Once Saved, Always Saved?
God's Grace
by Teresa Demory
Introduction
As we begin this study on popular doctrine of once saved, always saved...I want us first to establish the fact that the Bible is our standard---our authority for everything that we do. Psalm 62:11 says that the power belongs to God. All authority and power comes from God (Romans 13:1). God passed all authority or power to Christ (Matthew 28:18; John 3:35). John 17:1-2 says that God has given Jesus power over all mankind (flesh). There is nothing that is not under subjection to Him (Hebrews 2:8). Jesus Christ is Lord and Master of all (Acts 10:36, Philippians 2:10-11). Not only did God pass on all authority to Christ and put everything in subjection to Him---He also "gave Him as head over all things to the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:20-23). In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave what is called "the Great Commission" to the disciples and told them, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you..." Teaching them to observe means teaching them to obey---obey what?---all that God commands. Does this mean that we can obey only the things they choose to? John 12:48 says, "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day." So, does this mean we will be judged by the words and creeds of men? Absolutely not---we will be judged by the word of God. Is it possible to know the truth? "...and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 17:17). From all these Scriptures we must understand and agree that we must follow only Jesus' words (gospel/Bible). These Scriptures show us that we must obey only Jesus' authority. Can more than one truth exist? If only "one" truth can exist---then our interpretation of the "one" truth must not contradict that "one" truth.
In Romans 4:1-16, writing to both Jewish and Gentile Christians at Rome, the apostle Paul sets forth the distinction between the Law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ. The Law of Moses with all its ordinances and statutes and all its commandments was temporary---and according to Paul in his letter to the Colossian Christians, the law of Moses, all its ordinances, statutes and commandments have been nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Paul says that the Gospel of Christ is now established and is God's perfect plan---the only plan that will now save mankind from his sins.
I. God's Grace in the Old Testament:
A. Thayer's Greek Lexicon defines grace (charis in the Greek) as a kindness bestowed on an individual that
that is undeserved. Unmerited favor.
B. Grace is not just a New Testament concept.
C. Romans 15:4 says, "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through
perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
D. Genesis 6:8, "Noah found favor (grace) in the sight of the Lord." He lived godly and holy seeking
the righteousness of God. He walked with God. But, Noah did not just sit back and wait for God's grace
alone to save him and his--instead, he obeyed God's commands to build an ark---then he had to go on
the ark. "Thus Noah did all that god commanded him, so he did" (Genesis 6:22; Hebrews 11:7).
E. In Genesis 12, 17 and 22 Abraham's active, obedient faith caused him to receive the unearned favor
of God. Hebrews 11:8 says, "By faith Abraham, when he was called obeyed..."
F. In Joshua 6 God's grace was feely offered to Joshua and the people (Joshua 6:2) in their conquest
over the city of Jericho--they had to have obedient faith and do as God commanded in order to
receive that grace. Hebrews 11:30 says they had that obedient faith.
G. In II Kings 5 we see that Naaman, a man with leprosy, had to have obedient faith in order to obtain
God's grace. He had to dip in the muddy Jordan River 7 times.
II. Grace in the New Testament
A. "Being justified as a gift by His grace through redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24).
B. "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we
exult in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2).
C. "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored
even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me" (I Corinthians 15:10).
D. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of god "
(Ephesians 2:8).
III. Becoming a Child of God:
A. Isaiah 59:1-2 says sin separates us from God. If sin separates us from God, then how can we be
reconciled (restored) back to God?
B. John 3:14-17 says that God so loved us that He gave his only-begotten Son (Jesus Christ) to die
as a sacrifice for our sins.
C. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us. Much more than having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of
God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death
of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this,
we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the
reconciliation" (Romans 5:8-11).
D. Salvation is found in Christ Jesus (II Timothy 2:10).
E. God's grace established salvation for all mankind. To receive His grace, it is now up to us to accept
and to obey His will. What does God say we need to do to become a child of God?
1. First before you can believe you must hear the word of God through teaching, preaching, or
reading (Romans 10:13-17).
2. Then you must believe (have faith) (Romans 10:17). This must be an active obedient faith
(James 2:21-23). Without this active, obedient faith it is impossible to please Him
(Hebrews 11:6).
3. You must confess that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 10:32-33, Phillipians 2:9-11,
Romans 10:9-10).
