I found this posted on the web and thought it was very insightful, especially as it ties in with the recent discussion about OSAS. I think it makes a great point that BOTH views are right. I did not write this, and the author used a pen name.

The OSAS and Holiness arguments are really akin to straining gnats and not seeing the camel that both tend to swallow in terms of their image of God. The problem is that neither side recognizes the feast days as the foundation for understanding how we are to progress in our growth.

Romans says the righteousness of God is revealed from "faith to faith". The righteousness of God is the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day in our journey toward the promised land. Thus when a level of faith is revealed, we are not to build a denominational house in the wilderness, but rather, move on as we hear the master's voice.

There are THREE ages and levels of faith, typified by Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Passover is shown by El Shaddai, the breasted one. It is God in a mothering role to those who are first birthed (as a newborn babe) in the Kingdom. Pentecost is God in the fatherly role. He who "lays down the law" to teach his son through discipline to obey (usually without fully understanding why, it is akin to "because I said so"). Tabernacles is when a son has grown and matured to the point of agreeing fully with the Father, so much so that what the son says and does, is what the father would say and do.

The Passover level of faith is characterized by our justification in the blood of the lamb. It preserves our SPIRIT blameless (thus the OSAS argument).

However, it is not the end of the journey, any more than it was for the Israelites after their Passover and baptism in the Red Sea. They (and we) must move on in our level of faith. Where did they go from there?

They went to Mt. Sinai... the representation of the LAW. The Israelites refused to HEAR for themselves, preferring to have Moses hear for them (and so it is today, as many prefer to have the priest, pastor, or learned bible scholar go up the mount and tell them what God said). The only one who DID hear directly was Moses, and that is why he, and he alone, knew God... He knew God's WAYS. Do not forget that as I stated previously, these Israelites represent what today are BELIEVERS (as they were justified by the blood of the lamb) and yet God said they were a FROWARD generation, children in whom there is no FAITH (in other words, though they had a passover level of faith, they did NOT have a pentecostal level of faith based on hearing the law of God, EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God, which is what was needed to go in and possess the land).

Those who succeed, the Overcomers in this age, are preserving their SOUL blameless in the coming day. Thus, you have the HOLINESS movement, those who say one must endeavor to run the race in obedience to God.

So... both OSAS and the Holiness movements are correct on some points, each in their own way. The problem with both however, and where both have shortcomings, is that OSAS tends to turn many to LAWLESSNESS in their belief that they have ALREADY ATTAINED the higher calling, and the Holiness group tends to turn many to LEGALISM in their striving to ATTAIN the higher calling. This is, btw, why I said to argue over which one is correct is the equivalent of straining gnats. Our focus must be shifted from these two polar opposites.

The Tabernacles Age to come is the Kingdom Age. It is represented by the redemption of the body in the individual (preserving now, SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY BLAMELESS). How does one get to this promised land?

As stated, we go from FAITH TO FAITH, and we cannot bypass Mt. Sinai. We cannot forego the law, we cannot forego HEARING God's voice for ourselves (as FAITH comes by HEARING, and HEARING by the Word of God). We cannot lazily send Moses up the mount to come back and tell us what God said. We are running a race. If we want to gain immortality early, be rulers and priests in the next Age to come, then we must complete the race NOW. Those who fall short, who do not finish the race before the allotted time is up, will miss the prize of early immortality. They will have to await 1000 years and go through the "fires" of judgment in the Tabernacles Age (remember the law is "fiery"), the judgments handed down by the Overcomers who DID finish the race. But rest assured, these Overcomers who will rule in the coming age will rule as mature sons... doing only as the father would say and do. Isaiah says "when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the earth will LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS." Judgment is always done with an eye to RESTORATION, and these Overcomers will be charged with TEACHING the righteousness of God to the world.

God will accomplish all that He said He would do. ALL will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord eventually as Revelation tells us, and NONE can do that except he have the Holy Spirit in him. What this means is that EVERY SINGLE PERSON will be saved at their appointed time. Just because some cannot fathom the "how" God will do this (and just because it goes against their doctrinal idol), does not mean He is not ABLE and WILL do so. Remember the sin of the 10 spies. They did not believe God was ABLE to give them the promised land, and they died in the wilderness because of their UNBELIEF. We should be as Moses was and say God is WELL ABLE to accomplish His purpose. He will have ALL things (people included) under His feet. ALL will confess Him. NONE will perish. But all will come in "each in his own order." Overcomers will not perish in the "wilderness" because of unbelief. They will finish the race and obtain the prize of immortality early. They do so because they have not bypassed dealing with the law. They do so because they have endeavored to step through the thick cloud of darkness where God is and hear Him for themselves. They are not afraid as the Israelites were. They see the FIRE of God as the law, and are not afraid to step into the furnace.

We should all continue therefore in our wilderness journey from faith to faith in hopes of reaching our promised land, our prize of the higher calling.