Often Distorted Scriptures Against OSAS

John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Some of the deadliest religious groups in the world today are Charismatics, Assemblies of God, Pentecostals and other Non-denominational Charismatics. These groups all hold the following doctrinal heresies in common:

1. They believe salvation can be lost (no Once Saved Always Saved)
2. They all speak in demonic tongues (jibber-jabber)
3. They all believe in modern-day prophets who speak for God
4. They all believe in miracle healing meetings (laying on of hands to heal)

In this blog I am going to refute some commonly misinterpreted Scripture passages which are used by Charismatics to deny the great Bible truth of “ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED” (OSAS).

1. Matthew 27-30...

Matthew 5:27-30, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

Jesus was not speaking here about losing salvation; but rather, the love of sin that hinders people from coming to Christ to be saved. John 3:20-21, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” This is why so many preachers errantly conclude that a person must repent and turn away from their sins to be saved. However, that is not true at all. Please notice in John 3:21 that the Bible doesn't say “But he that turneth from his sins cometh to the light”; but rather, “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light.” That “truth” is the light of the Gospel by which we are saved, IF we believe. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

So in Matthew 5:27-30 Jesus is warning not to let the love of this world keep you from coming to the light of the truth of the Gospel to be saved, but faith alone in Jesus Christ. This doesn't mean that you have to forsake a lifestyle of sin to be saved, but there needs to be REPENTANCE. Yes, you DO need to repent to be saved. Here are some helpful quotes about what repentance is:

“Repentance is the very opposite of meritorious experience. It is the confession that one is utterly without merit, and if he is ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, 'who gave himself a ransom for all.' Here is firm footing for the soul who realizes that all self-effort is but sinking sand. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation.” ~Pastor Harry A. Ironside; “Except Ye Repent,” p. 36

Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. Consider further the following quote by Dr. Ironside:

“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.” ~Pasto Harry Ironside, “What Is The Gospel?”

Read what Dr. Ironside said in his Gospel tract, “ANOTHER GOSPEL?”:

“When anyone comes promising salvation to those ‘who make full surrender' of all that they have to God, and who 'pay the price of full salvation' he is preaching another gospel, for the price was paid on Calvary's cross and the work that saves is finished. It was Christ Jesus who made the full surrender when He yielded His life on Calvary that saves us, not our surrender in any way to Him.” ~Pastor Harry Ironside, “Another Gospel”

Please Read: Dr. John R. Rice Refutes Lordship Salvation

Now let me quote to you again the great man of God, Dr. Ironside:

“Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.” ~Pastor Harry Ironside, “What Is The Gospel?”

Salvation is a gift, paid for by Jesus' literal, physical, precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; 1st John 1:7; Hebrews 9:12; Revelation 1:5). We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (Matthew 6:33; Romans 10:3,4; 1st Corinthians 5:21); and not our own willingness to do better (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Romans 4:5,6,22). The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.

There is nothing in Matthew 7:27-30 that even remotely suggests that God's gift of salvation can be lost. To assume that it does grossly violates the principles of Bible interpretation. Our text verse from John 20:31 plainly teaches that the Gospel of John is God's Gospel tract.

2. Matthew 6:15...

Matthew 6:15, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Again, this passage is from Matthew, not the Gospel of John. God did not give us the Gospel of Matthew to show us how to get to Heaven, He gave us the GSOEPL OF JOHN to do that!

All of these false teachers today who are preaching ANOTHER GOSPEL of Lordship Salvation, saying that you must repent and turn away from your sinning, and that you can lose God's salvation, are citing non-related passages to salvation, wrestling the Scriptures. By doing so, a person can literally teach anything. I've heard men attempt to justify the sin of adultery by twisting Bible verses out of context. Men are sinful by nature and some will do anything to justify their sins!

In Matthew 6:15 Jesus is speaking to believers. What saith the Scripture? 1st Corinthians 11:31, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” So we see that even for a redeemed child of God, we will still have to give account, and be judged, by God in eternity. 1st Thessalonians 4:6, “That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.” I have been financially cheated by fellow Christians.

One pastor in Chicago defrauded me of $10,000. He has never apologized nor tried to make his sins right with me. The Bible clearly teaches that you cannot just go to God and make things right with Him, while being wrong with a brother or sister whom you have hurt. Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” That wicked pastor has never made things right with my family, whom he defrauded and hurt deeply. We do have ought against him, but he is proud and stiffnecked and doesn't care. He is a bully! God will judge him in eternity at the Judgment Seat Of Christ, because that pastor has not yet judged himself. So he has not been forgiven yet by God. Yes, he is saved and his sins have been forgiven as far as his POSITION in Christ is concerned, but he has not been forgiven in his CONDITION with his heavenly Father. There will be many tears shed at the Judgment Seat Of Christ by saints. I believe this is what Jesus means in Matthew 6:15. I have forgiven that pastor, knowing that God will judge him, and I have left it into God's hands, so I can move on and live in peace without harboring hate or bitterness. I don't think about the matter very often, because God has promised to avenge my family of that ungodly pastor (Romans 12:19-21).

