The central figure in Oneness theology was G. T. Haywood. He wrestled with the state of those who did not follow the New Birth doctrine held by many Oneness Pentecostals. He resolved the conflict in his mind by utilizing the "walking in all the light" model:
"The one question that is so often asked is, ‘are all those people who thought they were born of the Spirit, and were not, lost?' No, not by any means. They shall be given eternal life in the resurrection if they walked in all the light that was given them while they lived. God is a just Judge, and there is not unrighteousness in Him. But those who refuse to walk in the light shall be overtaken with darkness. (
John 13:35, 36; see also
John 15:22-24)." [G. T. Haywood, The Birth of the Spirit in the Days of the Apostles, (Indianapolis, IN: Christ Temple Book Store, n. d.), p. 12.]
The second figure in the development of Oneness teaching was A. D. Urshan. He used the same logic as Haywood to resolve the same issue:
Q. Would these folks be lost if they had not gone on to the water and Spirit birth?
A. No, for when they continued to walk in the light they had, they consequently entered into the deeper and higher divine experiences.
1 John 1:4-7. Also
John 8:31-36. [Evangelist Andrew D. Urshan, Apostolic Faith Doctrine of the New Birth, (Cochrane, WI, self-published, 1941), p. 13.]