...they say, "Well, he/she wasn't really a Christian, anyway"?
2007-09-20 04:23:24 · 25 answers · asked by Deke 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's a human point of view.
2007-09-20 04:27:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
OSAS comes from the Calvinist doctrine of "Perseverance of the Saints." You may want to start with that tenet if you're seriously looking for an answer to this question. Since Calvinism also gets into "Unconditional Election," this would mean that the atheist would never have been saved, therefore no salvation to lose. Claiming it for a little while doesn't necessarily make one saved. And the unsaved would seal their fate by believing and claiming that Jesus Christ had a devil rather than the Holy Spirit within. The saved would say with Thomas, "My Lord and my God." Ya hear that, JWs?
2016-05-19 02:17:33 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"once saved, always saved" is more of a denominational belief- I believe that pentecostals believe that (a pentecostal that I use to know said they did). Not all Christians say that and honestly it is something that I really am not sold on, I think about it and I haven't really decided how I feel about it yet. I do know that there are a lot of Christians who do say that whoever wasn't really a Christian when they mess up...honestly I think it is a defense mechanism- they don't want people to think Christians can fail and they don't want to think that it is possible for themselves to fail. I know that Christians mess up, I do all the time the only difference between when I mess up and some who isn't a Christian messes up is that I know God has the grace to forgive me.
2007-09-20 04:35:07 · answer #3 · answered by like the ocean needs the waves 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sorry but there are still arminians out there (salvation can be lost if a person is not careful) goto and methodist church and ask them abiut losing you salvation, not ALL christians believe "once saved, always saved"
Today anyone calls themself a christian, its hard to know a real christian from a fake one, I mean rappers wear crosses to, but they don't goto chruch every sinday eother.
Also if you want perfection, look to the mormons, they hide their evil deeds, behind closed dooros, would you rather see a person for who they really are, or would you rather they hide the truth from you with a masquarade, thats how mormons make fake-christiansity look good, they just hide their sin nature from others.
2007-09-20 04:34:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
LOL, these statements are contradictory because they represent conflicting theological views within Christianity. Some Christians believe that, just because a person says a little prayer and perhaps lives a "good" life for a time, that this obligates God to permit them entry into Heaven. If that's the case, I guess I'll see Hitler in Heaven (which would make no sense to me whatsoever).
Other Christians, such as myself, take the view that God's gift of salvation is only available to folks who continuously strive to live a life that's obedient to God's commands. Occasional slip-ups are to be expected, since we're still human. But what defines a true Christian from a false one is how he or she reacts after falling: a true Christian will get up, repent and feel true contrition; a false one will stay down on the floor, or blame God for stumbling.
2007-09-20 04:32:10 · answer #5 · answered by Suzanne: YPA 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
I think you need to actively walk your talk. I do not believe once saved always saved. That doesn't make sense. Get saved then do whatever you want to do just because you have been saved once. The deliberate disobedience of God does not a Christian make.
2007-09-20 05:08:26 · answer #6 · answered by Kaliko 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because of the subtleties of Calvinism. John Calvin taught that not only was a saved person always saved because he was predestined to be saved, but Calvin also taught that God kept his elect from committing any gross sins (called the preservation of the saints doctrine). These beliefs go together and cannot be separated.
Not all Christians are Calvinists, BTW, so your generalization is unfair. And there seem to be various degrees of Calvinism in practice.
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Perseverance of the saints
Also called the "preservation of the saints" or "eternal security," the fifth point teaches that, since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by human will or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end. Those who apparently fall away either never had true faith to begin with or will return. This is slightly different from the "once saved, always saved" view prevalent in some evangelical churches in which, despite apostasy or unrepentant and habitual sin, the individual is truly saved if he or she had truly accepted Christ in the past; in traditional Calvinist teaching, apostasy by such a person may be proof that they never were saved.
2007-09-20 04:31:42 · answer #7 · answered by Ned F 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Hellfire and Brimstone.... Good question. I wonder if "those that say such a thing" are so committed that they are willing to help save that person again and bring them back to the Lord... As opposed to judging them, which as a Christian, is not a good thing to do. I try not to judge, but I am only human and do make mistakes.
Good comments Karen...
2007-09-20 05:53:14 · answer #8 · answered by NY PTK 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A Christian can fall from grace or the apostle Paul did not know what he was talking about in the letter he wrote to the Galatians. In chapter 4: he says if you go back to the law of Moses, you have fallen from grace. You cannot fall from something unless you are there. Think about it. How to you fall from an airplane if you are not in the airplane? How do you fall from grace unless you are in grace? You can't.
2007-09-20 04:34:12 · answer #9 · answered by mesquiteskeetr 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
All Christians don't say that. I believe what Jesus said, that "No one can pluck you from My hand." But, He also said, He could blot out your name in the Book of Life, so I believe, while no one can take you away from God, You can, however, WALK AWAY from your salvation. Since it is a personal choice to accept or reject Christ, this makes sense. If someone is a Christian, then, desides to leave the faith and follow satan, and never turns back, do you think they'll go to heaven? I don't. If someone is a Christian and commits a sin, like murder, and never repents of it, do you think they'll go to heaven? I do not. But, if they are repentant of their sins, and turn away from the sin, and back to God, then, I believe they will be saved. So, in answer to your question, someone may very well be a Christian, but, then TURN AWAY from God, and be blotted out of the Book of Life. That's how I see it.
2007-09-20 04:38:15 · answer #10 · answered by byHisgrace 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a true christian can backslide and God loves the backslider.
a true christian will never truly be out of God's hands
a true christian will repent and turn again
no one knows the heart of a true christian other than the person themselves and God
Only if the person him/herself says "I'm not really" then don't even guess. It's not your job :-)
2007-09-20 05:05:17 · answer #11 · answered by karen i 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