ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED?
IS THERE REALLY UNCONDITIONAL SECURITY?
OR IS IT REALLY CONDITIONAL SECURITY?
Many thoughts and veiwpoints concerning the security of the believer is being promoted today as a bedrock doctrine of Christianity. While a portion of that thought is indeed true, the end results of the man made version and doctrine is the lackadaisical, sleepy, laodicean spirit that is so prevalent in this final church age. Any idea that promotes a Christian believers walk as one of pre-arranged and unbreakable boundaries sends many who “once” believed into a sleepy trance of unreality. Sadly, many being overcome by the cares of life and the rudiments of this world, wither away into a life so far beneath the design and plan of the head of the church, Jesus Christ the righteous. The doctrine of conditional salvation and security exists from the beginning and continues unto the end of The Word of God!
As we focus on this subject, let us look to the new testament for clarity, although some references given will point to some Old Testament stories and patriarchs, showing us that God is indeed the God that changes not!
At the end of this study we will look into verses that are used to promote an eternal security viewpoint and realize that they are used out of context and stretched to excuse attitudes and lifestyles that are not pleasing to God.
A quote I once heard that holds true on this subject is “an excuse is the skin of a reason stretched over a lie”. There are many reasons in todays Church world that excuses are being made for those who would rather be carnal and unrepentant rather than repent and be transformed by the power of God! It is a sad thing to see that sound doctrine is being exchanged for an easy peasy, greasy grace, scratch my ear and tickle me Elmo gospel!
The main reason is the truth is sharp, quick and powerful! It strips away our unrealities and our twisted views. It is a hard and painful place that strips us of our own self deceptions! Truth shows us how awful we really are, wretched sinners with an immense need for a Savior! We need the truth, not only the day we were saved, but also every day afterward! Praise God for truth, for without it we are lost, but with it we can be saved! It will save our souls, and give us eternal life! It is hard to bear at first, but in time its rewards are eternal. The life of the believer is to be a reflection of the truth of the gospel, not an excuse to cover bad choices and unrepentant behavior!
Another reason the Word of God tells us is that the last days are upon us. We see the prophecies concerning the church are being fulfilled. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been perverted by those who can no longer endure sound doctrine, so men have heaped to themselves teachers having itching ears, desiring to hear the easy gospel. It is not the gospel, but another gospel Paul warned us of in Galatians 1:6. If it isn’t the false gospel of “saved by works of the old testament”, it is the newer “effortless, doesn’t matter what you do, God still loves you anyways and love wins” gospel.
Another view is that if someone walks away from God and their salvation, they were never really saved to begin with.
We will look at these things in detail as we look to the Word of God to enlighten our minds to truth!
LET EVERY MAN BE A LIAR….BUT GOD’S WORD WILL BE TRUE!!!
JESUS was not silent on the subject of REMAINING in HIM as he is the TRUE VINE and if we do not remain, (endure, stay, be faithful, etc…) we would be removed and HIS great salvation would NOT be compromised or include those who “do despite to the spirit of grace”!
John 15:2 & 6 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.
Taketh away is pretty clear. It doesn’t mean still there, just working on it to hope it comes to itself so maybe, somehow it will begin to produce….It is either producing or it gets taken out and away from the TRUE VINE! Obviously those taken away had to have been there to be taken out or away! Jesus is pretty clear about the branches that is IN HIM that chooses not to bear fruit, the Father will take it away!
Vs. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered:
Again, had to have been in the vine and alive, to be cast forth and away and become withered! Abide is a Greek word “meno” which means to stay, to continue, to stand! This indicates branches who chose not to continue, stay and stand in the grace of GOD!
His so great a salvation will not be compromised or include those who do despite to the spirit of Grace! This truth is shown in the letter to the Hebrews:
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
To say that this individual was never saved to begin with is ludicrous! Notice here, Paul is referring to “the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified”. Only born again believers are sanctified by the blood of the precious Son of God! Half committed, unrepentant unbelievers do not get sanctified by the blood of Jesus unless they repent and turn from their wicked ways! Only then does his precious blood cover and remit sin! Only the blood washed and redeemed are born again of the spirit and get grafted into the TRUE VINE and are sanctified!
Jesus warns us in the following scriptures to endure, to remain, to be faithful, to hold on….if salvation was eternally secured once you came to him, why the need to warn not to “fall away”?
Matthew 10:22 (Endure until the end)
Matthew 24:12 & 13 (Endure until the end)
Mark 4:3-20 (Parable of the Sower) Some received the word (Who is the word? JESUS…they received JESUS and became believers….) But withered and died. What happened? They did not CONTINUE in the WORD and FAITH
Mark 13:13 Endure until the end…(ENDURE WHAT? Testing and trials and SOUND DOCTRINE………..IT WILL SAVE YOU AND KEEP YOU SAVED)2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and be turned unto fables.
Revelation 2:5 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.
