Once Saved, Always Saved

The Bible says ‘Contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for alldelivered to the saints,’ Jude verse 3.Welcome you today to our study of Answering DenominationalDoctrines. In this series of lessons, we're going to look at various doctrinespromoted by men, and then simply compare them with the Word of God tosee if they are true to the Bible.As we think today about the idea of answering denominationaldoctrine, this lesson is going to specifically deal with a very popular falsedoctrine: ‘Once saved, always saved.’Before we actually get into thinking about that doctrine or teaching,we want you to understand three things from the outset that are veryimportant as to our motivation.First and foremost, please realize that the purpose in presentingthese lessons is not to belittle, demean, be unkind in any way, but ratherthese lessons are motivated out of a love for three things. We presentthese lessons out of a love for our God. ‘God loved man so much that Hegave His own Son,’ John 3:16. He gave us the plan of salvation, and oneday He's coming back to redeem His own. Jesus wants us to live inharmony with His will.We present these lessons not only out of a sincere love for God, butalso out of a sincere love for the truth. It is the truth that will set us free, John 8:32. The truth is the Word of God, John 17:17. Regardless of whatman thinks, it is the truth that will save.Then please hear us well today. These lessons and this series oflessons are also being presented out of a love for souls. We want you toknow upfront that we are concerned about men and women's souls. Morethan anything, we want men and women to be saved. We want people togo to heaven and the Bible teaches that the truth, that God's Word, andthat knowing, living and obeying that is essential to being right with God.Error will only keep people from knowing God's truth.Please understand these three loves that we have from the outset ofour lesson.Now, as we mentioned, in this lesson, we're going to be thinkingabout the false doctrine of ‘once saved, always saved.’ It may also beknown by other terminologies: ‘the perseverance of the saints’ or the ideaas some label it that ‘you can't fall from grace.’ Basically this doctrine issaying that once you become a child of God, and once you become aChristian, you cannot so sin as to ever be lost, or once you've obeyed thegospel, you can never again do anything to lose your salvation no matterwhat you do, or that you can never be lost again. While from the outset thatmay have a sense of pseudo comfort-is that idea really true?Let me help us understand this doctrine by defining it according to acouple of well-known sources that have been used. How far does thisdoctrine go? Baptist preacher Sam Morris, in a tract entitled, ‘Do aChristian's Sins Damn His Soul?’ said this about once saved, alwayssaved: ‘We take the position that a Christian's sins do not damn his soul.The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or hisattitude toward other people have nothing whatsoever to do with thesalvation of its soul. All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he mayread, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, allthe sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay, all the ordinanceshe may observe, all the laws he may keep, and all the benevolent acts hemay perform will not make his soul one bit safer. All the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger.Salvation is settled once and for all when we believe.’ The way I live hasnothing whatsoever to do with the salvation of my soul. Did you hear that?That's kind of the idea behind this doctrine.In fact, Bill Foster, denominational preacher back in the 1950s statedin the Weekly Informer in March of 1952: ‘If I killed my wife and mother anddebauched a thousand women, I couldn't go to hell.’ In fact, he said, ‘Icouldn't go to hell if I wanted to.’ Now that sounds a little too much for mostpeople. For most that would probably take it too far, but this is the naturallogical conclusion of ‘once saved, always saved.’ If I'm saved and I cannever be lost no matter what I do (rape, murder, killing people) and that Icouldn't go to hell if I wanted to-is the logical conclusion of this teaching.But let's ask a more important question. This is the question that weare considering today. What does the Bible say on the subject of ‘oncesaved, always saved’? Is this is a Biblical doctrine? Does the Word of Godsupport this? Are there any passages, teachings that will help us tounderstand whether this is true or not?Friend, as we mentioned from the outset, today we're going to lookto the Word of God. We're going to ask the great question of Jeremiah37:17, ‘Is there any word from the Lord?’ or as Paul stated it in Romans4:3, ‘What does the Scripture say?’ Our authority is not going to be men,various writers of doctrinal teachings, and it's not going to be ourselves.Our authority is going to be the Word of God.Here's what's great about the Bible- in the exactly language that falseteachers use actually says that one can fall from grace. Men and womentoday who promote this idea of ‘once saved, always saved,’ use theterminology that you can't fall from grace. And yet God, in the Bible, in thevery first passage we're going to look at, tells Christians they ‘have fallenfrom grace.’ Take your New Testament and look to Galatians 5:4. TheApostle Paul is writing to Christians and to the church in Galatia. Welearned that Galatians 1:1-2 that he's writing to the church and toChristians. Notice what he says in Galatians 5:4. Paul says to these Christians, ‘You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt tobe justified by law, you have fallen from grace.’ Listen to that wording thatPaul uses. Paul says ‘you've become estranged from Christ,’’ which meansliterally you've been severed or cut off from Christ. ‘You who attempt to bejustified by law, you have fallen from grace.’ Did you hear that? Men andwomen today will say a Christian can't fall from grace, and yet the ApostlePaul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said to Christians, ‘you havefallen,’ literal Greek word there is ‘out of grace.’ When you think about thisidea, it's very clear that some who are Christians did something thatcaused them to lose their soul.Now the context is very important because Paul is writing toChristians who have some of those are now trying to go back to the old lawand bring in things from the old law. Maybe you're a Christian and yetyou're trying to bring in circumcision. Paul says ‘if you do that, you havebecome cut off from Christ, you have fallen from grace.’ And so, think aboutthis idea with me: Can a Christian so sin as to be lost? Paul writing toChristians who were attempting to bring in the old law said, ‘you have fallenfrom grace.’ Logically he's saying it or stating it- we could put it this way, aChristian can’t attempt to bring in teachings of the old law. Bringing in thoseteachings of the old law would be wrong, and therefore would cause him tofall out of God's grace.I want to mention a couple of words here that are very important.When Paul says in Galatians 5:4, ‘you have become estranged fromChrist,’ what's that word estranged mean? Literally it means ‘you havebeen cut off.’ You have been severed, and you have been decapitated,might be a good word or way of thinking about that. It's as though you got alimb and that limb is severed, cut off. Well, from whom? From Christ. Menand women, people today, please understand that false doctrine severs,separates us from Christ.Now that word ‘from’ at the end of the verse, Paul says you havefallen ‘from’ grace, literally is the Greek word ‘ek’. It means ‘out of.’ It's notas though Christ is here and you just moved yourself a little away from Him.You're literally ‘out of’ the realm of God's grace. Can a man be saved without God's grace? Absolutely not, Ephesians 2:8-9, and yet that's theplace these Christians find themselves in Galatians 5:4. And so using theexact language of false teachers, Paul said to Christians, ‘you have fallenfrom grace.’ It's clear that a Christian can so sin as to fall from grace.If we were really going to convince someone and help people tounderstand and see that the idea of ‘once saved, always saved’ is not true,wouldn't it be wonderful if we could show a clear example of someone whowas saved by God, fell into sin, and was told by that same inspired apostlehe was lost? That's exactly what we find in the New Testament. I want youto open your Bible to Acts chapter eight. We're going to learn about Simonthe sorcerer. Basically as we think about Simon, the Bible tells us thatPhilip went down to the city of Samaria and preached the gospel to them.Simon hears that message, and he believes and is baptized also. As wefollow the story through, Simon had been a sorcerer, a magician, in hisformer life. Obeying the gospel, he turned to Christ, turned from sin andwas baptized into the body of Christ. But as he sees that through the layingon of the apostle's hands, Acts 8:18, the gift of the Holy Spirit is givenhere's what Simon says: ‘Give me that gift also on whomever I lay myhands, they may also receive the Holy Spirit.’ And so Simon, for wrongmotives, Peter tells him he's sinned.Now watch what happened. Here's a man who just obeyed thegospel, just became a Christian, it's as though he's still wet after comingout of the waters of baptism. Look at what the Bible says. Peter's responseto him in Acts 8:20. What did Peter say to Simon? Peter said to him, ‘Yourmoney perish with you for you thought the gift of God could be purchasedwith money. You have neither part nor portion in this matter. Your heart isnot right in the sight of God. Repent, therefore, of this your wickedness andpray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgive you.’ Simonhad just obeyed the gospel and became a Christian. He reverts back to hisold life and tries to buy the Holy Spirit, which would have been completelyagainst the will of God and sinful. But friend, here's what I want you tonotice: Peter said to him ‘Your money, perish with you.’ Did you get that?Peter said ‘Your money's going to perish, and it's going to perish with you.’What did Peter say to Simon? ‘Simon, you're lost. Your money's going to be lost, and you're in a lost state right now.’ This is one of the clearest caseexamples to prove that ‘once saved, always saved’ is not true.Now just think about what you've got here. You've got a man who nodoubt was a Christian. You've got a man who no doubt, as a Christian,sinned. Peter said ‘what you've done is wickedness.’ Peter later will say‘you're in the bond of iniquity and the gall of bitterness.’ Wickedness andsin are identified. The man was a Christian. The Bible tells that man thatbecause of his state, he is going to be lost. ‘Your money perish with you.’So, what do we know from this example? A Christian can so sin as toperish or be lost. Friend, that is clear, that's plain, and that's simple fromthe Word of God. It's a clear example for us today.In writing to the church in Corinth to Christians and to the church inCorinth, the Apostle Paul encourages them not to get caught up in sin. Hesays in 1 Corinthians 10:12, ‘take heed lest ye fall.’ Think about the logic ofthis. Paul said, ‘be careful, watch out, lest you fall.’ Paul what do you meanby fall? 1 Corinthians 10:10 tells us exactly what that means, defines it asbegin destroyed by the destroyer- being separated and lost from God is theidea. Paul says, ‘I'm giving you this Old Testament example so that youcan watch out and not fall and be lost as some of them were.’ Friend, canyou think about that idea for just a moment in view of ‘once saved, alwayssaved?’ If ‘once saved, always saved’ is true, if a man can never fall fromgrace- what in the world does 1 Corinthians 10:12 mean? If you can't fall,why would Paul say to Christians, ‘take heed lest you fall’? You see theidea is the doctrine of men is not in accord with the doctrine of God.A person can so sin as to be spiritually destroyed and fall from Grace.God doesn't want it to happen. We don't want it to happen- but denying thereality doesn't do anybody any favors and is not true from the Word of God.In 2 Peter chapter 2, Peter's writing at the outset of the book, thathe's writing to those of like precious faith, writing to Christians. Here's whathe says to them: 2 Peter 2:20-21The Bible says, ‘For if after they'veescaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord andSavior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have beenbetter for them having not known the way of righteousness than havingknown it to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. Of themthe Proverbs are true: a dog returns to his own vomit and a sow, havingwashed, to her wallowing in the mire.’ Peter's describing Christians who aregoing back into sin. He says, ‘if after they've escaped the pollutions of theworld,’ meaning through the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice; they'veobeyed the gospel and become a Christian- come out of sin, if after they'veescaped all that, ‘they're entangled, caught up in it again, trapped in sin.’Peter says ‘the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.’ How, if aChristian can never fall from grace and be lost- how can that latter end beworse for them? For the latter is worse because now they tasted how goodit is to be a Christian. Now they know what it means to be forgiven of sin.Now they've been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and still they chose to goback into that and be lost eternally.How do we know it's a horrible, grotesque predicament? Listen to thelanguage that's used in verse 22. What's it like when a Christian getsinvolved in sin, goes back into the world, and is lost? ‘It's as though a sow,having been washed, returns to her walling in the mire, or a dog returns tohis own vomit.’ That's disgusting. God says that's what a Christian is like,unclean in a lost, sinful, dirty, grotesque state all over again. And so thispassage again clearly teaches that a Christian can become entangled insin again and end up in a worse lost state- because now he's known thetruth and knows how good that truth was.Then we also think of a passage in which Jesus instructs the churchof the Lord Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation and tells them some veryimportant things here as well. I want you to look at Revelation 3:5. TheBible is going to say this to the church that Jesus instructs in this epistle.Jesus says to them in verse five, ‘He who overcomes shall be clothed inwhite garments. I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I willconfess his name before My Father and before His angles.’ Now, to besaved, we've got to be confessed by the Lord. He's got to confess ourname before God, Matthew 10:32-33. The Bible teaches that our namesmust be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, Revelation 20 teaches that idea as well. Listen to what warning Jesus gives to the church here. He says, ‘Ifyou overcome, you continue to be faithful, I will not blot out your name fromthe Book of Life.’ Friend, why would Jesus say that if the possibility of ithappening does not exist? That warning, that encouragement also is a twoedged sword meaning that: if you're faithful, you're going to be in heaven,you're going to live with God, but the possibility exists that you can beunfaithful and have your name blotted out of God's Book of Life. Revelation3:5 clearly teaches this idea as well.In the book of 2 Peter 1:10, Peter said, ‘be sure, be more diligent tomake your calling and election sure.’ If you can never be lost, what in theworld does Second Peter 1:10 mean? Why do I need to make my callingand election sure if I can't be lost? Again, there's a multiplicity of passagesthat teach this is not true.Turn in your Bible to 1 John chapter 3. Many proponents of the falsedoctrine of ‘once saved, always saved’ will use passages like 1 John 3:9.Notice these words. John says, ‘Whoever has been born of God does notsin, for His seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he's been bornof God.’ And so, people will look at this passage and say, ‘you cannot sin,it's impossible for you to sin once you become a child of God.’ Well friend,we've already seen that's not true from other Bible passages and John isgoing to teach that it's not true. 1 John 1:8, ‘If we say we have no sin, wemake God a liar.’ Some people make this idea that you just can't sin.John's already said, ‘if we say that, we make God a liar.’ Jesus is theperpetuation for our sins, 1 John 2:1-2.Well, what does 1 John 3:9 mean? What's it talking about? TheGreek word for sin is a present tense verb and it carries the idea of keep onsinning or practicing sin. In fact, a host of translations realized that and putit this way. For example, the English Standard Version says, ‘no one bornof God makes a practice of sinning.’ The New American Standard UpdatedVersion says, ‘no one who is born of God practices,’ there's that idea ofthat continual, ongoing action, practices sin. The NIV says it this way, ‘noone who is born of God will continue in sin.’John is not trying to say that it is impossible for a Christian to commitsin. John is saying if you're living as a faithful child of God and trying to goto heaven, you can't live in sin.Have you thought about this? This passage actually disproves ‘oncesaved, always saved.’ If John is saying the word is a continual action andJohn is saying you can't keep on sinning, you can't practice sin, then friend,this teaches it is possible for a Christian to sin, and it is possible for aChristian to fall away from God and live in sin.We realize the doctrine of ‘once saved, always saved’ is notsupported by the Word of God. The Bible says the soul who sins will surelydie, Ezekiel 18:4. John says in 1 John 1:8, ‘if say we've got no sin, wemake Him a liar and the truth is not in us.’ We need to realize that thepossibility exists. I can sin and be separated from God. God doesn't wantme to, I don't want to, and other Christians don't want me to.Ignoring the reality and the possibility is only doing detriment to mysoul.We encourage you to check these things out in your Bible. Study theWord of God for yourself, and realize God wants us to live faithful untodeath and not by in to the false doctrines of men.Study Questions for: Answering Denominational Doctrine:Lesson 1: Once Saved, Always Saved1. According to John 17:17, what is truth?2. In Galatians 5:4, what had happened to the Christians?3. According to Galatians 5:4, can a Christian fall from grace?4. According to Ephesians 2:8-9, can man be saved without God’s grace?5. What was he told to do in Acts 8:20?6. According to Acts 8:20, can a Christian perish and be lost?7. What does 1 Corinthians 10:12 warn us about?8. How are Christians that continue to live in sin described in 2 Peter 2:20-21?9. According to 2 Peter 2:20-21 can a Christian fall from grace?10. According to Revelation 3:5, can a Christian’s name be blotted out ofthe Lamb’s Book of Life?