Dear OSAS believers,
This is a very serious matter, because it bears the hallmarks of the sin of presumption. And as it is contrary to the scriptures it is thus Anti-Christ. Just because Christs redeeming act is finished on Calvary, does in no way mean that we can relax and rest on our laurels as OSAS Christians may tend to believe. But rather we must apply this salvation to our selves as individuals and work it out with “fear and trembling”
Paul himself talks about subduing his body in case he himself a believer “should be disqualified” (I Cor9:27) A warning to all us believers! Paul goes on to say that who ever “thinks they are standing take heed lest they fall”(I Cor 10:12), who thinks they stand, Christians do, they believe they stand in grace, so they must be careful they do not fall from grace. So we must stand fast that we don’t fall (Gal 5:1-4).
OSAS presume that they are already finally saved. But not even St Paul himself made this presumption. He says that “he presses on towards the goal” (Phil 3:11-14), because he has not yet “obtained it”. Hebrews 3:12-14 is clear, “Take care, brethren, (ie Christians), least…evil unbelieving hearts… lead you to fall away” Again in Peter’s letters, 2Pet2:15, 20-21, he spells it out clearly; “after they escaped the defilements of the world (ie. Repented, believed, baptised, were born again!) Through Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered.” Peter makes it so clear. I can’t understand for the life of me how a fellow “believer” misses this.
To say that one can loose ones salvation, does not imply that we never had it (as proved by the above scripture, as these back sliders clearly believed and were born again, and later lost it), nor does it imply a weakness in Gods ability to Save his elect. Only God knows who the elect are, and only he knows who will be saved on the last day.His elect will indeed be saved, as they were predestined to glory,and not simply to grace.Problem for us is we just dont know if we are elected or not, It is a grave danger to assume that you as an individual will without being careful be in the saved camp at the end of time.
Scriptures as well as the Magisterium teaches that we can be saved and know that fact, but it is a hopeful knowledge, rather than an absolute certainty. Our venerable Late Pope John Paul II taught in his last Holy Thursday letter to priests, “unless we sense that we are saved ourselves, how can be become convincing heralds?” our lives must manifest this salvation, by attaining “Holiness, which is the fullest expression of salvation”. That is what perseverance is all about.
After all the bible clearly speaks of salvation in the past, present and future tense (I will provide proof if needed), We Catholics know we were saved by Grace in baptism, but now presently, we should know that we are saved-that is to say that we are right with God, but in the future, all we have is hope, that we will be graced with the gift of perseverance. Of course we know the Lord will be faithful to us, but the question is will we be faithful to Him. We must persevere and endure, for it is Christ that lives in us, who “is able to make us stand” (Rom 14:4), and thus we may thereby pursue peace with every one and the holiness with which no one will see the Lord, (Heb12:14), for if we endure, we will also reign with him ;( 2Tim2:12).
, But let his word have the final say here, look at this scripture above, and deal with it.