NOTES ON THE INVIOLABLE PRINCIPLE OF ENDURANCE: A POLEMIC AGAINST THE OSAS HERESY AND AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY’S BETRAYAL OF CHRIST (WITH VIDEO)

I. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “And you, son of man, say to your people, ‘The uprightness and justice of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wicked lawlessness of the wicked lawless, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness, neither shall the rigidly upright and just be able to live because of his past righteousness in the day that he sins and misses the mark [in keeping in harmony and right standing with God].”’ – EZEKIEL 33:12, AMPC

KEY TERM: “TURNS.” ‘Shub’ [שׁוּב]: “A primitive root, ‘To turn back [from transgression]; to return from doing evil; recompense; to fetch home.’” NOTE: “Although שׁוּב broadly means, ‘To return,’ its inspired use ranges from the simple act of turning back geographically, to the profound realities of repentance, restoration, reversal, and renewal. The verb often carries ‘Covenantal Weight’ [i.e., ‘Life or Death Consequences re: Obedience’] signaling either Israel’s turning to or from the LORD, or the LORD’s gracious turning toward His people. Because its 1,056 occurrences span every section of the Old Testament, שׁוּב supplies a unifying thread that weaves through Redemptive History.”

QUOTATION. “In the long run the answer to all those who object to the Doctrine of Hell, is itself A QUESTION: ‘What are you asking God to do?’ To wipe out their past sins and, at all costs, to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But He has done so, on Calvary. To forgive them? They will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does … ‘For you will certainly carry out God’s Purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John.’” ― C.S. LEWIS, The Problem of Pain, 1940; edited

COMMENTARY.  “Those who despaired of finding Mercy with God, are answered with a solemn declaration of God’s readiness to show Mercy. The ruin of the city and state was determined, but that did not relate to the final state of persons. God says to the Righteous, that he shall surely live. ‘But many who have made profession, have been ruined by proud confidence in themselves [i.e., and created their own plans of salvation]. Man trusts to his own righteousness, and presuming on his own sufficiency, he is brought to commit iniquity.

‘IF those who have lived a wicked life Repent and forsake their wicked ways, [ONLY THEY] shall be saved!’ Many such amazing and blessed changes have been wrought by the power of Divine Grace. When there is a settled separation between a man and sin, there shall no longer be a separation between him and God.” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

II. TEACHING

“At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. Many false prophets will appear and mislead many.  Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold.

But [only] the one who ENDURES and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.” – JESUS OF NAZARETH, Matthew 24:10-13, Amplified

Selah.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been taught that once I gave my life and soul to Christ on October 30, 1979, I was forever ‘Secured in Christ,’ no matter what. This from the Baptist churches I attended, the Pentecostal church in which I was led to salvation, and later in several Charismatic churches I had attended as a ‘Spirit-filled’ believer.

As it turns out, it was a CATASTROPHIC DOCTRINAL FRAUD that now fits Hand in Glove with the Maga Christian Nationalism Movement. So here we shall consider: (1) Origins of the Doctrine; (2) The Early Church Position; and (3) Three Major Fallacies that comprise the core of its Teaching.

ORIGINS. More generally known as the “Doctrine of Eternal Security,” it has in recent days and years taken on the force of a Theological Hurricane. No matter where your turn or what church you attend, this Doctrine is found in the deep understructure of the entire Protestant American Church.

Here are a few of its MAJOR PRESUPPOSITIONS, as found in its early development. Taken from an Introductory Overview from Wikipedia (Aug. 4, 2025; edited).

