Can A Christian Lose His Salvation? Is it possible for a Christian to lose his salvation if he does not remain faithful to the Lord? Asking men what they believe cannot solve this issue. There are many who strongly believe the answer is "yes" and there are many others who just as strongly believe the answer is "no". Any time there is a question concerning any issue, the only true solution is to turn to the Bible and see what God says. When we come to a conclusion concerning any subject, it must be one with which we can consistently and honestly use all the Scriptures, not just a certain group of personally favorite passages. It does not take much study to recognize that God has given us wonderful promises concerning our salvation and we must believe them and be thankful for them. One example can be found in Philippians 1:6, where we are promised, "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Jude 24 also tells us that God, "is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." In 2 Thessalonians 3:3, we are promised, "the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." As comforting as these promises are, should we view them as absolute promises that will be fulfilled unconditionally? If we put all of the Bible together, we will find that while God has promised to help us overcome the evil one, we must also do our part and remain faithful until death if we are to be saved. While we are thankful for God's promises, we must not ignore the many warnings found in the Bible. To do so will put our souls in great danger. Let us consider these passages and seriously meditate on what the Holy Spirit is revealing to us. 1 Chronicles 28:9 There are multitudes of warnings and examples in the Old Testament that show the need of God's people to remain faithful. Those who reject the idea of a Christian losing his salvation often attempt to get around the warnings by claiming they simply teach that God may physically kill those who are sinning. They understand that the Jews whom God physically killed were being punished for their sins. However, they claim that since they were in a covenant relationship with God, their soul will be saved for eternity, in spite of their sins. In a few examples, this seems to be possible, but in 1 Chronicles 28:9, this view simply will not fit. In the context, David was near the end of his life and he was giving his son a very serious warning. He told Solomon, "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever." This is very similar to a warning that would later be given to King Asa, when he was told, The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you (2 Chronicles 15:2). What is meant by these warnings? Some argue that God was simply warning these men that they would be rejected from being king if they did not live as they should. This may sound believable in the case of Asa, but when Solomon was warned of the possibility of being rejected by God forever, this strongly indicates that the warning included much more than simply his position as a king. Ezekiel 18:4, 24 Through Ezekiel, God warned the Israelites, "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4). What did God mean when He said, "the soul who sins shall die"? How can this be referring to physical death when both the righteous and the sinner experience physical death? Concerning physical death, Ecclesiastes 9:2 reminds us, "One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; to the good, the clean, and the unclean; to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath as he who fears an oath." In the context of Ezekiel 18, the death God is warning about is not the death of the body. God is warning about the death that comes on the sinner, the death of the soul. Later in the same chapter God warned, "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die" (Ezekiel 18:24). Which death is being referred to in this passage, physical or spiritual? Those who claim that a Christian cannot lose his salvation claim this passage is teaching that God may physically kill a person who begins to live a life of sin, but their soul will still be saved for eternity. This method of interpretation will not hold up if we examine the context. In verses 27-28, God continued by saying, "Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die." The death being referred to is the death that a righteous man who turns to sin will experience. This death is also the same death that a wicked man who turns to righteousness can avoid. When God said that a man who repents, "shall not die," He is not talking about physical death. Whether we live a life of sin or righteousness, we all eventually must, "go the way of all the earth" and die (Joshua 24:14, 1 Kings 2:2). The context clearly shows the death under discussion is the death of the soul, not the body. In verse 4, God warned, "the soul who sins shall die" and in verse 20, he again warned, "the soul who sins shall die". Matthew 10:22 When Jesus sent the twelve apostles out to teach the lost sheep of Israel, He plainly warned them of the persecutions they would have to endure. They would be arrested, scourged, and some would be killed. Although they would be hated by all for being His disciples, Jesus warned them, "he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). Jesus simply meant what He said, "he that endures to the end shall be saved." The obvious implication is that if we do not endure to the end, we will not be saved. If it is impossible for a Christian to fall away and be lost, why did Jesus even bother to give the warning? Matthew 24:13 In the beginning of Matthew 24, Jesus prophesied of the coming destruction of the temple. Later, while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Jesus, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?" (Mark 13:1-2). Jesus gave many signs concerning the coming destruction of the temple. One of the signs given was that the Christians would undergo severe persecution. The love of many would grow cold during these difficult times, but Jesus warned, "he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:13). How difficult is it to understand this simple statement by our Lord? Once again, the obvious implication is that if we do not endure to the end, we will not be saved. If it is impossible for a Christian to fall away, why did Jesus even bother to give the warning? John 8:31-32 Those who teach that a Christian cannot lose his salvation argue that all who believe will remain faithful to the end. They claim that if one does not remain faithful to the end, they never really believed in the beginning. If this is true, some of the warnings Jesus delivered do not make sense. In John 8:31-32, we can read, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, 'If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'" Notice to whom Jesus was speaking. He was addressing the "Jews which believed on him." The word "believed" is translated from the Greek word "pisteuo," which is the same word for "believe" that is found in John 3:16. Many who teach that a Christian cannot lose his salvation also teach that John 3:16 is all we need to follow to be saved. Here are some individuals who believed, just as John 3:16 says we must. Yet, Jesus told these believers they must continue in His word if they wanted to be His disciples. What