OSAS and Matt 5:22

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A question for those who adhere to OSAS. Regarding Matthew 5:22, who is this verse directed to? Is it only for those who have not been saved yet? Once you are saved, can you ignore this verse?

Matt 5:22 But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
 
The Dispensationalists will tell you it only applies to the “Jews,” which is what they also say about the Book of James. Some of them go so far as to remove everything but Paul’s epistles from the Bible. (Of course, one of those Epistles says the following…)

[BIBLEDRB]Galatians 3:28[/BIBLEDRB]
 
Disappointing that there have been no replies. Would love some feedback on this question.
 
Hi, Zz912,

Don’t despair of a response - some threads are more difficult to begin than others… 🙂

I admit… I am at a disadvantage here - OSAS takes a thorough beating in Matthew! I have always found Matthew 25 going through OSAS like a hot knife through butter - there is no place to run (of course, there is alwyas room to evade, camouflage or just misdirect serious efforts to expose OSAS for what it is: a tradition of men!)

God bless
Disappointing that there have been no replies. Would love some feedback on this question.
 
Personally, I don’t understand how anyone who accepts the heresy of once saved always saved could accept the following verses:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
(Philippians 2:12-13 RSV)

What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But some one will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe–and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and the scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
(James 2:14-26 RSV)

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. "Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’
(Matthew 7:15-23 RSV)

For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.
(Hebrews 10:26-27 RSV)

And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says “I know him” but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
(1 John 2:3-6 RSV)

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering-- since indeed God deems it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
(2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 RSV)

For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will.
(Hebrews 2:2-4 RSV)

If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.
(1 John 5:16-17 RSV)

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
(Mark 10:23-27 RSV)
 
Personally, I don’t understand how anyone who accepts the heresy of once saved always saved could accept the following verses:
I’d love to see them answer these too. I was brought up OSAS but no one ever really explained where this doctrine came from. But, as with many things in the Bible there seem to be verses backing up both positions.
 
But, as with many things in the Bible there seem to be verses backing up both positions.
That’s not how the Bible works.

[BIBLEDRB]2 Timothy 3:16[/BIBLEDRB]

If all Scripture is indeed inspired by God, then were God to put some “faith and works” and some “OSAS” verses in the Bible, He would be condradicting Himself.

It is a bedrock principle of Judaism and Christianity that God does not contradict Himself. (If you want a contradictory God, ask a Muslim.)

The “OSAS” verses are simply taken out of their proper context by men. They fall into two categories:
  1. “Works of the Law don’t save”
  2. “Believe in the Lord and you will be saved”
The verses in category (1) refer to the Old Testament law, standing alone without faith. They have nothing to do with a Christian’s works after initial justification (i.e. baptism).

The verses in category (2) are not a guarantee of salvation.
[BIBLEDRB]Luke 8:13[/BIBLEDRB]
[BIBLEDRB]Matthew 10:22[/BIBLEDRB]
 
That’s not how the Bible works.

[BIBLEDRB]2 Timothy 3:16[/BIBLEDRB]

If all Scripture is indeed inspired by God, then were God to put some “faith and works” and some “OSAS” verses in the Bible, He would be condradicting Himself.

It is a bedrock principle of Judaism and Christianity that God does not contradict Himself. (If you want a contradictory God, ask a Muslim.)

The “OSAS” verses are simply taken out of their proper context by men. They fall into two categories:
  1. “Works of the Law don’t save”
  2. “Believe in the Lord and you will be saved”
The verses in category (1) refer to the Old Testament law, standing alone without faith. They have nothing to do with a Christian’s works after initial justification (i.e. baptism).

The verses in category (2) are not a guarantee of salvation.
[BIBLEDRB]Luke 8:13[/BIBLEDRB]
[BIBLEDRB]Matthew 10:22[/BIBLEDRB]
He would not be contradicting Himself. I readily accept that there are things in the Bible that are beyond our ability to understand. After all God’s thoughts and ways are far greater than what we can comprehend. If Jesus had just said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to Heaven we would have said it was impossible. But He goes on and explains that for man it would be impossible but for God all things are possible.Jesus’ statement is not limited to just this example.

I have no problem believing that God can predestine us and allow us freewill at the same time. I think that is supreme arrogance to think we can understand everything perfectly and when we try to it results in division because we are thinking in human terms and not considering we are dealing with God.

With respect to once saved always saved, I think it is a somewhat useless truism. If you limited being saved to only those who eventually go to Heaven, then it is obvious they will persevere. The problem is that no one can know if they are truly saved until they do persevere to the end. If they don’t persevere then it could be said they were never truly saved.
 
A question for those who adhere to OSAS. Regarding Matthew 5:22, who is this verse directed to? Is it only for those who have not been saved yet? Once you are saved, can you ignore this verse?

Matt 5:22 But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
OSAS is a bogus doctrine,plain and simple. If OSAS is true then why would Jesus need to intercede for us,if one is already saved?
 
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