Many Christians believe in the doctrine of once saved always saved. This means, that once a person repents and turns to Jesus Christ, the person is saved for the rest of his life. It doesn’t matter how you live, because it is the grace of God that has saved you once and for all. They don’t believe that Christians can lose their salvation. But is that true? Is once saved always saved Biblical or is once saved always saved a false doctrine and can a Christian lose his salvation? What does the Bible say about once saved always saved?
The redemption of God’s people from the power of Egypt
In the Old Testament, we read how God delivered His people from the power of Egypt. God’s people were slaves of Pharaoh and lived in slavery and oppression. But one day, it was enough. God answered the prayers and the cries of His people. God sent His servant Moses, to redeem His people from the oppression of Pharaoh.
You might think, that the people of God would be grateful for their redemption. But no, that wasn’t the case. The people were not grateful. Instead, they twisted and argued with Moses and murmured and complained to God, while God provided in everything. They didn’t lack a thing! However, it didn’t go according to their will and their way.
God didn’t provide the things His people wanted and expected from Him. (Read also: What if God’s will is not your will?).
God’s people wanted to live like the Egyptians; the Gentiles, and do the things they did. However not in slavery and oppression, but in freedom.
But that was impossible. It was either living in freedom, while being obedient to God’s commandments and statutes or returning to Egypt and living like the Egyptians, the Gentiles, in slavery and bondage. (Read also: ‘Appointing leaders, who will lead the people back to Egypt‘)
God made His will known to His people via Moses. But it was up to each one of them whether to obey God’s commandments or disobey God’s commandments.
Everyone had been given free will. They could choose to love Him, serve Him, and keep His commandments or not.
Those, who were stubborn and rebellious and didn’t obey God’s commandments didn’t enter the promised land. They didn’t enter His rest. And so it happened, that a whole generation was lost and died in the wilderness.
Everyone was redeemed, but not everyone was saved.
Jesus preached the message of repentance
Jesus came to this earth for a special mission and an important message: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. He came first of all for the redemption of the people of Israel (God’s carnal people). Jesus called the house of Israel to repentance. He revealed and demonstrated the Kingdom of God to them through His speech and signs and wonders following Him. But still, everyone had free will to make a choice. (Read also: The call to repentance).
Many Jews answered the call of repentance of Jesus and repented of their sins. They repented and were baptized, while confessing their sins, and followed Jesus. But not all of Jesus’ followers stayed loyal to Jesus (John 6:66).
Not everyone was prepared and willing to give up their own life.
As they were going along with Him, many of His followers, turned back, because of His hard sayings, which offended them (John 6:60-62)
That’s why Jesus said, that you have to count the cost before you make a choice for Him and decide to follow Him. Because if you choose to follow Jesus, it means that you have to deny (give up) your own life.
When you are prepared to give up your life, only then will you be able to follow Jesus (Read also: Following Jesus will cost you everything).
Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it (Matthew 17:24-25, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)
Did you truly repent?
If you repented and were baptized in water and received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, but you keep walking, the way you walked before your repentance in sin, it shows that you have not truly repented from your works of the flesh, your sins, and your nature has not changed, therefore you are not saved.
If you truly repent and become a new creation, you will change and will walk as the new creation.
Your old sinful nature which reigns in your flesh has died and is buried in Christ (Read also: What does the Bible say about the old man?).
Through the resurrection of the spirit from the dead and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you have received a new nature; God’s nature.
As a result, you shall walk after the Spirit and do what the Word says, and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
What will happen if you don’t bear the fruit of the Spirit? Jesus discussed this matter in the following parable:
A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down (Luke 13:6-9)
Your works testify whose slave you are and to which kingdom you belong
As long as you keep living after the flesh and persevere in sin, after your repentance, you are still a servant of sin and not a servant of righteousness.
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that commits sin of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning (1 John 3:7-8).
Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother (1 John 3:9-10).
The Bible says, that if you persevere in sin, you are a slave of the devil and belong to the kingdom of darkness. You are not a slave of Jesus Christ, because you don’t do what Jesus says and do what He has commanded you to do and don’t belong to the Kingdom of God.
Your works reveal whose slave you are and to which kingdom you belong.
When you live after the flesh in sin, you shall bear the fruit of sin, which is eventually death.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live (Romans 8:13)
You have been given power, to become a son of God
But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).
The Word says, that to as many as received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God (both males and females). ‘To become’ means an action, a process.
You have to put effort into it and train and discipline yourself, so that your spirit matures and grows up into the likeness of Jesus Christ; the Word (Read also: What are the characteristics of a son of God?).
You are redeemed by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and His blood.
Jesus Christ redeemed you from the power of the kingdom of darkness and brought you into the Kingdom of God. He has redeemed you from the power of the devil and of sin and death.
Through Jesus Christ, you have entered the Kingdom of God.
You are circumcised in Him, which means that you have laid down your life through baptism, and by the baptism with the Holy Spirit, your spirit has been raised from the dead and the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you (Read also: What does the circumcision in Jesus Christ mean?).