happens to believers who do not continue in the words of Jesus? According to Jesus, they cannot be His disciples. Just as Jesus said, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). John 15:2, 6 In John 15, Jesus used the illustration of the vine and branches to teach about the relationship of His disciples to Him. In verse 2, He said, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away." What did Jesus mean when He said that every branch that does not bear fruit, God "takes away"? This is a general phrase that may be taken different ways by itself. Like many general, non-specific phrases, the meaning becomes clear when we consider the context. In verse 6, Jesus continued by saying, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." In verse two, Jesus referred to a branch who is "in Me." We must first be in Christ before we can abide in Him. When Jesus described the fate of the one who does not abide as being cast out and burned, was He using the language of one being saved? Romans 11:21-22 In Romans 11, Paul reminded the Gentile Christians of their need for continued faithfulness. He reminded them of what God did to Israel for their sins. The nation of Israel had been the chosen people of God, but because of their sins, God rejected them. In verses 21-22, Paul warned the Gentile converts, "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." What is meant that those who do not continue in God's goodness will be "cut off"? An examination of the use of the phrase "cut off" should clear up any doubts concerning this passage. In Genesis 17:14, Abraham was told, "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." The warning was clear. God simply meant what He said. If a male child was not circumcised, he could not have any part with God's people! In Exodus 12:15, we can see the seriousness of following the Passover exactly as God commanded. The Israelites were told, "whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel." In Exodus 30:31-33, when God warned the Israelites to not use the holy anointing oil for common purposes, He said, "It shall not be poured on man's flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people." In Exodus 30:37-38, God warned the Israelites to not misuse the incense used by the priests by telling them, "But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people." In Exodus 31:14, God gave the same penalty for those who violated the Sabbath by working, when He commanded Israel, "You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people." Those who ate the fat of the sacrificial animals were to be "cut off" (Leviticus 7:25), those who ate blood were also to be "cut off" (Leviticus 7:27). Any who committed the abominations of the Canaanites were to be "cut off" from the people (Leviticus 18:26-29). In light of these and a multitude of other available passages, what would be the natural conclusion of these Gentile Christians when they read that they must continue in God's goodness, otherwise they would be "cut off"? How can one be cut off from God's people and still be saved? How can one be cut off from God's people unless he was previously identified with them? 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 When writing to the church in Corinth, Paul taught them concerning the need of continued faithful obedience. Comparing the life of the Christian to the realm of athletics, Paul wrote, "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:25-27). What did Paul mean when he expressed the possibility of himself becoming "disqualified" if he did not keep his body in subjection? Those who claim that a Christian cannot lose his salvation claim that Paul is simply saying that he could become disqualified to be an apostle, but he would be saved no matter what he did. This might sound reasonable if we only read the English wording, but when the Greek terminology is examined, this interpretation becomes impossible. The word "disqualified" is translated from "adokimos," which is defined as "unapproved, rejected; by implication, worthless, or castaway, reprobate." To better understand what Paul is saying, it is useful to examine other passages where he uses "adokimos." In 2Corinthians 13:5, the word "reprobate" is translated from "adokimos." There Paul wrote, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" The meaning of "adokimos" in this passage is not referring to whether someone is qualified for some special office or not. The contrast is being made between one who has Christ in them as opposed to one who is unapproved or rejected (adokimos). In Romans 1:28, Paul used "adokimos" to describe the Gentiles who rejected God. Once again, in the King James Version, this word is translated into the English word "reprobate." There Paul wrote, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." These Gentiles who have a "reprobate mind" are obviously not children of God who were bought by the blood of Christ. When describing the characteristics of some wicked men to Timothy, Paul wrote, "Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith" (2 Timothy 3:8). Once again, the word "reprobate" in this passage is translated from "adokimos." Paul used "adokimos" one time when writing to Titus. In Titus 1:15-16 he wrote, "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." Every time "adokimos" is used in the New Testament, it is referring to someone who is in a lost condition before God. Paul understood that even though he had done so much work up to the time he was writing the Corinthians, this did not guarantee his salvation. He knew he had to endure to the end to be saved just like everyone else. 1 Corinthians 10:12 In 1 Corinthians 10:1-10, Paul gave examples of the failure of the Israelites as a warning to the Christians at Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, he gave a practical application of these examples. There he wrote, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." If it was impossible for these Christians to fall, why did Paul bother giving this warning? 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul again reminded Christians that they need to continue in faithfulness. In the first two verses he wrote, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain." He plainly told the Corinthians that they were saved by the gospel, but then uses the word "if." He said they were saved by the gospel, "if you hold fast that word." How much plainer could Paul have written? The obvious implication is that if the Corinthians did not hold fast and remain faithful, they would not be saved. Paul also mentioned the possibility of them believing in vain. If a person cannot lose his salvation, it is impossible for him to believe in vain. Even if he loses some rewards because of sinful living while on earth, the lowest place in heaven is much better than the greatest place in hell. The only way he coul d believe in vain would be for him to begin the journey on the narrow path, but not continue in faithfulness and lose his soul. Galatians 5:4 The churches of Galatia were troubled by false teachers who taught that circumcision was essential for salvation. Circumcision was a necessary part of the law of Moses, but it has nothing to do with salvation in the New Covenant brought in by Christ. Much of the letter to the Galatians