  • OPEN. “‘Eternal Security,’ also known as ‘Once Saved, Always Saved’ is the belief providing Christian believers with absolute assurance of their Final Salvation. Its development, particularly within Protestantism, has given rise to diverse interpretations, especially in relation with the
  • ROOTS. “Before the Reformation, belief in forms of Eternal Security were anecdotal. Besides, in the early 5th Century, the AUGUSTINIAN Soteriology View of Predestination by Predeterminism emerged, though it did not endorse Eternal Security. By the 16th Century, this concept became integrated into the Theology of JOHN CALVIN and other Reformers. Calvinist circles initially embraced Eternal Security as one of the practical interpretations of the ‘Doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints’ [i.e., ‘Saints cannot not, Perservere’]. Over time, the term became a Synonym of the Calvinist Doctrine of Perseverance independently of its practical interpretations.”
  •  CONSEQUENCES. “In the early 20th Century, Eternal Security started to become a defining doctrine of the Southern Baptist Traditionalism. Around the same period, it also became part of Plymouth Brethren theology. Those two forms represents its predominant forms today. In the 1980s, the Free Grace Movement voiced this Doctrine independently of the notion of Personal Perseverance, with subsequent variations emerging such as the ‘Hyper-Grace” Teaching.’”

EARLY CHURCH. From these Foundations we travel to a look at the Early Church Fathers who preceded Augustine and Calvin. Taken from an excellent Blog from JOHN CALLAHAN, a retired Pastor of a nondenominational church. His piece is titled, “Did the Primitive Church Preach the Doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved?” (Never Thirsty, ret. Oct. 2, 2025; edited).

  • BIBLE QUESTION. “‘Did the Primitive Church Preach the Doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved?’ My Pastor says that this Doctrine is Heresy, and it wasn’t preached until after the 1500’s during the Reformation. Was this in the Nicean Creed?”
  • BIBLE ANSWER. “‘The Writings of the Early Church Fathers Indicate that They Did Not All Agree With the Statement: ‘Once Saved Always Saved.’ Someof the Early Christian writers appear to have believed that a person could lose his or her salvation by sinning and others believed that a person could lose his or her salvation if he or she no longer believed in Jesus. Here are a variety of quotes from some very significant Early Church Fathers.”
  • JUSTIN MARTYR (100-165 AD). “But I believe that even those, who have been persuaded…to observe the legal dispensation along with their confession of God in Christ, shall probably be saved. ‘And I hold, further, that such as have confessed and known this man to be Christ, yet who have gone back from some cause to the legal dispensation, and have Denied that this man is Christ, and have not Repented before death, shall by no means be saved. Further, I hold that those of the seed of Abraham who live according to the Law, and do not believe in this Christ before death, shall likewise not be saved’ (Dialogue of Justin, 47).”
  • SHEPHERD OF HERMAS (155-180 AD). “Some have claimed that the writer of the Pastor of Hermas or Shepherd of Hermas believed that a Christian could lose his or her salvation and quoted the following passage, ‘They only who Fear the Lord and Keep His Commandments have Life with God; but as to those who keep not His Commandments, there is no life in them’ (Shepherd of Hermas, 2.7, 155 AD).”
  • IRENAEUS (120-200 AD). “The Christian writer, Irenaeus, appears to believe that Christians are not ‘Once Saved Always Saved’ with the following quote, ‘Those who do not Obey Him…have ceased to be His sons’ (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 4.41.3). But several sentences earlier he said this, ‘But with respect to Obedience and Doctrine we are not all the sons of God: Those only are so who Believe in Him and Do His will. And those who do not believe, and do not obey His will, are sons and angels of the devil, because they do the works of the devil.’ (Against Heresies, Book 41, 2).””
  • TERTULLIAN (150-220 AD). “Tertullian makes the following statement which echoes the same message of 1 John 2:19.‘But what if a Bishop, if a Deacon, if a Widow, if a Virgin, if a Doctor, if even a Martyr, have fallen from the Rule (of Faith), will Heresies on that account appear to possess the Truth? Do we prove the Faith by the persons, or the persons by the Faith? No one is wise, no one is faithful, no one excels in dignity, but the Christian. And no one is a Christian but he who Perseveres even to the End!’ (The Prescription Against Heretics, Chap. 3).”

IN SUM. Though this is somewhat subjective on my part after years of study of these Early Christian leaders, ‘Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian are the most reliable interpreters of the Biblical Canon.’ It is therefore significant to me that they all rejected the OSAS Doctrine. As do I!