(Remove lampstand) This is a picture of relationship of the LORD with his followers…. “no man lighteth a candle….” “Let your LIGHT so shine before men….” Etc etc… In this instance if there was not quick and speedy REPENTANCE from the Church of Ephesus it would result in her LIGHT going out and her CANDLESTICK….removed…!
Revelation 2:10 … Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
(Be faithful unto death) the reward is only for those who are faithful unto “death” either way of the grave, or the changing of the mortal into immortality at the last trump when the bodies of believers who are “alive and remain” are glorified.
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white rainment: and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
(Erase name from the Book of Life) YOU HAVE to be in the Book of life in order to be erased from it!!!! Rev. 13 tells us those who worship the beast or his image were those whose names were NOT written…didn’t say removed….says never written in….so we are not born into this world with our names in the book….even if we were….the warning here is clear…if IT IS THERE..and you remove the words of GOD…your name will BE REMOVED and you will be in the same condition of those whose names are also NOT THERE…
THE APOSTLES TAUGHT THIS….
The Apostle Peter is not silent either….in II Peter 2:20-22. Peter does not mince any words in his discourse of the BELIEVER who falls back into a lifestyle of UNBELIEF!
“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” (KJV)
He states that if a person has “escaped the pollutions of this world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (i.e.becomes a believer), but becomes “entangled in it again…(returns to ways of an unbeliever) he is worse off than he was before he knew Christ as his Lord and Savior”! (If he was NOT heaven bound before he knew JESUS as Savior because of unbelief…how is it he can continue to be heaven bound if he is now WORSE THAN BEFORE?? The meaning is crystal clear. YOUR SALVATION IS CONDITIONAL! If you were condemned outside of Christ (“before you were saved”) how can it get any worse? Because then you were ignorant, now (after you were saved) you knew the Truth, but chose to reject it.
Paul is succinct in his teachings on the subject….19 times in his new testament writings he clearly warns the believer…
Romans 11:17-24 (Branches grafted then broken off) If the branch of Israel was broken off because of unbelief…HE is the God that changeth not….he will break us off of the true vine if we do not abide in HIM!!
Romans 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not thee.
Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Corinthians 10:11 & 12 (Take heed lest you fall) FROM WHAT? GRACE….HAD TO HAVE BEEN THERE TO BE WARNED NOT TO FALL FROM IT!
I Corinthians 15:1-2 (Believed in vain) Believed but did not continue in or have love for the truth….in so doing falling away…and the power of the truth is unfulfilled in the life of the believer! Truth unfulfilled in a believer is unbelief!
Galatians 5:4 (You have fallen from Grace) Have to be in Grace………………….to have fallen from it…..
Galatians 6:9 (Reap IF faint not) conditions on receiving the rewards of your salvation through Jesus Christ!
Colossians 1:23 (IF you continue in the faith) conditions to the end results of FAITH in JESUS CHRIST
I Thessalonians 3:8 (IF you stand fast in the Lord) More conditions to reaping rewards..of being established and unblamable……verse.13
I Timothy 2:15 (IF they continue in faith)The argument that these were never “truly in the faith” is debunked here….because you can’t continue in something you were never..in???
I Timothy 3:6 & 7 (novice + pride = condemnation of the Devil) again …..pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a FALL….. I would call the condemnation of the devil FALLING from Grace!
I Timothy 4:1 (Some will depart from the faith) AGAIN..The argument that they were never “TRULY IN THE FAITH”…is ridiculous….as you have to BE IN the faith to be able to DEPART FROM IT!!!
Hebrews 2:3 ( IF we neglect our salvation, how shall we escape?) you have to be in salvation and have salvation before you can NEGLECT it!!!
Hebrews 3:6 ( IF we hold fast to the end) We are told that we shall continue to be of the household of JESUS CHRIST….IF WE HOLD FAST TO THE END.…. being a part of CHRIST and HIS household is CONDITIONAL!!!
Hebrews 3:12 (TAKE HEED to not depart from the living GOD)
You have to be in HIM before you can DEPART from HIM…
Why the need for warning the new believers if they can never depart?
Hebrews 3:14 (Partakers of Christ, IF we hold steadfast)
Hebrews 4:1 (reverential fear of losing HIS promise of entering into HIS rest)
Hebrews 4:11 (Lest any man fall from unbelief) “un” is a prefix which denotes in many ways…that it was opposite before….(example: shoes were tied…now are “un”tied “un” as a prefix denotes something was different before) there is a difference in scriptures from “unbelievers” and “sinners or wicked”……Unbeliever mentioned here were those who once BELIEVED!
Hebrews 6:4-6 (If they fall away…) If they never could..why the warning of the post believer…now unrepentant sinner….why the need to go there if Paul was saying this could never happen?
Hebrews 10: 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul!
(Believe = Saved; Drawback = Perdition) Had to have been there to “draw back” these drew back from their initial belief!
…….TO BE CONTINUED
Pastor Stephen Dubois