was written to show the difference between the covenants and to demonstrate why we cannot go back to the old system. In Galatians 5:2 Paul wrote, "if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing." Why would receiving circumcision cause the Galatian churches to profit nothing from Christ? To receive circumcision as a condition of salvation is to seek justification by law rather than by Christ. To those who try this, Paul wrote, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4). These Galatians were abandoning the salvation by grace offered through Christ and were seeking to return to the law of Moses, which was a system of salvation by works. We cannot approach God both ways. We either approach Him by works or by grace. To try to approach God by works will cause one to fall from grace. Before we can fall from grace we must be in grace to begin with, just as we cannot fall off a ladder unless we first get on it. The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace. In Ephesians 2:8-9 we are told, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." If we are saved by grace, but then we fall from grace, where does that leave us? If we fall from grace, the only alternative left to us is being saved by works. The only way we can be saved by works is by living an absolutely perfect, sinless life. Until we do this, we should be striving to make sure we do not fall from grace. Galatians 6:7-9 Later in Galatians Paul warned, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:7-9). This is a comforting promise to the faithful, to know that we will reap everlasting life after sowing to the Spirit. As comforting as this is, we must never forget that this is not an unconditional promise. We are promised that we will reap, "if we do not lose heart." The obvious implication is that if we do lose heart we will not reap everlasting life. In an attempt to get around Paul's plain words, some claim that the corruption in this passage is simply referring to physical death instead of the eternal second death. They argue that if a child of God sows according to the flesh, God will kill him physically, but his soul will be saved in heaven. In the context, a contrast is made between two opposites, corruption and everlasting life. Physical death is not the opposite of everlasting life. Physical death is a common experience for both the righteous and the unrighteous. The corruption in this context is the opposite of eternal life. It is what Jesus described when He said, "And if your hand makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:43-48). If it is impossible for a Christian to lose heart and give up, why was this warning given? If we simply let the wa rning stand as it was delivered, we understand we will reap everlasting life, "if we do not lose heart" and remain faithful until the end. Colossians 1:21-23 When writing to the church in Colossae, Paul taught them concerning the need of continued faithful obedience for salvation. He told them, "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight - if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister" (Colossians 1:21-23). The Colossians were told that they had been reconciled by what Christ had done so they might be presented holy and blameless before God. This is another one of the many passages that give us reason for rejoicing. Once again, we must notice that the promise is not unconditional, it contains the word "if". They were told they had been reconciled, "if indeed you continue in the faith." How hard is it to figure out what Paul meant when he wrote that they must continue in the faith? What is the obvious implication for those who are moved away from the hope of the gospel? Those who claim a Christian cannot lose his salvation must explain why Paul warned the Colossians that to be reconciled, they must continue in the faith, and not be moved away from the hope of the gospel. Romans 8:24 tells us, "For we are saved by hope" (KJV). If we are saved "by hope," or "in hope" as the newer translations say, what is the implication for those who are moved away from the hope of the gospel? If it is impossible for a Christian to be moved from this hope as some claim, why did the Holy Spirit record this warning in the Scriptures? 1 Thessalonians 3:5 In 1 Thessalonians, Paul expressed his concern for the new converts that made up the church in Thessalonica. Acts 17:1-13 revealed the attitude of the hostile Jews who refused to believe in Jesus. After Paul left them, these new converts had to live faithfully in the presence of some very dangerous men. We can easily recognize that Paul was very concerned for them when we read, "For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain" (1 Thessalonians 3:5). If Paul believed that a Christian could not lose his salvation, why would he write in this manner? As long as the Thessalonians made it to heaven, Paul's labors would not have been in vain, even if they lost some of their rewards. Because of the persecution of the unbelieving Jews, Paul understood that all he had accomplished might indeed be in vain, if those persecutions caused these new converts to fall away. 1 Timothy 4:1 In 1 Timothy 4:1, the Spirit warned of a coming apostasy in the church. There we can read, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." This would be a strange warning if the doctrine of "once saved, always saved" was true. If no Christian will fall away, how can anyone "depart from the faith?" How can you "depart from the faith" unless you are in the faith first? Anyone can understand how one must first be at an airport before he can depart from it. It should be just as easy to see that one must be in the faith before he can depart from it. In 1 Timothy 4:3, Paul identified two of the coming doctrines of demons. The time would come when false teachers would be, "forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." Since we have this warning of the Spirit, we know that any religious group that forbids marriage to anyone or commands people to abstain from certain foods for religious reasons is practicing doctrines of demons. These are not doctrines that men invented by themselves. They allowed themselves to be influenced by wicked spirits and followed them rather than God. It is interesting to notice that there is one doctrine taught by Satan himself in the Bible. In Genesis 2:16-17, God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Just a short time later, we find the serpent approaching Eve, and telling her that if she ate, "You will not surely die" (Genesis 3:4). God said they would die if they sinned, the serpent told Eve that she would not die if she sinned. Who was right? Today we have men who teach that it doesn't make any difference if we sin or not because once we are saved, we are always saved. The only time this doctrine is taught in the Bible is when the serpent told Eve that she would not die if she sinned. This was the first recorded lie and was spoken by the father of lies (John 8:44). Compare the words of Satan when he said, "You will not surely die" to the words of Sam Morris, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Stamford TX: "Do a Christian's sins damn his soul? 