The Truth About Once Saved
There is a teaching in the Church that says, once a person has received their salvation they cannot lose it. It has also been called “once saved always saved” doctrine. So let’s examine the Word of God and see what the Bible has to say about this.
The people of the Old Testament were called the Church in the Wilderness. (Acts 7:38) They ate of the heavenly bread (manna) a type of Jesus, and they all drank a type of living water, from the Rock. They looked to the Lamb to remove sin, and were all baptized in the Sea and under the Cloud, a type of water and Spirit baptism. Now if we know that they were part of the Church, as we are, then we can see how God dealt with the disobedient believers. (I Cor. 10:1-11)
Heb 3:8-12
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
(KJV)
The above verse is speaking to “brethren” not the lost of the world, and the warning is for them to not depart from the living God with an evil heart of unbelief. If we do, then by example of the Church in the Wilderness, we know our fate. They all died without receiving the “rest of God”.
Matt 10:22
22 "And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
(NAS)
The above verse warns us to continue to the end, steadfastly to be saved. As we can read, it is not the one who starts only, but he that starts and finishes the race, who will win the prize.
Luke 9:62
62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
(NAS)
Again, we find verse teaching us that once we start we are not to look back, remember Lot’s wife. Putting your hand to the plow speaks of beginning, and looking back speaks to us of desiring the old life. Couple this verse with Heb 11:15, and we see, we must count ourselves strangers to this world and continue in faith seeking that Heavenly.
We are saved by grace thru faith. It is our faith and God’s grace that saves us. If we lose our faith then there is no grace available to save us. See below.
Gal 5:4-5
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
(NAS)
Heb 12:15-17
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
(KJV)
The above verse speaks to us of believers who fail of the grace of God that allow bitterness or sin to corrupt them, they are compared to Esau, who found no repentance.
John 15:2
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
(KJV)
John 15:6
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
(KJV)
The above verse speaks of believers (branches) that are attached to the Vine (Jesus). Any believer that does not bear fruit will be cut off from Jesus and cast into the fire and be burned. You can not be a branch in Him, unless you had, by faith, been grafted in. Thus according to this verse believers can be cut off from Jesus and be destroyed.
Paul warned that he himself must keep his body under subjection to the Spirit or suffer the fate of the “reprobates.”
1 Cor 9:27
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (reprobate)
(KJV)
The word castaway in the original means “reprobate”.
Paul warns believers in the Church to examine themselves to see if they be in the faith or if they are reprobate (lost). In the below verse, this warning was not written to the lost but to the believing Church.
2 Cor 13:5
5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
(KJV)
Eph 5:4-6
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
(KJV)
“Let no man deceive you” could only mean that there is a deception possible. Obviously we know that the “lost” who do such things that are mentioned above, shall not inherit the Kingdom, so of course, no one could deceive us in that. So where could they possibly deceive us? By teaching us that the “saved” who do such things, since they can’t lose their salvation, will be saved anyway. That would be deception.
The scriptures teach us that it is possible to believe in vain.
1 Cor 15:1-2
1 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.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
(NIV)
The promise of salvation in the above verse is qualified with the “condition” if you hold firmly. Thus teaching us that it is possible to believe, but not continue in faith, thus we have believed in vain.
The Prodigal Son is a perfect example of the father’s son…
The once saved doctrine teaches that since we are born sons of God, we cannot become unborn, thus no matter what we do we can not lose our salvation. But listen how the father described his son:
Luke 15:24
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
(KJV)
So we see the son was dead and was lost, while still being the son.
Gal 5:21
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
(KJV)
The above verse, written to the Church and not to the world, warns the Church that those that do such thing, though they may be called believers, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Of course we know that the lost shall not inherit, so obviously it is speaking of believers that do such things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Rev 2:4-5
4 'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 'Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place-- unless you repent.
(NAS)
Written to believers we must note “removing a lampstand” can only mean one thing. That they shall have not part in the Kingdom, unless they repent and return.
Exod 32:33
33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
(KJV)
Rev 22:19
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
(KJV)
Rev 3:5
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.
(NIV)
These verses together teach us that a name can be removed (blotted out) from the Book of Life, thus that person, whose name was removed will have not part in the Kingdom of God. There is only one way to have your name written into the Book of Life, and that is to be a believer. And there is one way to have your name blotted out, by being disobedient, and faithless.
Heb 6:4-8
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
(KJV)
The above verse is a perfect description of someone who was a believer, saved. This is a misunderstood verse. It is speaking of a Jew, who came to Jesus and became a believer, then returned again to try to practice the Jewish religion, instead of continuing in faith. He has fallen away, and is rejected, who end is to be burned.
I feel any honest person can view the above verses and know assuredly the truth about a Church teaching that says after you have become a believer you cannot be lost, no matter what you do (good or bad). Are we to believe the Word of God, or men’s teachings?
Be blessed in Jesus,
Billy Wells
There is a teaching in the Church that says, once a person has received their salvation they cannot lose it. It has also been called “once saved always saved” doctrine. So let’s examine the Word of God and see what the Bible has to say about this.
