TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letters of John VS Once Saved Always Saved
The Letters of John have two passages that are strong against the Once Saved Always Saved doctrine.
In this post, I am going to display these passages and look at them with some additional comments. As usual, to the OSAS brothers, if you find some good answers that can be used to argue against these passages, please don’t hesitate to comment below and I will be glad to add the argument and my response to the article. Please don’t forget to argue with the same letters and context.
Eternal Life is for those who Continue
Here is the first passage from the 1st letter of John:
1 John 2:22-29 (KJV)
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. (Let what abide in them? what he just spoke about, that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ). IF that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, (If that remains in them, they shall continue in the Son) and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (So this promise is for those who continue by letting the truth abide in them)
26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Taken in context, this passage is very clear about who will inherit eternal life. This is certainly not them who are born again and then go back to sin. Why?
Because the promise of eternal life is for those who:
- have the unction of the Holy Spirit
- know the truth of Jesus as the Son of God and as Christ
- LET the truth abide in them
- CONTINUE IN THE SON and ABIDE IN HIM IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Abide in the Doctrine of Christ
The apostle John says in his second letter that if we don’t abide in the doctrine of Christ, we don’t belong to God.
Let’s look at the passage:
2 John 1:8-9 (KJV)
8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (So we are exhorted to watch ourselves not to lose what we have and to receive full reward. It would make little sense to warn not to lose what we have, unless we have salvation. To OSAS brothers who say this is talking about extra reward, continue to next verse)
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God (The apostle John clarifies saying those who transgress and abide not in the doctrine of Christ, have not God. How can someone be saved if they don’t have God?). He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
Conclusion
If we have to continue in the Son and abide in the doctrine of Christ to be saved, then the doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved is a lie. True believers according to John are those who will continue and persevere until the end. They will walk with Christ because they love Him, they will stay faithful to Him and to His words. There is no such thing as a saved Christian who keeps sinning deliberately dear friend. Because I love I warn.
Don’t let anyone deceive you my brothers! The price is an eternity away from God!