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 his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul. All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay, all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform, will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit, from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger. The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul." Quoted in What is the Church of Christ? by V. E. Howard, Central Printers & Publishers, pg. 335. Instead of teaching us that our lifestyle does not matter, God teaches us that we must continue to live in faithfulness if we are to be saved. The Corinthians were told, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Satan, the greatest deceiver of all, tries to get people to sin in any way he can. It is a great tragedy that even religious people often fall for his lies and accept the deception that one can live a life of sin and be saved anyway. Paul gave a similar warning to the Galatians when he wrote of the works of the flesh. In Galatians 5:19-21, he wrote, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Denominational preachers can invent all the reasoning and sophistry they want, but the Word of God still says if we practice the works of the flesh we will not be saved. Paul delivered similar words to the Ephesians when he wrote, "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 5:5-6). We should describe things the way the Bible does. Anyone who teaches that one cannot lose his salvation, even after becoming a fornicator or covetous man, is trying to deceive people with empty words. This is the lie that the father of liars told Eve in the beginning. 1 Timothy 5:8 Paul told Timothy, "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Timothy 5:8). The context contains commands for Christians and their responsibility to their family. If a man professes to be a Christian but yet refuses to provide for his family, God did not say he was as bad as an unbeliever, but worse. How can someone who is going to heaven be worse than someone going to hell? The reason a Christian can end up being worse than an unbeliever is found in Luke 12:47-48. There Jesus said, "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." A Christian who does not provide for his family is described as being worse than an unbeliever because he has claimed that Jesus is his Lord, but he is refusing to do what his Lord commands. Those who willfully rebel against their Lord are considered to be greater sinners than those who ignorantly sin. Both are guilty before God, but the one who knows the truth and refuses to obey commits the greater sin. Can one whom God describes as being worse than an unbeliever be saved? Hebrews 3:6 In Hebrews we are told, "But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Hebrews 3:6). If one wants to be part of the house of Jesus Christ, this passage clearly says one must hold fast until the end. What happens to those who do not hold fast their confidence and rejoicing firm to the end? Can they be saved without being members of the house of God? When we come to God, we become part of His household (Ephesians 2:19-20). The church is the house of God (1 Timothy 3:15). Jesus is the High Priest over the house of God (Hebrews 10:19-21). These passages are obviously not referring to a physical structure, but to a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). Anyone can be part of this house, but to remain in the house, we must "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end." Hebrews 3:12-14 Very soon after telling his readers that they must hold fast to the end if they want to be a part of the house of Jesus Christ, the Hebrew writer gives another warning. In Hebrews 3:12-14 he wrote, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. " What happens if we do not hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end? The answer is simple, we are not partakers of Christ! Is it possible to be saved without being "partakers of Christ"? Some who claim that a Christian cannot lose his salvation argue that the "brethren" referred to in this passage are Jews who are not Christians. If this position was correct, then what would be the point of telling unbelievers they need to hold the beginning of their confidence steadfast to the end in order to be partakers of Christ? What confidence do unbelievers have to hold steadfast? When the context is considered, we can know exactly what kind of brethren are being addressed. In the first verse of this chapter, the writer called them "holy brethren," a term never used to describe unbelievers. The warning is clear. Christians are "partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end." James 5:19-20 The book of James contains much practical instruction to teach Christians how to live everyday life. In these instructions, James, too, writes of the need for Christians to endure faithfully to the end. Some attempt to avoid applying James to the lives of Christians in the same manner they use with Hebrews. They claim James was written to Jews instead of Christians. Their favorite proof text is the first verse of the book where James addresses his readers as the "twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion." When we examine the context, we find that the original readers may have been of Jewish descent, but James addressed them as brethren in Christ. He began his letter by describing himself as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." He, as a servant of God and Christ, call his audience "brethren" in the very next verse. His first instruction is, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (James 1:2-3). How could James tell unbelievers to rejoice during trials because their faith was being proved? How can God prove the faith of unbelievers when there is none to prove? In verse 5, James told them to pray for wisdom. This also implies that they were Christians because only Christians have the right to pray to God and expect to have their prayers answered. He later says, "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality" (James 2:1). If these brethren were unbelieving Jews instead of Christians as some affirm, why would James instruct them on how to hold the faith of the Lord Jesus? James also told them, "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord" (James 5:7). These, too, would be strange words to write to unbelievers. In James 5:14, he instructed these brethren to call for the elders of the church if any among them are sick. Why would James give these commands to Jews who were not followers of Christ? The only reason the theory that James was written to Jews who were not Christians was invented, was because of a refusal to accept two passages in James. Since many of the modern denominations don't want to accept these two passages, they soothe their conscience by teaching that the book of James does not apply to them. The first passage not accepted is James 2:24, where James wrote, "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." Many teach we are justified by faith alone and James clearly says we are not justified by faith alone. They can see the contradiction between the Bible and their doctrine, but instead of changing their doctrine to match the Bible, they claim the book of James wasn't written to Christians. Martin Luther was one of the first men who approached the book of James in this