You are emphasizing a distinction as if every person must make it in order to serve God. I do not believe that. It is certainly not how I serve God. I work each day to love Him more to do more of what pleases Him. I read, I study, I pray. The only time this OSAS idea, one way or the other, even comes into my head most of the time is when someone mentions it on a forum like this. When it is just me and God why would I need it. The correct answers are all His, whether I understand them or not. Sometimes I do not... but He is also not finished with me yet.
To me when it is mentioned and/or I read about it, it has struck me wrong according to what I have read in the scriptures and according to the understanding I have received. I don't condemn people for believing that way. If they really do believe that way, then God can bless them there as He can bless me where I am. It is not my full time job to tell everyone how to serve God, but sometimes He makes it my job for the moment and I cannot disobey Him, can I? I can only speak or write what is in my heart. Should I write what is in someone else's heart? For anyone serving God, whether believes in OSAS or not, does anyone other than God give any real increase?
I would certainly say, No.
OSAS ~ is highlighted By and Through what Thee Christ Lord Himself has Done and Given a particular man.
It is the man electing, by the man exercising his own FREEWILL, to; call on the Lord, To;
Give his own life To the Lord.
The Lord is not Fooled.
He knows all things; past, present, future.
With all things considered... The Lord Does or Does Not SAVE A man, who calls on Him.
Meaning... The Lord Does Give His Gift of Salvation to a man whose request is For The Lords Salvation, Based on the mans True Belief In Christ...And Does NOT give His Gift of Salvation to a mans whose request for His Gift of Salvation is based on a LIE.
The Saving of a mans SOUL, is only Part of a Conversion. The man is Forgiven. The crucifying of the mans Body, and His Cleansing and Sanctifying of that BODY, and His giving the man a new Heart, and His Giving that man His SEED, that Births the man a New Spirit, and His Giving that man His INDWELLING Spirit.....Are....
His ONE TIME Permanent Gifts Given By and Through Christ.
Scripture teaches to the man to be Sure of his election.
The Lord says the Giving of Holy Spirit Dwelling withIN a man is forever.
Scripture teaches a man WITHOUT the Holy Spirit shall die in his sins.
Unforgiven men are NOT forever with the Lord.
Forgiveness is given a man While the man is Alive in his own Life, which is his Blood.
The Lord who came out from God in Heaven, To Earth, in the likeness as a man, to Give that Flesh ONCE, (Prepared of God), For the life of the world, did so.
A man, who WHOLE heartedly Believes That,
And ONCE Wholeheartly, chooses to Accept the Lords Gifts...does so Once and Forever.
The Beauty of The Lords Gift and the mans Heartful Acceptance IS;
The mans KEEPING of the Lords Gift is not dependent UPON the man himself....but rather is fully KEPT for the man, By and Through the Indwelling Power of The Spirit of God.
God Bless,
Taken