Are we once saved always saved?

Matthew 24:13 reads “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”  This scripture along with (Revelation 3:5) is referring primarily to the coming of the Lord, while some will be left behind having to endure and overcome the Great Tribulation to be saved.  Those left behind to endure the Great Tribulation will have to overcome the beast (antichrist), his image and mark to be saved.  To overcome, meaning not to worship the beast, his image or take his mark.

It is the blood of Jesus Christ and his grace that saves us, but as we live our life, we still have to endure the sin, temptations, trials and persecutions of this life unto the end and not fall away.  We cannot live in and give into sin and never repent. 

This proves the “once saved always saved” scenario is not completely true.  We need to have a repenting heart.  We have to endure the trials and sufferings of this life and not turn our back on the Lord and deny him or our name could be blotted out of the Lamb’s book of life.  When a person denies the Son (Jesus), then that person will be denied by the Son before the Father (Matthew 10:33).  We all sin and make mistakes, but we have to repent daily and try to walk obedient in the Lord Jesus Christ even in our thoughts.  We can never be perfect and everyone has sin in their life, so be thankful unto the Lord Jesus Christ whom died for our sins and shed his grace and mercy upon us all for forgiveness.

A person saved can indeed fall away through sinful seduction and receive a hardened heart denying and turning away from the truth.  There are many people who sincerely serve the Lord and then stray from the Lord or “backslide” who God will win back even if it means their flesh receives destruction to save their spirit.  We read this matter in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5.

1 Corinthians 5:5 reads “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

God loves his creation (the human race), and he is jealous over us and does not want Satan to have us.  Regardless of this truth, God still gives us free-will and the right to choose.  When a person begins to choose sin and the lust of their flesh over being obedient to the Lord then they begin to slowly fall or fade away.  Then, after many convictions of the Holy Spirit upon them, they will have to make a choice.  This choice will be to repent or to not repent.

God will show mercy to that saved believer that fell away and go after them.  God shows mercy to sinners according to Luke 15:1-7.

Luke 15:4 reads “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?”

There are other cases we can view of those who are saved in Jesus and then fall away.  Here are some related scriptures:

Hebrews 10:36-38 reads “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

Can you fall from grace? The answer is yes.

Hebrews 12:14-17 reads “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  Looking diligently lest any man fail (fall from) of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled:  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

Galatians 5:4 reads “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

We are only saved by the grace and justification of God through Jesus Christ and not by our own works or by the following of ordinances.

A person can indeed fall from grace, especially if they justify themselves by the letter of the law or any standard, custom or ordinance.

James 1:12 reads “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

James 1:14-15 reads “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then 
when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death (eternal damnation).”

James 4:17 reads “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

2 Peter 2:20-22 reads “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 overcame, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

2 Peter 3:17 reads “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”

There is a lot of debate and speculation on the phrase “once saved always saved.” Through scripture I believe that there are certain circumstances where this statement is true and this statement is false.  The scriptures in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and Luke 15:4 show it to be true, but only for people who sincerely love the Lord and somehow fall away (backslide), but do not actually deny the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and his Spirit or commit blasphemy.  These people can be brought back to the Lord because they have a heart that will repent.  There are other circumstances to examine from scriptures I’ve written. 

There might be someone who believes in the Lord and the truth of salvation who is lukewarm, or they are completely consumed of their own lust or maybe they are led away from the gospel of Christ and seduced by others and Satan causing them to fall away denying the Lord and refusing to repent.  This might cause that person to be in danger of losing their reward of salvation, unless they repent.  Regardless, a person has to be willing to repent, which means to turn away from our wicked ways or sin.  This doesn’t mean that we will never make a mistake and sin.  This means we have the willingness in our spirit and the love in our heart to please God and try our best to be obedient.  We are given choices in this life.  We can choose this day and everyday blessings or cursing (Deuteronomy 30:19). 

2 Chronicles 7:14 reads “If my people , which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Here is a specific scripture that may disprove the “once saved always saved” scenario, thus possibly making it a false statement only because of this specific circumstance: 

Hebrews 6:4-6 reads “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

The above scriptures are revealing what it would be like for people who once received the truth & knowledge (enlightened by the good news of Jesus) of the heavenly gift (salvation in Jesus Christ) and received the impartation of the Holy Ghost (baptismal with fire) knowing the word of God and the power (kingdom that is to come and reign forever) and then completely fall away and intentionally denying the power thereof (the Holy Ghost-Jesus). 

Could you imagine a person receiving and experiencing these things in the Holy Spirit (Ghost) and then falling away as if it never happened?  It would only become blasphemy if that person completely and intentionally denied Jesus, his existence or even worse denied the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost inside them as if it never took place and they no longer believe.  Then, as Hebrews 6:4-6 reveals, it would be impossible to renew them again unto repentance after they received and completely denied the power thereof committing a type of blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.

This is a type of blasphemy of the Holy Ghost just like when the Pharisees said Jesus had and worked through devils casting out devils (Matthew 12:24-28). They denied the power and fullness of the Holy Ghost manifested within Jesus who was born of the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:35) which caused them to commit a type of blasphemy.

1 John 5:7 reads “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

The Holy Ghost (Spirit) is much more easily grieved and offended---Ephesians 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

There is another way that a person’s name can be blotted out of the Book of life and here is the scripture:

Revelation 22:19 reads “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.”

We have to be very careful with the word of God.  A person who denies the word of God or takes away from it has no idea the destruction and path they are choosing for their life and their soul.

Here is a question that always comes up:  If a person falls away from the Lord, then were they ever really saved to begin with?

First, we have to realize salvation came from something God did for us through Jesus because he loved us so much.  The Father draws us and the Holy Spirit gives us the knowledge of the gospel of Christ.  No man can even say that Jesus Christ is Lord, expect it be by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3).  We are saved by the gospel of Christ by grace with faith (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Ephesians 2:8).  A person who believes the gospel of Jesus and receives it in their heart is saved. 

Let’s ask the question again:  Was a person really saved to begin with if they fell away? Did they really have any love for God at all if they fell away?  We can’t save ourselves, so these are the wrong questions to ask.  I have heard this question asked so many times.  Do you want the truth about this matter?  Here are the two questions that you really need to ask instead:  Did that person truly seek after the kingdom of God and the spiritual things of God?  Was that person prepared and ready for the coming of the Lord? 

This is what the Lord spoke to me in my mind and spirit concerning all these questions:  The Lord said unto me, “Daniel, I saved them because I first loved them, whether they had a love for me or not.”  Then the Holy Spirit led me to this scripture:

1 John 4:9-10 reads “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The question concerning a person who was saved in Jesus and then fell away is irrelevant.  Jesus saved that person regardless of what future choices they would make.  That person may fall away because they choose not to seek after the Lord and the spiritual things of God.  This will ultimately cause a Christian to slowly fade or fall away. They were saved because Jesus loved them not because they loved God. 

By knowing this, a person can indeed fall away even if they were really saved in Christ Jesus.

Jesus saved them and they believed, but they are caught up in the cares of this life which will cause them not to be ready and watching for the coming of the Lord.  That person who received salvation in Jesus and then fell away may miss the coming of the Lord and may be left behind to endure and overcome the Great Tribulation.  This is one of the dangers of “backsliding” from the Lord.   What is backsliding?  To backslide is to stray from the ways and the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  To backslide is to seek after your own lust and will and not the will of the Father (God).  To backslide is to willingly sin and keep doing it knowing in your heart that it is wrong.  To backslide is to become a rebellious person who once lived and sought after the Lord Jesus Christ and his word but now seeks after the things of this life. 

Proverbs 14:14 reads “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.”

This blog contains some writings that are copyrighted from old self-published book called Drawing a Line in the Sand.  The new more professionally written version is contained within my new manuscript called "Drawing a Line in the Sand Revisited".

By Daniel Staneart