What is "OSAS"?

[Jack]

Convince each other of what?

I actually never heard the term OSAS really until I came into a christian chat room. I also did not know many people felt it came from the fatalistic view of Calvinism.

all the same, once a person is saved, they are always saved. It’s called eternal life, the seal of the spirit. The promise that we will never die, that we will be raised.

while people may not like the dotrine as proposed by calvinism, the fact remains, the words are in themselves apart from doctrine, factual.

Again, I think the reason all these fights happen is people are tryign to fight calvinism. Most people I know who believe in eternal security, are not calvinist. They reject fatalistic teachings. We believe in free will..

so again, I am not sure what your asking here.

I was just trying to understand OSAS. I guess I should have kept quiet.

Which OSAS

The doctrine as found by Calvin

or the words once saved always saved, or as most people call it, eternal security.

They are two different things…

I'm not familiar with Calvin.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Which OSAS

The doctrine as found by Calvin

or the words once saved always saved, or as most people call it, eternal security.

They are two different things…

Calvin teaches that we do not come to christ, Christ choses us, we have no say in the matter, That he chose some to saved, and he chose some to not be saved. There is no free will. If he elected you. He will regenerate you so you can believe, then you will believe and be saved..

if he did not chose you he will not regenerate you and no matter what, you will never come to him,, yet you are guilty so you earn your damnation.

one of the facets of Calvinism is ‘perseverance of the saints” - it states the the saint who is born of God will not fall. They will persevere. Thus they can never lose salvation. Here is where the term many see as OSAS comes from..

in response the other said came up with their own point to counter what they saw as a false doctrine of calvin. it is the arminian view

The Armenian views that people can resist grace, and eventually fall from grace. That salvation can be lost. This view says that a person can walk away from faith, and thus walk away from salvation. And or they can commit sins which will disqualify them from salvation.

then of course there is the third view. Many call Romanism, the view of the Catholic Church and her offspring, which says that salvation is a process through a list of sacraments. And that there are certain sins that are fatal. And are unforgivable. Where only the people (I believe) can forgive you as the representative of God. And oh by the way, if you fail. You always have purgatory

sadly, Satan has used these three beliefs to tear the church apart with fighting and bickering, and hate, there have even been wars fought in the name of God (catholic vs protestant) so that the churhc is given a bad name

of course it is all to keep people from God.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

I'm not familiar with Calvin.

Sorry, I hope my last post helps you.. if you have any questions, please ask

 

[Eternally Grateful]

I'm not familiar with Calvin.

Don’t feel bad, When I first came into a chat room many years ago. I was suprised at non catholics who did not believe in eternal security, when I questioned them I saw I was being told I believe things I never have believed. It took awhile. But I finally saw it was basically an Armenian/calvin debate. I did not know this was so prevalent in modern churches. But it is

 

[Ezra]

Hey Ezra,

I was telling Scott what I thought he meant in his post. I wasn't necessarily agreeing with him; I was interpreting his post.

None the less, Scripture says A LOT more on what one must do to obtain eternal life. Your use of one passage as proof that you are right is dangerous. If you read 1 John 1:9 you will see that IF we confess our sins, he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. To be saved one must first believe (John 3:16, Acts 16:31). They must be repentant and get baptized (Acts 2:38, 2 Peter 3:9, John 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21). To be saved one must declare with your mouth (Luke 12:8, Romans 10:9). In the end we will be judged and justified by our works (Romans 2:6, James 2:24). So, as you can see when all of Scripture is taken into context, we really won't know until the end and we have to do A LOT more than just "believe".


Keeping it real with all of Scripture......Mary

aww so your a water baptism salvation believer... you just left the without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins . thank you for making my remarks say something i never posted . BTW our works follows salvation not precedes

 

[Scott Downey]

I was just trying to understand OSAS. I guess I should have kept quiet.

I'm not familiar with Calvin.

Eternal salvation is what OSAS is in effect.

Hebrews 11
Christ’s Death Perfects the Sanctified
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being [d]sanctified.

