Once Saved Always Saved
Once Saved Always Saved
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are 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 returns to her wallowing in the mud." (II Peter 2:20-22)
There are three doctrines prevalent among Christian believers that are totally destructive of God's purposes in the Lord Jesus Christ:
Divine grace viewed as an alternative to the desired change in our behavior.
We are saved by "faith alone," that is, independently of our behavior. This is a non sequitur , in that salvation is our change from wicked, self-centered behavior to righteous, God-centered behavior.
The idea that once we "accept Christ" we never can lose our salvation.
These three doctrines are related in that they all view our salvation as a sovereignly dictated means of granting people eternal residence in Heaven apart from a change of personality.
There are other destructive doctrines, such as the any-moment catching up (rapture) of the believers to Heaven in order to escape Antichrist and the Great Tribulation; the notion that after the death of the early Apostles, God ceased intervening in the lives of the believers with speaking in tongues, Divine healing, the gifts of apostles and prophets, and individual direction.
All of these I have just mentioned rob the Christian people of the joy and fruitfulness they should be experiencing. But the first three prevent our growth into the image of God in righteous behavior and holiness of personality. Also they prevent us from understanding the necessity for stern obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Each of these can be refuted so easily by anyone who knows the Bible that is a marvel they are received so widely by God's people who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are not harmless misunderstandings of theology. They are deadly! They have kept multitudes of Christian people in a state of spiritual babyhood.
The three doctrines would have some credibility if eternal residence in Heaven were the goal of salvation, and we received our ticket to our new neighborhood when we "accepted Christ."
But since it is true that our goal is to be in the image of God, and we attain to our goal by abiding in Christ, the three doctrines are seen to be not only totally unscriptural but serve to prevent our growing into the image of God in our being and behavior.
Since I have written previously about the first two errors, the "lawless grace" and "faith alone" notions, I am going to devote the present essay to the third point of view: the idea that once we "accept Christ" we never can lose our salvation.
The tenor of the writings of the Apostles denounces such a position, so it is difficult to explain why it is so prevalent. Since Christian people are intelligent, it must be attributed to a spiritual blindness.
One does not have to look very far in the New Testament for a passage that refutes the concept that once we have experienced salvation we never can lose our position in Christ.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. (Revelation 3:4-5)
Consider carefully the passage above.
In the church in Sardis, which had a name for being alive, there were only a few believers who had continued to wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Most members of the congregation were not carefully remaining free from sinful behavior. They were not worthy to walk with the Lord.
Right away out attention is arrested, because we may have been told that no one is worthy to walk with the Lord. Have you ever heard that? I have. I was surprised when I found in the New Testament that we have to live in a manner worthy of the Kingdom of God.
Who then is worthy to walk with the Lord Jesus in the white robes of the Royal Priesthood?
Those who have kept their robes radiantly white by continually confessing and turning away from their sins.
But note that those who were worthy to walk with Christ were a minority, perhaps a small minority (a few people). Do we view the Christian churches of our day as containing only a few true members of the Royal Priesthood?
I think we are in an apostate condition in America; and this may be true worldwide!
"The one who is victorious." What does that mean?
It signifies the Christian believer who, by looking to the Lord Jesus continually, is living in victory over the sins of the flesh and spirit, and self-will.
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (II Corinthians 7:1)
We "purify ourselves" by looking to the Lord Jesus continually for wisdom and strength to obey Him in each detail of our life.
Every Christian believer who purifies himself or herself will be dressed in the white robes of the Royal Priesthood. They are married to the Lamb.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.) (Revelation 19:7,8)
Now we have arrived at a statement that simply does away with the destructive doctrine of "once saved always saved."
I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life.
A name cannot be blotted out unless it once was written. Am I correct in this?
Now consider: An individual's name was written in the Book of Life. But the inference is clear. If the believer does not live in victory, maintaining the white robe of the Royal Priesthood, there is a danger that his or her name can be blotted from the Book of Life.
If the Christian believer makes no effort to renounce and turn away from sin and self-will, the Lord may blot out his or her name from the Book of Life.
Now, if it were not possible for our name to be blotted from the Book of Life, why would the Lord Jesus give such a warning?
Does having our name blotted from the Book of Life mean that we are lost?
