As a Christian, you may question the concept of "once saved, always saved."
This idea has been a source of disagreement and debate among Christian denominations for centuries.
While some believers have firm convictions that the notion is true, others doubt its validity based on various interpretations of Scripture.
In the following post, we will discuss the main stances on this controversial topic and dive deep into the arguments for and against it so you can decide what makes the most sense.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be saved?
The Bible teaches that salvation is a free gift available to all who turn away from their sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone.
According to the Bible, believers are saved solely by God's grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).
In other words, no amount of good works or deeds can save us or make us right with God.
Only by believing in Jesus Christ can we be reconciled with God and inherit eternal life.
Have you ever wondered if you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, can you later lose that salvation?
You may be relieved that the answer to this question is no!
This blog post will explain why we hold to the belief of "once saved, always saved" based on what Scripture teaches us.
We'll explain why it's essential to trust in the everlasting promise given to us in the Bible.
Hebrews 6:4-6 reads, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;."
However, these verses do not refer to losing salvation. The warning in Hebrews 6:4-6 is about not receiving rewards from God, not being saved. This is evidenced by the story of Kadesh Barnea found in Numbers 13-14.
The people of Israel had been redeemed from Egypt, but when faced with an opportunity to enter into God's promised land and receive rewards from Him, the people did not obey God (Numbers 13:30-33).
Because of their disobedience, their journey was plagued by difficulties. Their reward was taken away, but they were still God's people (Deuteronomy 2:7).
Thus, Hebrews 6:4-6 is a warning against giving up on our faith before we have received the rewards God promises to all those who keep His commandments (Colossians 3:23-24).
Numbers 14:23 shows that Kadesh Barnea was spared from God's judgment despite the people of Israel's rebellion against Him. In this Scripture, God promised that none of those who had seen His glory and miraculous signs would ever see the Promised Land. This included Moses and Kadesh Barnea, but God still chose to spare them and showed mercy instead of wrath.
We see evidence of this amongst other Scriptures, like Deuteronomy 34:4-5 where it says, "Then the LORD said to him [Moses], 'This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross into it." Moses could not enter the Promised Land; he was spared and still seen at Christ's transfiguration in Mark 9:2-3.
The lesson here is that disobedience does have consequences, but even the disobedient does not lose sonship.
Galatians 5:4 says, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”
This is a warning that Christians should be careful not to add legalistic works of the flesh to their faith in Christ as a means of attaining salvation.
It is not saying that we can lose our salvation. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work at the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9).
And nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
However, this verse does warn us that striving to attain salvation or favor with God through our works will result only in frustration and a severed relationship with Christ—a fall from grace.
In doing so, we also eliminate the possibility of receiving special rewards when Christ returns (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
So as believers, we need to trust fully in Jesus, knowing that good works are a fruit of genuine saving faith, not the cause of it.
James 5:19-20 speaks of a believer who slips into sin and can no longer "be saved" in this life.
It's a warning to believers that even they can fall short and miss out on rewards due to their actions. But, just because the passage speaks of a believer losing their chance at a reward doesn't mean they lose their salvation.
We need to remember other passages like John 3:16 and Romans 8:38-39 which speak of the security found in believing in Jesus; there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).
We should never take this warning lightly, but we should also understand its context.
Regarding our ultimate salvation, we can have peace knowing we are eternally secure through faith in Jesus.
When we read 2 Peter 2:20-22, it may seem like the passage is about people losing their salvation.
However, a closer look reveals that God's warning is not about redemption but rewards.
Throughout Scripture, God emphasizes the importance of everlasting salvation as a free gift (John 3:16; 6:40; 10:28). This means that if an individual chooses to accept Jesus' salvation, it is impossible to lose it (Romans 8:38-39).
2 Peter 2:20-22 discusses how believers can lose or forfeit reward, 'like a dog going back to its own vomit' (2 Peter 2:22).
In these verses, God warns us against returning to our old way of life and sinning against Him (1 Corinthians 9:27). Instead, we should strive to live a holy life so that when we face judgment, we might receive the fullness of his blessings and rewards.
