Is “once-saved always-saved” Biblically correct?
The apostle John wrote us a wonderful promise from God: John 3:16-17 “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.”
Does this mean that once we accept Jesus in our heart by faith, and thus are saved, that we can do anything even immoral things, and we still will be saved? Let’s see what the Scriptures says about this.
1 Tim 4:1: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
This text shows that Christians can loose their salvation if they follow deceiving spirits.
2 Peter 2:20-22: “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.’”
The apostle Peter indicates clearly here that it is worst for someone who has accepted Jesus in his life to return to his old ways than “not to have known the way of righteousness”. Why? The book of Hebrews explains this for us.
Heb 6:4-6: ”It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”
This text describes Christians who not only accepted Jesus by faith into their life, but also personally tasted God’s Holy Spirit. What happens to them if they “fall away’? This text is clear. It is impossible for them to be brought back to repentance, and thus obtain eternal salvation, because they did sin against the Holy Spirit. They have lost it!
Heb 10:26-28: “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
Here we see clearly that once we have accepted Jesus in our life, we just can’t go on living as if He did not exist, and “deliberately keep on sinning”. What would be the result if you did? Would you still obtain eternal salvation? The Bible says that these will have “a fearful expectation of judgment”. There again, they have lost their salvation.
The apostle Paul confirms this in 1 Cor 15:1-2: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.”
In other words, if someone does not hold on firm to God’s word, he/she has “believed in vain”.
These texts clearly contradict the theory of “Once saved, always saved”. This theory is simply not Biblical. Will you trust in our Lord and give your life to Him? Don’t spoil what blessings you have received from Him. Don’t let yourself be dissuaded by the philosophies of our world. Only God can give you eternal salvation and will give you the strength to hold on till the end. All you need to do is trust in Him and accept Him fully in your life. Will you do this now?
Rob Chaffart
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I believe “once saved, always saved” is biblically correct if you only believe in your heart that you are really saved.
Dave
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Yes!!!!!!!!!!But the simplicity of the question leads one to easily cause others to stray into believing they can live the lifestyle they choose as long as they believe. I believe there are three stages of Christian growth, the first being confession unto salvation followed by the water baptism.
The second stage is a cleansing process better described entitled sanctification or a process of turning from your worldly ways and following the written word of God for instruction in holiness according as we are instructed by Gods word. And lastly a filling of the Holy Spirit which is a seal which seals us until the day of our redemption this filling of the spirit will bring forth the fruit whether we be wheat or tare.
How can we know whether we be wheat or whether we be tare for the rain falls on the just as well as the unjust. God knows, he has always known not that he decided who would or who wouldn’t, him being God and seeing already how the story ends he knows who will be saved and who won’t be, he knows the difference between the wheat and the tare. Wheat and tares growing together in the field are not distinguishable one from another until it is harvest time and at the time of the harvest even a child would not error telling one from another, my conclusion is since we are still inquiring concerning the wheat and tares we must wait upon God until the time of the harvest, then we will know as we are known.
PS::: The story of how God called Israel out of Egypt Israel was called Egypt was not, Israel being called many did not believe, yet all of Israel was called, they heard God himself speak, they drank water from a rock, they tasted the grapes from the promise land, yet because of unbelief, many were called but did not enter in. See Hebrews chapter 6.
Penny Walker
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Sadly many seem to believe once saved, always saved. They feel they can do what ever they choose and are saved. They can lie, cheat, manipulate, fornicate, or what ever, with no real evidence of repentance, or even sadness for hurting others. I have been living personally a lot of hurt caused by always saved people in my church, and not even regret for any of what they have put me through. The lies they told were so devastating to me. The Bible makes it clear to me that those who endure to the end shall be saved. Romans 3 vs.25b but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision, is made uncircumcision.
Galatians 5 vs. 15- 17 But if ye bite, and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed of one another, This I say then, walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to another, so that ye cannot do the things ye would. Vs 19-21 But the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation’s, wrath, strife, sedition’s, heresies, Envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like; of the which, I tell you before, as I have told you in past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 11 Vs. 21 & 22 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee, Behold before the goodness, and severity of God, on them which fell, severity, but towards thee goodness, if thou continue in His goodness, otherwise thou shalt be cut off. Ezekiel 33 vs. 13 When I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live, if he trust in his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered, but for his iniquity that he has committed, he shall die for it.
King David was favoured of the Lord, but when he sinned he caused a barrier between he and the Lord. He repented with great sorrow. He turned from his sin and the Lord forgave him.
Several kings in the old testament turned their hearts from the Lord and were not saved. Many Christians feel to just say I am sorry is repentance, but repentance means to turn away from sin. King David did both was exceedingly sorrowful, and turned from the sin. Living for and in Christ is a daily process, and if we give up on our end we loose.
Gail MacKenzie
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In my opinion, once saved always saved is not biblically correct at all. I know from a personal experience, I was saved and yes really saved. Then I really backslid. When I was in a backslidden condition, I have no doubt that If I had died, I would have went to Hell. Thank God, He kept his hand of protection round about me and I didn’t die lost. But, to make a short answer to this, people will say that God doesn’t make mistakes and that he won’t say well, gotta erase this one, they didn’t make it. Revelation 3:5 says he will blot your name out of the book of life. That is enough answer right there. You had to have been saved for it to be there in the first place and then he says if we are overcomers he won’t blot out our names. That means if we don’t overcome and endure to the end, he will blot our names out. Thank you,
Carlyn Casey
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Once save always save? This to me is biblically correct due to the fact that if you are truly save you want do what you use to, or live the way you use too. There are times that you will or may back slide, but you will always believe and know who to turn to.
Once you are save old things pass away and new things come. Meaning that we are slaughtered all the day long in the flesh. We become more Christ like and concentrate on things that spiritual rather than worldly things.
When you are Christ like you will be more humble. When hit with a situation instead of acting out of anger you tend to find yourself stepping back from a situation that can be avoided.
Instead of acting out of the flesh you are slower to speak and quick to listen.
Cindy S. Martin
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In the Bible it doesn’t say once saved always saved exactly this way, but this is what it means. However, once we ask Jesus into our hearts and confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us. We are saved by His grace, it is a free gift, because He knew we couldn’t save ourselves. Jesus died and rose again so we could have this free gift.
How many time does He have to die? Once for all mankind. The key I believe is confessing and asking His forgiveness and believing He died for our sins. Then receiving Him into our heart. As in John 3:16, “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.” It is a gift, lest we should boast. Because we couldn’t do it ourselves. Thank you.
Kathy Clepper, Certified Private Biblical Christian Counsellor Dallas, Texas