We must answer that question if we are to maintain that once we are saved we cannot be lost.
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
Am I saying that all of the American Christians who are not confessing and turning away from their sins will be blotted from the Book of Life; and at the end thrown into the Lake of Fire.
I am not saying that. But does the Bible say that? That is the question.
What does John 15:6 tell us?
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
What does Hebrews 6:7,8 claim?
Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
I must say that the Bible is not being taught today as it should. We may claim that we believe the Bible is God's Word, but we ignore the verses which do not fit our current beliefs—which is most of the New Testament.
We in America do not truly believe how stern God can be. The Old Testament tells us of how God treated rebellious Israel, lasting all the way up to the Holocaust.
My own opinion is that there is going to be an American Holocaust—perhaps worse than the Jews have suffered. After all, we Americans are not God's chosen people. And if God treated the Jews as He has, what can we expect?
"As many as I love," the Lord said, I rebuke and chasten." I believe that before God assigns any person to eternal separation from Himself, He exhausts every means of correcting the individual.
God's means of corrections can be very, very painful and very, very prolonged.
After all means of correction have failed, that individual shall be placed with Satan and the monsters of history. According to the Bible, some people will be assigned to the Lake of Fire.
Let's return to the topic of "fire."
Several New Testament passages speak of Christians who do not bear the fruit that Christ is seeking, which is His own image in us, are thrown into the "fire."
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. (Hebrews 6:26,27)
A Christian friend of mine were discussing the possible meaning of the dead branches being thrown into the fire. It was then I realized I was not clear what that means. I tend to recoil at the thought of all of the casual American Christians being thrown into Hell.
At some point last night the story of the rich man and Lazarus flashed into my mind.
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, "Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire."
But Abraham replied, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us."
He answered, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." (Luke 16:19-27)
What can we learn from this story?
The rich man was not a thief, adulterer, murderer, liar, or any other kind of sinner, as far as we know.
His great sin was in not sharing his wealth with a needy person.
No doubt part of the fruit Christ is looking for in us is care for those in need when we can do something about it.
What then was the result of the lack of compassion in the rich man?
Upon his death he was thrown into Hell. "I am in agony in this fire!"
How many American people have more money than they need and do not help the poor among us? Will they all be sent to Hell?
Today a "cheap gospel" is being preached. "Accept Christ and you will go to Heaven when you die."
But what if the individual "accepts Christ" but does not help the needy when he or she has opportunity. Will that person go to Hell when he or she dies even though the person has "accepted Christ"?
I think the Bible would answer, "Yes."
You know, we in America have watered down the Gospel, especially in the area of the fear of God. This is because we are in love with ourselves. We even take snapshots of ourselves, if you can believe. But the fact that we love ourselves and have transferred our self-love to our image of God does not change the Scriptures.
I notice that on some occasions young people scoff at the Bible as being a collection of human fables. They do not fear God. They do not realize that God at any moment of His choosing can bring them into unbearable pain. In many instances they do not thank God for the comforts they enjoy in America.
At this point they are like ants on the ground waving a crumb of food. They shall suffer for their unconscionable pride sooner or later.
Hell is a real place, and people whom God is not pleased with may very well end up there.
If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:29,39)
It seems that we have two bodies, an external body that we can see, and a body under the external body that can be thrown into Hell. Remember that the rich man wanted Lazarus to come and put some water on his tongue.
Did the Lord Jesus mean exactly what He said in the passage above?
I believe He did. I believe that everything in the Bible is of God and will endure for eternity.
If it is better to gouge out our right eye or cut off our right hand than for our whole body to be thrown into Hell, than Hell must be a horrible destiny indeed!
We Americans might not believe that God would cast an individual into Hell because he was selfish. But this is what happened to the rich man!
Are we certain we really believe the Bible is God's infallible Word? If so, we better draw close to the Lord and make sure we are bearing in our behavior the fruit of His image.
As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:40-42)
Everything that causes sin and all who do evil. Out of His Kingdom.
Would the above be true of those who have "accepted Christ"? (I put "accepted Christ" in quotes because it is not a Bible expression. It is part of the Christian religion, not of God's Word.)
I believe yes, since the passage is speaking of Christ's Kingdom.
It is interesting to note that the rich man was concerned about his five brothers. So he was not a thoroughly wicked man. Yet he remained in the flames of Hell.