15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is [e]remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Plus Christ saves believers only.
39 But we are not of those who draw back to [o]perdition (hell), but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

 

[Scott Downey]

Hebrews 9, Christ guarantees that the called of Jesus Christ, receive the promise of eternal life...He obtains our eternal redemption by His work. He did exactly what the Father sent Him to do.

John 6:39
This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things [c]to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, [d]sanctifies for the [e]purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without [f]spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

 

[Taken]

It almost sounds like OSASers are trying to convince each other. Am I wrong?

Yes you are wrong.
You asked in your thread title:
“What is OSAS”.
You are getting a response from individual’s in their own words, who Trust to Believe God’s Offering By, Through, Of, Christ Jesus a Way to Receive Eternal Salvation…
Before physical death AND for some after physical death….(regardless of WHEN)…
Once the Gift of Salvation is Given, it is a non-revocable Gift, Because FOR EVER that gift is MAINTAINED to Remain Constant and Forever, BY the POWER of God, to whit, there is no Greater Power that IS possible to Revoke the Gift.

It is every individual’s option to Believe as they individually choose.
SOME people choose to Believe, AFTER RECEIVING Gods Gift of Salvation, God Himself IS NOT the Greatest Power, to maintain and KEEP their Received Salvation Forever Secure, and
THUS:
They believe, teach, preach, THEY are in a constant fear of losing their “received” salvation and others as well should be in the same constant fear.

 

[Jack]

Yes you are wrong.
You asked in your thread title:
“What is OSAS”.
You are getting a response from individual’s in their own words, who Trust to Believe God’s Offering By, Through, Of, Christ Jesus a Way to Receive Eternal Salvation…
Before physical death AND for some after physical death….(regardless of WHEN)…
Once the Gift of Salvation is Given, it is a non-revocable Gift, Because FOR EVER that gift is MAINTAINED to Remain Constant and Forever, BY the POWER of God, to whit, there is no Greater Power that IS possible to Revoke the Gift.

It is every individual’s option to Believe as they individually choose.
SOME people choose to Believe, AFTER RECEIVING Gods Gift of Salvation, God Himself IS NOT the Greatest Power, to maintain and KEEP their Received Salvation Forever Secure, and
THUS:
They believe, teach, preach, THEY are in a constant fear of losing their “received” salvation and others as well should be in the same constant fear.

If we can NEVER be lost then what's the point of preaching OSAS? I truly don't understand.

 

[Ritajanice]

For those who don’t understand what the rebirth means, therein lies the problem.

You must be Born Again to see the Kingdom of God.

God’s Kingdom also lives in our hearts, he’s called the Holy Spirit, is he not in the Kingdom of God?

A Born Again has received that new heart and Spirit within, when they have been birthed in the Spirit.

Without the Spirit / Baptism in the Holy Spirit...you don’t belong to him...

It’s a supernatural event and not a manmade event....only God can give us the Spiritual birth, then we are saved and not until.

 

[Ritajanice]

Yes you are wrong.
You asked in your thread title:
“What is OSAS”.
You are getting a response from individual’s in their own words, who Trust to Believe God’s Offering By, Through, Of, Christ Jesus a Way to Receive Eternal Salvation…
Before physical death AND for some after physical death….(regardless of WHEN)…
Once the Gift of Salvation is Given, it is a non-revocable Gift, Because FOR EVER that gift is MAINTAINED to Remain Constant and Forever, BY the POWER of God, to whit, there is no Greater Power that IS possible to Revoke the Gift.

It is every individual’s option to Believe as they individually choose.
SOME people choose to Believe, AFTER RECEIVING Gods Gift of Salvation, God Himself IS NOT the Greatest Power, to maintain and KEEP their Received Salvation Forever Secure, and
THUS:
They believe, teach, preach, THEY are in a constant fear of losing their “received” salvation and others as well should be in the same constant fear.

I cannot find anywhere in scripture that says we can choose to become Born Again?

God chose me, and he chose to birth me in the Spirit as his word says...that is my testimony and belief.

He draws us to Jesus “ His Way” not mans way, ..he even brought me to believe in Jesus....I didn’t say he believed for me, I did that, he most definitely brought me to belief....Praise God for everything and only HE gets all the Praise and Glory!!

