“Once Saved, Always Saved?”

Sunday, October 15, 2023

There’s a false doctrine often bandied about, that’s sometimes labeled, “once saved, always saved.”  This isn’t the most charitable label to assign to the argument, but it does sum up the premise well.  Supporters have a list of Scriptures to cite.  For example:

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

(John 6.37)

Never is a strong word!  And this same concept is reflected in Paul’s writing.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

(Romans 8.1)

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8.38-39)

These are all uplifting, and encourage Christians to feel an great sense of spiritual security, regardless of material circumstances.  Yet, while Jesus said he would not cast out those who come to him, he also said later that Judas, one of his closest friends and followers, whom his Father had given to him, was now “lost” (Jn 17.12).  Nevertheless, what Jesus said was true—he didn’t cast Judas out; instead, Judas himself chose to leave Jesus’ side.

Similarly, if we choose to leave his side, the shelter from condemnation we once enjoyed, will not follow us into the realm of darkness.  Nothing has the power to get between the Christian and his God; but God does not force the unwilling to abide in his love.  If he did, could it be called genuine, mutual love?  This is why Paul, who made it so clear that in Christ is found great security, also made continual efforts to restore erring Christians, telling some, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (Ga 3.4).  In another case, Paul worried about the Christians of Thessalonica, whom he had been forced to leave prematurely.  “I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain” (1Th 3.5).  And in perhaps the clearest of his testimonies to this effect, Paul wrote, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith” (1Ti 4.1). 

As is often the case, the false teaching grows from a kernel of truth.  Not all who claim to be Christians, really are what they say.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

(Matthew 7.21)

Plenty of people profess to believe in Jesus, but he himself tells us, that profession means nothing, if it’s not consistent with your actions!  Sometimes it takes a while for this sort of person to be found out, but eventually, he will show his true colors.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

(1 John 2.19)

Proponents of the “once saved, always saved” doctrine might point to these verses and others, and explain apparent cases of apostasy by asserting that these people were never really Christians in the first place, despite all earthly appearances.  This does, of course, happen.  But in the cases we already considered—the Galatians, Thessalonians, and the foretold apostates of “later times”—the Scriptures all attribute genuine faith to those who later turned against Jesus!

We could suppose that the Galatian Christians, for example, had never really believed or obeyed, and while they might have fooled each other, themselves, and even Paul, God knew they weren’t saved!  Does this hold up?  No, not really.  In the same letter, Paul asks,

Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

(Galatians 3.2-3)

To borrow the language of an earlier episode, we could say God himself “bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to” the Apostles at the start (Ac 15.8).  Yet, when Paul wrote, they were “severed from Christ” (Ga 5.4)

Ok, so it’s a wrong interpretation.  What’s the big deal?  People get confused about interpreting the Bible all the time, and it doesn’t mean they’re always destined for hell due to every honest misunderstanding.  But ideas have consequences.  This is why John wrote in such severe terms to stamp out the budding gnostic doctrines in the late 1^st century, and why, for that matter, Paul was so intent on keeping the Galatian Christians from putting their faith in observance of the Law of Moses.  Many serious proponents of the “once saved, always saved” teaching don’t overtly use it to justify a sinful lifestyle, but the unserious ones do, and end up becoming those who call on Jesus as Lord, yet do not do what he tells them (Lk 6.46). 

All the more reason to teach what the Bible says, without omission, and without adding  man’s ideas.  Let’s give the last word to Jesus:

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”

(Revelation 2.4-5)

Jeremy Nettles

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