This doctrine also known as the doctrine of eternal security is
saying that a Christian who has received salvation through the second
birth can never lose it even if he returns to habitual sinning, careless
living and flagrant violation of the laws of God.
It says that once salvation has been received via the new birth, it is secure forever and cannot be lost and a child of God is a child of God forever even if he transgresses.This false doctrine teaches that the eternal security of the soul is the responsibility of the Shepherd, Jesus Christ and not of the believer at all.
This position is inconsistent with John 15:10 that says, ‘’ if you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10 teaches that the saved believer has a responsibility to obey the gospel throughout life as it is impossible to have a pardoning grace from God without an obedient grace.
The false doctrine also says that the gift of eternal life given through Christ cannot be revoked or withdrawn even if the believer departs from the Lord. Further, it teaches that when a believer sins, he loses the joy of salvation only for a time, while the salvation and relationship with the Lord remain intact.
The doctrine of ‘Once saved, forever saved’ is a fallacy from hell which the Bible’s teachings do not support. According to the Bible, salvation is not an UN-forfeitable possession as it can be lost through negligence. A Christian may fall from grace and be lost eternally if he dies in his sins.
The Bible teaches that when a man recognizes that he is a sinner, repents and believes the gospel, a spiritual and moral change occurs in his life (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). But when he sins again, he experiences a moral fall, he incurs the penalty of death again and comes under the sentence of death (Ezekiel 18:24) (James 1:13-15).
If he repents again, he is forgiven and restored. The Bible makes provision for the restoration of a Christian who falls from grace if he is repentant (Galatians 6:1) (Revelations 2:5). If he fails to repent and dies in sin, he will be eternally lost (Ezekiel 18:24).
A believer who acquires salvation during the second birth has a responsibility to maintain and keep his salvation in order not to lose it. The Bible gives many commands in this regard which include:
Hebrews 12:1 says, ‘’…let us lay aside every weight and the sin which easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.’’
Hebrews 3:6says, ‘’hold fast the confidence and hope of rejoicing to the end.’’
Luke 9:62 says, ‘no man having put his hand on the plough, and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’’
Luke 17:32 says, ‘Remember Lot’s wife.’’
She was saved by the grace and mercy of God from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but looked back contrary to instruction and was destroyed. She lost her salvation and is lost eternally.
Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘the soul that sins, it shall die.’’
Ezekiel 18:24 teaches, ‘but when the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked do, shall he live? All his righteousness shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he trespassed and in the sin that he hath sinned, in them he shall die.’’
Hebrews 10:26-29 says, ‘’ for if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall consume the adversaries.
He that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace?’’
1 Corinthians 10:12, ‘’ he that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.’’
This tells us that no one is above falling. He that is standing stands by the grace and the power of God (1 Peter 1:5) but is required to watch and pray not to fall into temptation. He is required to flee appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22) and there are many other related commands in Scripture to guide one from falling.
2 Corinthians 13:5, ‘’examine yourselves whether ye are in the faith…’’
1 Peter 1:16 says, ‘’ be ye holy, for I am holy.’’
Hebrews 12:14 says, ‘’…without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.’’
Hebrews 2:1-2 says, ‘’wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies and evil speaking, as new babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.’’
Matthew 24:13 says, ‘’he that endures to the end shall be saved.’’
2 Peter 3:18 says, ‘’ but grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’’
Luke 13:24, ‘’strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able.’’
Hebrews 3:7-17 is a strong warning to us to learn from Israel’s failures in the wilderness. God brought them out of Egypt with full assurances of blessings, prosperity and eternal rest. But by their sins and unbelief, they came short of the promised blessings and were cut off from God and lost.
This teaches us that any Christian, saved and born again, who returns to an evil heart of unbelief, and departs from God, who is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin will be cut off and be lost.
Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. He was a genuinely chosen and empowered apostle (Matthew 10:1-20), and he was a preacher of the gospel of salvation and a healer (Mark 6:7-13).
He had a part in the ministry and was a saved man (Acts 1:17) but he fell by transgression (Acts 1:25). He regretted his actions (Matthew 27:4) but he did not repent. He did not return to God for forgiveness, died in his sin and is eternally lost.