3. Matthew 15:6-9...

Matthew 15:6-9, “And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

Again, we see that this passage is from Matthew, not the Gospel of John, which is God's Gospel tract. Charismatics are infamous for perverting the Word of God, wrestling Scriptures out of context to fit their own heretical beliefs. They in fact are the ones who have rejected the commandments of God, so they can keep their own TRADITIONS instead. It is ironic that the very passage of Scripture that they attempt to use to deny OSAS condemns them! Nothing in Matthew 15:6-9 even hints that salvation can be lost. The truth is that the Charismatic crowd are as wicked as the Devil.

Matthew 15:6-9 is speaking about unsaved people, who elevate their religious traditions above God's inspired Word. Hellbound Roman Catholics are some of the worst offenders!

4. Hebrews 6:4-8...

Hebrews 6:4-8, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”

This is a very popular passage of Scripture which skeptics attempt to use to prove OSAS. However, the context is abundantly clear that the Bible is speaking here about Christ-rejecters, not saved people losing God's free gift of eternal life. Hebrews 6:6 says that THEY CRUCIFY TO THEMSELVES THE SON OF GOD AFRESH. That simply means they might as well be nailing Him to the cross themselves, because they are still rejecting Him as their personal Savior. The falling away mentioned in verse 6 means that they missed the Gospel.

I am convinced that the unknown writer of the Epistle of Hebrews is none other than the Apostle Paul. I believe this for numerous reason, but one is the familiar words and phrases that Paul uses; such as in Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Only a fool would conclude from this verse that God's gift of salvation can be forfeited once you've received it. The context of the Epistle of Galatians is clearly that of missing the boat to Heaven, not of losing salvation. The Bible teaches ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED. The more that we sin, the more will God's saving grace abound (Romans 5:20). God's free gift of salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ can NEVER be lost for any reason!!!

So in Hebrews 6:4-8, the same truth is being taught as in Galatians 5:4. The only way that anyone can “fall from grace” is if you wilfully reject it! Paul says in Galatians 5:4 that whosoever is justified by forsaking their sins (i.e., keeping God's Old Testament Mosaic law)is FALLEN FROM GOD'S GRACE. That simply means you cannot get to Heaven by doing works, which is what turning away from your sinning is, works! Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” The law shows mankind our sinnership and need for redemption. Then the law brings us to Christ to be saved by grace through faith alone (Galatians 3:24-26).

Dear reader, beware of Bible corrupters! The Word of God plainly tells us how to go to Heaven in the Gospel of John. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” 

“Religion is of the Devil; Salvation is of the Lord.” —Pastor Al Lacy (a quote from the sermon titled: “No Unbelievers In Hell.”

“God is looking for people who want to know the truth.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold

“Certainly discipleship is a most important aspect of our relation to Christ, but it belongs to the sphere of Christian life rather than entrance upon that life... One does not become a disciple in order to become a Christian, but because he has become a Christian by faith in the Savior, it is fitting that he embark upon a life of discipleship.” —Everett F. Harrison, “Must Christ be Lord to Be Savior? No!”; Eternity, September 1959 (p. 14) 

A good rule to follow when interpreting the Bible is to never use an obscure passage to contradict a clear one. Charismatics, Calvinists, repentance heretics and proponents of the Devil's Lordship Salvation heresy will cite obscure passages of Scripture, lifting them out of context, in a lame attempt to justify their false teachings! The Gospel of John very plainly tells humanity how to get to Heaven, which is by faith alone in the Good News Jesus Christ crucified, buried and bodily risen the third day.

Here is a wonderful excerpt from Michael P. Bowen's helpful book titled: “I NEVER KNEW YOU: The Horror Of The Great White Throne Judgement And How You Can Avoid It”:

Here is the gospel: God says that we are sinners and that no amount of good works or behavioral changes on our part could ever make us holy enough to enter heaven. God sent His Son to pay for all of our sins. Jesus paid for our crimes by dying on the cross for us all. His dead body was buried in a grave. On the third day, Jesus arose from the dead. The instant you believe this, He knows it and He saves you. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life”(John 6:47). The free gift is based solely upon your trust in what Jesus did for you and has nothing at all to do with what you do for Him. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). ~Michael P. Bowen, “I Never Knew You,” p. xii

There you have it friend, how to know that you're going to Heaven in just 30 seconds! God's gift of eternal life, once received, can NEVER be lost, forfeited or given back for any reason. God is not a liar! The new birth is as irreversible as the first birth. Once conception has occurred, it cannot be undone! Those who foolishly believe that salvation can be lost, fail to understand the new birth. A birth cannot be undone! Either you are a child of God and always will be; or else you are not saved at all now, and never were. Not one verse in the inspired King James Bible teaches that God's free gift of eternal life could ever be lost.

You don't get saved by doing good works, and you don't become lost again by doing bad works! Salvation is of the Lord. Our part is simply to BELIEVE ON HIM. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”