Question about OSAS

[homewardbound]

I was thinking this past week about it and a question came to my mind.

Growing up I was taught OSAS is praying a prayer to God and letting Him know you believe in Him, believe Jesus died for our sins, ask Him into our heart, and ask for forgiveness of our sins. Thats it.

So, as Christians, wouldn’t every Christian at some point pray this prayer? All Christians believe in God, and Jesus as our Savior, and ask God for forgiveness. So, does this mean all Christians, everyone who believes these basics and asks for forgiveness, is saved and assured salvation 100% no question? Or does it only count if the person believes in OSAS, even if they truly believe and pray the prayer?

 

[Rocky]

I was thinking this past week about it and a question came to my mind.

Growing up I was taught OSAS is praying a prayer to God and letting Him know you believe in Him, believe Jesus died for our sins, ask Him into our heart, and ask for forgiveness of our sins. Thats it.

So, as Christians, wouldn’t every Christian at some point pray this prayer? All Christians believe in God, and Jesus as our Savior, and ask God for forgiveness. So, does this mean all Christians, everyone who believes these basics and asks for forgiveness, is saved and assured salvation 100% no question? Or does it only count if the person believes in OSAS, even if they truly believe and pray the prayer?

Can a person truly believe something one day, and then truly believe something diametrically opposed the following day? I think this happens quite often. So the question could be is what a person truly believes most important or is the Truth of the matter most important?

 

[Steadfast]

Some would argue that true faith is transformative.

It changes you, and once you believe, which is not something you can do without God granting you the grace of faith to begin with, you really cannot believe one day and not believe the next.

You can believe and do well or you can believe and not do well and repent of your sins, but you can’t ever really not believe, not more than once anyway (see Hebrews 6).

This is what Jesus meant when He said that he wouldn’t lose any the Father had given Him and that no one can snatch us away from Him.

I am not OSAS, but I do hold to some of what Calvinists call the Preservation of the Saints being that I’m Lutheran. I do believe that our salvation is ALL God’s work in Christ and while we may make shipwreck of our faith, it is uncommon and should never be seen as a danger for those who are constant in attendance upon Word and Sacrament.

 

[paarsurrey]

I was thinking this past week about it and a question came to my mind.

Growing up I was taught OSAS is praying a prayer to God and letting Him know you believe in Him, believe Jesus died for our sins, ask Him into our heart, and ask for forgiveness of our sins. Thats it.

Hi

I am an Ahmadi a peaceful Muslim.
Could you please explain for me as to what is OSAS?

Thanks

 

[ABostonCatholic]

Hi

I am an Ahmadi a peaceful Muslim.
Could you please explain for me as to what is OSAS?

Thanks

Paarsurrey,

OSAS is an abbreviation for the doctrine held by some protestants called “Once Saved, Always Saved.” In other words, there is nothing a Christian can do that will cause him to forfeit his salvation. This teaching is opposed by the Catholic Church.

 

[paarsurrey]

Paarsurrey,

OSAS is an abbreviation for the doctrine held by some protestants called “Once Saved, Always Saved.” In other words, there is nothing a Christian can do that will cause him to forfeit his salvation. This teaching is opposed by the Catholic Church.

Hi

Thank for expalining that for me. My understanding is similiar to yours, if I have correctly understood it.

Quran

[35:19] And no burdened soul can bear the burden of another; and if a heavily laden soul call another to bear its load, naught of it shall be carried by the other, even though he be a kinsman. Thou canst warn only those who fear their Lord in secret and observe Prayer, And whoso purifies himself, purifies himself only to his own good; and to Allah shall be the return.
[35:20] The blind and the seeing are not alike.
[35:21] Nor the darkness and the light,
[35:22] Nor the shade and the heat,
[35:23] Nor alike are the living and the dead. Surely, Allah causes him to hear whom He pleases; and thou canst not make those hear who are in the graves.
[35:24] Thou art only a warner.
Unquote

One has to make a conitnuous effort to be saved.

Thanks

 

[Joe_Kelley]

How does OSAS or predestination differ from the Pharisees and Saducees who believed they were saved by being sons of Abraham. Note the John and Jesus disagreed with them on that.

 

[paarsurrey]

How does OSAS or predestination differ from the Pharisees and Saducees who believed they were saved by being sons of Abraham. Note the John and Jesus disagreed with them on that.

Hi

Jesus differd with their view and cursed them for that:

Matthew 23
33"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.
Unquote

Thanks

 

[po18guy]

The problem is that there is no scriptural basis for OSAS. You can find OS, but not OSAS. Take Judas Iscariot. He was chosen by Christ. He travelled, taught, ate and drank with Christ. He was given power over illness and demons. He performed miracles. He was Once Saved! But, was he Always Saved?

“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” - Jesus Christ in Matthew 26:24.

I can’t say for sure, but that didn’t sound like Always Saved.

