If you think you can't lose your salvation, I will direct you to OSAS to show how dangerous the once saved always saved false doctrine is to Christianity.
There is something that needs to be understood first, as my premise will look confusing to many people who have been indoctrinated into the grace misconceptions.
It's true that Paul spoke against works in some places, but advocates it in others...it needs to be understood that Paul was speaking in some places from a Jewish perspective of 'works' and 'law' which consists of things such as the daily rituals, kosher diets, and temple ordinances, all of which cannot and do not provide anyone with any salvation whatsoever. Much of this proof can be found in 2nd Corinthians 3, and Galatians 2:14-16 where Paul rebukes Peter for falling back into Judaism.
In other places, Paul speaks of works and laws in regards to the Spirit.
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Just from this verse alone it should become clear that it takes an understanding of context to grasp what Paul speaks of sometimes. In verse 10, Paul explains that because love works no ill will to your neighbor, it is therefore the fulfilling of the law. This is the only law we are under in the NT, it's the new commandment of Christ, given in John 13:34. In Gal 5:14, Paul says that all of the law is fulfilled in loving your neighbor as yourself.
However, in Romans 4:5, Paul says that even if you worketh not, your faith is counted for righteousness.
Many greasy grace teachers point that verse out without recognizing that only a few verses prior, Paul was talking about Abraham's faith without works.
Clearly, if anyone knows of the story of Abraham, he did not have the torah, or 10 commandments, there was no temple, there was no nation of Israel, and there was no kosher diet. These are the works Paul is referring to here, and the previous chapter indicates it. Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. With these facts in mind, there's no basis for the claim that Paul was talking about anything but the works of the law/torah.
The key verses that bring it all together are explained in James 2:21-26. Here is proof of the kind of works that Abraham did, as well as Rahab the harlot did, this puts everything perfectly into perspective, and is a very integral piece making it crystal clear as to what works matter to God. Proving once and for all that the works Paul was putting down were merely the works of the law of Moses. As it says, "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.... For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead."
So you can see that without Abraham's works, his faith would not have counted for righteousness to God, and that Abraham's faith itself consisted of doing good works--something that greasy gracers absolutely ignore, because it makes a large portion of their doctrine crumble.
To further annihilate the heretical belief, there is a large majority of greasy gracers that believe James doesn't apply to them, based on James 1:1 which says James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. Now greasers don't read past the first verse, if they did, they would realize in the very next verse, James calls them his brethren, in verse 4 he mentions the trying of their faith, and in verse 12 he mentions them enduring temptations....
Now I want all the greasy gracers out there to tell me, was James writing to nonbelieving Jews here? Seriously, if you don't think he was addressing Christians, then why would James be 'exhorting' his "brethren" in the "faith" and quoting the beatitudes for them?
They were OBVIOUSLY CHRISTIANS.
The Jewish title was only by blood, and not their religion...afterall, most of the early Christians were Jews (by blood) it only makes sense that James would address them, so did Paul. This means that yes, if you're a Christian, James IS to you.
Futhermore, James 2:21-26 is a statement of FACT and not "just to the Jews". Like when Isaiah 40:22 says the world is round, it's a FACT. Is that just for the Jews too? Is the world square for all the gentiles? Lastly, there's some famous verses spanning the entire book of James that all of Christianity accepts, including the greasy gracers, so it's a complete hypocrisy to pick and choose verses, while saying it wasn't for you.
We can see now that law and works are not always spoken of in the same context, and with this section I will show that works in conjunction with faith are necessary for salvation. It's faith+works, neither on their own will get you anywhere.
Some verses hint that works are important, other verses show that they are EXTREMELY important. Most verses have been paraphrased for the sake of space, but the content is accurate, I looked up and typed every one myself.
