OSAS #4 – Grace vs Works: “Mud in the Water”

Intro

This is the fourth in a series of posts that compare the modern “Once Saved Always Saved” church doctrine with what the BIBLE actually teaches. This post explains why Calvinists / OSAS believers have enshrined a false unbiblical distinction between grace and works as an inflexible part of their salvation doctrine. 

What is Grace?

Grace simply means favorable treatment from GOD. Eph 2:8 In regard to salvation, GOD’s grace is the act of drawing you to CHRIST so you can receive the offer of salvation. The parable of the sower shows that grace is given unconditionally to all, but it can be rejected - so salvation itself is not unconditional (as some falsely teach). Mat 13:1-23

What are Works?

Many religious systems share the belief that if your good works outweigh your sins, your afterlife will be in paradise. Modern agnostics believe something similar – that if there is an afterlife, their generally moral / charitable lifestyle should earn them a place in heaven. The BIBLE, however, teaches that you cant “earn” salvation, not even by being morally good. Christian salvation, can only be had through faith in JESUS. “Good works,” done in love, are evidence that you are living out your faith according to the commandments of JESUS. Rom 4

How Did the Grace vs Works Controversy Get Started?

Somewhere on its long march towards apostasy, the Catholic church started to teach that doing ritualized good works leads to salvation. One such work was making a donation to the church. Medieval Catholics could buy a certificate from the church, called an indulgence, that supposedly allowed them to sin and still be saved. This scam was made possible by the fact that the Catholic church generally didn’t allow the common people to read the BIBLE and had convinced medieval believers that it had the right to create doctrine – including doctrine that opposed the BIBLE. The accumulation of similarly outrageous heresies eventually led to a rebellion against the church known as the Protestant Reformation.

The 16^th century Protestants that left Catholicism created a dogmatic stance against “works righteousness” to separate themselves from the old Catholic practices. Unfortunately, they (notably Calvin) overemphasized grace to the point that they began to teach that willful sinners would also be saved – the genesis of the “unconditional salvation” doctrine.

What are Works (According to Calvinists / OSAS Believers)?

The acts of obedience that JESUS commanded are often ridiculed by modern Calvinists and OSAS believers as “works” that don’t contribute to salvation. They argue that (according to their doctrine) salvation can only be had by passively accepting GOD’s grace. IOW, trying to cooperate with GOD to achieve salvation is an act of unfaithfulness that proves that you don’t believe that GOD is powerful enough to save you. Their bottom-line belief is that salvation, once requested, is instantaneous and permanent so nothing that happens after that, including continuing to live in willful sin, can cause you to lose it. In order to uphold their false doctrine, they must reject the very commandments of JESUS – the ongoing actions HE requires from us to maintain and ensure our salvation.

Argument Framing – the “Mud in the Water”

Argument framing is a manipulative debate tactic that OSAS teachers, particularly Calvinists, have long used to set false, misleading boundaries around the “grace vs works” salvation argument. In an effort to justify their false doctrine, Calvinists and OSAS believers redefine the works of righteousness commanded by JESUS as “acts of Old Testament legalism, i.e., works under the law.” According to them, it is black or white; either you accept their unconditional salvation doctrine or you are someone who believes in Old Testament legalism. If you accept their “framing,” you have already lost the argument.

What Did Jesus Say about works?

When Calvinists / OSAS believers defend their “unconditional salvation / salvation by faith alone” doctrines and disparage acts of Christlikeness and obedience as “works,” they are willfully ignoring JESUS’ threat to damn people both for hypocritical religious “works” and for the works of righteousness that they did not do. Mat 7:21-27; Mat 25:34-46 The BIBLE repeatedly states that we will be judged according to our works.

What are Works according to Apostle Paul?

The purpose of the OT law was to teach people the difference between right and wrong – Paul called it a “schoolmaster.” Under legalism, the Jews did ritual works that were meant to earn forgiveness for specific sins, but their inner attitudes often remained unchanged. So, according to the New Testament (NT), OT rituals did not result in final salvation. Nevertheless, some early Christians assumed that everyone should become a Jew before being allowed to become a Christian. Paul opposed this in the strongest terms - he taught that returning to the OT law would be to reject the work of JESUS. JESUS was the final sacrifice – the fulfillment of the OT that activated the offer of forgiveness through eternal salvation. Mat 5:17-20 There was no purpose in returning to the law, i.e., continuing to seek forgiveness through ritual animal sacrifice.

This is the doctrine that the Calvinists twisted to claim that all works, including the acts of righteousness commanded by JESUS, are pointless attempts to return to the law under the OT.

The Necessity of Works according to James

James gave a simple BIBLE formula regarding works: “Faith without works is dead.” James 2:14-22 IOW, Christian belief without maintaining a Christlike attitude and doing Christlike actions is meaningless. James was talking about the works of obedience and Christlikeness according to the teaching of JESUS – actions that are evidence of loving GOD by loving others.

The “Mud in the Water” - Christlikeness and Obedience are Not OT Legalism

The Calvinistic argument that you must accept the “salvation by grace only” doctrine or you are a “works salvation” heretic, is the “mud in the water.” It is a false controversy that clouds the clear WORD of GOD in order to lead believers astray. BIBLE readers know that the scripture says both points are true - that salvation is by grace and that we must be Christlike and obedient to receive that salvation.

The grace of GOD is the primary action in the salvation process – drawing you to JESUS so you can hear HIS word and decide whether to accept it. Does this mean that you have no responsibility for cooperating with the salvation process? The BIBLE plainly indicates that you must continually do GOD’s will – loving GOD by loving your neighbor – to maintain your salvation. These are the very actions that Calvinists / OSAS believers denigrate as “works.”

Ironically, the people who teach Calvinism / OSAS count on ritualistic actions (works) themselves for salvation. The so-called “sinner’s prayer” (not found in the BIBLE) has become a ritual among OSAS believers. They insist that saying it just one time is a guarantee of salvation – even for those who continue living in sin. The same folks also seem to think that being part of the demographic that faithfully attends a right-wing “conservative” American church, a church body that is idolatrously loyal to republican politics (i.e., Christian nationalist), is a ticket to salvation.   

Regardless of what some want to believe, you cannot dictate your relationship to GOD - deciding which commandments you will or will not obey. Salvation is in reading and doing the WORDS of JESUS.