Once Saved, Always Saved...or not?

PART 1 - TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

Sanctification is when God sets us aside for himself. When we are being sanctified, we are heaven bound at death. There are two main camps of thought on sanctification...

One camp thinks that sanctification is a one time deal. Once we’re sanctified, we are sanctified forever. This is true regardless of any evil things we do for the rest of our lives. There is nothing we can do to lose our salvation. They believe in “once saved, always saved.” This is also called “eternal security.” They say if someone backslides and turns into a reprobate they mustn't have really been saved in the first place.
The other camp thinks that every day we must fight to stay sanctified. They think that even when we have the Holy Spirit and are currently sanctified, we still have the ability to reject Jesus and end up in hell. This is due to the fact that God doesn’t take away our free will.

PART 2 - THE HOLY SPIRIT

2 Corinthians 3:6

who also made us able ministers of a new covenant, not of letter, but of Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive.

The old covenant with God, the law, led to death. The new covenant, grace, leads to life. This new covenant starts with receiving the Holy Spirit.

To receive the Holy Spirit we need to show Jesus that we love Him by being obedient to Him. He becomes our Lord when we let Him lord over us.

John 14:15-21

If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may remain with you to the age, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him; but you know Him, for He abides with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I am coming to you. Yet a little while and the world no longer sees Me, but you see Me. Because I live, you also shall live. In that day you shall know that I am in My father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. The one having My commandments and keeping them, that one is the one loving Me; and the one loving Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and will reveal Myself to him.

Once we receive the Holy Spirit, the “once saved, always saved” camp would say our salvation is completed. We are sanctified to God forever.

The other camp would say when we receive the Holy Spirit, we are sanctified at that time. To continue in sanctification, falling under the new covenant of grace, we must continue to submit our own will to the will of the Holy Spirit. This is an on-going process. NOTE: This is what I believe and will now continue from this perspective.

Galatians 5:18

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He doesn’t just take over our lives like demons do. He’ll move when we want Him to. We need to feel for the Holy Spirit’s guidance on everything we do, think, desire, and feel. If we get conviction (a bad feeling) from Him about something, we must reject whatever that is. The more we strive to submit our will to His will, the more He’ll reveal Himself to us.

Like God the Father led Jesus through the Holy Spirit, God the Father leads us to Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit drawing us to Jesus, we would never fully connect with Him. We can’t be sanctified or saved without the Holy Spirit completing our connection with Jesus.

John 6:44, 63

No one is able to come to Me if not the Father, the One having sent Me, draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day....It is the Spirit, the One making alive...

By continually submitting our own will to the will of the Holy Spirit, we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. If He is leading us, we are allowing the Father to draw us to Jesus and continue in our sanctification.

PART 3 - SCRIPTURE SUPPORTING ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED

Someone supporting once saved, always saved often uses the following scripture to support their belief.

John 10:28-29

And I give eternal life to them, and they shall not perish to the age, not ever! And not anyone shall 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.

If we are allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us then certainly God won’t let the devil snatch us out of His hand of salvation. It’s silly to even think the devil could have such power over God. On the other hand, what if we chose to jump out of God’s hand? Will He take away our free will? Has He ever taken away our free will?

1 John 3:9

Everyone having been generated of God does not sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been generated from God.

It could be said that when we are being led by the Holy Spirit that indeed God doesn’t see our sin because we are under grace. But if we stop following the Holy Spirit and go back to doing our own will, after a while we may be cut-off and will no longer be under grace. As a matter of fact, the following scripture is mentioned just prior to 3:9.

1 John 3:6-7

Everyone remaining in Him does not sin. Everyone sinning has not seen Him, nor known Him. Little children, let no one lead you astray…

Why would John say we don’t sin if we remain in Him? Logic would say because if we turn our back on Him we could start sinning and no longer remain in Him. Also, why would John warn us about being led astray if this also wasn’t a possibility?

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Yes, that is what God would like. That EVERYONE would believe in Him and have everlasting life. God isn’t forcing this on us though. He’s allowing us to use our own free will to choose Him. If we do choose Him and remain in Him, we will have everlasting life.

