Bible Studies
The Once Saved, Always Saved or Free Grace views is a tenant of many mainstream Christian denominations. Have you considered what it actually means? Once a person believes that Jesus is his savior, is he then free to live his life in evil ways? Can a believer denounce Jesus without consequence? This is one of the most debated and long-lasting topics among theologians today.
My Christian upbringing was that there is nothing to worry about once I was saved. I could murder, rape and worship idols without fear of losing my spot in heaven. God would not like what I did, but He would continue to love me, the sinner. I might lose some rewards in heaven, but I could not lose my entry ticket. After all, all sins are equal and we are all sinners. The logic presented was that we are saved by God’s grace, not by works. Thus, works cannot undo what God has done.
As you go through this study I ask only one thing. Disregard what you may have been taught by your church or Sunday school teacher. Ignore the study notes in your Bible. Don’t trust any of my comments. Just rely solely on the scriptures. My goal here is to present them in a straightforward, logical manner. This study is not directed at theologians. Nor is it intended for unbelievers. This is for struggling and hopeful Christians looking for understanding and confidence in their faith. Where possible, I will provide differing interpretive views for relevant scripture. Once you have studied them, pray about them. And then decide if God’s salvation is yours to lose.
What is God’s Will?
It is God’s will that all mankind be saved. He created us. We are His children. He does not want to lose a single one. This is an important point to remember. We will see later in this study references that believers are to do "the will of my Father".
- John 6:39-40 Now this is the will of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father – for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
As a follower of Jesus no one can take us away from Him.
- Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
- Ephesians 1:13-14 And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ– you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
- 1 John 5:18 We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him.
- John 10:27-28 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand.
- John 6:35-37 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. But I told you that you have seen me and still do not believe. Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.
His call is irrevocable in that He will not change His mind. God’s Holy Spirit has marked us as a believer. He will protect those that believe in Him. They cannot be snatched. He will never send them away. That sounds pretty permanent. However, the promise of eternal salvation is based on our promise to honestly believe in Him – within our heart.
While it is God’s will that all mankind be saved, all will not be saved. Some will never learn of Christ in their lifetime. Some will hear about Christ, but will reject Him.
Salvation Through Faith and Grace
God has repeatedly told us through the Gospel that the only way to heaven is through the son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died for man's sins. He paid a heavy price. Man cannot work his way into heaven by being a "good person".
Man does have to do something, however. God provides the invitation, but he leaves it up to the individual to make the decision to accept it. In your heart, do you honestly believe Jesus was raised from the dead and is your Lord and savior? If so, confess that and be saved.
- Romans 10:9-10 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.
Eternal life in heaven is a gift from God. Man cannot earn it. Man is sinful by nature and sin cannot enter the presence of God. It is only by the sacrifice of Jesus that our sins are forgiven. So, a person's sins that are not forgiven and wiped away through Jesus death and resurrection does not go to heaven but suffers eternal death.
- Romans 6:23 For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John tells the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. She acknowledged she was living a sinful life. Jesus did not tell her she had to straighten out her sinful life or provide a list of things to do so that she could be saved. He simply told her she needed to know Him and ask for the gift of eternal life.
- John 4:10 Jesus answered her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
This is a bold step. There is no scientific proof available to help a person with their decision. It requires faith. The Gospel speaks of faith a great deal. Let's look at what faith actually is.
Faith (Strongs 4102) is the Greek word pistis meaning persuasion (be persuaded, come to trust, reliance). Faith is from God. God must give it to us. We cannot use logic or reasoning to persuade ourselves and call that faith. Faith is not a thought process. Faith involves a personal revelation of God.
I found it interesting that faith is not in the Old Testament. (Faithfulness is used twice.) Faith is used frequently (some 243 times) in the New Testament. God did not give man faith when he was under the Covenant of the Law. However, faith was (and is) required under the Covenant of Grace.
Faith is quite different from belief. Believing is what man does after he is persuaded. When we listen to a witness at a trial, we either believe that person or not. Our beliefs can change based on arguments and reasons, by our own senses or internal impressions. Belief is different from science. Science offers proof of facts with some certainty. Belief can be based on scientific evidence, but not necessarily.
