Once Saved- Always Saved? Part 1

I want to discuss a topic that has been the subject of debate among believers for many years: the concept of once saved-always saved. We will look at scripture for our answers- not our opinions or what church tradition may have told us. Because there are a number of verses to include and I don’t want to hurry through the information, we will take a couple days to cover it. Investigating important truths about our salvation isn’t something we want to rush or treat lightly.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. John 10:27-29 (KJV)

Once we are saved, are we always saved? Are we forever secure? Can we forfeit our salvation? We begin our discussion with a statement that Jesus made. He said that no man can take us out of the Father’s hand. It is trut that the redemption of man is eternal. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins once and for all. No one else can take it from us and no one can pluck us out of His hand. While it is true that the price He paid is good for all eternity, and others can’t separate us from God, we need to balance this with some other verses.

In the tiny book of Jude, a stern warning is given about false teachers who were infiltrating the church. Note how God describes them:

These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. Jude 1:12 (KJV) emphasis mine

Consider the phrase twice dead. These teachers had been saved but fell away from the Lord and were once again spiritually dead. They passed from death to life and then passed back to spiritual death again. (See Ephesians 2:1, Romans 8:13) In verses 5 through 7, Jude used examples of the children of Israel that perished in the Wilderness, angels that left their first estate, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha. He went on to use Cain and Balaam as examples as well.

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. Jude 1:11 (KJV)

These all had belonged to God at one time, but by their actions they faced God’s judgment. Jude is saying that these false teachers were like them, turning away from the Lord and what they knew was right- by choice. And they were in danger of eternal judgment- the second death.

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Revelation 2:5 (KJV)

In Revelation 2, Jesus is addressing churches, and each candlestick represented a church. We, the people of God, are actually God’s church, so whatever Jesus says to the churches in Revelation applies to us as well. Jesus told them to repent or they would be removed from their place. Any person who knowingly and purposely continues in sin will be judged and will be removed from their place in Christ.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelation 2:11 (KJV)

The second death is the lake of fire; eternal punishment and separation from God (Revelation 20:14-15). These false teachers from the book of Jude were saved and then fell away. They were headed to the second death; the lake of fire.

False teachers are judged harshly by God because they not only turn away from God, but they cause other believers to turn away as well- leading them to the second death. That is why are not to tolerate false teachers- those who teach error. We are to reject them because to allow them to have any input into our lives could draw us down a path to turn away from the Lord. Remember that I mentioned that no person can pluck us out of the Father’s hand? That is true, but we can be lured away and leave of our own accord. We must stay on the right track and stick with God until the end. If we continue with the Lord, repenting when we sin and keeping our hearts fixed on Him, we will overcome.

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. Revelation 2:26 (KJV)

This is a sober topic to be sure, and it may not make us want to jump up and dance, but it is extremely necessary that we cover it. Tomorrow we will wrap up our once saved-always saved discussion, looking at some additional verses and summarizing what we have found.