once saved always saved confusion

[reen12]

A distinction needs to be made between OSAS
[Once Saved, Always Saved] and Blessed Assurance.

Those who hold with Blessed Assurance state that:
if one follows Christ’s commands, to the best of
their ability, then that person is assured of their
salvation. That Christ will keep His promise.

So, those who hold to Blessed Assurance, do not
have to “wait” until death, to "find out’ if they are saved.
It is light-years away from “presumption.” It is
a matter of trust, in Christ’s promise.

cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/l/blesseda.htm

As to OSAS, I can find no vantage point,
from which to view this position as biblical.

reen12

Note: ahimsaman72. I just read your post in this
thread. A great explanation of the OSAS view.
I learned a lot from it. Many thanks! reen

 

[flameburns623]

reen12:

A distinction needs to be made between OSAS
[Once Saved, Always Saved] and Blessed Assurance.

Those who hold with Blessed Assurance state that:
if one follows Christ’s commands, to the best of
their ability, then that person is assured of their
salvation. That Christ will keep His promise.

So, those who hold to Blessed Assurance, do not
have to “wait” until death, to "find out’ if they are saved.
It is light-years away from “presumption.” It is
a matter of trust, in Christ’s promise.

cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/l/blesseda.htm

As to OSAS, I can find no vantage point,
from which to view this position as biblical.

reen12

Note: ahimsaman72. I just read your post in this
thread. A great explanation of the OSAS view.
I learned a lot from it. Many thanks! reen

reen12:

With all due respect your description of ‘Blessed Assurance’ is nothing but unregurgitated Pelagianism. No orthodox Protestant sect that I am familiar with would define salvation with the emphasis you place upon works. Some, admittedly are Arminian and some Arminians are part of the ‘Holiness’ or ‘Entire Sanctification’ persuasion; and hence stress righteous living to an extraordinary degree. But holiness is always rightly understood as an evidence of salvation, not part of the means whereby one is saved.

It is my understanding that ‘Blessed Assurance’ is a synonym for ‘Perserverance of the Saints’, aka ‘Once-Saved/Always Saved’. Perhaps you could provide some links which would show that I am mistaken? Thanks!

 

[reen12]

Hi, flameburns623,

My understanding is that the OSAS position is in no
way identical to Blessed Assurance, but you may
be right!

I’m linking two concepts, to arrive at my conclusion:

“faith” = “lively faith” =following the commands of
Christ, in obedience, out of love and gratitude,
and not, in and of themselves, “salvific.” [works]

and

Christ* is* our righteousness, justification and
salvation.

Hence: accept Him, as Lord and Savior, and
follow His commands, and you have Blessed
Assurance.

quote: flameburns623

It is my understanding that ‘Blessed Assurance’ is a synonym for ‘Perserverance of the Saints’, aka ‘Once-Saved/Always Saved’. Perhaps you could provide some links which would show that I am mistaken? Thanks!

Let me google OSAS and Blessed Assurance,
to see if I can find support for my understanding.
If I discover that they are indeed identical, I will
hurriedly back-off of my position !

Thanks for the observations,

Best, :tiphat:

reen12

 

[reen12]

Hi, flameburns623,

Well, I put OSAS and Blessed Assurance into Google,
and, I am hurriedly backing off my position!

They are the same!

quote: flameburns623

Some, admittedly are Arminian and some Arminians are part of the ‘Holiness’ or ‘Entire Sanctification’ persuasion; and hence stress righteous living to an extraordinary degree. But holiness is always rightly understood as an evidence of salvation, not part of the means whereby one is saved.

It is my understanding that ‘Blessed Assurance’ is a synonym for ‘Perserverance of the Saints’, aka ‘Once-Saved/Always Saved’.

That’s what I found, in researching same. What I read
confirmed what you stated, in the quote above.

Well, now - even* I* have a problem with that notion!

Truely, I understood Blessed Assurance to mean:
-lively faith [which includes obedience to Christ’s
commands, not seen as “works”]
equals
I can rest in Christ, assured of my salvation.
That that assurance is the peace Christ
promised, to those who follow Him.

---

I’m grateful to you, for conveying these facts to me.

Hmmmm. Back to the drawing board…

Be well, flameburns623. [Now* that’s* what I call
Apologetics! ]

Best regards, :tiphat:

reen12

 

[ahimsaman72]

reen12:

Note: ahimsaman72. I just read your post in this
thread. A great explanation of the OSAS view.
I learned a lot from it. Many thanks! reen

Hello dear friend!

Thanks - Many blessings to you…

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Catholic4aReasn:

Here’s a really good example of why OSAS doesn’t work in practice.

The contention of many OSASers is that if you turn your back on Christ then you were really never saved to begin with, even if you sincerely believed that you were. Consequently, even though they will never admit it, they can’t REALLY know if their salvation “took” until they die and they find themselves in heaven, which sounds a whole lot like Catholic teaching if you ask me (which I know no one really was ).

In Christ,
Nancy

But how are we in any different position ? Many Catholics are not the sort of people one would want to have anything to do with - unless you like being pally with Mafiosi, murderers, terrorists, and so on.​

This is a problem for any Christianity which is strongly liturgical - that someone has been baptised etc. is not the slightest reason to think that person won’t be a criminal. Most criminals in countries with a more or less Christian culture have gone through the usual rites - it has not stopped them being criminals. Christians are evil people - unfortunately ##

 

[jim1130]

## But how are we in any different position ? Many Catholics are not the sort of people one would want to have anything to do with - unless you like being pally with Mafiosi, murderers, terrorists, and so on.

This is a problem for any Christianity which is strongly liturgical - that someone has been baptised etc. is not the slightest reason to think that person won’t be a criminal. Most criminals in countries with a more or less Christian culture have gone through the usual rites - it has not stopped them being criminals. Christians are evil people - unfortunately ##

Succinctly, it comes down to exercising our God-given right to free will.