I'm sorry, I thought you had said you were OSAS.
While it is scriptural that Jesus does promise "whosoever shall believe on me shall not perish, but have everlasting life, I think there is confusion on what, precisely, he was asking us to believe.
As I see it there are two choices as to what this means
As I understand it, the second choice is rejected by some because it is clearly works based, and is therefore in violation of Pauls assertion that we are not saved through works least any should boast.
The mistake here, IMO, is that they make no distinction between works done before your coming to Jesus and the "work" of being a Christian. Paul says this:
1Cr 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
So Paul is saying -to believers in the Lord- that they must run in this race in order to obtain -Salvation, what else?- and that even he must struggle against sin (keep his body under subjection) in order that he will not lose his salvation.
Again, Paul says:
Phl 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.Does it sound here that he is telling these already saved believers that it is easy? No, and at this point it is worth considering how much of the NT is devoted to exhortations to behave, to obey, to work and to FEAR. Now why would you fear, if you knew could not lose the race?
There is more, but these are serious points to be addressed. As to the claim made by many that those that fall away were never truly saved at all, I have not able to find any discussion of that concept in the NT so far. If you, or anyone else has any scriptural citations supporting this concept, please post them, but its hard imagining that Paul, by his own words "lest I myself be a castaway", was putting himself in that category. I think he knew his conversion was real.
v.
V, I realize that most “Works for Salvation Oriented Christians,” will agree with your interpretation of 1 Cor 9:24 to 27, but here’s how one, who believes that salvation and good works are fruits of that salvation are two separate things, and how I read this scripture.
1 Cor 9: 24 - 27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Paul is saying this.
Every trial or shortcoming a Christian comes to on the road to God’s Kingdom is like we are in a race. We will never grow and change if we take a “come what may” attitude about it, so we have to approach each one as we would if it were in competition for a prize.
If this race was for salvation alone, and there was only one winner given the prize, that would mean that only one Christian was going to win it, and Jesus already did that, so why run a race that’s already been won?
But that’s not the point here, the point is that we run 100’s of races in out spiritual life time, and each one has it’s own separate prize/reward. We may run the race for overcoming a drinking problem, and we need to tackle it as though we’re in a competitive sports race.
The first time we enter a race against drinking, we may only come in 20th place, we didn’t succeed or win, we failed, we are a castaway.
The second time we tried, we came in 15th place, we still lost the race, but every time you take another stab at it, it becomes another new race, and eventually, you’ll no longer be a castaway/unapproved, but you’ll win the prize.
Salvation isn’t one single, do it or die race, with everyone in competition in the same salvation race, but every problem in our life we overcome with God’s help, is another prize or reward we’ll receive at the judgment day.
Salvation can’t possibly be one single race, with only one winner, and one prize, but it has to be individual and private races, that each of us struggle with in our lifetime.
JH :-)
I haven't found any contradictions in the Bible. You need to go to the scriptures that are very clear first. The Doc posted several on #51165. If verses seem to conflict I have found that I am the one misunderstanding. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand. Also reading the complete passage helps me when I get stuck.
Paul says this: 1Cr 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. So Paul is saying -to believers in the Lord- that they must run in this race in order to obtain -Salvation, what else?- and that even he must struggle against sin (keep his body under subjection) in order that he will not lose his salvation.
Read what Paul also says in Acts 13:48. Since he wrote this, to me it means he was talking about "our walk" (or run :')) after salvation. Paul is either contradicting himself or the verses mean something else. I vote for the latter,but JH explains it in the post he sent to you, much better than I can.