III. FALSE DOCTRINE

This is the third time I confront this Doctrine of Demons since it holds such powerful implications for where the American Church has traveled to this disastrous point in our history. Therefore to provide the last nails in its well-deserved Coffin, I offer the following Critique.

THREE DEADLY ERRORS. I came across this astute and tightly reasoned little essay by Podcaster and Christian writer, TODD TOMASELLA. He is the author of several influential books on subjects ranging from false prophets, the Original Lie of Satan to Mankind, evangelism, Last Day/End Times victory, and the daily walk of an authentic disciple. Todd is also a former Marine, contracted to NASA, youth pastor, TV show host, and member of numerous churches throughout the south.

The title of his piece: “Three False Assumptions About Eternal Security,” Safeguard Your Soul (ret. Oct. 3, 2025; edited).

Here is a no-holds barred, practical (yet fully Biblical) illustration of what typically happens in Church today when you oppose the OSAS Dogma. And the Theological Fault Lines at its foundation.

OPEN. “‘Is Salvation a ‘One and Done?’ Recently, a Firestorm erupted and continued for days on end, around the clock, when I made a brief statement on social media concerning the Teaching of Jesus and His Apostles concerning the necessity of abiding, continuing in Christ, and enduring to the end (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Luke 21:19; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:6, 12-15; 10:26-39; Revelation 2-3, etc.).”

  • YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. “Yes, when Jesus saves a person, they presently possess Eternal Life (John 6:47). The Error though is to teach against Holy Scripture by saying that the now saved person cannot ever lose his place with God. There is Heresy. Never mind the Un-scriptural clichés, it’s simply not Biblical… ‘Jesus and His holy Apostles taught that after initial salvation, Enduring to the end of one’s life is essential to Final Salvation’ (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; 25:1-13; Colossians 1:22-23; Hebrews 3:6, 12-14; 10:26-39; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Revelation 2:26; 3:5, etc.).”
  • YOU ARE FORGIVEN. “Yes, initially and yet, many falsely teach that all past, present, and future sins of the initially saved person are automatically forgiven. That would mean that the now saved person has no personal responsibility to continue with Christ, to abide in Christ, to obey Christ, and to endure to the End. That’s an Absolute Heresy which has damned the souls of many. ‘According to Holy Scripture, present and future sins are forgiven as the believer Confesses them, Acknowledges, and approaches the Throne of God’s Grace where Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father making intercession for His saints’ (Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:24-26; 1 John 1:6-2:2).”
  • YOU ARE SEALED. “‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed UNTO (not ‘Until’) the day of redemption’ (Ephesians 4:30). The Eternal Security Deception, as usual is Heresy, Biblical Truth that is twisted by Satan and his human agents. Notice that they use the word ‘Until’ but the Bible used the word ‘Unto’ [or in all reliable translations the term used is, ‘For’).‘Unto’ [or ‘For’] denotes what Scripture consistently conveys – that ‘Born Again Believers are saved, are being saved, and will Finally be saved – AS they ‘abide’ to the End with and in Christ on HIS terms’ … Eternal Securists are famous for ignoring boat loads of Holy Scripture. ‘This is moral cowardice.’”

Which phrase I shall drive home in Conclusions about and primary reason for what beloved friend and author AMY HAWK rightly labels: ‘The Judas Effect’ (2024). That is: ‘The Betrayal of Jesus for Power.’

Selah.

IV. LAST THOUGHTS

COWARD. “A person who wants courage to meet danger; a poltroon; a timid or pusillanimous man. In heraldry, a term given to a lion borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs. [One who is] Destitute of Courage; timid; base; as a coward wretch. Proceeding from or expressive of fear, or timidity.” – NOAH WEBSTER, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828; edited

REVELATION 21:8 (NKJV).“But the COWARDLY [δειλοῖς, doilos, ‘fearful, faithless, filled with dread’], unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

LETTER TO THE CHURCH. “A Letter to the People: On Trump, Tyranny, and the Cowardice That Brought Us Here” (Facebook, August 2025). By THOM RYDER [“Handsome devil with a typewriter and some warrants. Instigator. Unreliable narrator. America’s leftover conscience— smells of gasoline and regret. Ryder & Co. are also here for the hard-won victories and strange joy that blooms in the cracks”].

