Once saved always saved...

Upon debating this subject at several forums, I noticed a common tactic being used when someone with a conflicting view posted. If a verse is used that really has no explanation that would support the osas view. It would be ignored. This did not happen on a couple of occasions, it was happening quite often. And when someone tried to explain those verses, listed by the poster, to support osas. The actual explanation did not make sense, and was easily shot down with the word of God. The osas believer would become frustrated and usually resort to another tactic which usually included insults, or even name calling. The no-osas side very rarely resorted to this. Which proved to me which side had a conflict with the flesh and spirit, and which side did not (being humbled by the truth of God).

We are saved by grace, and yet we can fall from it too.

acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Galatians 5:4, has to be broken up to be understood it correctly. This is where osas believers miss it's meaning. The reason Christ is used at the beginning of this verse is because Christ is the representation of the new covenant between man and God. So all that is said afterwards, is about the new covenant. So let's put it in more understandable words.

Christ (salvation) is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law (the old way), ye are falling from grace.

But how does one fall from the new covenant to the old covenant?

jn 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

jn 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

This is probably one of the most famous verses used by the osas believers. But, they are unwilling to address the reason as to why the Father's hand are mentioned along with the son's hands. Why would you even need the Father's hands if your in the Son's, and cannot be removed? Might want to think about that one. But there is something they miss by not doing this. Remember when I said that "Christ" in the verse of Galatians was a representation of the new covenant? Well, the mention of the Father's hands is a representation of the old covenant here.

Galatians 5:4

Christ equals new covenant

Being justified by the law equals old covenant

John 10:28-29

My hand equals new covenant

Father's hands equals old covenant

Do you see how both verses work together as far as covenant goes? So what does this all mean? It all lies in the last part of Galatians. When we fall from grace, we fall from Christ's hands to the Father's hands (the reason both the Father and Son are mentioned). For we cannot ever go back to being an actual sinner, but we can lose salvation. How? Because the "Father's hands" are the representation of the old covenant which is no longer in effect. So to fall from one set of hands to the other means you have lost salvation (fallen from grace).

gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

In the old covenant, one of the ways a person showed his loyalty to God, was to be circumcised. But even as we read that verse above, that does not matter any more. Only that you become a new creature in Christ.

So why fall to the Father's hands.....

When you fall from Christ's hands (new covenant). You have to have a way back because of this verse:

James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth*, and one convert him;

20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

To completely fall is to not be able to come back. For can Christ crawl back on the cross and die for something that was rejected the first time? Total rejection on our part, with the ability to be completely removed from God and the Son. Means a new covenant has to be made. So when you do fall, you fall from the hands of Christ, but not the hands of the father.

But do the hands of the Father save you?

Nope. Why? Because the Father's hands are a representation of the old covenant which is no longer in effect.

So why have it to where you go from one hand to the other?

Like I said before, to fall completely means you have no way back. This is why both the Father's hands, and the hands of the Son are included in those verses because they work together to keep you from falling completely, and not have a way back.

The marriage......

One of the reasons salvation and the new covenant is called a marriage is because of James 5:19-20. Christ never breaks HIs end of the covenant bond, we do. This is what is called: to err from the truth*. Being convertible, means we can be accepted back into this bond.

The divorce......

When a divorce occurs, the head of the relationship gives the covenant partner a paper of divorce, which releases this person of the marriage bond. Now because Christ is in a marriage bond with us, while on earth, he will never release us by handing us a paper of divorce. But there is a judgement for this.

Judgement of divorce....

Before I list the verse showing where Christ will separate His own and send them to hell. I need to make something clear. On earth, a bond is either made through words or on paper. Only in words means that both parties were in total trust of one another. On paper means that trust was not there. So the paper was what held the bond, or the agreement, from being broken. Because the Lord always holds His end of any bond that was made between Himself and another. No paper is needed. And because anyone entering this bond would have to have total trust in God, he would not need a paper either. So the word spoken by God was God's bond. Which also applies to the son. But calling salvation a marriage also means divorce applies. And because salvation is a word bond (words of accepting Christ into your heart), only through His word, not paper, can it be broken. So how, and when does Christ divorce Himself from us for denying or rejecting His free gift? This whole judgement in the verses below is where Christ takes His own and separates the covenant breakers from the covenant keepers. Also notice that a reference to the old and new covenant is made (sheep=new, goats=old).

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

A break down of the divorce judgement....

Verse 31 clearly states who is making this judgement. The son of man (Christ) who sits upon His throne of glory.

Verse 32 clearly states this judgement is only for those who have accepted Christ. How? Because all people that stand before Christ are either in Christ's hands (the sheep=new covenant), or the Father's (Goats=old covenant). Remember when I told you as to why both the hands of the Son and the Father are mentioned? Here you see where it is now applied to judgement.

Verse 33 clearly states how this punishment will be delt out (right hand, left hand). In the bible, blessings and cursing were done by the use of the right hand (blessings). or the left hand (cursing). In verse 34, the sheep on the right hand receives the blessing. Then in verse 41, the left hand receives it's curse.

Verse 41 clearly shows what has to happen first before the one's on the left can be cursed. In three words, Christ gives a divorce: Depart from me. And upon departure, they are cursed, and judgement is passed.

"Depart from me", a divorce?........

When we look at the word of God, we often make the mistake of applying only the physical part to it. How often does God, or the Son, speak of physical things only? So when Christ said: Depart from me... It had a dual meaning. Why? Upon this departure, both body and soul were cast into the lake of fire. So the term: Depart from me.... was two fold in meaning. In a physical sense, they had to leave the presents of Christ. In a spiritual sense, their souls were cursed and damned for eternity. For the soul to separate from Christ, through the word depart. Means the soul was part of Christ at one time. Thus the reason the word "part" is used in :de-part". You cannot depart unless you were part of. So since both the body and soul are being cast into the lake of fire, both body and soul had to be part of Christ, in order to depart from Christ.

The choice to use the word "depart", instead of separate, remove, divide, leave, go, etc... Was done for the reason I have explained. If you break down the word depart, you will find that this judgement was for those who were part of Christ. De-part... Does de make sense? Now if you take the word part, and replace it in the part of the verse, here's what it would say: Part from me. Now we add what was there: Depart from me. So to sum this up. You would have to be a part of Christ before you can depart from Christ. Because to be part of Christ also means to be part of everything that He is physically and spiritually (dual meaning).

What do these conditions mean in that judgement?