Born Again is a Spiritual birth, it is not a manmade birth, where some interpret scripture to say what they want it to say.....we must be Born Again, period.



Apparently he comes to everyone differently, well, that was the way I was Born of God, by God, as his word says.

He also says you must be Born Again to see his Kingdom.

 

[Ritajanice]

If we can NEVER be lost then what's the point of preaching OSAS? I truly don't understand.

@Jack ....I don’t believe we can ever lose salvation, not if we are Born Again.

I do believe we can go our own way and rely on self, instead of relying on God 100%...this is something God teaches us to understand as we walk and grow in the Spirit.

An instance...I was relying on myself to sort a situation out...I didn’t even realise I was doing this....then the Lord spoke to me in the service at church yesterday...that which the minister was preaching.

Through the Lady minister, he spoke to my spirit and told me I can do nothing in my own strength..

That reassured me that he was in my situation...sometimes we think he doesn’t see us or hear us.

It’s a lie from the devil...we just have to learn to rest in God and wait on him, as his Born Again child....remember we are his...we are no longer of the world.

We have a Living relationship with God through the Holy Spirit....Praise God.

 

[Taken]

I was just trying to understand OSAS. I guess I should have kept quiet.

I'm not familiar with Calvin.

I’ve heard Calvin’s name mentioned on this forum. Ditto, I do not know or much care his view.

OSAS in a nutshell is:
1) Salvation is a Gift from God to individual men.
2) Gods Gift of Salvation is Given men, VIA…By, Through, Of…..Christ Jesus.
3) Jesus is the Word of God.
4) Christ is the Power of God.
5) Christ Jesus IS the Salvation of God.
6) Gods Gift of Salvation IS Christ Jesus.
7) God Himself; Via A ONE TIME EVENT, gave the whole world, His GIFT. (Christ Jesus).

It’s a parallel…of an ancient biblical text whereby God Created a mankind of male and female KIND of thing, Made the mankind of thing Alive, called that mankind of thing Adam, and put that mankind of thing IN a Garden God planted in the East of Eden.
With-IN that Garden, Called the Midst, (signifying a place of prominence to not be overlooked) was TWO particular and Named Trees.
Point being, Those two Trees were expressly Gifts GIVEN To Adam. And it was Adams Freewill to Reach out, Take from ANY Tree and Eat…
OR NOT.
Of ALL the Trees IN the Garden, God WARNED, of detrimental consequences should Adam choose to Eat from that ONE expressly identified particular Tree.
Ancient recorded Biblical text reveals ADAM having chosen to EAT from the one tree he was WARNED had detrimental consequences.
AND further the ancient text reveals AS one of Adams consequences, was Adam being expelled from the Garden, he still could have reached out, taken and eaten from the Tree identified as the Tree of Life….but as Adam was leaving the garden, he did Not reach out, take or eat of that Tree.

Ancients names of Rivers and of Lands are revealed in the ancient Biblical texts.
(and not a secret, Names of Lands have been numerous times changed. The landscapes of Rivers and Lands were changed during the great flood).

Regardless of the pin-pointing changes of names of lands…the broad area of lands are collectively modernly called the “Middle East”.

8) For a SECOND Time, following Adam’s experience of God having given Adam Gods Tree of Life, for Adam to Choose to freely take and eat…OR NOT…
9) In the SAME AREA, modernly called the “Middle East” AGAIN God set in mankind's MIDST Gods Gift of Salvation FOR ANY man of the whole world, TO freelyTAKE and. EAT…or not.
9) Nothing new. Any man CAN TAKE and EAT Gods Offering which God set before EVERY man…
10) and Receive that Gift ONCE and LIVE forever…or not.

Point being….Gods Gift of eternal LIFE was already Given Adam, for him to TAKE right then…he didn’t.

Point being….For a Second Time God Gave His eternal Gift of LIFE in the Midst of ‘modernly called the Middle East”, which IS the close proximity location of the ancient land of Eden…and regardless of what land any man is located, called modernly by whatever name….EVERY individual man has the freewill option, choice, to Reach out, and Take the Gods Gift, God Himself SET in their Midst.