Through the Holy Spirit, God gives us the faith we need to believe in Him. This is an inner faith. It is in our spirit. We must listen to it and then make the decision to believe or not. The decision is not forced upon us or made for us. Whether to believe or not is a decision left up to the individual and by his own free will.
Calvinism. There is a debate among Christians about whether man has that choice. Does man have free will to make his own decision about God's salvation? In the 16th century John Calvin said they do not. In his view, all people are entirely at the mercy of God, who would be just in condemning all people for their sins, but who has chosen to be merciful to some. Thus, one person is saved while another is condemned, not because of a foreseen willingness, faith, or any other virtue in the first person, but because God chose to have mercy on him. God has predestined some to eternal life and others to death.
Paul tells us in Ephesians that faith is required to be saved. This verse also makes clear that faith is not the same as works. Faith is only available through the Holy Spirit. Man can communicate with God only through his own spirit. If man has not been saved, he has not received the Holy Spirit. Thus, he cannot have faith since that is only available from God.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
Proponents of the Once Saved, Always Saved theology believe once man has honestly confessed his belief and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, his salvation is locked in. It is secure and cannot be lost under any circumstances. While this is a minority view in Christianity, it is one that is strongly held.
Can a person lose his salvation? Or could a one-time belief in Christ be sufficient? We will look at scripture and how they are viewed by both sides of the debate.
Can God’s Promise of Eternity in Heaven Be Taken Away?
Before God created man, He created the heavenly beings. The angels. Before looking at how man will be judged by God, let’s learn from these cosmic beings.
Jesus was once asked about marriage in heaven and provided some interesting tidbits of information in His answer.
- Luke 20:34-36 So Jesus said to them, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection.
Those going to heaven will be regarded as worthy. Worthy, of course, is a relative term. God has some sort of criteria He is looking for and expecting. Those not considered worthy will not be spending eternity there. He also said once in heaven, man will be equal to angels. One characteristic of angels is that they are immortal. "They can no longer die..."
- 1 Corinthians 6:3-10 Do you not know that we will judge angels?
God did not create Angels as robots. Just like man, they are intelligent beings with free will. We are both given tasks to accomplish and we are expected to figure out how to best finish them. Scripture tells us one angel rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven along with the angels that joined the rebellion. The New Testament calls this angelic being Satan. The angels that follow Satan are referred to as demons. This celestial fallout occurred before man was created.
- Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. So that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.
- 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
Ultimately, Satan and the angels that followed him will be judged and thrown into the lake of fire for eternity.
- Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.
These angelic, heavenly beings were promised eternity in heaven. They were created to do God’s will, to worship Him and obey Him. When some decided to go their own way or to follow Satan, they lost their place in heaven. The final judgment for angels and man not going to heaven is being thrown in the lake of fire.
Could this also happen to man that has been saved? The Gospel tells us that some believers will stop believing in God. They will turn away from their faith in God.
- 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith [pistis] and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.
- 1 Peter 4:17-18 For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the house of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners?
God promises that all will be judged. There will be righteous individuals that will “barely” be saved. Others will not make it at all. Those not saved will be judged by their deeds. Their works. However, we learn in Revelation that none will be good enough to enter heaven and will be thrown into the lake of fire. Those that remain faithful to God will also be judged by their works. While their salvation will not be at stake, their works can earn them rewards in heaven. Even the angels will be judged.
John provides us an example of how this will happen in the end-times. He is warning believers (the saints) not to follow Satan. Those that do will be destroyed with no hope of salvation.
- Revelation 14:9-12 A third angel followed the first two, declaring in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. And the smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the mark of his name.” This requires the steadfast endurance of the saints – those who obey God’s commandments and hold to their faith [pistis] in Jesus.
God provides believers their faith [pistis]. Faith only comes from the Holy Spirit. These scriptures tell us we must hold onto it as some will desert it.
Thus, we now know believers in Christ can lose their salvation by making the wrong choice or by losing their faith in Jesus. This knowledge is rather disconcerting to me and goes against how I understood salvation worked. Through God's grace man is given the gift of salvation through Jesus. No one can take the gift away from man. Satan cannot snatch it from us. As with any precious gift, we must keep it, protect it and hold on to it dearly.
