There are many in the religious community who hold the view that once a person enters into a covenant relationship with God (is saved) that he/she can NEVER fall from that state.
-Although this view may be appealing, Scripture does not support it. Below, we examine some scripture on the matter of "once saved . . . always saved."
Their Argument:
Most proponents of "once saved, always saved" use 2 main scriptures to support their belief.
1. John 10:27-29: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand."
2. Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
*We know that Scripture does not contradict itself. So, with that in mind, let's look at the following scriptures and then discuss the above 2 scriptures in context.
1. Galations 5:3-4: "And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."
2. Hebrews 6:4-6: " "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away , to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put him to an open shame."
3. 2 Peter 2:20-22: "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
Their Argument:
Most proponents of "once saved, always saved" use 2 main scriptures to support their belief.
1. John 10:27-29: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand."
2. Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
*We know that Scripture does not contradict itself. So, with that in mind, let's look at the following scriptures and then discuss the above 2 scriptures in context.
1. Galations 5:3-4: "And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."
2. Hebrews 6:4-6: " "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away , to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put him to an open shame."
3. 2 Peter 2:20-22: "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
4. Hebrews 10:26: " For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins . . ."
5. Revelation 2:10: " . . .Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."
6. 1 Corinthians 10:12: "Therefore let him who thinks he stand take heed lest he fall."
7. Hebrews 3:12: "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God."
8. Hebrews 4:1: "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it."
Other Scriptures:
*Romans 6:1, 2 Timothy 2:17,18, 2 Timothy 4:10, Philippians 2:12, John 15:1-8, and 1John (chapters 1-5)
The above Scriptures clearly indicate that one can fall from grace/ from a saved state with God.
So then, in that context, what do John 10:27-29 and Romans 8:38-39 mean? They simply mean that there is no external source that can take salvation away from you once you have obtained it. However, you can, by choice lay it down.
Thought Question If a child of God could not lose salvation, what then is the purpose of the continual warning to beware of Satan and his devises and of his temptations? If we could not lose our saved state, what difference would it make if we fell to Satan's temptations?
In Conclusion, "once saved, always saved" is a dangerous doctrine. It implies that once we are saved, we can live any sort of way because we can never lose our salvation. Not only is that doctrine dangerous, as the above scriptures clearly teach; it is untrue.