Ephesians 1:13

in whom also you, hearing the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

When Ephesians 1 is read in its entirety, it is clear that these are God’s desires for us. Verse 18 makes this clear.

Ephesians 1:18

the eyes of your mind having been enlightened, for you to know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

For us to be sealed into salvation by the Holy Spirit is one of God’s desires for us. Again, he doesn’t take away our free will though.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you are having been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast;

Most all Christians, who have any grasp of the scriptures at all, would agree that we are saved by the grace of God. We don’t deserve heaven, but we were given the opportunity of salvation if we choose to follow Jesus. It’s hard to say this scripture means once saved, always saved.

1 John 2:19

They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they were of us, they would have remained with us; but it was so that it might be revealed that they all are not of us.

This scripture is specifically speaking about the many antichrist’s in the world. These antichrists originated from the people following Jesus. John dismissed these antichrists as never really being part of God’s people in the first place. They weren’t being led by the Holy Spirit, but rather the antichrist spirit. The Holy Spirit revealed these people as to who they really were. This scripture isn’t a blanket statement proving once saved, always saved.

PART 4 - SCRIPTURE REFUTING ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED

Hebrews 10:26-39

For if we are willfully sinning after receiving the full knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice concerning sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement...How much worse punishment do you think will be thought worthy to receive, the one having trampled the Son of God, and having counted common the blood of the covenant in which he was sanctified, and having insulted the Spirit of grace?...It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But call to mind the former days in which having been enlightened you endured much struggle of sufferings...Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of enduring patience, that having done the will of God you may obtain the promise...if he draws back,” “My soul is not well-pleased in him.” But we are not of a drawing back to destruction, but of faith, to the preservation of the soul.

The above scripture says if we had the “full knowledge of God’s truth” and “was sanctified” and then draw back from Him, we will be destroyed. This plainly says that even if we are sanctified, we still have a free will to reject our sanctification.

It says if we are sanctified and then choose to rebel, we are insulting the Holy Spirit. Could this be blaspheming the Holy Spirit? If it is, the following scripture says what will happen.

Mathew 12:31-32

...Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men, but the blasphemy concerning the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, not in this age nor in the coming one.

Hebrews 6:4-

For it is impossible for the ones once having been enlightened, and having tasted of the heavenly gift, and becoming sharers of the Holy Spirit, and tasting the good Word of God, and the works of power of a coming age, and having fallen away, it is impossible for them again to renew to repentance, crucifying again for themselves the Son of God...holding fast to salvation...But we desire each of you to show the same diligence, to the full assurance of the hope to the end; that you not become dull, but imitators of the ones who through faith and long-suffering are inheriting the promises...And so, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

The above scripture says that if we are saved and have the Holy Spirit, but then reject God, we can never get our salvation back. This probably wouldn’t be mentioned if it wasn’t a possibility. It says we must stay diligent in our faith “to the end.”

Romans 11:19-23

You will say then, The branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well! For unbelief they were broken off. And you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear. For if God did not spare according to the natural branches, fear lest neither He will spare you. Behold, therefore, the kindness and severity of God: On the ones having fallen, severity. But on you, kindness, if you continue in the kindness. Otherwise, you will also be cut off. And those also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.

The natural branches were the Jews. They were cut off because of their unbelief. We (believing gentiles) were grafted in because of our belief. Fear of getting cut off ourselves should make us vigilant towards our faith. Yes, we can lose our salvation, even once we have it.

1 John 2:22-26

Who is the liar, if not the one denying, saying that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one denying the Father and the Son. Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father. The one confessing the Son also has the Father. Therefore, what you heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you will abide both in the Son and the Father. And this is the promise which He promised us: everlasting life. I have written these things to you concerning the ones leading you astray.

John warns those who have been given everlasting life to not be led astray from the original Word given to them. Why would he warn us to not be led astray if it wasn’t a possibility?

