Difference between revisions of "Once saved always saved"

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Once saved always saved?

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Is once saved always saved true?
Or is it only giving false security?

This subject is one that I believe the devil has done much damage. If a person is saved and tormented by guilt and shame, then the devil will accuse them of not being saved. This is used by the enemy to bring much fear, torment and condemnation into a person's life. There is no need to fear losing your salvation, if you know how much that God loves you, how merciful of a God we serve, and how we are not saved by works but by grace. Are we living a worldly lifestyle? Are we holding unforgiveness in our hearts? Now that's another story.

I strongly encourage you to consider the whole gospel of salvation, as it is VERY much filled with hope and the love of God, and not to simply look at this teaching and feel condemned. It is my hope that this teaching motivates you to get serious about your relationship with God and forgive those whom have wronged you. That is what Jesus is asking of us! To love Him with our whole heart, and to love one another as He has forgiven us. Is that asking too much, after all that He has done for us? Not at all.

Those who need to hold tightly to the once-saved theory, are those who's minds are bound in dead religion. They do not grasp the concept of God's love, grace, and mercy towards us, and therefore need to feel secure, because they do not feel worthy as they are attempting to be saved by works. They feel that one mistake, and God is angry with them. This is not true, but to somebody who has religious strongholds and spirits (demons), this is too big of a reality to overlook. If this is you, then I encourage you to read my teachings on <a href="http://greatbiblestudy.com/dead_religion.php">Exposing Dead Religion </a>and <a href="http://greatbiblestudy.com/jesus_bible.php">The Jesus of the Bible </a>. If you cling tightly to the once-saved theory, then you have some serious bondages to religion and should resolved those through spiritual warfare and deliverance and establish your intimate relationship with God.

It is my heart's desire with this teaching to do two things: (a) break up the nonsense of once-saved theology which is costing the body of Christ numerous number of souls every year, and (b) provide comfort and truth to those who are tormented constantly over fear of losing their salvation. If you think that you're going to lose your salvation every time you slip up, then you are not living in grace but legalism, and do not understand your relationship with God, and as a result, you will constantly fear loss of your salvation and fall into condemnation.

Why is it so important to preach against once-saved? Because millions of souls are in hell because the church has not done it's job educating the body. While we are out evangelizing the sinners, there are people in our own congregations that are on their way to hell. Why? One good reason is unforgiveness. The Bible is crystal clear that if we don't forgive those who wrong us, then we are not going to receive forgiveness for our own sins, and as a result, we abide in spiritual death.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses .

Matthew 6:14-15

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him .

1 John 3:14-15

What does love have to do with forgiving others? Everything! We are commanded to love and forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. The Bible tells us that love covers (forgives) sin that others have done against us.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity [love] shall cover the multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Proverbs 10:12

If I am right, and I have every reason to believe that I am, then there are millions of Christians who are on their way to hell right now because there are unresolved issues of unforgiveness in their hearts towards at least one person who has wronged them.

John Bevere wrote an anointed book entitled The Bait of Satan. This book contains the most anointed, scriptural, and motivating message on unforgiveness that I have ever heard. It is not written in a condemnation manner at all, but rather conviction to get us serious about our forgiving others. It is a must-read for any believer in Christ!

The OSAS arguments considered

There are several passages in the Bible which are used in an attempt to prove that we cannot lose our salvation. I want to take a closer look at some of the most common theories in this teaching.

"Nobody can pluck us from the Father's hand"(John 10:28-29)

If you back up one more verse, you'll find some missing information about this passage; in verse 27, we find that true sheep will follow Christ:

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.

John 10:27-28

In regards to somebody plucking us out of the Father's hand, this is referring to men who would attempt to remove us from the Father's hand. It would be dangerous if men were able to remove us from the hand of God, wouldn't it? No man can take eternal life away from us, regardless how hard they try. Just as no man can force us to sin, but we, by our own choice, can fall into sin. We are told to abide (remain) in Jesus, and when we do, we will produce much fruit. If we do not abide in Jesus, and therefore fail to bear fruit, then we can be removed from the vine (Jesus) and thrown into the fire to be burned. Apparently, this is referring to people who were a branch in Jesus, and were removed because they did not abide in Jesus' words.

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... 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.

John 15:2,6

"Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39)

Again, this is speaking of outside influences and not about what we ourselves can do. While nobody else can separate us from God's love, we can depart from the love relationship that God desires with us. Consider this passage:

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love ; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

John 15:10

Apparently it is possible to not keep His commands, and fail to abide (remain) in His love.