Some men expressly CHOOSE to TAKE Gods Gift, and thereafter ForEVER have and possess that Gift….and Many men expressly CHOOSE to reject Gods Gift…By Not reaching out and Taking the Gift.

Gifts are an offering. If a man refuses to TAKE a “ANY” gift…they forfeit Having, possessing the Gift. It is a loss unto themselves.

OSAS, applies to an individual man, Who has reached out and TAKEN Gods Gift Offering.
Such a man thus possess the Gift given him.

Continued…addressing a problem

 

[Taken]

Continued…
A problem..

Men CAN accept gifts from other men.
Men CAN return the gift they accepted from a another man.
Men CAN throw away in the garbage heap a gift they accepted from another man.
Men CAN burn, destroy a gift they accepted from an other man.
Men CAN regift, a gift they accepted from an other man.
Men can keep, use, enjoy, display, hide, a gift they accepted from an other man.

However Gods Gift of Salvation is NOT a visible, tangible Gift, men can see, handle and put or dispose of or return to God.

It is expressly a spiritual Gift, from God, who IS Spirit, that comes with a guarantee, that Gods Power will forever maintain the mans safe KEEPing of that Gift.

If you comprehend what I have said, you should be able to understand the meaning of OSAS, in the same understanding as any man who has Once and Forever accepted Gods spiritual Gift Offering of salvation.

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[Eternally Grateful]

If we can NEVER be lost then what's the point of preaching OSAS? I truly don't understand.

I can think of a few reasons,

1. We don’t actually teach it, but in places like this we have to discuss it because of the many who think savation can be given back or lost.

2. In a discipleship setting, We need to discuss it because the Bible says it is the root, or the hope that is in us, and failure to understand this would lead to either fear (Am I good enough, am I doing enough. I did these sins which tear me down, Will God really forgive me) which comes from our flesh and the whispers of Satan. Or lead to us having to ignore or hide sins we struggle with, because we are afraid if people find out. They may condemn us, or worse yet. God will condemn us (yes we even try to hide them from God, usually by not praying or being involved in ministries)

 

[Taken]

I cannot find anywhere in scripture that says we can choose to become Born Again?

God chose me, and he chose to birth me in the Spirit as his word says...that is my testimony and belief.

Not without your Agreement to receive His offering.

God chooses some.
Evidenced by Biblical text, of NAMED persons God Chose. Not ONLY named persons He Chose, but the specific TASK God Chose them to DO, AND their agreement.

God calls many.
I could call YOU, and YOU can decide to answer or not.
No different with God. He calls, some answer, some do not.

Those WHOM Gods calls, and Those WHOM answer… God reveals he will BE WITH that person.
We have Biblical Evidence of God calling men, men Answering with their own calling out to God and God Revealing….the CONDITIONS for Agreement….Between God and a man….FOR God to BE “WITH” such men.

You can research the ancient history…of men calling on the LORD, of men calling on the Name of the LORD…
Ancient history example:
Gen 4:
[26] And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

A calling is a two way avenue.
MEN who call on the Lord God, ARE acknowledging THEY BELIEVE IN the Lord God.
(Less a person be utterly ignorant and calls on something they do not believe exists)

So, discover…ancient men CALLED on the Lord….AND the Lord God, by, through, of MOSES, gave men who called ON the Lord…
CONDITIONS….

AND? What did the people RESPOND by their OWN words, to the Lord Gods CONDITIONS?

Ex 19:
[8] And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

So, when you say, YOU did not choose God, He choose you….you error.

An agreement between ANY two men…
Or God and One man, IS an AGREEMENT Established BY EACH CHOOSING TO AGREE TO the Terms/ conditions/ OF the ONE who has established and offered the Agreement, contract, promise, covenant (or whatever term you want to call it).

A bank can offer you a loan, a line of credit; the government can offer you a string of freebies; a school can offer to transport your child on a bus; an employer can offer you employment; on and on…
The one who OFFERS, sets the terms…AND you can choose to AGREE and ACCEPT the offering (according to the terms OR NOT).