manner when he called it a "straw epistle." The other passage many refuse to accept is James 5:19-20. Here, James wrote, "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." Once again, men can see where this contradicts their doctrine, but instead of changing their doctrine, they choose to ignore the Bible! They just sweep this passage out of the way by saying in essence, "this isn't talking to me, it's talking to someone else." This passage also proves the brethren James wrote to were Christians because he mentioned the possibility of them wandering from the truth. How can one wander from the truth unless he already has the truth? Just as a child cannot wander from his home unless he was already there first, a person cannot wander from the truth unless they first had it. If any do wander from the truth, the others are exhorted to turn them back in order to save their soul from death. This cannot be referring to physical death as some claim, but spiritual death. James said "a soul" will be saved from death, not "a body". Physical death will come to everyone, whether we ever repent or not. The only death we can avoid by bringing people back to the truth is spiritual death. What does James imply concerning the Christian who wanders from the truth but does not turn back? Just as Ezekiel 18:4 says, "the soul who sins shall die." 2 Peter 2:20-22 The apostle Peter also warned of the need of continued faithfulness for salvation. He gave one of the severest warnings to God's people that is found in the Bible. Peter wrote, "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: 'A dog returns to his own vomit,' and, 'a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire'" (2 Peter 2:20- 22). In order to escape the plain meaning of this passage, some claim that the people addressed were not really saved in the beginning. The context indicates they had been forgiven earlier. Peter said they, "have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Only Christians have escaped the pollutions of the world through Christ. If any Christian is entangled in the pollutions of the world again, "the latter end is worse for them than the beginning." In the beginning, they were condemned sinners destined for hell. Now they are even worse off. How can this be? The words of Jesus makes it plain. "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few" (Luke 12:47-48). 1 John 2:24 The apostle John wrote, "Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father" (1 John 2:24). Do you want to abide in the Son and in the Father? If so, the instructions are clear. What we heard from the beginning (the gospel) must abide in us. Just as you cannot abide in a room unless you first go in it, that which we have heard cannot abide within us unless it is first within us. Then, and only then, can it remain. Why would John bother to tell us that what we have heard must abide in us if a Christian cannot lose his salvation? Jude 5-6 Jude gave the example of the angels who sinned as a warning that Christians must heed. "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 5-6). Why would Jude use these examples if he was not trying to get us to understand a very real danger? After delivering Israel from bondage, God destroyed many who later sinned. Some argue that this is only speaking of physical death, but the next example is even more clear. The angels were already in heaven in the presence of God, but yet, when they sinned, they were cast out and are now, "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment." One would have to work hard to misunderstand the warning Jude is giving. Jude is not alone in using the Israelites as an example from which we should learn. In Hebrews 3:15-4:1 and 4:11, we read, "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it... Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience." The lesson should be clear. Israel was delivered out of bondage and was led to the promised land. Many did not come into the promised land because of sin. Today, we as Christians are delivered from the bondage of sin. We, too, must pass through a wilderness before we arrive in our promised home in heaven. During this journey we must remain faithful, or we, just like the Israelites, will be rejected by God. Revelation 2:10 When writing to the church of Smyrna, Jesus said, "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (Revelation 2:10). If Jesus sent you a personal letter telling you that you must remain faithful to death in order to receive the crown of life, would you argue with the Lord? Would you pass off the warning as meaningless because you believe that all Christians will be saved in the end regardless how they live? This is the position those who teach a Christian cannot lose his salvation find themselves in. They are arguing with the Lord. "Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker" (Isaiah 45:9 - NASB). After Jesus told the church in Smyrna that they must overcome in order to not be hurt by the second death, can we teach anything different? How can the Lord be pleased when men teach that no Christian will be hurt by the second death whether they overcome or not? Revelation 3:5 Jesus told the church in Sardis, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5). The implication that Jesus is making concerning those who do not overcome is obvious. In a vain attempt to escape this implication, some claim that the "Book of Life" is simply the record of those who are living physically. They claim Jesus is telling the Christians that if they do not overcome, they will die physically before they sin anymore and bring reproach on the church. What did Jesus mean by this warning? Is there any way of knowing for sure? In the Bible, the phrase "Book of Life" appears only in Revelation, with the exception of Philippians 4:3. There, Paul wrote, "And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life." Paul would not have to tell the Philippians to help the fellow workers who are physically alive. He obviously has more than physical life in mind in this passage. Revelation 3:5 is the next time "Book of Life" is found in the Bible. The next occurrence is in Revelation 13:8, where, concerning the beast, we can read, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Once again, it is clear that the book of life indicates more than mere physical life. The next occurrence is in Revelation 17:8, where we can read, "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world." Are those who are marveling in this passage the physically dead or the spiritually dead? Again, the answer should be obvious to anyone who is willing to meditate on the Scriptures honestly. The "Book of Life" is also mentioned in Revelation 20:12. In this passage we are told that it will be opened at the judgment. "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." One question we should ask is, if the Book of Life is simply the record of all who are living physically, why would it be opened at the final judgment after physical life on earth is over for everyone? Revelation 20:15 should remove all doubt concerning the meaning of the "Book of Life." There, we are told, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." If the "Book of Life" is the record of all who are alive physically, then everyone will be cast into the lake