, emphasize that there are sins which can result in the loss of salvation. But, many believe that there is a perseverance of the saints by which the ones who are chosen for heaven are somehow given the strength to not fall into these sins. It’s actually rather confusing, and I don’t claim to completely understand it.
 
Check this article out. Its a short summary on it fwiw. But apparently you aren’t a true christian church if you don’t believe OSAS.

allaboutgod.com/once-saved-always-saved.htm

The short answer is if after being saved, you go live like the devil, you were probably never really saved to begin with. People do get saved for the wrong reasons sometimes. I suppose it would be anagolous to going to confession and acting sincere but in your heart you are unrepentant.

As for individual sins, even mortal ones, protestants don’t sweat them the way catholics do. Pray to God, try to repent, and you are good to go.

Speaking personally, I never found it satisfiying. I forget how it came up, but my boss said well we do have that OSAS doctrine. His tone and the context made it clear that he wasn’t so sure about it either.
 
Originally Posted by Inman:
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The short answer is if after being saved, you go live like the devil, you were probably never really saved to begin with. People do get saved for the wrong reasons sometimes. I suppose it would be anagolous to going to confession and acting sincere but in your heart you are unrepentant.
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Well-written.

It should be noted though that not all Protestant churches use the terminology of “being saved.” I know this terminology is somewhat alien to Lutherans, even though they believe in sola fide and a one-time justification.
 
Goblin_Taters said:
One should mind the distinction between Once-Saved-Always-Saved and the perserverance of the saints in Protestant theology.

A good number of Protestants would not accept OSAS. The Protestant Reformers would not have accepted it.

OSAS basically means that, once one is justified, once one has “been saved,” there is nothing he or she can do to annul eternal salvation. One could fall into grave mortal sin and still one’s salvation is assured.

The Protestants who don’t hold to OSAS generally, in my experience, emphasize that there are sins which can result in the loss of salvation. But, many believe that there is a perseverance of the saints by which the ones who are chosen for heaven are somehow given the strength to not fall into these sins. It’s actually rather confusing, and I don’t claim to completely understand it.
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Actually the concept of perseverance is a Catholic teaching, not a protestant. Those Protestants (usually Reformed, eg presbyterian) who use the term “perseverance of the saints” are actually misusing that term because the concept of persevering doesnt exist their theology. They believe once you are saved nothing can cause you to lose your salvation so infact it is OSAS though they hide that with the term “perseverance”.

Catholics do believe in perseverance of the saints because we believe after being saved you can fall (ie mortal sin) and need to be reconciled through penance, hence the NEED to Persevere (ie get back up after you fall). In protestantism, especially the Reformed denominations, you can NOT fall hence perseverance doesnt mean anything.
 
cckz7,

The verses you cited support judgment, but that doesn’t contradict OSAS in my experience. What OSAS explains is how someone can fall away from Jesus and be condemned in the judgement even after saying “Lord, Lord” and doing “mighty works” in his name. I.e. “once saved always saved” is actualy a euphamism for: “I never knew you, depart from me, you evildoers.”

:bible1: Matthew 7 RSV :bible1:
22: 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?' 23: And then will I declare to them,** I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’**

To cite proof of judgment by works misses the point. OSAS is an (overly) opressive judgmental doctrine already. Throwing more judgment bible verses on it only makes it worse. For me, the antidote was Jeremiah 18 since it explains how God does predestination and also why St. Paul was talking about predestined pottery in Romans 9:21.

:bible1: Jeremiah 18 RSV :bible1:
1: The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.”
3: So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel.
4: And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
5: Then the word of the LORD came to me:
6: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
7: If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it,
8: and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will repent of the evil that I intended to do to it.
9: And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it,
10: and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will repent of the good which I had intended to do to it.

OSAS is about an inflexible God who predestines judgment – Jeremiah 18 contradicts that.
 
Goblin_Taters said:
The Protestants who don’t hold to OSAS generally, in my experience, emphasize that there are sins which can result in the loss of salvation. But, many believe that there is a perseverance of the saints by which the ones who are chosen for heaven are somehow given the strength to not fall into these sins. It’s actually rather confusing, and I don’t claim to completely understand it.
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You sound as though you may be referring to two separate doctrines held by some Protestants: OSAS, and Predestination. For those who believe these, the two doctrines are quite inter-related.

I can agree with Catholics when they say the Bible doesn’t support these doctrines; however, I would add that the Catholic belief of once damned always damned might have some questions to answer in light of their not believing in OSAS.
 
The OSAS doctrine contradicts not only theology, but God’s love and mercy. If you are saved the moment you repent, and not when you die in the faith, then you can’t go to Heaven if you commit just one sin after your repentance.
 
Originally Posted by Protestant101:
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You sound as though you may be referring to two separate doctrines held by some Protestants: OSAS, and Predestination. For those who believe these, the two doctrines are quite inter-related.
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I can agree with Catholics when they say the Bible doesn’t support these doctrines; however, I would add that the Catholic belief of once damned always damned might have some questions to answer in light of their not believing in OSAS.
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Not to confuse things (hehe) but Catholics do hold to Predestination…just not Double Predestination 😃

Double Predestination more or less holds that God does not only choose the elect but also chooses those who will be damned.

A Catholic can hold to Predestination insofar as it does not suggest that God is responsible for the damnation of those not chosen. Of course, there’s a slight difficulty, since most Single Predestination theories suggest that God “passes over” those whom are not chosen, which in my mind is closer than not to Double Predestination.
 
Originally Posted by Catholic Dude:
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Actually the concept of perseverance is a Catholic teaching, not a protestant.
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Yes, it is very much a Catholic teaching. It also is a Biblical phrase:

“Here is the perservance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
Rev. 14:12, NASB
 
Goblin_Taters said:
Not to confuse things (hehe) but Catholics do hold to Predestination…just not Double Predestination 😃

Double Predestination more or less holds that God does not only choose the elect but also chooses those who will be damned.

A Catholic can hold to Predestination insofar as it does not suggest that God is responsible for the damnation of those not chosen. Of course, there’s a slight difficulty, since most Single Predestination theories suggest that God “passes over” those whom are not chosen, which in my mind is closer than not to Double Predestination.
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Also, Catholics cannot believe in Predestination (to heaven or hell) in such a way that it would take away our free will, or our culpability for acts we freely choose to do.

Nita
 
Protestant101 said:
I can agree with Catholics when they say the Bible doesn’t support these doctrines; however, I would add that the Catholic belief of once damned always damned might have some questions to answer in light of their not believing in OSAS.
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You might want to provide some back up for your statement. I am not aware that Catholics believe “once damned always damned.”. Perhaps you can show where that is taught?
 
“Once damned always damned” applies to a state after death and judgement. It never applies to a person still living on earth. It means once you’re in condemned and in hell, it’s forever.

Once saved always saved applies to people who are still living and still making free choices here on earth.

Nita
 
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