It is a teaching or doctrine most commonly referred to as “Once saved, Always saved”. It is also known as eternal security, or the Perseverance of the Saints. The belief that once a person has truly been saved (born again), nothing can separate them from God and cause them to be lost. Is “Once saved, Always saved” a true doctrine from the Bible?
Too Easy
This idea of a person never being able to lose their salvation is taught and believed by many. It is no doubt an appealing thought to a lot of people. To get saved and then never be able to be lost, no matter what you do, that sounds easy enough. Too easy.
To believe “Once saved, Always saved”, you must believe a person can murder, lie, cheat, steal, and commit any other kind of sin you can think of, and still get to go to heaven as long as they were saved before they did it. Even if we were not to look at what the Bible says about this, it’s an idea that doesn’t make sense. Nevertheless, we most certainly will use the Bible to disprove the eternal security teaching.
Peter Didn’t Believe Once Saved, Always Saved
There is no reason to underline parts of (2 Peter) to make the point. The whole section speaks against the idea of “Once saved, Always saved”.
(2 Peter 2:20-22) If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
Peter talks about people who escape the world by knowing the Savior Jesus. They become tangled back into the corruption and are overcome by it. In the end they are worse off than they were before knowing Jesus. It says they knew the way of righteousness and turned their backs on it. For it to be better to not have known the way, and to be compared to a dog and a sow returning to their vomit and mud, this does not sound like a saved individual.
Wandering, Disqualified, And Believing In Vain
(James 5:19-20) My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
(1 Corinthians 9:27) No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
(1 Corinthians 15:2) By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
From these verses we read about it being possible to wander from the truth, to be disqualified for the prize after preaching, and to believe in vain if you don’t hold firmly to what is preached. The Bible makes it clear. It is very possible to be lost after being saved. In (Hebrews 10:26), it says there is no sacrifice left for our sins if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth.
The Scriptures Used To Try And Prove Eternal Security
If a person can be lost after salvation, then what do the following Scriptures mean? They are the most common verses used to try and prove eternal security as a doctrine.
(John 10:28-29) I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
(Romans 8:38-39) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
These Scriptures never say a person can’t lose their salvation. To believe these verses mean a Christian can never be lost is not consistent with the rest of the Bible. The Scriptures mean that nothing or no one can snatch salvation from a Christian who holds firm and doesn’t wander from the truth. (1 Corinthians 15:2) (James 5:19)
Once Saved, We Can Remain Saved
Although it is possible for a person to lose their salvation, we are always given a way of repentance.
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If as a Christian you could never be lost, there would be no need for you to repent. Since we can lose our salvation, having a heart like David is the key. He was willing to confess his sins to God and change his ways. This type of real repentance can lead a sinner to being saved, and help a Christian to stay saved.
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Peter nor Paul got re-“saved” each time they signed. No where in the scripture does it say to continually ask Jesus to come into your heart over and over. It does talk about repentance and gives us a guide how to live. And if you willingly sin after salvation without true repentance then you should question whether you actually got saved in the first place. You can reread the scripture you’ve already quoted and pray and asked the LORD to reveal truth.