In
1 Corinthians 15, Paul says they had heard him preach the gospel, had received it, and stand in it, and they are saved:
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2
By which also ye are saved,
That’s it’s right? Done deal, their salvation forever settled, end of debate, OSAS is true.
EXCEPT.
Paul’s next words make their salvation conditional,
by warning them that though they’d heard the gospel, received it, stand in it, and ARE SAVED, that they can end up believing IN VAIN, ifthey don’t keep in mind all that he taught them:
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved,
IF - ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have BELIEVED IN VAIN.
What was it that Paul preached them, that they had to keep in memory that he had preached it to them, that can affect their salvation,
and cause their receiving the gospel, standing in it, and being saved, to be IN VAIN?
He taught them that he has to control and subjugate his flesh daily, lest after preaching to others, he himself would end up a CASTAWAY - adokimos in the Greek. - a reprobate (rejected by God as one that failed the test).
1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
By subjugation of his body, Paul refers to the flesh, the fleshly desire to sin, i e, commit works of the flesh, as seen in another of Paul’s warnings to the saints, to the brethren, about living sinfully.
Gal 5:16 This - I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Gal 5:18 But IF ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the WORKS OF THE FLESH are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell YOU again, as I have also told youin time past, that they which DO such things shall NOT inherit the kingdom of God.
He also warned the brethren to examine themselves to see if they were still in the faith, or had become reprobate:
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Paul in fact gave warning after warning to the brethren, to be not deceived, about the consequences of living a lifestyle of sinning, such as being an adulterer, or drunkard, or thief, etc.
He warned the brethren that some of them were THIEVES because they’d defrauded their brethren, then warned the church against being deceived into thinking they could steal, or commit other serious sins, and still enter into the kingdom of heaven
1Co 6:8 Nay, ye do wrong, and DEFRAUD, and that your - BRETHREN.
1Co 6:9 Know yenot that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor THIEVES (such as those who DEFRAUD the BRETHREN) nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Notice in verse 11 he states that some of the brethren used to live that way, but stopped after salvation - but we’ve already seen that some of them were ALSO living in sin by defrauding their brethren and stealing from them:
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
There’s no OSAS in Paul’s many warnings to the brethren and saints about living sinfully as believers.
Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh SAINTS.
Eph 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath ANY inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6 Let no man DECEIVE YOU with vain words: for because of these things cometh the WRATH of God upon the childrenof disobedience.
Eph 5:7 Be not YE therefore partakers WITH them.
1Ti 3:2 A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife, be sober, self-controlled, and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach;
1Ti 3:3 he must not be a drunkard or a violent man, but gentle and peaceful; he must not love money;
1Ti 3:4 he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with all respect.
1Ti 3:5 For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?
1Ti 3:6 He must be mature in the faith,
so that he will not swell up with pride and be condemned, as the Devil was.