The Once Saved, Always Saved proponents read the above verses differently. Their argument is that 'these men were never saved to begin with'. If the writer is speaking to unbelievers, it is most likely concerning how to be saved. Scripture is commonly taken out of context in support of a particular position. It is your responsibility as you read the Bible to understand its context.
I believe those on both sides of this topic agree that a person is either a believer, or not. There is no in between. Some may have heard the Gospel and understood it. Some might profess their belief. Some "almost believe". But unless they have honestly believed with all their heart that Jesus is their Lord and savior, they are still an unbeliever. Once a person crosses that threshold and becomes a believer, we read the Holy Spirit "marks them". Even if the person is a "weak" (not having a strong foundation) believer, they are a believer. As we read the scripture, look at the context in which it was written to determine if the writer is speaking to believers, or a crowd that might include unbelievers.
In discussing specific scripture with some Once Saved, Always Saved proponents, I have heard arguments that say, "...because of Once Saved, Always Saved , this verse must mean..." Our goal in this study is to find and study scripture in support of or not in support of Once Saved, Always Saved. We are assuming Once Saved, Always Saved has not been proven. Thus, it cannot be used in support of that position.
Let us now study the Gospel and determine what God told His people to do (or not to do) where their salvation is at stake. What I found is that if one believes salvation could be lost, various verses take on a new meaning. This is an important subject. We will look at many of them.
Is An On-going Commitment Required?
Paul says a person's belief in Christ will be lost if he doesn't continue to have faith. This is one of the "problem scriptures" for proponents of Once Saved, Always Saved who respond that Paul is not speaking to true believers. That is, these are people that have heard the word but haven't fully grasped it yet.
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.
Let's break down this verse and determine whether Paul is speaking to true believers. The first clue is that the term brothers and sisters is used throughout the Gospel to refer to believers. However, he is writing to a church rather than an individual. There could be unbelievers within the church. Brothers and sisters could be used to address everyone professing to be believers in Christ.
He then further states "the gospel ... that you received" and "on which you stand" and "by which you are being saved". At this point, Paul is now stating he is speaking to the believers. They have heard and received the Gospel, profess and stand upon the Gospel and are now being saved by it. There may be unbelievers in the church that read the letter, but Paul is speaking to those that are believers.
Lastly, he says "unless you believed in vain". Of course, no belief could be in vain unless they first believed.
John says man must both believe and live in Christ. Living in Christ is another way of describing faith. Whenever possible, it is always best to take scripture literally as it is plainly spoken.
- John 11:26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.
If man did not have to live in Christ, that word coupled with the and would not have been included. However, he does not simply say, "the one who believes in me will never die."
Proclaim Jesus is Our Lord and Savior
Salvation comes to those that believe through faith that Jesus is their Lord.
This must come from the heart. Such a profession cannot be faked as God knows our spirit; our inner most thoughts. In Romans we read those that truly believe are saved. Those that do not, are not. What was not said is that as believers we must continue that belief. Believers must not deny that Christ is their Lord. This is where faith comes into play. There are some pretty important ifs found throughout the Gospel.
- 2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us.
- Hebrews 3:12-14 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God. But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception. For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end.
Believers in Christ are given the gift of eternal life in heaven. Believers that decide Christ is really not their Lord and Savior, that is, they deny Him, are no longer believers in Christ. Just like the angels that followed Satan, they will lose the promise of eternal life in heaven.
- Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
- Revelation 3:8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut.) I know that you have little strength, but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name.
Reading the well-known John 3:16 again, the Greek word for “believes” is pisteuó which means "I believe, have faith in, trust in; pass: I am entrusted with."
- John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John did not say “…that whoever once believed in him shall not perish…” That really would not be logical. Heaven is reserved for believers in Christ. Present tense.
Theological Disagreements. The Calvinists believe a person is predestined to salvation and is not capable of giving up their faith because God chose them. Arminianism believes a person must chose to believe in Christ through their own free will and can also freely stop believing in Christ. Proponents of Once Saved, Always Saved attempt to take the middle ground. They believe that a person has the free will to decide to become a believer. But once he has made that decision, he loses his free will and cannot make a decision to stop being a believer. Thus, he can be assured of salvation no matter what he believers or does not believe in the future.