In conclusion, 2 Peter 2:20-22 warns us against giving into temptations and sin so that we may receive God's eternal rewards—not about losing our salvation.
You may have heard the phrase, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith..."
This verse is from Ephesians 2:8-9 and is an incredibly significant passage for our understanding of how to be saved.
Let’s take a look at these scriptures so we can understand what this means.
As is written in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—” (NIV).
Put, salvation comes from God's grace, or unmerited favor, and through faith in the person and works of Jesus Christ.
Our hope is in Jesus.
Nothing we can do will make us more righteous or earn us His favor; it comes by grace through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:9).
His mercy and unconditional love are unfathomable; He chose to save us even when we still rejected Him.
Rejoice in His goodness!
We are saved by grace alone, not because of anything we can do (Ephesians 2:8).
It's a free gift from the Lord, offered out of His great love for us (John 3:16).
He paid the price to set us free - all we have to do is accept it and believe.
Through faith in Him, we're transformed into new people (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Our sins are forgiven and washed away, and we have victory over death itself (Romans 6:23).
Let His grace overwhelm you and constantly remind you of His saving power.
For this, we will always praise Him!
Faith alone is the only way to be saved.
All of us were dead in our trespasses and sins until Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross for us (Romans 5:8).
He gave His life so we could be set free from sin and brought into a right relationship with God (Romans 10:9-10).
When we believe in Jesus—that He is who He says He is and trust in Him as our Saviour—we are saved through the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We don't receive this salvation by any works of our own but solely through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:13).
This faith is an assurance that we can never lose our salvation—once saved, always saved.
No matter what we do or whatever anybody else does, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:38-39).
In Galatians 2:16, Paul clearly states, “We know that a person is not made right with God by obeying the law.
The only way a person can be made right with God is through faith in Jesus Christ.”
This passage is significant because it clarifies that salvation cannot be earned or achieved through any human act.
In other Scripture passages, such as Romans 5:8 and Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul says that salvation is a free gift given to us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Because of this free gift of salvation, believers are guaranteed eternal life—a promise that firmly establishes the doctrine of once saved, always saved.
For by grace we are saved, through faith and not of our own works (Ephesians 2:8).
This is clear from the Bible—good works do not save us, for none of us can be justified by works alone (Galatians 2:16).
Even if we attempt to keep all of God's commands, it does not guarantee salvation.
No amount of our own goodness will get us into Heaven; it is only through Jesus' perfect life that gives us access to eternal life in Him.
This shows us that it doesn't matter how good or bad we are—our salvation completely depends on what Jesus did.
His death on Calvary and His resurrection save us and nothing else (Romans 5:10).
We have no control over our salvation; we are saved only by grace (Romans 8:24).
Our assurance then is sure, for no matter what comes against us, when we've placed our trust in Jesus, we can be sure that once saved, always saved.
We have been entrusted with a significant duty—to accept the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
As it is written in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
The Bible assures us that this offer of everlasting life is open to all who will accept it.
Acts 16:30-31 says: "He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.'"
We are called to believe in Christ alone as the source of our redemption and forgiveness.
This belief has further implications for us: knowing that Jesus alone is the way to salvation brings assurance and security.
Those who accept Jesus' sacrifice for their sins are sealed by the Holy Spirit and remain protected by God's grace no matter their struggles (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Because of Jesus' victory over death, once we have been saved, we can rest assured that we will always be saved, no matter what lies ahead.
The Bible tells us we can never get snatched away from God's hand.
In John 10:27-29, Jesus states, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me."
The truth behind once saved, always saved is that no force - not even our actions - can separate us from the love of God.
God's new nickname could be Butterfingers because being saved by grace gives us perfect security in God's hands - so much so that we won't slip out of His grasp in more ways than one!
There is only a perfect One, and that is God. Romans 8:39 "No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Butterfingers may have a reputation for dropping things, but God will never drop us!
Matt LaClear
Author