“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved”. - Jesus Christ in Mark 13:13

What about those who do not stand firm to the end?

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” - Saint Paul in Philippians 2:12.

It appears that salvation is an on-going process, not a one-time devotion. These words were neither spoken nor written on a whim. They had meaning then, and have meaning now. Once Saved Always Saved appears to put the Lord, our God to the test by daring him to save us in spite of our sinful behavior. That is not good. His promise remains true, but we must uphold our part by struggling toward perfection.

Christ’s peace be always with you.

 

[Steadfast]

How does OSAS or predestination differ from the Pharisees and Saducees who believed they were saved by being sons of Abraham. Note the John and Jesus disagreed with them on that.

The Pharisees and Sadducees believed that they had right standing before God because of their obedience to the Law, references to being Abraham’s children were boasts about pedigree and being the recipients of the covenant God struck with Abraham, which was a covenant of law (circumcision, obedience).

OSAS is a degraded version of the doctrine of security in Christ, but its nothing like the pride of the Pharisees.

 

[homewardbound]

Wow, thank you all for responding. It definitely helps and gives me a lot to think about.

I am coming from a family that firmly believes in OSAS, so thats why I was thinking about it since I always get jumped over anytime I visit over my new faith and belief in Catholicism.

Take care everyone

 

[john_portis]

Why was osas not brought about until after the reformation,And how can we live like we want and expect heaven and why is in the churches that teach this is there always aking of forgivness of sins,and breaking off and begining of new churches and no unity,I would recommend to study the Catholic Faith and read the catechism published by the Church if you wnat to really know what Catholics belive you might be surprised as I was .JP

 

[SD_Catholic]

My take on OSAS, is pretty simple… If one of the greatest Apostles, Paul, was never sure of his salvation… how can any of us ever be so arrogant to say that we know for sure.

I’m pretty sure that if Jesus wanted OSAS that Paul would have known about it.

SD

 

[johnnydigit]

Letter of St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians:

Eph. 14:2No one who professes faith falls into sin, nor does one who has learned to love hate. “The tree is known by its fruit”. Similarly, those who profess to be Christ’s will be recognized by their actions. For what matters is not a momentary act of professing, but being persistently motivated by faith.

St. Ignatius of Antioch was the second bishop of Antioch and lived around the year 100. he was the disciple of St. John the Apostle, as in THE John, the Beloved Apostle, as in THE John who was at the foot of the cross with Blessed Mary, as in THE John who rested his head on Jesus at the last supper.

how can OSAS believers, or protestants in general, not know this, or hear it but overlook it? it boggles the mind…

 

[TriuneUnity]

My take on OSAS, is pretty simple… If one of the greatest Apostles, Paul, was never sure of his salvation… how can any of us ever be so arrogant to say that we know for sure.

I’m pretty sure that if Jesus wanted OSAS that Paul would have known about it.

SD

I wouldn’t say that Paul was not assured of his salvation. I think what he did realize is that he could lose his faith and so pressed forward in his hope and his looking to Christ for his salvation. He was assured that God would remain faithful. He wasn’t so sure about himself, however.

 

[TriuneUnity]

How does OSAS or predestination differ from the Pharisees and Saducees who believed they were saved by being sons of Abraham. Note the John and Jesus disagreed with them on that.

The difference is that predestination is taught in Scripture, and OSAS is not.

 

[SD_Catholic]

I wouldn’t say that Paul was not assured of his salvation. I think what he did realize is that he could lose his faith and so pressed forward in his hope and his looking to Christ for his salvation. He was assured that God would remain faithful. He wasn’t so sure about himself, however.

OK… but you just did … Perhaps we see that word with a different meaning… maybe I should have said he was never sure of his final salvation???

SD

 

[kalt]

The Pharisees and Sadducees believed that they had right standing before God because of their obedience to the Law, references to being Abraham’s children were boasts about pedigree and being the recipients of the covenant God struck with Abraham, which was a covenant of law (circumcision, obedience).

OSAS is a degraded version of the doctrine of security in Christ, but its nothing like the pride of the Pharisees.

It seems to be, though. Aren’t they the adopted children? Aren’t they really saying the same thing?

 

[myredeemerlives]

I think the problem is that many Christian parents teach their children this prayer thing and it’s just not the proper way. Repentance and faith is not the same as praying a prayer to “ask Jesus into your heart”. If that’s what you did, I’m not suprised it didn’t work for you.

 

[TriuneUnity]

OK… but you just did … Perhaps we see that word with a different meaning… maybe I should have said he was never sure of his final salvation???

SD

That would work! I didn’t mean to quibble with you about semantics, SD. Your original post is right on target. I think we just have to point out that it’s due to our unfaithfulness that we would depart the faith and not in God being unable to preserve us.

Ultimately, though, OSAS is confidence in one’s own ability to remain in the faith.