Jesus made many comparisons to vineyards as He and His disciples were walking among them. Agriculture was a way of life and well understood by the people of the region. A branch no longer receives the life giving nutrients once it is removed from the vine and is, eventually, thrown into the fire.
- John 15:1-6 “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit. You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up.
Just as branches no longer attached to a vine are destroyed, so will any one that does not remain a believer in Christ. This scripture is also speaking of the importance of bearing fruit. That is, successfully doing God’s work. Believers are to spread the good news about Christ so that more people are saved. As we read earlier, whenever you see an if, there is a condition being provided. Read it very carefully.
- Matthew 15:5-10 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples. “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
Believers received their salvation through their belief in Jesus Christ. They retain their salvation by continuing to believe in Jesus. He commands us to do this. By remaining attached to Him, He promises that we will be productive doing His work. Note that the scripture is not saying we must produce fruit (i.e. do good works) in order to be saved. He says if we remain in Him, we will produce fruit.
We read in 1 John 5:18 “God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him.” That, of course, is true. No one can take away God’s gift of eternal love and salvation. The only way it can be lost is if man refuses it. We must accept Christ and not give Him up. Those that no longer accept Him, are cut off from His love. They are thrown out like a dead branch. Is that harsh? Absolutely.
- Romans 11:20-23 Granted! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear! For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God – harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And even they – if they do not continue in their unbelief – will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
It is also just and fair. Dead branches must be removed from the vine to save the plant. Too much dead wood and the vine will collapse under its own weight. Jesus died for those that believe in Him. Man is free to make their own decision to do that or not. The condition and consequences specified in Romans is "...provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off."
The last verse tells us it is God’s will to not lose anyone. While his judgment may be harsh, He is not cruel. Believers that left Him and return, are welcomed back, just as a living branch can be grafted on to a vine.
- James 5:19-20 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Those that knew Jesus and righteousness, but then leave Jesus and return to their former life are worse off than if they never knew about Jesus. They have absolutely no excuse and will be judged accordingly.
- 2 Peter 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the filthy things of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again get entangled in them and succumb to them, their last state has become worse for them than their first. For it would have been better for them never to know the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them.
God gives us one other specific warning of something not to do. If we do so anyway, He specifically says we will lose our salvation. John opens the Book of Revelation by announcing the first of seven special blessings.
- Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near!
And he closes the Book by saying His word is final and authoritative. Those that add to them will be punished by plagues of some sort. But those that take words away will lose their salvation. This would not only be a warning to unbelieving translators or scribes, as they never had a salvation to lose. This is directed to those that teach from the Bible.
- Revelation 22:18-19 I testify to the one who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.
The referenced tree of life represents eternal life. ”To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) A person losing “a share in the tree of life” means he lost his eternal life in heaven.
The Book of Life
The book of life refers to the list of people that are to receive eternal life. Referring to such a book would be understood in ancient times as there were customs of those days of keeping books and registries for various purposes. Here is an Old Testament example of a physical register of the people that could enter the land of Israel.
- Nehemiah 13:9 My hand will be against the prophets who see delusion and announce lying omens. They will not be included in the council of my people, nor be written in the registry of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.
Some believe the book of life is not a physical book, but a figurative expression. God actually keeps the names in His mind since He knows His people.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.”
Others say it is a physical book as John describes what he saw in Revelation.
- Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.
Much of what John saw were visions. So, it is possible that he was given of vision so that he understood God maintained a master list. Scripture doesn't really confirm it one way or another and whether or not it is physical or figurative is unimportant.
A person’s name is added to the book of life when they are “born again”. That is, when a person becomes a believer in Christ. People that die before the age of accountability are also added to the list. The picture being presented is that on the Day of Judgment God will reference the book of life and allow those within it to enter heaven.
- Revelations 21:27 but nothing ritually unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- Malachi 3:16-18 Those who fear Almighty God Jehovah, calling on His name and serving Him, will be found written in the book of remembrance.
In Malachi we see that the names within the book are those that believe in Christ and also serve Him. This means names written in the book would have to be removed when a person stops being a follower of Christ.
- Psalms 69:27-28 It is important to remain faithful to the one true God. Not doing so could result in one's name being removed from God's book of life.
- Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
Just like the angels, man has a choice to either follow Jesus, Satan or some otherworldly god.
- Revelation 13:4-9 A person whose name is not in the book of life will serve the beast.
These scriptures are problematic for proponents of Once Saved, Always Saved. If a believer’s name can be removed, this means they can lose their salvation. Proponents argue that names are not entered when a person becomes a believer. Rather, every person from the beginning of time is entered in the book and are then removed upon their death if they were not a believer. However, there is some scripture contrary to that position.
- Revelation 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
- Revelation 17:8 "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."
Verse 13:8 states there are names that have not been written in the book of life. Those people will worship the beast (Satan). Verse 17:8 similarly confirms there are names that were never written in the book. The book has been kept since God created the world.
Faith Through Love
Before Jesus died on the cross, believers lived under the Covenant of the Law. As enunciated by Moses, God expected man to follow His law which consisted of some 400 rules, including the ten commandments. We now live in the age of grace. Man's sin was reconciled by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Grace is obtained through faith. Grace and faith are both gifts from God. We believe through faith. What else must believers do to remain faithful?
- Luke 10:25-28 Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” The expert answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
Our faith in Christ is through love. His love for us and our love for Him. Our love for one another. A believer has received the Holy Spirit within him. The spirit allows God and man to communicate. God knows the inner most thoughts of man through his spirit. Man is able to truly believe in God because his spirit is listening to God.
Knowing we received God's grace through His love, is it possible for a believer to not reciprocate that love? God created us and sent His son to sacrifice his life for us. He did that through His love. God expects us to love Him in the same way.
- Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love.
- John 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him.
As sinners, we cannot keep His law. We are only saved through God’s mercy and grace. We find that mercy through His love.
- Jude 1:21 "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."
- 1 Peter 1:5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
John outlines the conditions of God’s love. Remember, an if in a sentence means a condition follows and is always important.
- John 15:9-17 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. My commandment is this – to love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. This I command you – to love one another.
God is telling us faith is demonstrated through love. Love to Him. Love to one another. Why is this so important? It is because we are sinners. We cannot keep His laws. But if we live our lives in love, our failings are forgiven.
- Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
- Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
- 1 Peter 4:8 Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Love covers a multitude of sins. Not just any love, but a fervent love. The Greek word is ektenés which can mean constant, strenuous, intense. I like fervent. The dictionary defines fervent as “having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling and enthusiasm. Hot; burning; glowing.” God sent His own son to suffer and die for our sins. Would that sacrifice be worthy of a lukewarm love? An indifferent love? A “when I feel like it” type of love?
- Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
- Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord.
God is commanding us to show love, peace, kindness and self-control to fellow Christians. We are faithful to God by following His commandment to love. If we love Him, He will love and be faithful to us showing us His grace with the promise of eternal life in heaven.
- 1 John 3:13-17 Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians. But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?
- Luke 6:31 Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you.
- 1 John 3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness – the one who does not love his fellow Christian– is not of God.
These are all New Testament verses. These commandments and examples of loving our fellow Christians are meant to insure we know what is expected of us. Just having believed in Christ at one time in our lives is not enough for eternal life in heaven. Man must remain faithful to Him. Faith is demonstrated by following His commandment. And His commandment is to love Him and love our fellow Christians. Fervent love.
Heaven is a place for those that love one another just as He loves us. Would you want to live for eternity in a place where your neighbors are uncaring, envious, selfish or hateful? God is creating a very special place that will only be available to those that truly love Him.
- Matthew 25:41-46 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
What Does God Expect from Us?
Man was created to do God’s work. Man was not created for the sole purpose of believing in Christ.
- Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.
Doing God’s work will not earn us salvation. That is only available through His grace through faith in Him. And doing God's work is not how one keeps his salvation. Thus, salvation is not at stake should believers not do good works.
There is some circular logic regarding good works and this, I believe, is where Once Saved, Always Saved proponents interpret scripture differently. Even though man was created to do His good works, He has not commanded man to do good works. He has commanded us to love. However, He has noted that those that truly love Him will do good works because they want to.
What would man’s value be to God if we only had faith without doing His works? What would be the purpose?