Now don't get me wrong, God's love for us is GREAT and His mercy is DEEP. But to say that we can become Satanists and completely turn our backs on God and die in that state, then expect God's love... we are only fooling ourselves.

"We cannot die if we have eternal life" (John 11:26)

According to this passage, if we fail to love one another, we have no eternal life abiding in us:

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him .

1 John 3:14-15

"The gifts of God are without repentance" (Romans 11:29)

God isn't going to offer you something then turn around and change His mind. That is what it is saying here. The offer to abide in Christ is available to the world, but that doesn't mean that once we are in Christ, we will always abide in Him. However, if we are given and we do not make use of it, it can be taken from us:

For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him .

Luke 19:26

If a man abide [remain] 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.

John 15:6

We are born of incorruptible seed" (1 Peter 1:23)

The incorruptible seed is Christ Jesus, or the Word (see John 1:1 & Luke 8:11), and yes, He is incorruptible. But the key is that we must remain or abide in Him, lest we be cast forth or removed from the vine:

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... 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... If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you... If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love ; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

John 15:2, 6, 7, 10

Also look at this passage in the end of the Bible, where it tells us clearly that God can "take away his part in the book of life."

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.

Revelation 22:19

Apparently, the person was in the book of life, in order for God to remove him.

"We are sealed with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Being sealed with the Holy Spirit means that we are marked as God's property, and it's God's promise that He has great plans for us. We are like a peach tree which God has purchased and planted in His garden. We are marked as God's own property (sealed with the Holy Spirit), and planted in His garden (adopted into his family)... but we are also expected to bear fruit, lest we be removed.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman [gardener]. 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.

John 15:1-2

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:30

The Bible is very clear that a person can be in the Lamb's book of life, and then blotted out, so apparently, even though a person may be in the book of life at one point, it does not mean they will always have that eternal life... yes, it can be taken from them!

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life , but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Revelation 3:5

According to the above verse, it is clear that a person can be in the book of life, and be blotted out. You have to first be in the book of life before you can be blotted out.

Suppose you gave your young teenager a brand new car, even though they couldn't yet drive, as a promise that if they stay in school and follow the path that is right for them, that when they are old enough to drive, you will make sure that they are taken care of. But there's a condition, and that son must do his part. Christ has done His part, but it's up to us to do ours. Jesus made it clear that we are to abide (remain) in Him, and if we remain in His love, we will not be cut off and thrown into the fire:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman [gardener]. 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... 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.

John 15:1-2,6

We are told to abide in Jesus' love (see John 15:4), and we do that by keeping His commands (see John 15:10). I believe that abiding in his love seals us by the Holy Spirit... that is where nothing can pluck you out of the Father's hand... you are in Christ and under His protection!

"It is not the will of God to lose any of his children" (John 6:39)

It's also the will of God for all to be saved, but apparently that isn't going to happen. Not everything that takes place on earth is the will of God. Just because He desires us to draw near to Him doesn't mean we follow through with it.

"But we are saved apart from works, lest any man shall boast! (Ephesians 2:9)

This is true! We are not saved by works, but by faith. The Bible is clear about this:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10

But right after that passage, it tells us that we were created unto good works. Our initial salvation does not require works (we cannot earn our way to heaven), but after we are saved, our faith (if it is genuine) ought to begin to yield fruit of righteousness and goodness in our lives. The Bible goes on to tell us that if our faith does not yield these things, then it is dead:

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ... Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

James 2:20

Let me make it very clear that we are not earning the forgiveness of our sins by any means . That price we cannot pay no matter how many good works we do. We are not earning the forgiveness of our sins, but rather living unto the Lord as a result of our genuine faith in Him. If our faith is genuine, it will prove itself. If our faith does not prove itself with fruits of righteousness, then it is dead.

Now don't get me wrong, nobody is going to accept Jesus and live a flawless life from that moment on; it is definitely a growing process. But it is also completely unacceptable for a person to still live a worldly lifestyle after years of being a Christian. The Bible speaks of being transformed into the image of His Son, which is a process. Fruit does not necessarily grow overnight, but it is expected of us.

If you put a peach tree in your garden in the spring, do you expect it to bear fruit right away? Not really. But as the months go on, that tree needs to begin growing fruit, so that when harvest time comes around, it is a profitable tree and an asset to your garden. If harvest time comes around and it still has no fruit, then what do you do with it? You remove it, and use that space for a different tree, which will hopefully bear fruit. The same is true in the kingdom of God:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman [gardener]. 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.

John 15:1-2

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:30