I was raised in the Baptist faith. So part of my learning was that "Once Saved Always Saved" and I truly believed that, but not any more. Here is why... Everyday I get into my Bible and study God's word. Normally I do this around noon time and will spend anywhere from an hour up to four or five hours each day. Before noon I usually spend time playing my ____ video games ... As I was playing my video games I wasn't thinking about God or scriptures, I was thinking about how to dodge the enemy's gunfire (I was playing a war game). Anyway, the book of James and "salvation" kept coming to my mind, not that I was thinking about it, but it kept hounding me. So finally, I turned my game off figuring this has to be important for God to be driving it home.
Now normally I do my Bible study in my office where the computer is at, but I stood there at the table and opened my Bible to the book of James and focused in on James 5:19-20. I didn't skim through the book of James; I opened it up and went directly to the fifth chapter and the last two verses, which reads ...My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (NIV)
My mouth dropped open as my mind that was clouded with all the lies I was taught over the years became immediately clear. A "believer" CAN turn away from God and return back to sin, and by doing so, they have lost their salvation. Of course, I was taught that if a person does return back to sin, then they were NEVER saved to begin with. This is a TRAINED thought process, but it is not supported by the Bible. A person is ONLY guaranteed "Eternal Life" IF THEY CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO JESUS' VOICE AND FOLLOW HIM (John 10:27-29). And I thank God for revealing this TRUTH to me, because now I am "TRULY" born again with a whole new thought process. Because of this "TRUTH" I was forced to make a decision, I had to stand against the Baptist beliefs and stand firm on God's word. The preacher (J. _____) came over to my house to "convince" me of my error. He tried three or four verses of scripture to prove me wrong, but not one of his verses of scripture stood up to James 5:19-20. When, he realized he wasn't winning me over, he said he had to get going, and then he left.
The next day he picked me up for our weekly visitation time, and as we made our way over to one of the church member's home, we talked some more about the OSAS doctrine and he was singing a totally different tune supporting my belief. He even gave two biblical examples I didn't think of. The first being the disciples that followed Jesus no more (John 6:66) and Judas Iscariot who was an Apostle BEFORE he betrayed Jesus. When he dropped me off at my home, he said how he wanted him and I to have a meeting with ____ _____ (my Uncle) to get this straightened out. I agreed to it and that night we had the meeting. My Uncle ____ was totally closed minded and refused to accept God's word. For example; I told him in regards to James 5:19-20 and he cut me off saying how the book of James was a letter to ALL Jews and NOT just believers. I told him he was wrong and to prove it read James 2:1. He only read "My brothers, as believers ..." and he stopped. Now why did he stop? Because this verse tells us who James is directing his letter to, which is the believers and NOT ALL the Jews. But my uncle couldn't FACE THE TRUTH, so he kept saying "according to MacArthur ..." To me, I don't care what MacArthur says. I care what God says.
Finally, my Uncle not being able to stand firm with scripture to prove me wrong, and since I refused to accept what MacArthur says, his last resort was to stand firm on the Baptist Tenets. So he said "According to the Baptist Tenets you CANNOT serve as deacon in a Baptist church not believing in the Once Saved Always Saved Doctrine." Then he turned to the preacher who up to this point said absolutely nothing and asked "Isn't that right ____?" And ____ agreed. Remember, ____ agreed with me earlier that day. So he was faced with a decision -- to either stand firm on God's word or stand firm on the Baptist Tenets. He chose the Baptist Tenets over God's word. I however, stood firm on God's word proving the OSAS doctrine to be false, and I stood up and told them that they would receive my resignation because there was no way that I could belong to a church that blatantly taught heresy. My uncle yelled "This isn't heresy!" I told him as I walked away "when you teach that a person can commit adultery, but they aren't an adulterer if they're saved, then that is heresy." Then he yelled "we don't teach that!" I told him "you teach that every time you teach OSAS." Then he didn't say anything.
VERY FEW people will accept this as truth, because they WANT to believe that God will NOT punish them for their sins. But wake up people, God is a just God and he CANNOT and WILL NOT say that your sins are ok as he punishes others for their sins ...
Where God's word says "ALL" liars will have their place in the fiery lake of burning sulfur, the eternal security teachers are excluding the "saved" liars. If you have lied since being saved you CANNOT believe in OSAS and Revelation 21:8, because God's word condemns and OSAS gives immunity, so you have to believe in one or the other. Now the question is: do you believe what God's word says or do you believe what man has said? For me all it took was God to show me James 5:19-20 to open my eyes to the truth. How many times over the past twenty years I've seen and read James 5:19-20 and why I didn't see this truth before is beyond me. I just praise God for this knowledge he has given me, because I sit back and think of the millions of people who are in hell right now because they believed the OSAS doctrine ... DO NOT BE DECEIVED the wicked WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God (1Corinthians 6:9-10) ... Our eternal salvation is too important to NOT get it right. Make sure you get it right. I want to leave you with one more thing to think about. Between God and Satan, who would want you to believe that you CAN'T lose your salvation no matter what you say or do?
In Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior,
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