The Philosophy of Once Saved Always Saved.

I have yet to see a single verse that teaches "Once Saved Always Saved" and "Eternal Security" in any distinct way. That is why I think it is a philosophy.

I once had lunch with my Radical Baptist KJV-Only Fundamentalist friend and his pastor. I think it was all accidental but we landed on the topic of salvation by grace through faith. He thought that Lutherans might believe in justification by works. I assured him no, and reminded him of the Reformation. So he plainly asked me, "If you fell away from faith would you still go to heaven?" He was quite genuine, but I was honestly shocked. This is his litmus test for works righteousness? Srsly.

This was his reasoning: If I have faith then I must do something to continue in faith - therefore continuing in faith = works. Therefore, if I believe that I must continue in faith I must trust in my own works.

This is the poorest philosophy for OSAS that I've ever encountered. Why must faith be sustained by works? Why can't faith sustain itself in the Gospel and the Holy Spirit?

If I claim to be justified by faith then I'm going to claim that faith always justifies - it doesn't stop justifying. However, if I refuse faith I refuse justification. The same is with the casual unbeliever.

But here is the irony for me. If he believes that continuing in faith is a work then initiating faith is also a work. No matter how thin you slice it, they're the same thing. I don't care if its a nano second or two nano seconds, faith is faith and you cannot call it a work, (especially a work of man), at any point in time. Furthermore, scripture never makes such a distinction.

Verdict: This argument is self defeating, and is built upon the false assumption that the Gospel cannot sustain us.

Just a quick after thought: It seems a little silly to suppose that at the moment of faith, faith dies and goes to heaven, and ceases to exist in its original justifying form - it's just plain old subsequent faith now and if you disagree with this diagnosis then it turns your life into a works righteousness religion. Um.. Yeah, right.