Also known as “Once Saved, Always Saved” or “Can You Lose Your Salvation”
The idea that one can lose his or her salvation is rooted in the notion that we obtain salvation for ourselves by a conscious choice or act. It makes salvation something that man does instead of something that Christ has *done*.
On the cross He declared “it is finished”. What is finished? The seed-plot of the New Testament:
And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name JESUS [meaning Jehovah Saves]: for He shall save His people from their sins. -- Matthew 1:21
What is Salvation?
It is the rescue of helpless and ruined creatures by a merciful and gracious God:
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. -- Romans 5:6
How does it occur? Through God’s grace in providing a sacrifice that could put an end to sacrifices:
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. -- 1 John 4:10
Faith is the channel through which this grace flows:
For by grace are you saved through [Greek dia: meaning the “channel of an act”] faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: -- Ephesians 2:8
Both grace and faith are the gifts of God. Why?
Not of works, lest any man should boast. -- Ephesians 2:9
Because God is glorified by helping the helpless “that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29)
So it is the work of Christ and the Word of God that cannot lie (Titus 1:2) upon which our hope is based and not upon our own will, works, or strength.
Defending the Work of Christ
Grace means “unmerited favor”, and true believers in Christ will own that they are unworthy of salvation.
This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. -- 1 Timothy 1:15
If salvation depended upon us in the first place, then perhaps we could lose it. But “salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). Why a given person is made to believe while another goes on in unbelief is a mystery to us. The reason is concealed in the mind of Him Who “works all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). But once saved, is there anything that can separate us from His love?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? -- Romans 8:35
The answer, thankfully, is “no”:
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- Romans 8:38,39
Why? Because we are a “new creature”, “sealed” until our final redemption:
Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. -- 2 Corinthians 5:17
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. -- Ephesians 4:30
Objections to Eternal Security
Most objections to the idea that one cannot “lose” salvation are based upon the notion that it promotes immorality and suppresses good works among believers. The argument is this: That if one has no threat of losing salvation, there is no incentive to “be good” or to do good works.
It is true that some believers bear different amounts of fruit:
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. -- Matthew 13:8
Good works are the result of salvation and were fore-ordained in the same way:
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. -- Ephesians 2:10
But Christ died for the all the sins of His people; past, present, and future:
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. -- Hebrews 7:25
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, -- Jude 1:24
My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: -- 1 John 2:1
If we can lose our salvation then we may conclude that the Apostle Paul fell in and out of salvation from Romans 7, where he concludes:
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. -- Romans 7:24,25
But the possibility of losing our salvation returns us to a “law” wherein we must continually do something in order to be “good”, and this just is not so:
Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? -- Galatians 3:3
The desire to do “good works” springs from a thankful heart that has been changed by the Holy Ghost. A person that is truly saved wants to do good works.
Verses that "Support" Losing Salvation
We will now look at the passages that supposedly support a temporary salvation.
Hebrews 5, 6
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. -- Hebrews 6:5,6
The letter is written to “Hebrews” and the context shows clearly that the sin referred to here (the falling away) is a return to Judaism. This section begins with the topic of “perfection” (6:1) which is the Greek teleiotes (G5046) meaning means “completeness”.
A careful reading through chapter 7 shows that the living priesthood of Christ has made an end of perpetual sacrifices of the Law:
But this [man], because He continues ever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. -- Hebrews 7:24,25
Paul is demonstrating to the Jewish reader that Christ as the final High Priest has made an end of the Law of sacrifices:
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. -- Hebrews 9:12
Hebrews 10:26,27
For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. -- Hebrews 10:26,27
This has largely been covered above, but the “sin” here is a return to Judaism.
Galatians 5:4
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace. -- Galatians 5:4
This proves only that we are justified by faith (Galatians 3:11) and not by the Law. A "fall" from grace does not indicate a permanent fall into perdition:
For a just [man] falls seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. -- Proverbs 24:16
Romans 11:19-23
You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not you. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in [his] goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. -- Romans 11:19-23
This is a problem indeed, seeing that just a few verses ago, Paul declared the nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ! The key is at the beginning of Romans 9 where Paul begins the topic of Israel’s national “blindness in part” (Romans 11:25). The topics we are about to read regard Israel as a nation.
Then, when in Romans 11:13, Paul says: “I speak to you Gentiles”, it’s clear that the passage in question regards “Gentiles” and “Jews” and not the individual Christian.
Luke 8:13
They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. -- Luke 8:13
The parable of the sower may be interpreted as follows:
- The first sowing (by the wayside) was that of John the Baptist.
- The second sowing (upon rock) was by Christ.
- The third sowing (among thorns) was by Peter, etc., during the Acts period.
- The last sowing (good ground) was and is by the Holy Ghost.
The “belief” of these sowings are only effectual when the Holy Ghost has plowed hearts of those that "hear".
1 John 3:6
Whosoever abides in Him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither known Him. -- 1 John 3:6
In chapter 2 of this same book, we are told that “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (2:1). The problem of interpretation may lie in the word “abides” which is the Greek meno (G3306) and means “to stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy”. It is translated: “abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry”.
The question is whether “continuing” in Him means we never sin again. In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul does not declare that he was the chief among sinners but that he is the chief among sinners. Clearly, we sin as the “old man” struggles against the “new man”. We become free from the bondage of sin while we abide in Christ, but we are not free from sin itself until we receive our resurrection body.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [Him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. -- Romans 6:6
Salvation generates a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15), and we are not saved because of our own merit, but for “His name’s sake”:
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. -- 1 John 2:12
Conclusion
The idea of a temporary salvation is rooted firmly in the doctrine of salvation by works; that man chooses to be saved. But, in fact, salvation is provided through the blood of Christ and God’s gift of faith who:
... has saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, -- 2 Timothy 1:9