- James 2:20-26 But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Note the importance of the if in the following passages. He is calling for believers that have turned away to come back into God’s love and be grafted back to the vine. God's purpose for man can then be fulfilled. Believers that later deny their salvation through Jesus are holding Him in contempt. That is, they are not loving Him.
- Hebrews 6:4-8 For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt. For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; its fate is to be burned.
Faith without works is useless to God. It is not considered to be faith at all. It is dead. Believers are saved only through their faith in Christ. But faith is not a passive thought process that occurs once in our lives. It is an active, on-going loving commitment to God. Anything less is unacceptable.
- James 2:14-18 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.
- John 8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, if anyone obeys my teaching, he will never see death.”
In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-27) a man gave various amounts of talents to his three slaves and asked them to put his money to work. Those that were successful with their gifts were praised.
- Matthew 25:21 “His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful…”
The one that buried his talent and just returned it to his master was not just reprimanded, but condemned to death.
- Matthew 25:29-30 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
God created us to do His work. If we bury the gifts He has given us and live for ourselves, we clearly do not have a fervent love for Him. Perhaps we love Him a little bit, but not as much as other aspects of our life. We saw above in Ephesians greedy people are called idolaters. Is there anything more important in your life than your love for God? Is money, a house, nice cars and fine jewelry more important than loving your Christian neighbors in need? An idol does not have to resemble a statute of Buddha. A person might make power, fame or even the pursuit of pleasure more important than their faith in God. As Christians, we cannot live our lives ignoring God. We are to love God more than anything else in the world. Anything.
Endure To The End
The last point I would like to make in this study is that salvation is attainable. God’s will is that he “should not lose one person”. He provides the way. Be faithful to Him. Love him. Love your neighbors. Do all of this fervently. And never stop until you meet your Lord in the clouds. He tells us we must endure to the end to be saved. One-time declarations are not enough.
- Mark 13:13 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
- Matthew 24:9-13 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name. Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.
- James 1:12 Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.
- 1 John 2:3-5 Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments. The one who says “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him.
- Revelation 2: 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
- Revelation 21:7 "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
The loss of ones salvation is the second most important subject in the Bible. It is one the church should be shouting from their pulpits. It is not enough to believe and then go our own way. We must be faithful to God. We must not deny Him as our Lord. We must always love Him, as He loves us. We must love our fellow man. And we must be endure until the end.
A Discussion of “Problem Scriptures”
Some scripture is used on both sides of the Once Saved, Always Saved issue. I have separated a few of these to allow a more thorough discussion of their meaning and context.
The Holy Spirit “Seals” Believers
- Ephesians 1:13-14 And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ– you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit is speaking to those who have “obtained an inheritance". God has destined (predestined) all believers to have eternal life with Him as His word promised. And although it is God's will for all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), He has left it up to the individual to make their own decision. The Calvinists have it wrong as they have God picking the winners and losers. God has never forced any person to believe or obey Him. And never will.
Strong's 4972 / sphragízō ("to seal") signifies ownership and the full security carried by the backing (full authority) of the owner. "Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed.
Put simply, a seal can be broken. In ancient times, you know how important a King's seal had on an envelope or document. Here is another verse using the same Greek word.
- Matthew 27:66 And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal (sphragízō) on the stone.
Only the Father in heaven could have broken the seal and raised His son from the dead. It is the same with the Seal of the Holy Spirit. God wants everyone to believe in Him, to repent and be saved so that no one will perish. But He has not predestined some or all to that outcome. He has left it up to the individual. Thus, if a believer should decide to reject Christ he will die a spiritual death. Here is one reference to that possibility.
- Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The Holy Spirit will grieve for every person that dies a spiritual death. They are rejecting a priceless gift from God and being condemned to the lake of fire. (4:30 is one of five exhortations, which is why it starts with and.)
False Doctrines
- 1 Timothy 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.
Paul was instructing Timothy to be watchful of the false doctrine he would encounter that could deceive him and cause him to be careless. Several words in these passages are especially important "depart" and "continue". Clearly we cannot depart from something we never had, nor can we "continue" something we have not begun. Therefore, we are sure that Paul was speaking to Timothy about converted people.
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Additional studies by Bob Roenigk are available at bobroenigk.wordpress.com.
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