“Dear fellow Americans:

Let me start with a Confession. I’ve known the dark parts of myself. I’ve lied. I’ve manipulated. I’ve hurt people I loved and let my ego drive the car off more than a few cliffs. I’m not writing this from some mountaintop of moral purity—I’ve screwed up, I’ve self-sabotaged, and I’ve stared in the mirror long enough to see the wreckage I’ve caused. So no, I’m not better than you. ‘But I am done pretending that we can survive another round of polite silence and strategic compromise. Because we’re not in a policy disagreement anymore!

We are in a War. A War on Truth. A War on the poor. A War on decency. A War on Reality.’ And DONALD J. TRUMP isn’t just some ‘controversial’ figure in that War—he’s its bloated, bigoted, brain-dead General. Let’s be clear: Trump is a Rapist. A Con Man. A lifelong Liar with the emotional depth of a lunch tray. He’s a Coward, a Pedophile, and a Parasite who’s been running scams since cocaine was sold in briefcases and disco balls hung from the ceiling. He’s not ‘Fighting for the working man.’ He’s a Narcissistic gold-plated Toilet with a spray tan, a permanent scowl, and a God Complex the size of his Mar-a-Lago.

He is Roy Cohn’s Final Legacy. Roy Cohn was Trump’s mentor, fixer, and spiritual father. A closeted gay man who spent his career destroying other gay men. He fueled McCarthyism. He helped send the Rosenberg’s to the electric chair. He made Cruelty into currency. And he died of AIDS, alone, still lying about who he was—even on his deathbed. That’s who Donald Trump studied. That’s who he learned from. Cohn taught him to deny everything, attack constantly, and treat Truth like a weakness. A man who weaponized Shame. And Trump turned that lesson into a Brand.

That same Self-Hatred lives on in Senator Lindsey Graham and every other closeted bootlicker who pretends to stand for ‘morality’ while stabbing their own community in the back. These aren’t Conservatives. These are Cowards in tailored suits, trading Dignity for Power and calling it Patriotism. They could’ve been bridges. They chose to be Hammers. And what Banner do they march under?

‘Christian Nationalism!’

Let’s rip that [f-ing] mask off! Christian Nationalism is not Faith. It’s not Love. It’s not Jesus flipping tables and feeding the poor. It’s a bloodthirsty, flag-wrapped Cult built on White Grievance and Sanctified Ignorance. It’s Old Testament Vengeance with an AR-15 and a lifted Ford truck. It’s a Gospel of Fear, Control, Punishment, and Performance disguised as ‘Family Values.’ And it has wormed its way into every American Institution—from School Boards to Senate Hearings.

They scream about ‘Protecting the children!’ while handing those same kids over to poverty, school shootings, climate disaster, and opioid hellscapes. They call themselves Pro-life, but they wouldn’t cross the street to help a hungry child unless that kid was pledging allegiance to ExxonMobil.

‘This isn’t “Christianity.’ It’s Cosplay Fascism in a Church pew. And here’s the part that burns like battery acid: ‘Trump is their Messiah.’ Three wives. Dozens of assault allegations. Porn stars, hush money, stolen charity funds, draft dodging, Bible held upside down for a photo op—and still they whisper:

‘He was chosen by God…Our imperfect vessel.’

No! He was chosen by White Fear. By White Resentment. By Rural Rage that would rather see the whole country burn than admit that Black, Brown, Queer, Immigrant, and Poor lives matter too.

And yes, I live out here. I know these folks. I hear them at gas stations, in bowling alley parking lots, and at bar counters with flags on the wall. Many of them would vote for a serial killer if he promised to make ‘The Libs cry.’ Trump did. And they do.