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Jonah 3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
3:10 And God saw their WORKS, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Matthew 3:10; Trees without good FRUIT are cast into fire
5:7; BE merciful if you want mercy
5:10; Those who are persecuted for righteousness shall inherit the kingdom
5:19; If you break the least of commandments you will be one of the least in the kingdom
5:20; Unless you're more righteous than the scribes and pharisees you wont even be in the kingdom
5:44-45; Love your enemies, so that you may be the children of God
6:14-15; Forgive IF you want to be forgiven
7:19; Trees without good fruit are cast into the fire
7:21; Not everyone who says Lord Lord will get into heaven, only those who DO the will of the Father
7:24; Whosoever hears and DOES is a wise man who built his house on rocks
10:34-37; If you do not love Christ more than your family, you're not worthy of Him
10:38; If you don't take up your cross and FOLLOW Him, you're not worthy of Him
10:39; If you lose your life for His sake you shall find it
12:50; Whoever DOES His will are His brethren
16:24; Take up thy cross and FOLLOW Him
16:27; Christ shall reward everyone by their WORKS
18:3-5; Be as a child if you want into the kingdom
18:34-35; God will deliver you unto tormentors if you don't forgive
19:17; If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments
19:29; Everyone who has forsaken family and land for His sake shall be rewarded a hundred fold and inherit eternal life
20:25-27; If you will be great you MUST serve others
21:43; The kingdom will be given to a nation bringing forth good FRUITS
24:45-47; The faithful and wise servant was found DOING what he was told
25:20-21; The GOOD and faithful servant entered into the joy of the Lord
25:31-40; He shall separate the sheep from the goats and the goats will be saying Lord Lord, and He shall say whatsoever you DID to the LEAST of these my brethren you've DONE unto me, depart from me ye workers of iniquity
Mark 8:35; Whosoever shall lose His life for His sake shall find it
10:30; Anyone who leaves family and land for His sake shall receive eternal life
11:25-26 Forgive IF you want to be forgiven
Luke 3:9; If you don't bring forth good FRUIT you will be cast into the fire
6:35; Love your enemies if you want to be His children
6:46-48; If you hear His words and DO them you are wise and built upon the rock
8:21; His brethren are those who hear the word and DO it
10:25-28; If you love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself you will inherit eternal life
12:43-44; Blessed is the servant who is DOING, for he will be ruler over all
13:7-9; If the fig tree does not bear good FRUIT it will be cut down
13:24; STRIVE to enter in at the strait gate, MANY will TRY and not be able to
18:13-15; If you exalt yourself you will be abased, if you humble yourself you'll be exalted
18:29-30; Everyone who leaves and forsakes all for Him will inherit life everlasting
John 3:19-21; But he that DOES truth comes to light that his deeds may be made manifest
4:36; He that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth FRUIT unto life eternal
5:29; They that have DONE good shall get the resurrection of life and they that have DONE evil shall get resurrection of damnation
8:31-32; If you CONTINUE in His word, you are His disciples
8:51; If a man keeps His saying he shall never see death
9:31; God does not hear sinners but only those who hear Him and DO His will
12:25; He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal
12:26; If any man serves Him, he should FOLLOW Him
14:15-16; Keep His commandments and He will send you the Holy Spirit (comforter).
14:21-24; He that has His commandments and keeps them loves Him, and will be loved by the Father and Jesus, and they will abide with him.
15:6-10; IF you keep his commandments you will abide in Him, if you don't, you will be cast forth as a withered branch and burned
Acts 5:32; God has given the Holy Ghost to them that OBEY Him
10:35; Every nation that feareth Him and WORKETH righteousness is accepted by God
Romans 2:6-7; God will render to every man according to his DEEDS through patient continuing and well doing for glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life
2:10; Glory, honor, and peace to every man that DOES good works
2:13; Not the hearers of the law, but the DOERS shall be justified
6:16-18; Whoever you are servant to is who you obey, whether sin or righteousness
6:22; Freed from sin, and a servant to God, you have FRUIT unto holiness and everlasting life
8:13; If you do not mortify the DEEDS of the flesh, you will die
1Cor 6:9-10 Fornicators, idolators, adulterers, effeminate, abusers, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
2Cor 4:17; Our light affliction for a moment worketh for us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory
5:9 We LABOR, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
5:10; All will appear before the judgement seat of Christ and receive according to what was DONE in their body, whether good or bad
6:17-18; Come out from among them and be separate and don't touch the unclean thing and God will receive you
Gal 5:19-21 Covers adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, HATRED, variance, emulations, WRATH, STRIFE, seditions, heresies, drunkenness, envyings, murders, and revellings...and says such a person has no inheritance in the kingdom of God
6:7-8; If you sow to the flesh you will reap corruption, sow to the spirit and you reap eternal life
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.
Phil 3:10-11; Paul wanted to attain to the resurrection
1Tim 4:16; CONTINUE in the doctrine, for in doing so you save thyself and them that hear thee
6:17-19; Charge those who are rich in this world, that they DO good to be rich in good WORKS, laying a good foundation, that they may lay hold on eternal life
2Tim 2:12 If we suffer we will reign with Him, if we deny Him He will deny us
Titus 2:14 Christ wants a pure people who are zealous of good WORKS
Heb 3:14; We are made partakers of Christ, IF we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end
5:9; He became the author of eternal salvation to them that OBEY Him
12:9; Be in subjection to the Father
12:14; Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord
James 2:5; God has promised the kingdom to them that LOVE Him
2:17-25; Faith without works is dead
4:6-10; God resists the proud, gives grace to the humble, submit to God and draw nigh to Him, cleanse your hands ye sinners, purify your hearts ye double minded
5:19-20; Brethren, if any of you err from the truth and get converted back from the error of his way, the one who converted you will have saved a soul from death.