If I am not mistaken, we American Christians need to examine our attitude toward God and His salvation. Is God really as soft-hearted as we imagine?
We simply cannot, from the Bible, support the idea that we never can lose our salvation. Our salvation must be worked out with fear and trembling. It is possible for someone to take our crown, if we are not prayerful and obedient to the Lord Jesus.
As Daniel teaches us, in the last days Antichrist will be able to deceive those at God right hand, the heavenly host, and cast them down to the ground.
We have seen this taking place in our day as prominent ministers have been deceived by sexual immorality or by money.
But even worse is the rise of the False Prophet. The False Prophet consists of Christian people who are seeking to utilize the power of Christ but who speak with the voice of the dragon: "I will; I will; I will."
The true disciple of the Lord is not seeking power but to listen to Jesus and to obey Him faithfully in every detail of life. The power of Christ shall be revealed in the closing days of the Church Age, but it will be clothed in the "sackcloth" of humility, not in the proud boasting of the self-anointed apostles and prophets of the modern "prophetic movement."
The Book of Revelation also tells us of the tearing down of the believers who have been at God's right hand.
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. (Revelation 12:3,4)
In our day Christ is being formed in those Christians who are keeping the commands of Christ. Therefore the dragon is making an effort to tear down from their place in the heavens those who, like himself, are moved by their self-will instead of by obedience to the God of Heaven.
God will permit the tail of the dragon to do this. It is part of the promised shaking of the heavens.
I think the Spirit is speaking clearly that Divine judgment is to fall on the United States in the near future. How can we prepare ourselves for this terrible event? Only by learning to live by the Life of Jesus, as I have said to our congregation so many times.
We must abide in Christ if we are to survive the judgment on America. It is not nearly enough to say "I accept Christ." We must dwell in Christ in every aspect of our thinking, speaking and behaving. If we do not, we are going to be deceived.
Many are being deceived in our day, joining groups that promise them they are going to be apostles and prophets and perform mighty works. Flee from these, and take the lowly way with those who patiently are waiting on Jesus.
It is my conviction that Jesus wants to speak to us personally in our day. Being an experienced Christian, I understand the danger of seeking to be led by a voice.
But otherwise all we have is religious people doing what they think best.
And what they think best is to water down the Bible until its commands are acceptable to the desires of the believers:
Divine grace viewed as an alternative to the desired change in our behavior.
We are saved by "faith alone," that is, independently of our behavior.
The idea that once we "accept Christ" we never can lose our salvation.
If I am not mistaken it is time now to return to the words of the Apostles of Christ, accept them as God's will, and teach and practice them.
We will not find a basis for believing that once we receive Christ we never can lose our salvation.
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. (Hebrews 10:26,27)
Every once in a while I receive an email from someone who is afraid that they have gone past the place where God will forgive them. When they read my writings they feel that they have sinned deliberately and can never get back to Christ.
They are terrified, and rightly so. What God says, He means.
I will tell you the passage of Scripture that I use to give them hope.
But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:21-23)
I realize this passage is from the Old Testament. Nevertheless it applies today. It is the way God thinks and operates.
When we continue in sin, Christian or not, we are sowing death. We shall not receive an incorruptible body when the Lord appears.
However, if we become aware that we are sinning, and cry out to Jesus for help, it is God's way to put away our sin and restore us.
Sometimes our restoration takes a period of time while God looks to see if we are sincere. It is a sobering experience to observe a backslider at the altar pleading with God to restore his or her joy.
But it is worth the effort to try to get back the joy of the Lord, even if it takes a year or two. To make one's self the enemy of God is just about the worst mistake any human can make.
Today, as I stated, we in America, and probably other Western nations, are largely backslidden. We have created doctrines that reveal how we love ourselves, and not God and His Christ.
God in His goodness is going to send fierce judgment upon our country in the hope of bringing many of us back to the Lord Jesus, to stern obedience to Christ and God.
Let us prepare ourselves today by serving Jesus night and day. In doing so we will save ourselves and our loved ones.
We can do God's will perfectly and completely, one moment at a time.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1,2)
If I am not mistaken, a primary reason for the spiritual immaturity of the Christian believers in America is the false sense of security that is produced by the "once saved always saved" deception.