But… now it’s up to you to stay inside and work your salvation.
Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)
Once you are saved will you always be saved or can you lose your salvation?
Once you are saved will you always be saved or can you lose your salvation? Yes, you can become apostate from the faith and lose your salvation. Jesus said to His disciples, that only those, who endure to the end, would be saved:
You shall be hated of all men for My Name’s sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:22)
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:12-13).
There is a possibility of not staying saved and becoming apostate from the faith and losing your salvation
Paul wrote in his letters, so many times about salvation, the walk of the saints, the removal of sin, becoming apostate, etc.
For example, in Paul’s letters to Timothy, Paul commanded Timothy to walk according to the prophecies, which were given to him, that he might fight a good fight, holding the faith and a good conscience. Because some had put away their faith and became apostate:
That thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme (1 Timothy 1:19-20)
Alexander and Hymenaeus were not the only ones, who left the faith. Demas also left Paul for the love of the world:
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica (2 Timothy 4:10).
The love for the world is a major factor, through which many will leave the faith. You can’t serve the world and serve Jesus Christ. They diametrically oppose each other. It is either the world or the Word (Jesus).
“Who hindered you that you should not obey the truth?”
You did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion comes not of Him that calleth you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you through the Lord, that you will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be (Galatians 5:7)
Many are called, but few are chosen
In Matthew 22:14 Jesus said, For many are called, but few are chosen. The cross is not the final destination of your life, but the cross is the starting point of your new life. The cross can’t be used as an excuse to keep walking after the flesh in sin and keep walking the way you walked, before your repentance (Read also: What does the cross mean to you?).
If you have been convicted of your sin and your sinful nature and truly repented of your sin and turned away from your sin, how can you keep walking in sin?
The cross is not a camping site, but the cross is the place, where you have crucified your flesh in Christ.
You have become a partaker of His death and burial (baptism), but you have also become a partaker of His resurrection and have received the Holy Spirit (baptism with the Holy Spirit).
The resurrection life should become visible in the lives of all Christians.
Unfortunately, many Christians know the doctrine, but only a few Christians put the doctrine into practice and do what is written in the Bible and apply the words of God in their lives.
Many don’t practice what they know or confess. Because of that, not many Christians walk in this resurrected life, but stay carnal and keep doing the works of the flesh and live like the world (Read also: If Christians live like the world what should the world repent off?).
What is stopping them? The love for themselves (their flesh) and the love for this world. They are not able to step into the boat and let go of the rope. They can’t say goodbye to their old comfortable familiar life.
The old creation always looks back and always returns to the old and his old habits (Read also: Why Christians go back to the Old Covenant?).
But if a person turns back to his old habits, behavior, and lifestyle, it means that the person returns to his old life in darkness.
The blood of Jesus is of no use to the person, who is not willing to lay down the flesh with its sin nature. The blood of Jesus is not a magic spell, nor a lucky charm, or a permit to sin. No! It is either one or the other: you lay down your life (flesh) or you don’t.
What does God do to those, who don’t stay in His Word and become disobedient to His Word?
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.
Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:17-24)
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live (Romans 8:13)
Is once saved always saved Biblical?
Does once saved always saved apply in the Kingdom of God? Does the Bible say that once you are saved you will always be saved? Doesn’t it matter how you live after your repentance and can you live the way your flesh wants to live? The answer is NO!
You don’t get saved or stay saved by obeying all kinds of legalistic rules, by church membership, by attending church and/or by doing all kinds of church activities or charity activities, by doing good to others, or by daily reading your Bible and praying.
You are only saved when you repent and become born again and be born of God and become a new creation. And you stay saved, by staying in Jesus Christ; the Word, and walking as the new creation after the Spirit in His commandments (Read also: How to put on the new man).
If you love Jesus; the Word, you shall keep His commandments and do, what He tells you to do.
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end (Hebrews 3:14)
Many confess God, but in their works they deny Him
They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate (Titus 1:16).
Paul warned and wrote the following to the believers, the church of Jesus Christ:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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 (Galatians 5:19-21)
Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 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. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them (Ephesians 5:3-7)
Do you stay saved if you walk in rebellion towards God?
If you are redeemed by faith in Jesus Christ, by His blood, and keep walking in sin, in rebellion towards God, then the Word shows you, your final destination:
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27)
If once saved always saved is true. If you can live the way you want to live, because it doesn’t matter how you live. Why did Jesus warn the churches in the Book of Revelation?
Why did Jesus command the churches to repent of their works and return to Him; the Word? Jesus revealed what was wrong with the churches and called the churches to repent of their behavior and remove the evil out of their midst.
Jesus was very clear and said that if the churches wouldn’t repent and return to Him, Jesus would take the candle away from the churches and they would be seated in darkness. But that’s not all. Jesus said, that He would erase their names from the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5 (Read also: The church seated in darkness).
And this still applies to every believer, who belongs to the church; the body of Jesus Christ
Many are redeemed, but only few are saved.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
