Once Saved Always Saved?

 

Once Saved Always Saved?

 

The doctrine of once saved always saved comes from John 10:28-29 (And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand) Christ did say nothing is able to pluck us from God’s hand. However, Christ did not say that we could not choose to walk out, prefer the things of the world instead of the Word of God.

 

The idea of once saved always saved may have its roots in Gnostic philosophy.”… Gnostics believe anything done in the body, even the grossest sin, has no meaning because real life exists in the spirit realm only.” http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-gnosticism.html  Therefore eternal security says that once a person accepts Christ as Savior whatever the body does is totally immaterial to salvation since the body is “evil” but the spirit is separate and holy. This is not at all in line with Scripture.

 

If a person who is saved turns away from God those who have the doctrine once saved always saved simply claim the person was never really saved at all. This is a simplistic answer that is not scriptural. Below is a list of Scriptures that address being saved and turning from God after being saved. A number of these are Old Testament references. According to Christ (Ezekiel 3:17-21; Matt. 5:18 & Luke 16:17) that does not invalidate their use.

 

One important reference concerns Demas. (Colossians 4:14; Hebrews 6:6), show that Demas was a companion and fellow worker with Paul. Luke and Paul were not stupid nor were they poor judges of character. They accepted Demas and gladly worked with Demas to spread the Word of God. In 2 Tim 4:10 Paul clearly states Demas loved the world and left Paul and the work of God. This is an example of a person who was saved leaving the Lord.

 

 

Many of the other scriptures show the possibility and danger of walking out on the Lord.

 

 

 

Prov 21:16

The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

 

Eze 3:17-21

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

 

Eze 18:24 - 28

But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

 

Eze 33:1-19

Read entire reference.

 

Eze 33:18-19

But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. 

 

Col 4:14

Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

 

2 Tim 4:10

For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

 

Phm 1:23-24

There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus; Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow laborers.

 

Heb. 6:5-6

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; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

 

John 10:28-29

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand

 

Luke 11:24-26

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

 

2 Peter 2:20-22

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.