of fire because no one will be alive in the flesh at the final judgment! Referring to the heavenly Jerusalem, Revelation 21:27 tells us, "But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." If what some claim concerning the book of life in Revelation 3:5 was true, then according to this passage, after we die, we will not be able to partake of the heavenly Jerusalem. When we put the passages that mention the "Book of Life" together, the meaning of Revelation 3:5 becomes clear. When Jesus told the church in Sardis, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels", He is not telling them that they will not die physically if they overcome, but they will not die spiritually. Revelation 22:18-19 The last place the phrase "Book of Life" is used in the Bible is in the warning found in Revelation 22:18-19. Once again, just as in Revelation 3:5, the text is warning us of the need of continued faithfulness if we are to be saved. The Bible closes with this warning, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18-19). This is nearly the last thing that God tells us in the Bible. Is He warning us about something that cannot happen? The Bible begins with the serpent telling Eve that if she ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge, she would not die (Genesis 3:4). Satan told her that she could disobey God and continue to live. This is the first lie recorded in the Bible and was spoken by the father of lies (John 8:44). The Bible ends with a warning that if we disobey God, we will have our part taken out of the Book of Life and from the holy city. The false doctrine of "once saved, always saved" originated with Satan himself, and contradicts God's Word from Genesis to Revelation. When Are We Actually Saved? A. If we are to properly understand our salvation, we must understand the two ways the word "faith" is used in the Bible. 1. "Faith" is used in the sense of the personal faith everyone must have to be saved. This is the meaning of faith in these two passages. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). 2. The phrase "the faith" often represents the doctrinal teaching of Christianity. This is the way it is used in these three passages. "Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7). "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you are disqualified" (2 Corinthians 13:5). "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). B. The Bible warns us that it is possible to lose our personal "faith" and reject "the faith". 1. Jesus prayed that Peter's faith might not fail. Why did He do this if it is impossible to fall? "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:32). 2. Paul encouraged new Christians concerning the need of continuing in the faith. Why did he bother if no one can fall? "And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:21-22). 3. It is possible to shipwreck our faith. Just as one cannot wreck a ship unless they first get on it, we cannot wreck our faith unless we first have it. If we're saved by faith, can we be saved if our faith suffers shipwreck? "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme" (1 Timothy 1:18-20). 4. It is possible to depart from the faith. The Holy Spirit warned that some would do the very thing some today claim can't be done. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). 5. Christians can deny the faith and become worse than an unbeliever. "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Timothy 5:8). 6. It is possible for Christians to cast off their faith. Just as we must first put a coat on before we can cast it off, we must have faith before we can cast it off. "But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith" (1 Timothy 5:11-12). 7. Some have strayed from the faith. Just as a child must first be at home before he can stray away, we must have faith before we can stray from it. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:10). "O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith" (1 Timothy 6:20-21). 8. False teachers can overthrow the faith of some. How can faith be overthrown if it does not first exist? "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some" (2 Timothy 2:16-18). After reading through these verses, we must ask some pertinent questions. 1. If we are saved by faith, can we still be saved if our faith fails? 2. If we are saved by faith, can we still be saved if our faith fails? 3. Can we be saved by faith if we do not continue in faith? 4. Can we be saved by faith if our faith suffers shipwreck? 5. Can we be saved by faith if we deny the faith? 6. Can we be saved by faith if we cast off our faith? 7. Can we be saved by faith if we stray from the faith? 8. Can we be saved by faith if we allow our faith to be overthrown? To believe in the doctrine "once saved, always saved", one would have to answer "yes" to all of these questions. C. Our Complete Salvation is Still in the Future. Those who claim a Christian cannot lose his salvation do not understand how our complete salvation is still yet in the future. We now have the promise of salvation, but we must remain faithful to the end to receive it. There are many passages that teach that we are saved now, but the reason the Bible says this is because of the faithfulness of God. When God tells us what He wants us to do to do saved, and then we do it, we can know without a doubt that we will be saved. Just as the Hebrew writer said, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). We must remember that not only did God tell us we must believe in His Son to be saved, He also told us we must be faithful to the end to be saved. As long as we are living a faithful life, we can say with confidence that we are saved. This does not mean we are living sinlessly perfect, but we are trying to live the way He commanded at all times and are depending on God's grace and the blood of Christ. The apostle John wrote, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:6-9). While we are walking in the light and have fellowship with God on earth, we know that we have not yet entered our final home. Paul understood he did not yet have a crown of righteousness, but he would receive it some time in the future. In his second letter to Timothy he wrote, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). In Titus 1:1-2, Paul spoke of his "hope of eternal life." Paul understood that he did not yet have eternal life, but he was trusting in the promises of God. We do not hope for that which we already have. When teaching the Romans concerning the future redemption of the body, Paul wrote, "hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance" (Romans 8:23-25). Paul lived in hope of receiving eternal life. He knew God was faithful so he could live without fear. At the same time, he understood that if he did not keep his body under subjection, he too, could be rejected and be lost (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). The Hebrew writer also spoke of our salvation in a future sense. While teaching of the superiority of Christ over the angels, he said of the angels, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). He did not say we have already inherited salvation, but that we will inherit salvation. Later in the third and fourth chapters, the book of Hebrews compares our journey to heaven to the