1Peter 2:24; We being dead to sins should live RIGHTEOUSLY
3:10-12; Eschew evil and DO GOOD, if you want to love life and see good days, speak no evil, seek peace and ensue it
4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
4:19; Those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him
2Peter 1:5-11; Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, for IF these things abound in you then you wont be barren or unfruitful in knowledge of Jesus Christ, but if you LACK them, you are BLIND. IF you DO these things you will have entrance into the everlasting kingdom
1John 1:7; If we WALK in the light, the blood of Christ cleanseth us
2:3; We do know that we know him, IF we keep His commandments.
2:4; He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His COMMANDMENTS, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
2:5; Whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
2:6; If you say you abide in Him you ought to WALK in the same manner as He walked.
2:17; He that DOETH the will of God abideth forever
3:22; Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him BECAUSE we keep His commandments
3:24; He that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him
Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God
Rev 2:7; To him that overcometh He will give to eat of the tree of life
2:11; He that overcometh will not taste the 2nd death
2:17; He that overcometh will get a hidden manna and a white stone
2:23; Jesus searches the reigns of the heart and will give according to your WORKS
2:26-28; He that overcometh and keepeth my WORKS to the end will rule over the nations and will have the morning star
3:4; The ones in sardis are worthy because they were not defiled
3:5; He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment
3:12; He that overcometh will have a pillar in the temple
3:21; He that overcometh will sit with Christ on the throne
20:12-13; The dead will be judged by their WORKS
22:14; Blessed are they that DO His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
22:19; And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
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So from this plethora of 22 books of the Bible and over 100 verses, we can see that everything possibly pertaining to a Christian is covered, whether you take the words of Jesus only, Jesus+Paul, or Paul only. The message is clear in the New Testament, works are required for righteousness and salvation, and by "works" I do not mean the 600 laws of the old torah.
Also I am well aware of Phil 2:13 "For it is God whch worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Meaning it may be by His power that you can and want to do good, but you still have to do it.
Now I know that people will try to say "Our righteousness is as filthy rags" but people don't notice 2 things about that verse.
1. It's only found in the OT in Isaiah 64:6, where he is talking to Israel about repenting from their sins. We are not in the OT times anymore, nor are we a part of unrepentant Israel that was being referred to back then.
2. It says at the beginning of the verse that they were also unclean, well in the 2nd Cor 6:17-18 we are told not to be unclean if we want to be accepted by God. In Rev 3:4 Sardis was counted worthy because they were not defiled. So, unclean = unrighteous, and clean = righteous, it should be obvious to be clean then.
Aside from that, if you still don't believe it, we are to put on HIS righteousness, as Eph 6:14 says to put on the breastplate of righteousness and the whole armor of God. We are commanded to be holy, we are commanded to be Godly, we are commanded to be pure. Oh yes, here's another one. Daniel, Noah, and Job were all saved by their own righteousness... Ezekiel 14:16.
1Peter 1:5 is also sometimes brought up because it says Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Some people would take the verse as meaning you have nothing to do with staying saved. At a first glance, this verse would be very destructive to alot of my points, but it's really an issue of translation in King James English. Phrureo and phyllaso in the Greek are both translated sometimes as "kept" or "keep" in the Bible, and their definitions mean to be guarded or protected, not withheld, retained, or prevented from something. The reason translators used "kept" and "keep" is because of the language at the time, and this can be illustrated by a 'keep' in medieval times being the guarded structure within a castle. It applies in not only 1Peter 1:5 but also in 2Thes 3:3 and Jude 1:24 among others that use phrureo or phylasso, as this is their only definition.
So what are we being guarded or protected (kept) from in the context of these verses if it's not preventing the loss of your salvation? We know 1Cor 10:13 says God will not allow you to be tempted beyond means of escape. Sure enough, the verse following 1Peter 1:5 goes right into the temptations and trials of this world. Similarly, the verses following 2Thes 3:3 go into obedience and staying on the straight and narrow, as do the verses immediately prior to Jude 1:24. I believe this settles the context of being kept by God as meaning temptations cannot overpower you, and not as a proof text of eternal security.
Two last things needs to be said for the sake of the greasy gracers and new agers who STILL may not be convinced of the importance of works.
If you preach a do-nothing gospel and you're using things like "we are saved by grace", or a message of "faith alone":
Titus 2:11-14 says that the grace of God that brings salvation teaches us to be righteous, godly, and zealous of good works. So if you walk around touting that you are saved by grace, and yet you are not living a godly and righteous life, full of good works, then you I'm afraid are a liar. Repent.
Secondly, if you want to preach that you're saved by "faith alone", I'm sorry, no such phrase exists in the Bible, neither does "trusting in the finished work of the cross". These are simply phantom verses that do not appear in scripture, but have been invented as concepts by preachers and spread like a virus to unknowing Christians. For more on the doctrine of once saved always saved, go here.