Forever Saved?

The idea of a Christian never being lost has been around for centuries. We commonly hear phrases like, “Once saved, always saved” or “Can’t fall from grace” associated with the impossibility of a Christian being eternally lost. Today, we also hear the idea of “eternal security” being posed along with many other phrases and ideas used to illustrate the principle. However, a simple study of God’s word shows that no such concept is taught by God. In fact, it is just the opposite.

The New Testament writers frequently used Old Testament stories to show that God’s people can fall out of favor with Him. All know the story of how the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage. Scholars estimate that nearly 2 million Jews left Egypt after the tenth plague but as we read the story, only 2 made it to the promised land - Joshua and Caleb. Why? Study very carefully the text of Hebrews 3. The Hebrew writer makes it clear that God was not pleased with those Jews because of their rebellion against Him. “For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:16-19.) These were God’s chosen people but they failed because of their unbelief to enter the promised land. They certainly “fell from grace.”

1 Corinthians 10:1-12 is a similar example for us. Several examples are given of how the Jews failed to serve God and paid the price. These things are for our examples (1 Cor. 10:6) and we learn to take heed lest we fall (1Cor. 10:12.)

But Jesus also teaches us that once we are saved, we may not always remain so. “ The Son of Man will send His holy angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:41-43.) Note that the holy angels will gather from the Lord’s kingdom all who sin and cause offences. There will be those of the kingdom of the Lord that will not make it to heaven. Jesus said so.

The apostle Paul reminded the Galatian brethren that going back and keeping the law of Moses would cause them to fall from grace. Jesus Christ gave them (and us) grace and freedom from the things of the law. In trying to incorporate things from the law of Moses into the gospel of Christ, Paul said, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4.) Their chief issue was circumcision but we are reminded today of those who use the law to justify such practices as instrumental music, the ten commandments, and tithing. We are under Jesus Christ and going back to a removed law (Col. 2:14) will cause us to fall from grace. Certainly Paul tells us that there is no such thing as “once in grace, always in grace.” If that were true, Paul would have no just cause to write what he did to the Galatians.

Peter may explain this best. He tells Christians to “add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love” (2 Peter 1:5-7.) Now listen to Peter as he goes on to say, “Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to make you calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10.) If Christians are not diligent to grow in their faith and practice the qualities Peter sets forth, they will fall. If that is not what Peter means then his words are pointless.

But Peter says that there is a way the Christian will never fall out of favor with God. We can make our calling and election sure by practicing Christianity. Perhaps it is appealing to many to think they cannot be lost, no matter what they do, just because they are Christians. Peter makes it plain that the only way to be sure of our calling is to grow our faith by practicing the qualities he mentioned in the text. That takes effort and we should be about pleasing God, not ourselves as the eternal security doctrine allows.