It is NOT given you WITHOUT your own choosing to AGREE, simply because it was Offered to you.

If God chose you, called on you, offered you His Gifts, His terms, His conditions, …….You in-turn Accept or Reject by your own Choosing.

That occurred in Moses day…and what was Gods Offering to men who CHOSE God and CHOSE to accept Gods Conditions?

Bottom LINE….God would BE “WITH” such men.

And according to ancient Biblical text…WHAT occurred, WHEN men chose to DEFAULT and NOT stick to the terms/conditions they Agreed to?
God withdrew from being “WITH” them.

If you continue reading through ancient OT Scripture, you would find…generation after generation of men repeating…calling on the Lord God, agreeing to His terms, God WITH them, many men defaulting, God withdrawing FROM being WITH them….and God remaining WITH men who kept their word……repeat, repeat, repeat.

Forward to a NEW, better Testament and It’s Offering.

Offered to men of the entire world.
John 6:51

The condition…IF ….
Rom 10:
[9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The Condition…the mans word of Agreement of Belief (in their heart), and Confession of that mans Belief…..Is that man agreeing to the Condition.

The ASSURANCE OF….THEN shall that man Receive Gods Gift of Salvation.

What assurance? The assurance Scripture reveals according to the NEW BETTER TESTAMENT…

Heb 7:
[22] By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

IF God called you…..your requirement is to respond with your own calling…ON Him.

YOU choose…
YOU elect…
YOU call on the Lord God and make your choices KNOWN to Him.

Josh 24;
[15] And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

1 Thes 1:
[4] Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

AND? WHAT is the consequence, BLESSING, according to a man’s CALLING, according to the NEW BETTER Testament?

It’s two fold…
Forever, God Shall BE “WITH” you.
For the REST of your “MORTAL” life, Gods Spirit SHALL BE “IN” your BODY, Keeping you WITH God during the rest of your mortal life….

And AFTER your mortal life ENDS…
BY PROMISE:
Your soul shall go and be with God.
Your spirit shall go and be with God.
Your dead body shall wait, to receive it’s promise of being risen up in a glorified body, that shall also FOREVER Be with God.

Every man has received Gods Offering.
It is every mans own choice to choose God and accept His Offering or not.

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[Scott Downey]

I cannot find anywhere in scripture that says we can choose to become Born Again?

God chose me, and he chose to birth me in the Spirit as his word says...that is my testimony and belief.

He draws us to Jesus “ His Way” not mans way, ..he even brought me to believe in Jesus....I didn’t say he believed for me, I did that, he most definitely brought me to belief....Praise God for everything and only HE gets all the Praise and Glory!!

Born Again is a Spiritual birth, it is not a manmade birth, where some interpret scripture to say what they want it to say.....we must be Born Again, period.



Apparently he comes to everyone differently, well, that was the way I was Born of God, by God, as his word says.

He also says you must be Born Again to see his Kingdom.

Yes, not of ourselves are we saved. And our faith is the fruit of the Holy Spirit too. God works in us before we are saved, and we are saved by His grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Titus 3
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

 

[Scott Downey]

The faith you have came from God to believe.
Romans 12
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Ephesians 2
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)

If it is grace then it is not anything to do with you why God saved you. Nothing you did or said.
God caused all things to work for your good if He called you to be saved. We simply accept-receive Him due to the work God did in our life first.

Note what v21 says.
John 3
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

 

[Scott Downey]

Romans 8 here fully supports OSAS ideas. The people who hate OSAS don't understand how God saves us and they see fake Christians sinning and say they lost their salvation; they view everyone according to the flesh.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

1 Corinthians 5 We tell everyone the good news of the Gospel, but also acknowledge in ourselves that their salvation depends on God showing to them mercy to be saved.

12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not [d]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

[Scott Downey]

Further confirmation of the above. Devil has blinded the minds of the unbelieving lest the light of the glory of Christ shine on them
v6 though, God commanded the light to be shone in our hearts which is why we are the saved and the unbelieving are not.

2 Corinthians 4
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor [a]handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

That truth Christ also tells his people in Luke 10, that knowing Christ is by divine decree of His will.

21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All[g] things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”