Prayer:
Lord, have mercy on me for I am a sinner (Luke 18:13) in Jesus name
Lord, deliver me from presumptuous sinning (Psalm 19:13) in Jesus name
Lord, make me holy (Leviticus 11:44) in Jesus name
Mercy of God, overshadow my life (Romans 9:15) in Jesus name
Power and the grace of God to endure to the end, possess my life (Matthew 24:13) (1 Peter 1:5) in Jesus name
It says that once salvation has been received via the new birth, it is secure forever and cannot be lost and a child of God is a child of God forever even if he transgresses.This false doctrine teaches that the eternal security of the soul is the responsibility of the Shepherd, Jesus Christ and not of the believer at all.
This position is inconsistent with John 15:10 that says, ‘’ if you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10 teaches that the saved believer has a responsibility to obey the gospel throughout life as it is impossible to have a pardoning grace from God without an obedient grace.
The false doctrine also says that the gift of eternal life given through Christ cannot be revoked or withdrawn even if the believer departs from the Lord. Further, it teaches that when a believer sins, he loses the joy of salvation only for a time, while the salvation and relationship with the Lord remain intact.
The doctrine of ‘Once saved, forever saved’ is a fallacy from hell which the Bible’s teachings do not support. According to the Bible, salvation is not an UN-forfeitable possession as it can be lost through negligence. A Christian may fall from grace and be lost eternally if he dies in his sins.
The Bible teaches that when a man recognizes that he is a sinner, repents and believes the gospel, a spiritual and moral change occurs in his life (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). But when he sins again, he experiences a moral fall, he incurs the penalty of death again and comes under the sentence of death (Ezekiel 18:24) (James 1:13-15).
If he repents again, he is forgiven and restored. The Bible makes provision for the restoration of a Christian who falls from grace if he is repentant (Galatians 6:1) (Revelations 2:5). If he fails to repent and dies in sin, he will be eternally lost (Ezekiel 18:24).
A believer who acquires salvation during the second birth has a responsibility to maintain and keep his salvation in order not to lose it. The Bible gives many commands in this regard which include:
Hebrews 12:1 says, ‘’…let us lay aside every weight and the sin which easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.’’
Hebrews 3:6says, ‘’hold fast the confidence and hope of rejoicing to the end.’’
Luke 9:62 says, ‘no man having put his hand on the plough, and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’’
Luke 17:32 says, ‘Remember Lot’s wife.’’
She was saved by the grace and mercy of God from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but looked back contrary to instruction and was destroyed. She lost her salvation and is lost eternally.
Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘the soul that sins, it shall die.’’
Ezekiel 18:24 teaches, ‘but when the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked do, shall he live? All his righteousness shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he trespassed and in the sin that he hath sinned, in them he shall die.’’
Hebrews 10:26-29 says, ‘’ for if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall consume the adversaries.
He that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace?’’
1 Corinthians 10:12, ‘’ he that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.’’
This tells us that no one is above falling. He that is standing stands by the grace and the power of God (1 Peter 1:5) but is required to watch and pray not to fall into temptation. He is required to flee appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22) and there are many other related commands in Scripture to guide one from falling.
2 Corinthians 13:5, ‘’examine yourselves whether ye are in the faith…’’
1 Peter 1:16 says, ‘’ be ye holy, for I am holy.’’
Hebrews 12:14 says, ‘’…without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.’’
Hebrews 2:1-2 says, ‘’wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies and evil speaking, as new babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.’’
Matthew 24:13 says, ‘’he that endures to the end shall be saved.’’
2 Peter 3:18 says, ‘’ but grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’’
Luke 13:24, ‘’strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able.’’
Hebrews 3:7-17 is a strong warning to us to learn from Israel’s failures in the wilderness. God brought them out of Egypt with full assurances of blessings, prosperity and eternal rest. But by their sins and unbelief, they came short of the promised blessings and were cut off from God and lost.
This teaches us that any Christian, saved and born again, who returns to an evil heart of unbelief, and departs from God, who is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin will be cut off and be lost.
Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. He was a genuinely chosen and empowered apostle (Matthew 10:1-20), and he was a preacher of the gospel of salvation and a healer (Mark 6:7-13).
He had a part in the ministry and was a saved man (Acts 1:17) but he fell by transgression (Acts 1:25). He regretted his actions (Matthew 27:4) but he did not repent. He did not return to God for forgiveness, died in his sin and is eternally lost.
Prayer:
Lord, have mercy on me for I am a sinner (Luke 18:13) in Jesus name
Lord, deliver me from presumptuous sinning (Psalm 19:13) in Jesus name
Lord, make me holy (Leviticus 11:44) in Jesus name
Mercy of God, overshadow my life (Romans 9:15) in Jesus name
Power and the grace of God to endure to the end, possess my life (Matthew 24:13) (1 Peter 1:5) in Jesus name
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