False Doctrine: ‘’Once saved, forever saved’’

 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The false doctrine also says that the gift of eternal life given through Christ cannot be revoked or withdrawn even if the believer departs from the Lord.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

False Doctrines: The Good Works Approach

 Rather than diligently seek for the truth that sets free, many are seeking and following after popular opinions instead of convictions and are being led astray by false doctrines.

There are many false beliefs in this Last Days. One of them is known as the Good Works Approach. Another is the doctrine of eternal security that says ‘Once Saved, Forever Saved’’.

Those who believe in the Good Works Approach say that God will add up all their good works and their bad works and if their good is greater than their bad, they have passed the test and will be admitted into Heaven. They think that their external religious works settles the matter and earns them favour before God.

This was the major error and undoing of the rich young ruler in Luke Chapter 18:18-24. He had great riches and a powerful office as a ruler. He had good morals and manners and claimed he kept the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments to the letter.

This young ruler measured his obedience to God by his external actions but not by his inward attitudes and was convinced that he was blameless before God. However, in his inward attitudes, he was not blameless before God.

He was a covetous man who had a love of money, who trusted in his great riches and was not willing to use his riches to glorify God. His covetous attitude violated the tenth commandment in the Law of Moses, indicating his inability to keep the whole Law he boasted about.

He lacked a living faith in God. He made money his god and wanted salvation and eternal life on his own terms. He did not see himself as a sinner before God, rather boasted about the laws he kept from his youth, trusting in his own self-righteousness.

Isaiah 64:6 says,
‘’ But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags…’’

Jesus offered him salvation and eternal life on His own terms which the young ruler turned down. He was told to liquidate his estate and give the money to the poor, then take up a cross and follow Jesus.
Because the deceitfulness of riches had choked his heart and was unwilling to give it up, he rejected God’s greatest gift to man: eternal life. He lost eternal life because he could not humble himself.

Sin is rooted in the heart. Mark 7: 21-23 says,
‘’for from within, out of the hearts of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within and defile the man.’’

The young ruler by his inward attitudes was a defiled person before the Lord yet did not want to acknowledge that fact. His good works religiosity fell short of God’s standards for salvation and eternal life. Good works alone without the new birth and the right changes in the heart and opening one’s heart to Jesus is vain.

Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Holiness that is acceptable to God must be within and without i.e. both inward and outward. Man believes in outward holiness only.

We cannot be saved from sin by keeping the law or keeping some laws. The Law is a mirror that shows us how unclean we are but it cannot wash us clean. The Law can bring us to Christ but cannot make us to be like Christ. Only grace and faith in Christ can do it (Ephesians 2:8-10) (Galatians 2:16-21).

Another prominent scriptural example was the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14 who went into the temple to pray. He boasted before God about his tithes and fasting while condemning the publican beside him as a sinner. The Pharisee was proud and did not see himself as a sinner. He thought his self-righteousness was sufficient.

Many today are like the rich young ruler and the Pharisee who are trusting in their self-righteousness and external religious works as their key to salvation and do not want to humble themselves before God.
Justification before God is by our faith in Christ and not by our works of the law, for by the works of the law, shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16).

We need to act like the Publican in Luke 18:13. He humbled himself, acknowledged his sinfulness and asked God for mercy unlike the proud and boastful Pharisee. The Publican was justified for his humility and sincerity.

We need to receive salvation on God’s own terms by coming to Him through Jesus Christ who alone can save. Reconciliation with God is effected through Jesus Christ who is the only name given for the salvation of men (Acts 4:12). Salvation is by grace and by faith in Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says,
‘’ ‘’for by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.’’

Prayer: Lord Jesus, have mercy on me. I am a sinner (Luke 18:13)