This is the third in a series of posts that compares the modern “Once Saved Always Saved” church doctrine with what the BIBLE actually teaches. This post acknowledges the gospel truth of BIBLE verses that say “Believe and be Saved” but gives additional insight into these verses that is rarely taught in modern denominational churches.
Believe and be Saved
In order to spread the gospel, the Apostles had to preach one thing before anything else - that if people believed in JESUS, they would be saved; and by doing so they no longer had to fear death. “Believe and be saved” was, and still is, the central message of the Christian faith. (Verses) Nevertheless, every New Testament author made pains to inform believers that they also needed to be righteous to achieve final salvation.
JESUS: "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Mat5:20
Keep On Believing...
Sadly, many
modern American churches scorn the parts of the Gospel message that encourage, and even warn us, to be holy They choose to focus only on the BIBLE verses that tell us to “believe and be saved.”
You might be
surprised to learn that the very word “believe,” (as in John 3:16), has a
generally unrecognized meaning. In the original Greek, the actual meaning is: “Keep
on believing” / “Continue to be faithful.”
The Greek word “pisteuon,” translated as “believe,” is grammatically a present active participle. This is similar to adding the ending “-ing” to a word in English. As an active verb, it means to keep doing something, i.e., “Continue in faith / keep on believing.” Most of the verses for “believe and be saved” imply a life-long spiritual relationship with JESUS – not a casual “set it and forget it” oath that buys you eternal salvation. John14:21-24 See this BIBLE hub link for more examples.
This simple lesson highlights the fact that scripture tells us again and again that we must keep on doing what JESUS commands - actually live life according to HIS WORD; both in inner attitude and in outward action. It is yet more evidence that salvation is not necessarily instantaneous and permanent, as taught by OSAS. Even though scripture contains many verses that say “believe and be saved,” there are even more verses that tell us that we must overcome (be victorious) through holiness and obedience. We must do both to be secure.
Who’s Will?
People show that they have lost the fear of GOD
when they decide that they can pick and choose which parts of scripture they
will obey. OSAS people readily accept the “believe and be saved” verses and
often reject the call to be obedient. Some have even come to believe that they
will be saved in unholiness - in willful sin. JESUS himself stressed that HE
was doing GOD’s will, not HIS own. The WORD plainly says that it is GOD’s will
that you be holy, love HIM, and love your neighbor as yourself. To love what
GOD loves is true obedience.
Amazingly,
many American denominations actively and sometimes belligerently attack
anything other than their “believe once and be saved” teaching. They casually
accuse anyone who questions OSAS as trying to earn salvation through their own
works. Some even take the “grace vs works” teaching so far as to encourage
their parishioners to believe that they don’t even have to try to be
good to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! This attitude is easy to spot in
the hateful tone of modern right-wing political churches that brazenly
repeat the lies of political leaders.
Entrance into New Jerusalem
Listen to
what the apostle John said about those who will be allowed in the Holy City (the
Kingdom of GOD):
“...there shall in no wise enter into it anything
unclean (unholy / defiled), or he that maketh an abomination and a lie:
but only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life.” Rev21:27 Eph5:5
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they
may have right to the tree of life (eternity in Heaven), and may enter
in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers,
and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and
maketh a lie. Rev
22:14-15
Nothing,
i.e., no one who is unholy, who lies, who does not obey GOD’s commands, will
enter into the kingdom of Heaven. It continues to amaze that people calling themselves Christians
do not believe these verses apply to them; choosing instead to believe nationalistic
doctrines brought into the church as recently as 20 years ago.
In the next
installment we will examine the grace vs works controversy, as it pertains to
OSAS.
Definitions
Righteousness - When GOD justifies a person, i.e., judges a person to be acceptable to HIM. Abraham was determined to be righteous for believing and acting on what GOD told him to do - nevertheless, he was far from perfect. The sinner in the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee was justified because he humbled himself before GOD and admitted his sinfulness. In Matthew 5:20, JESUS is referring to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees - their hypocrisy was the opposite of righteousness. Believers achieve righteousness through their faith in JESUS.
