Let us get down to the bottom of the doctrine, “Once saved, always saved”. This type of thinking goes along with the notion that Christians cannot lose their salvation. But is this belief true? Does the Bible confirm this? If not, then we ought to be willing to learn what God has said, instead of man. Our salvation is at stake in knowing this truth. Now, when looking at this teaching, we will look at the Bible passages that people refer to. However, even scripture verses can be twisted and taken out of context. Now, let us examine what Jesus said in John, chapter 10. It reads, 2“my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29) So here you have it, these verses affirm this belief, or does it? When examining these verses, it is true that God’s elect hears His voice and follows Him. It is also true that Jesus gives unto his chosen people eternal life. Lastly, I can confirm that His followers will not ever be taken away from God’s hands. The key here is “followers”! Because people have free will and can choose to continue in the faith, they may or may not continue to follow Jesus as time goes on. So it makes sense then that people can remove themselves from God’s presence, if they are not following Him. When we lose hope in Jesus, by not praying or reading His Words in the Bible, then we are bound to make wrong decisions and depart from the faith. These people are no longer followers of Christ, but are followers of their own flesh and do not apply to this promise by Jesus. It is willful sin that causes people to no longer endure in the faith and not be saved. When people exercise their own free will and willfully sin against God, then there are consequences to these decisions, especially if they were to die.
The Bible is clear that there is a requirement for our lives, in order to be saved come death. That stipulation is for every believer in Christ to endure in their faith till the end. Paul knew this when he spoke to the brethren in the church. He said, 4“take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” (Hebrews 3:12-14) People are no longer partakers with Christ in heaven, if they were to die in their sinful unrepentant state. Jesus also confirms this when He said, 1“but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13) It is true that salvation comes when we believe in Jesus and call upon His Name in prayer. Paul taught this very fact when He said, 3“for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) This is so important to understand, for salvation comes to everyone that believes in Jesus Christ. So there are many people that are initially saved. However, it is also true that only those that endure in the faith will their salvation continue in heaven, as Paul and Jesus said. Lastly, Jesus said the following to the church in Sardis, 5“he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5) Surely, we can be saved and in the book of life and then later on in life be removed, depending upon our choices on earth. Now, as it is promised by Jesus, those that follow Him will never lose their salvation, but have the Father to protect them. Therefore, your salvation is secure if you endure in Christ Jesus all your days.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that our faith in You will mean more than what we are making it now. So many people say they believe, but instead, they walk apart from You. There is no true faith in You, but faith in other things give them joy. Therefore, help them remember the day that they called upon Your name and were saved. May they never forget the joy they felt when they were walking in Your light. That is when their salvation began. Help them to not lose it, but endure in that faith. I know for a fact that my faith could be greater. I love You, but I could love You more through my actions, especially how I treat others. Only by seeking You daily can this type of love and kindness flow through me and into other people’s lives. You have helped me realize how much I miss out on miss out when I continue doing my own things. It is when I am outside of Your, that I fall victim to sin and shame. I am so sorrowful when this happens and no matter how much I wish it never happened, I know that I cannot change the past. All I can do is reach back to You in faith and confess my sins. It is then my prayer that You would have mercy upon my soul and forgive me. Lord, I don’t wish to do what is evil in Your sight, but always be guided by Your hand, that I might resist temptation. It is my prayer that I am kept strong and faithful, even until the end. You are my Lord and my Savior and I only wish to follow You. So I pray that You will lead me in Your light and abolish every form of darkness from my life. Look through my heart and cast out every wicked thing, that I might be made pure in Your sight. I say these things Lord, in Your holy Name, Jesus. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1Matthew 24:4-13 (KJV)
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
2John 10:24-33 (KJV)
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
3Romans 10:9-17 (KJV)
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.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
4Hebrews 3:12-19 (KJV)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
5Revelation 3:1-6 (KJV)
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.