The people of the Old Testament were called the Church in the Wilderness. (Acts 7:38) They ate of the heavenly bread (manna) a type of Jesus, and they all drank a type of living water, from the Rock. They looked to the Lamb to remove sin, and were all baptized in the Sea and under the Cloud, a type of water and Spirit baptism. Now if we know that they were part of the Church, as we are, then we can see how God dealt with the disobedient believers. (I Cor. 10:1-11)
Heb 3:8-12
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
(KJV)
The above verse is speaking to “brethren” not the lost of the world, and the warning is for them to not depart from the living God with an evil heart of unbelief. If we do, then by example of the Church in the Wilderness, we know our fate. They all died without receiving the “rest of God”.
Matt 10:22
22 "And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
(NAS)
The above verse warns us to continue to the end, steadfastly to be saved. As we can read, it is not the one who starts only, but he that starts and finishes the race, who will win the prize.
Luke 9:62
62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
(NAS)
Again, we find verse teaching us that once we start we are not to look back, remember Lot’s wife. Putting your hand to the plow speaks of beginning, and looking back speaks to us of desiring the old life. Couple this verse with Heb 11:15, and we see, we must count ourselves strangers to this world and continue in faith seeking that Heavenly.
We are saved by grace thru faith. It is our faith and God’s grace that saves us. If we lose our faith then there is no grace available to save us. See below.
Gal 5:4-5
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
(NAS)
Heb 12:15-17
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
(KJV)
The above verse speaks to us of believers who fail of the grace of God that allow bitterness or sin to corrupt them, they are compared to Esau, who found no repentance.
John 15:2
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
(KJV)
John 15:6
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
(KJV)
The above verse speaks of believers (branches) that are attached to the Vine (Jesus). Any believer that does not bear fruit will be cut off from Jesus and cast into the fire and be burned. You can not be a branch in Him, unless you had, by faith, been grafted in. Thus according to this verse believers can be cut off from Jesus and be destroyed.
Paul warned that he himself must keep his body under subjection to the Spirit or suffer the fate of the “reprobates.”
1 Cor 9:27
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (reprobate)
(KJV)
The word castaway in the original means “reprobate”.
Paul warns believers in the Church to examine themselves to see if they be in the faith or if they are reprobate (lost). In the below verse, this warning was not written to the lost but to the believing Church.
2 Cor 13:5
5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
(KJV)
Eph 5:4-6
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
(KJV)
“Let no man deceive you” could only mean that there is a deception possible. Obviously we know that the “lost” who do such things that are mentioned above, shall not inherit the Kingdom, so of course, no one could deceive us in that. So where could they possibly deceive us? By teaching us that the “saved” who do such things, since they can’t lose their salvation, will be saved anyway. That would be deception.
The scriptures teach us that it is possible to believe in vain.
1 Cor 15:1-2
1 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.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
(NIV)
The promise of salvation in the above verse is qualified with the “condition” if you hold firmly. Thus teaching us that it is possible to believe, but not continue in faith, thus we have believed in vain.
The Prodigal Son is a perfect example of the father’s son…
The once saved doctrine teaches that since we are born sons of God, we cannot become unborn, thus no matter what we do we can not lose our salvation. But listen how the father described his son:
Luke 15:24
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
(KJV)
So we see the son was dead and was lost, while still being the son.
Gal 5:21
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
(KJV)
The above verse, written to the Church and not to the world, warns the Church that those that do such thing, though they may be called believers, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Of course we know that the lost shall not inherit, so obviously it is speaking of believers that do such things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Rev 2:4-5
4 'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 'Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place-- unless you repent.
(NAS)
Written to believers we must note “removing a lampstand” can only mean one thing. That they shall have not part in the Kingdom, unless they repent and return.
Exod 32:33
33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
(KJV)
Rev 22:19
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
(KJV)
Rev 3:5
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.
(NIV)
These verses together teach us that a name can be removed (blotted out) from the Book of Life, thus that person, whose name was removed will have not part in the Kingdom of God. There is only one way to have your name written into the Book of Life, and that is to be a believer. And there is one way to have your name blotted out, by being disobedient, and faithless.
Heb 6:4-8
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
(KJV)
The above verse is a perfect description of someone who was a believer, saved. This is a misunderstood verse. It is speaking of a Jew, who came to Jesus and became a believer, then returned again to try to practice the Jewish religion, instead of continuing in faith. He has fallen away, and is rejected, who end is to be burned.
I feel any honest person can view the above verses and know assuredly the truth about a Church teaching that says after you have become a believer you cannot be lost, no matter what you do (good or bad). Are we to believe the Word of God, or men’s teachings?
Be blessed in Jesus,
Billy Wells
1 comment:
Billy: I am a born again Christian and these scriptures you have referred to, plus your comments - make me more than ever want to be holy like God. Thanks for the encouragement to truly follow Christ in all of our ways.
Sincerely,
Pam Machu, San Antonio, Texas
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