Israelite's journey to the promised land. Although Israel had been delivered from bondage the day they crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14:30), they still lived by faith in the promise of God to bring them into the promised land. God's promise was sure and could not be broken. It was fulfilled, but it was only fulfilled for the two men who remained faithful during the wilderness wanderings. Joshua and Caleb were the only two men over 20 years old at the crossing of the Red Sea who actually entered the promised land. All had the same promises, but only two remained faithful. The Hebrew writer warns us, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.' For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it" (Hebrews 3:12-4:1). Peter also referred to our salvation in future terms. In 1 Peter 1:3-5 he wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Peter did not say we have received the inheritance already, but that we have a living hope of that inheritance. It is now reserved in heaven for us. No man can steal it from us, it is totally safe. Peter also told us that if we are to receive our inheritance we must not become entangled again in the pollutions of the world (2 Peter 2:20-22). If we do become entangled again, it would have been better if we had never known the way of righteousness. We are not saved in heaven while in this life, be we do have the promise of God that we will be brought into His presence. God promised that if we endure to the end, we will be saved. Jesus said, "he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22), and, "he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). D. We have assurance of salvation because we can trust God to keep His promises. Although Paul was rejected by many and suffered many things, he was not ashamed of the way he was living. He told Timothy, "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Timothy 1:12). The apostle Paul lived in complete assurance because he knew that God would keep His promise to save him in the end. Paul also referred to this promise in his second letter to Timothy when he identified himself as, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 1:1). He knew he wasn't in heaven yet, but because God's promises are sure, he was not worried. When writing Titus, he said he had, "hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began" (Titus 1:1-2). Paul was a man who was "standing on the promises of God." He didn't have eternal life yet, but he had the promise of it, and that was good enough for him. The Hebrew writer told his readers, "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it" (Hebrews 4:1). Later, he wrote, "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:11-12). Why should we be concerned about coming short of the promise if the promise has already been completely fulfilled? This passage is easy to understand once we realize that we have the promise of salvation but we must remain faithful to receive the promise. This is why only those who, "hope until the end" are the ones who will, "inherit the promises." We are still looking forward to the time when we will inherit the promises, and are encouraged with the words, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). We realize we have not yet entered heaven, but there is still no fear because we know God can be trusted to keep His promises. The Hebrew writer also exhorted his readers to, "not cast away your confidence, which has great reward." The reason he gives is, "so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:35-39). He did not say they had already received the promise, but if they continued to live faithfully, they would receive the promise sometime in the future. Peter encouraged his readers to continue in faithfulness by telling them, "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless... You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked" (2 Peter 3:13-17). We still do not have the final new heavens and new earth, but we do have God's promises. Since we have them through promise, but not yet in reality, we must, "beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked." What could be more wicked than to assure people that once they become a Christian, they will be saved in the end, whether they live faithfully or not, when it is not true? The apostle John put it simply when he wrote, "And this is the promise that He has promised us eternal life" (1 John 2:25). He didn't say we have eternal life right now in reality, but this is what is promised. This promise is so sure that John could later write in the same book, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:11-13). While telling them they had eternal life in Jesus, notice the reason John gave for writing to them. It was so they might continue to believe! Why did they need to continue to believe if once we are saved, we are always saved? The answer is easy when we understand we have the promise of salvation now, but we must continue in faithfulness until the end to receive the promise. Favorite Proof Texts That Are Claimed To Teach "Once Saved, Always Saved" 1. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand" (John 10:27-29). The condition required for being the Lord's sheep is to hear His voice and follow Him. As long as we do this, no one can snatch us from His care. However, if we refuse to hear His voice and follow Him, we will no longer be His sheep. 2. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39). This passage gives us a wonderful promise that should give us great comfort. There is no power in the universe that can separate us from the love of our Lord. However, the one thing that can separate us from God is not mentioned in this passage. If we choose to rebel and sin against God, we will no longer abide in the love of God. When addressing the Israelites whom God loved, Isaiah wrote, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2). There are many passages that tell us of the love God had for Israel, but even then, when they walked away from Him and refused to submit, Israel was separated from God. Jesus told His disciples, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love" (John 15:9-10). Why would Jesus tell His disciples that they must abide in His love if it is impossible for them to fall away? Jesus also said the way they must abide in His love was to keep His commandments. What is the obvious implication of those who no longer keep His commandments? Are they abiding in His love? 3. "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:10-15 ). Some argue from this passage that at the judgment, God will test the works of men by fire. Those who lived righteously will have their works proved to be gold, silver and precious stones. These individuals will be given a reward for their faithful service. Others who live hypocritically and sinfully will have their works proved to be wood, hay and straw and will have them burned up. These will still be saved, but they will lose their reward. What works are Paul referring to in this passage? Is there anything in the context of 1 Corinthians that will explain this to us? In 1 Corinthians 9:1, Paul wrote, "Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?" Although he never said specifically in chapter three what kind of works he was referring