But don’t for one second think the Democrats get a pass. [F-] no!  Because while Republicans went full Fascist, Democrats clinked wine glasses and chased donor dollars. They preached ‘Hope and Change’—then rubber-stamped drones, propped up banks, and let Wall Street write the rules. They watched the GOP light the Constitution on fire and responded with Think Tank reports and brunch. They fundraised off Roe v. Wade for years—then let it fall without a fight. They hand-wrung while pipelines were built, cages filled, and Gaza burned.

‘And the Liberal Base?’ Too often, soft. Fragile. Addicted to optics and curated suffering. Comfortable White Progressives who tweet Solidarity while stepping over the homeless man outside Whole Foods. They know the language, but not the pain. They retweet ‘Black Lives Matter’ but panic when the protest hits their neighborhood. They quote MLK but haven’t raised a fist or raised hell in years.

‘This is the Vacuum. This is the Lie. This is how Fascism wins—with Silence, with Selfies, and with ‘well-meaning’ Liberals who mistake Performative Wokeness for actual Resistance.

Bonhoeffer saw it. He lived it. He fought it. He didn’t ask Fascists to “Do better.’ He didn’t wait for permission. He Resisted with everything he had. Because he knew what we seem to have forgotten:‘Stupidity is more dangerous than Malice—because it greets you with a handshake and a flag.’ It smiles while it marches. It sings hymns while it loads the g-d guns.

And right now, America is choking on it. So, here’s the Truth, and it might sting:

If you still support Trump, you’re not a Patriot. You’re not ‘Real America.’ You’re a Mark. A Rube. A Pawn who got played by a bloated Con Man who’d sooner throw you in front of a limo than let you sit at his dinner table. He’s not ‘one of you.’ He’s your Executioner—wrapped in the same colors you think you’re defending.

If you’re a Democrat still waiting for someone else to fix it—wake the [f-] up. No one’s coming. ‘You are the Cavalry!’ And if you’re still Undecided? Then History will decide for you. Because this isn’t about Left or Right.

‘This is a Moral Reckoning.’

‘Trump didn’t break America. He just showed us what was already broken.’ This is The Line. This is the Moment. And this Letter is a Mirror. If you’re still on the Fence—Jump! Pick a side. And if you’re not ready to speak, fight, or resist? Then get the hell out of the way.

Yours,

Thom Ryder”

DK’S FINAL TAKE. Since I have run out of both time and patience to be strategic any more than the good Mr. Ryder, I will drive straight to MY POINT.

‘An Emasculated White Church has led this Nation to the rancid Footstool of the American Reich Führer, Donald John Trump. And its primary Emasculator was the Hyper-Grace mush spawned by the OSAS Non-Gospel.’

I close in respectful memory of a man I love and admire – though neither was he perfect by any means. ELIE WIESEL. Romanian Jew and survivor of Shoah in a year spent at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Author, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate. He wrote this in his penetrative work, The Night Trilogy (1960).

“The opposite of Love is not Hate, it’s Indifference. The opposite of Art is not Ugliness, it’s Indifference. The opposite of Faith is not Heresy, it’s Indifference. And the opposite of Life is not Death, it’s Indifference…’We must take sides!’ Neutrality helps the Oppressor, never the Victim. Silence encourages the Tormentor, never the Tormented.

‘Sometimes we must interfere.’ When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that Moment – become the Center of the Universe.”– ELIE WIESEL, Author, The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, The Accident, 1960; edited

CHRIST’S WARNING.  “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust].” – REVELATION 3:15-16, AMP

Beloved, whatever you do in the Days of Antichrist: ‘Do not remain Neutral!’ Vastly better expressed by THE GREAT APOSTLE:

“Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.” – EPHESIANS 5:15-16, AMP

These are, beloved, the very Words of our King. Let us not forsake them – nor Him – any longer.

Selah. Selah. 

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/r0vSQQqf7XY

 

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