4. Next you must repent--changing you mind and attitude and conforming your life to God's
will--if we do not repent we will perish (Luke 13:3,5; II Peter 3:9). Restitution is part of
repentance (I Corinthians 5; II Corinthians 2:5-11). Example: If a man steals your car on
Saturday and goes before the congregation on Sunday and repents but still continues
to drive your car, he has not truly repented because there was no restitution.
5. Finally, all spiritual blessing are found only in Christ and you must be in Christ to receive
them (Ephesians 1:3). Galatians 3:27 says baptism is how we do this. Colossians 2:12
says we must be "buried with Him" (immersed)---to "walk in newness of life" (Romans
6:3-5)---it is a necessary step to salvation (I Peter 3:20-21).
IV. Once Saved, Always Saved:
A. Once being in a saved condition, it is a very popular doctrine with a large part of religious
society today---that a child of God cannot so sin as to be eternally lost---that regardless
of what one may or may not do---he cannot fall from grace.
B. Is it possible for a true believer to fall---to become an unbeliever? Let's look at some passages.
C. In Galatians 5:4 Paul, speaking to the Christians at Galatia said, "You have been severed from
Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." These were
Christians in the first century who had obeyed the gospel (they were baptized believers) then
then later they began to go back under the law of Moses by demanding circumcision. Why
would Paul, an inspired apostle, say they had fallen from grace if it were not possible for a
child of God to fall from grace?
D. Another passage is Hebrews 6:4-6. The inspired writer, speaking to Hebrew Christians says,
"For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift
and have been partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the
powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again
to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves, the Son of God, and put Him to open shame."
The language here is plain---they became Christians and then fell away.
E. In II Peter 2:20-21, Peter says some have escaped the defilements (pollution) of the world
through their knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ---they were Christians ---but
they became intangled in the world again and were overcome by it. They have fallen from
grace and Peter says it would have been better for them to have never known the truth than
to know it and turn away from it. Read II Peter 2:20-21.
F. In I Corinthians 10, Paul is writing to Christians and makes one warning after another against
falling away. The key verse in this chapter is verse 12, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall."
G. In I Corinthians 9:27, Paul said of himself, "I buffet (discipline) my body and make it my slave,
lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified (castaway)." Paul
was saying he must have self control and discipline himself or he could be eternally lost.
H. John writes to the church at Smyrna (Christians) in Revelation 2:10, "Do not fear what you are
about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast to some of you in 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."
To the church at Ephesus, the Lord told him to write, "But I have this against you, that you have
left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds
you did at first; or else I'm coming to you , and will remove you lampstand out of its place---unless
you repent." These were Christians who had fallen and left their first love.
In Revelation 3:1-6, the Lord tells John to write to the church (Christians) at Sardis and tell them
that some of them are dead spiritually---they have fallen from grace---he tells them to wake up!---
repent!---Or they will be eternally lost. But to the few who have remained faithful---He will not
erase their names from the book of life. The whole theme of Revelation is if you overcome---you
can come over to live with the Father eternally in Heaven.
Conclusion:
Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments." In chapter 15 verse one He say, "I Am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, and it may bear more fruit." If you are in Christ and do not bear fruit---you can fall. Remember we read in Revelation 2:10 if they remained faithful, they would receive a crown of life---it was conditional.
If it is impossible for a child of God to fall from grace---then the devil sure doesn't know it-look how much effort he puts forth trying to get God's children to become unfaithful. Grace is a status to be obtained (Ephesians 2:8-9), maintained (II Peter 3:18) and it is a status in which some have not remained (I Corinthians 10:1-12). One receives the grace of God through faith in obeying the gospel (Ephesians 2:8-10), he may also fall from grace through an "evil, unbelieving heart" (Hebrews 3:12). This happened to Hymanaeus and Alexander in I Timothy 1:19-20---they were "shipwrecked in regard to their faith"---the went astray from the truth (II Timothy 2:17-18).
We must be on guard at all times and know where our weakness is and work on that are also we will not become spiritual castaways and we must realize none of us is beyond the possibility of falling away (Matthew 26:41, I Corinthians 9:27; 10:12).
We must obey God (I John 5:3) and strive to walk in the light of God's truth so that the cleansing power of Christ's blood might continue with us (I John 1:6-10)
Remember Acts 17: 11 and search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are true.
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