Category: Who Goes to Heaven Page 2 of 17

Since “once saved always saved” (OSAS) & “only believe” are not Biblical doctrines [refuted by over 80 New Testament verses; were invented by Augustine (4th century) and Luther, Calvin & Beza (16th century)], how then can we be sure of our salvation according to what the Bible really says?

“How can we be sure? ..through the Holy Spirit. When we are led by the Spirit and are walking in the Spirit, we shall enjoy the continuous witness of the Spirit, that intuitive certainty that the Lord is with us. But the New Testament also contains checks even on this, so that we can be quite sure that our intuition is not being misled. These include a clear conscience, a love for our brethren in Christ and a discontinuing of habitual sins (1 John contains a comprehensive list of such ‘proofs’).” – David Pawson, Once Saved Always Saved?: A Study in Perseverance and Inheritance (p. 139; p. 134 Kindle)

Related:

My article that shows what the New Testament really says:

Who-Goes-To-Heaven Scriptures — Narrow is the Way | Who are the Children of God? — “There is therefore now *no condemnation* to those who are IN CHRIST Jesus, who don’t WALK according to the flesh, but ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT”

Kevin Conner was one of my Bible teachers at Abbott Loop Bible School in 1984. I hand copied this post out of our textbook. Rick used to call Kevin his mentor. Some highlights:

• “OBEDIENCE IS the very law of SECURITY for all created beings. There can be NO SUCH THING as UNCONDITIONAL security.” 

• WARNINGS against backsliding SHOW that the security of the believer is conditional upon obedience and faith 

• What God has provided in Christ man must receive and apply 

• Divine SOVEREIGNTY *and* human RESPONSIBILITY meet together in the great redemptive plan 

• Christ is “the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him” (Hebrews 5:9) 

• Upon HEARING and FOLLOWING the Shepherd they receive eternal life and will never perish 

• AS HE OBEYS the Word of the Lord his SECURITY against backsliding and apostacy is FULLY GUARANTEED

( ) on the Believer’s CONDITIONAL Security: “ for all created beings. There can be .”

Paul, himself made sure he abided in Christ: “Herein I also practice ALWAYS having a CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENSE toward God and MEN” (Acts 24:16) — which sometimes required reconciliation to be right with men (Mt. 5:23-26 and James 5:16).

Paul feared losing his own salvation – Ran his race to win! — “I beat my body and bring it into submission lest I myself should be rejected”

1:01:00 “God cannot fellowship with sin. If I turn away from the Lord in sin and reject His call to come back to Him and receive His forgiveness, God cannot forgive me.”

1:02:50 “Romans 11:22 says ‘behold the goodness and the severity of God.’ We underestimate both.”

“God is holy, cannot fellowship with sin.”

Starts at 19:00

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These are a just a few of the 80 passages in the New Testament that refute OSAS, “once saved, always saved” — Jesus’ parable of the sower, found in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20 and Luke 8:4-15.

Jesus gives us four categories:
#1 Seeds sown on the path with no soil — never started growing
#2 Seeds sown on the rocky ground with little soil — “sprang up” then died without moisture
#3 Seeds sown on soil with thorns — “thorns grew with it, and choked it”
#4 Seeds sown on the good soil — produced much fruit

Of the four groups, those in the second and third categories were seeds that were growing, were born-again but then fell away from where they once were, losing their salvation.

Category #2
Jesus specifically said: “Those on the rock… believe for a while, then fall away“ (Luke 8:13).

Category #3
And those that “grew with” thorns were “choked” by them and “became unfruitful” (Mt. 13:22), of whom Jesus emphatically states will be cut off, thrown into the fire and burned:

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Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him. – James 1:12

Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. – John 14:23

Related: (video) David Pawson: Reconciling PAUL and JAMES on ‘WORKS’ — Paul was defending Gentiles from JEWISH works-of-the-*law* LEGALISM; James was defending Jews from Gentile LICENSE TO SIN • When Paul says ‘WORKS’ he means works of the *law*, but James means *actions* • “Faith without actions cannot save you” • FAITH + ACTIONS = SAVING FAITH!

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This is especially common with those who teach “once saved, always saved” — ignoring key points that refute OSAS which are sometimes right next to the verse or parts of verses they cherry pick — lying by omission. For example:

Jesus in John 10. Verse 27 (phrases in all-caps) is usually not mentioned at all:

“MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, and I know them, and THEY FOLLOW ME: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” – John 10:27-29

Romans 8:1A is another OSAS greatest hit example. Completely ignored are the key points in which Paul says right after, clarifying what “in Christ Jesus” means, so there should be no doubt:

The “who shall separate us” promise in Romans 8:35 and “no condemnation” statement in verse 1 only applies to those who actually are “in Christ” based upon what Paul says in three different ways in verses 1-17:

Verse 1b: “who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Verse 4b: “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Verse 13: “For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Verse 14: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.”

Verse 17b: “joint-heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.”

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