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Now, brothers, I make known to you the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, through which you also are being saved if you hold fast the Word which I preached to you, except if not you believed in vain.

Even when we are saved we need to hold fast to the Word. If not, we can lose our salvation.

Jude 3-5

Beloved ones, making all diligence to write to you about the common salvation, I had need to write to you to exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith once given over to the saints. For certain men slipped in stealthily, the ones having been of old written before to this judgement, ungodly ones perverting the grace of our God into unbridled lust, and denying the only Master, God, even our Lord Jesus Christ. But I purpose to remind you, you once knowing these things, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, in the second place destroyed the ones not believing.

We must “contend earnestly” for our faith, not being led astray by a perverted gospel. We mustn’t forget that Jesus not only saves, but also destroys.

2 Peter 3:17-18

Therefore, beloved ones, you knowing beforehand, be on guard lest being led away by the error of the lawless ones you fall from your own firmness. But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Peter warns us to not be led away from our sanctification by false doctrine.

Philippians 2:12-13

So, then, my beloved ones, even as you always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much rather in my absence, cultivate your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is working in you both to will and to work for the sake of His good pleasure.

Paul says we need to cultivate our salvation with “fear and trembling.” In other words, we can’t take our salvation for granted. We must be vigilant towards it.

1 Timothy 4:1

But the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons,

The end times are taking shape. Paul tells us that some people will start departing from the faith. They couldn’t depart from something if they weren’t part of it to start with.

2 Timothy 4:6-7

For I am already being poured out, and the time of my release is present. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.

Before being executed, Paul wasn’t satisfied because He received the Holy Spirit and became a typical spiritually weak Christian. No, sir! He was satisfied because, being a disciple, he fought the good fight all the way to the end...ensuring his crown of righteousness in heaven!

Luke 9:23

And He said to all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily. And let Him follow me.

In not so direct words, Jesus Himself said we must work to maintain our sanctification daily.

PART 5 - THE DANGERS OF ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED

There are a couple dangers with living a lifestyle of once saved, always saved.

The first is concern is about our salvation. If a Christian thinks that once he has faith that God will continue to forgive him of all his sins, this could lead to destruction. People who think their salvation is a slam dunk aren’t vigilantly seeking salvation through “fear and trembling.” We can’t let false doctrine trick us into hell.

The second concern is about fulfilling the great commission. We should not be going into the world making mere Christians. We should be going into the world making disciples. What makes a Christian into a disciple is the vigilant effort in DOING the Word. Living a lifestyle of once saved, always saved can cause a light switch mentality towards Christianity. Once you're a Christian...good enough. There isn’t much more to do. There isn’t a need for spiritual growth. Spiritually weak Christians are happy to stay at the white belt level. On the other hand, if these spiritually weak Christians felt like they had to daily claw and fight in fear and trembling to retain their salvation, they would be motivated to grow spiritually. Some would become disciples!

PART 7 - SPIRITUAL CLEANSING

Here are some demons who may hinder the understanding of the Word and hinder our ability to be led by the Holy Spirit…

Tuschon, false doctrine, false prophets, false apostles, antichrist, once saved always saved, eternal security, Lucifer, Satan, doubt of the Word, unbelief of the Word, skepticism of the Word, distrust of the Word, shame of the Word, ignorance of the Word, hard-heartedness, faithlessness, mind binding, confusion, unfocused mind, unquiet mind, double mindedness, false beliefs, Beelzebulb, seducing spirits, all spirits blocking the understanding of the Word, all spirits blocking the desire to learn the Word, all spirits blocking the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Witchcraft, magic, meditation on anything other than the Word, disobedience, rebellion, self-centeredness, self-will, narcissism.
Leviathan, discouragement, laziness, lethargy, slothfulness, passivity, timidity, melancholy, indifference, indecision, compromise, Jezebel, idolatry.

ACTION PLAN

Break any generational curses (iniquity) coming down the family line by repenting for our ancestors and forgiving them regarding the above spirits.
Repent for our own sins, especially the ones above.
Cast out the demons.