to, in chapter nine, he does say what his work was. His work was the converts to whom he taught the gospel. Paul was doing his best to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ by bearing "much fruit" (John 15:8). In the process of bearing much fruit, the apostle Paul and every other faithful disciple of Jesus will teach many different kinds of people the gospel. Some who are taught will bear fruit. Some will bear "a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:8). These are the works that are gold, silver and precious stone. Others who are taught will not produce fruit. They will be like those Jesus described as being thorny or rocky ground. In the parable of the sower, He said, "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful" (Matthew 13:20-22). These are the works which are wood, hay and straw. In th ent, these works will be burned up and we will suffer loss. Paul may be referring to their lost companionship or the loss of the reward for teaching others. Either way, we will still be saved. Our salvation is not dependent on the faithfulness of those whom we teach. Our salvation is dependent on our own faithfulness. 4. "This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:11-13). Some make the argument that even if we are faithless, God will remain faithful by saving us anyway. This is a blatant ignoring of the context. Paul is teaching that no matter what, God will remain faithful to His promises, whether we are faithful or not. What is the promise of God? In the very context, God promised, "If we deny Him, He will also deny us." God has promised He will deny us if we are faithless and He will remain faithful to that promise! He will keep His Word no matter what we do! 5. "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us" (1 John 2:18-19). From this passage many argue that if anyone falls away he never was saved in the beginning. If that is what this passage means, then it contradicts all the many serious warnings we find throughout God's Word. Are we willing to cast out a multitude of passages because of what another one might say? When we understand a passage in such a way that it is contradicting other plain passages, our method of interpretation is in serious error. When John writes of "us" in the book of 1 John, he is referring to himself and the other apostles, not Christians in general. In the first three verses of 1 John, he wrote, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life -- the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us -- that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1-3) . It was the apostles who had heard and seen and touched Jesus Christ. The apostles were the ones who bore witness and declared Jesus to the world. Read Acts 1:1-8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33; and 5:32 to see how the apostles were the special witnesses of Jesus Christ. John is writing of men who had left the presence of the apostles. He said, "They went out from us." The only way they could have left the apostles is if they had been with them earlier. Although they had been in the presence of the apostles, it appears that they were never truly converted to the Lord. They may have attended with the faithful saints for some time, but were, "men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain" (1 Timothy 6:5). The Bible is a perfect book which covers every situation in life. Peter said that God has, "given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). No matter what we may face in life, we have instructions on how to deal with it in God's Word. We may not always know the answer, but the fault is our ignorance of the Bible, rather than the Bible's fault. Throughout the ages, there have been some who appear to come to God but were never truly converted. The apostle John knew of men like this and there are men like this in our generation. The apostles had the gift of discerning of spirits and would be able to discern who was genuine and who was not. In many places they wrote of the danger of genuine disciples slipping back into sin and being lost. Here in 1 John 2:18-19, we can read of hypocrites who were never converted to the Lord. Both situations have always existed in the church and always will. These antichrists that John was writing about were hypocrites from the very beginning. One the other side, the apostle Paul called Demas one of his fellow laborers in Philemon 24. Several years later, when writing to Timothy, Paul mentioned Demas again when he wrote, "Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world" (2 Timothy 4:10). John wrote of some who were hypocrites and deceivers from the beginning, and Paul wrote of Demas, who was a good man who fell away and did not endure to the end. Unfortunately, both situations still exist today. The Bible Does Teach It Is Impossible for a Christian to Fall Away... If The Bible does teach that it is impossible for a Christian to lose his salvation, but the promise is conditional. The word "if" is included in the promise. Peter wrote, "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never fall; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-11). This is a promise that gives assurance to all obedient children of God. If we apply ourselves diligently to the service of our God and developing ourselves into the mature Christians that God asks us to be, then we will never fall. We can be assured of having an eternal home in heaven, because faithful is He who promised. What Does The Bible Say? "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever" (11Chronicles 28:9). "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4). "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die" (Ezekiel 18:24). "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). "But he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'" (John 8:31-32). "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit... If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:2-6). "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off" (Romans 11:21-22). "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:1-2). "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified" (2 Corinthians 13:5). "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4). "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:7-9). "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight - if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister" (Colossians 1:21-23). "For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain" (1 Thessalonians 3:5). "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (11Timothy 5:8). "But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Hebrews 3:6). "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end" (Hebrews 3:12-14). "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20). "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: 'A dog returns to his own vomit,' and, 'a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire'" (2 Peter 2:20-22). "Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father" (1 John 2:24). "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day" (Jude 5-6). "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5). "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18-19). Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc