Jack: I posted this on another board, but thought that, because of your and my thoughts on OSAS, it might be helpful here too.
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Blessed are Sundays: I always come home 20 pounds lighter than when I went ^_^. This below is partly from Fr Larry's homily and partly from my own thoughts.
Lately I've been corresponding with a person who formerly believed "Once Saved Always Saved" but who, after an exhaustive study of scriptures, now believes that OSAS isn't true after all. Me, I never thought that I couldn't lose my salvation if I tried to. But, still, the doctrine of OSAS makes some good points about Jesus' understanding of us and his mercy toward us (which proves there is good even in bad doctrines... and maybe in bad people too).
This Sunday is the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Todays Gospel lesson is
Matthew 16:13-19, in which Simon takes an amazing leap of faith in knowing by Spirit that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Whereupon Jesus pays him the supreme compliment: He names Simon as Peter, Rock, and announces that he will build his Church on that Rock of Peter's faith. Further, he grants Peter the keys to Heaven and the authority to bind and loose in earth and in Heaven.
Awesome!!! Quite a gift for Peter!!! We'd have to say thet Peter at that moment was at least saved, and a Saint, and his salvation was secure. But, then.....
Ol' Pete didn't last 10 minutes before he sinned greatly by trying to talk Jesus out of the Crucifixion (
Matthew 16:21-23); Jesus rebuked Peter severely and even called him Satan. And later, Peter sinned even worse, by denying Christ three times out of cowardice after promising that he wouldn't ever do that (
Matthew 26:69-75).
But Jesus didn't revoke the honor that he had given Peter earlier. Why? Because when Jesus gave him that honor, he already knew Peter would sin, and sin horribly. He knew Peter from the inside out, and yet honored his faith and built his Church on that faith. Again, awesome!!!
So, if I'm saved (or baptized, or whatever), will I sin again? Yup. After that, will Jesus revoke the honor he gave me? Nope, because he knew before he gave me the honor that I would sin.
So I can't "not sin"; therefore, I'll have to depend on Jesus' mercy -- which is something I really don't understand. What I do know is that I can do great things for Jesus in spite of my sins, just like Peter. Like Peter, who denied Jesus three times out of cowardice but later defied the Jewish authorities' orders to be silent and told Jesus' story before the whole Nation of Israel (
Acts 2:14-36). I also know that, like Peter, I can refuse to give up. And, Like Paul, I can continue running my race (
Hebrews 12:1-6) until I reach the end and can know, again like Paul (
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18), that Jesus has rescued me and granted me mercy for my sins along the way.
That's a little like what OSAS teaches... but, like Judas who was also honored by Jesus by being chosen one of only 12 people who were commissioned to begin the Church among the Jews,and whom Jesus still called "Friend" even after he had betrayed him (
Matthew 26:50), I could have thrown it away. However, the mercy is great, and the Grace is impelling, and I still can do good things for my Christ even though, yes, I still sin... IF I don't give up like Judas did.
I hope those thoughts will help somebody. Take heart in the worst depression, and never give up.
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Your thoughts on my thoughts?
In faith, Dave
Viva Texas
dave@christos.cjb.net, dpeirce@christian.net
He that is not in the war is not out of danger.