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So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; (Philippians 2:12 NASB) See Salvation
If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; (1 Peter 1:17 NASB)
ON THIS PAGE
Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
Introduction
The Doctrine of Eternal Security also known as Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS) is one of the most dangerously misleading doctrines in the modern church.
Biblical Verses That Supposedly Teach Eternal Security
John 5:13 and John 3:15
Other Conditional Verses
Abiding in Christ, Believing and Knowing God
John 10:27-29
2 Timothy 2:11-13
Hebrews 10:10
Hebrews 7:25
1 Corinthians 1:8
Warnings From The Old Testament
A Lesson From The History of Israel
Warnings From The New Testament
Including warnings from Paul, Peter and Hebrews.
Those Who Fell Away In The New Testament
Judas, Demas, Hymenaeus and Philetus and others.
Can Someone Return To The Faith After Falling Away?
PART II
Jesus' Warnings and Parables About Persevering to The End
Can Any Living Christian Claim To Be Finally Saved? The Bible Says no
Introduction
The very dangerous Doctrine of Eternal Security also known as Once Saved Always Saved teaches that at the moment a person makes a once and for all decision to "accept" Christ as Savior He pays for all of their sins: past, present, and future. They remain saved irrespective of how they conduct their lives thereafter, how much they backslide, or even if they actually disown Christ.
Note: OSAS is closely related to the Calvinist doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints inasmuch as both views have the final result of eternal security in common i.e. a person cannot lose his salvation. However, they take dissimilar paths to get there.
Perseverance of the Saints: is based on the Calvinist doctrine of Unconditional Election. If, as Calvinists assert, God predestines then unconditionally elects some individuals to eternal salvation it stands to reason that He would keep or preserve them until the end. Thus Calvinism holds that if the believer falls away he (or she) was never truly saved and never had genuine faith in the first place. See Section on Calvinism
OSAS: is based on what is seen as Jesus' promises (largely from the Gospel of John) that whoever believes in Him has everlasting life, shall not perish, shall not be cast out, shall not come into judgment, etc.
Although most evangelists who believe in eternal security in Christ preach holiness, not all of them do. Some even carry the concept to ridiculous lengths teaching that as the potential for being 'unforgiven' has been done away with the believer can proceed to live the rest of their lives just as they please and still remain saved. There will be no repercussions other than possibly losing a reward or two. Charles Stanley once wrote
Faithful or not, every person who has at any time had saving faith is a permanent part of the body of Christ. [01]
See The Bema Seat Of Christ and Rewards in Heaven
It is true that most preachers do not actually articulate the sentiment that you can live as you like and still be saved. The problem being that, regardless of how long or how emphatically the preacher proclaims holiness, more often than not human nature will win out. If people have no fear of God, losing their salvation, and being condemned to death, the chances are their feet are already on a very slippery slope. Small sins that are unrepented of can lead to bigger sins and eventually, the person's lifestyle is a far cry from the righteous life demanded by God. See Salvation
The tragic result of this extremely lethal doctrine is that all too many Christians never really learn to fear God. They blissfully sail through life under the dangerous delusion that they are permanently and eternally saved on the basis that they once made a confession of faith, walked an aisle, prayed a prayer. Although they may not have actually murdered anyone many of them live pretty much as the world does.
Also See
Holiness Is Not Optional
Too many modern day teachers say "just believe",
the Bible says "Pursue... holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Who are you going to believe?
The Myth of Faith Alone
The suggestion that anything other than faith is required for salvation is not only militantly opposed by most of Christendom but denounced as an unbiblical and works based false teaching. But is this true?
Should Christians Fear God?
If the doctrine of Eternal Security is true, then one is forced to the conclusion that both Jesus and Paul were talking through their respective hats when they prophesied that people would abandon or fall away from the faith in the final days. One also has to wonder why Scripture is replete with warnings about persevering in the faith and not falling from Grace. (Perhaps because no living Christian can claim to be finally saved - See The Two Phase Atonement.
Proponents of the Eternal Security Doctrine usually refer to a handful of verses that they claim provide support for their teachings.
PART I - Biblical Verses That Supposedly Teach Eternal Security
Although supporters of Eternal Security can and do point to verses that they believe support the doctrine an accurate interpretation of any text does NOT depend on isolated verses wrenched from their context. No Scriptural passage is independent from the statements around it thus cannot be correctly interpreted without reading the immediate surrounding verses, the entire chapter or, in some cases, more than one chapter. (See Context is CRUCIAL)
And that is not all. All passages that have any connection with the topic in question have to considered along with the overall message of the book in question. Additionally, in many cases the original Greek words used are very important because verses were often rendered according to the translator's pre biases. The list is a very long one. See Mishandling The Word of God
If all this is done the OSAS 'proof texts' do not hold water (nor do many other doctrines taught as Gospel truth in the modern church)
The usual suspects in this case are...
1) 1 John 5:13 and John 3:15
1 John 5:13:
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know (Gk. eido) that you have eternal life. (NASB)
This is a classic case of taking Biblical verses out of context. In this case, the prior two verses make it very clear as to who has eternal life, i.e. only those who have the Son. Read them together.
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13 NASB)
John 3:15
And that was not all John said. Chapter 3 verse 15 of his Gospel reads
About this verse Got Questions Ministries says
If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never "eternal" at all. Hence if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error. [02]
The underlying assumption is that at the moment of salvation a person is given eternal life as a tangible possession and it is theirs to keep.
Not so!
Several passages in the Scriptures show that life is in Christ which is why Jesus urged us to “Abide” in Him ."
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. (John 1:4 NASB)
For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; (John 5:26 NASB)
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. (John 6:35 NASB)
Those who claim that it is impossible to NOT have the Son once a profession of faith has been made might want to pay close attention to John 15:1-6 in which Jesus makes it clear that it is in fact possible for a branch to stop abiding in Christ. The word IF implies that one can cease to abide and will suffer the consequences. In other words, the believer can only share in this life as long as he is in Christ.
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 so that it may bear more fruit. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. (John 15:1-6 NASB)
What it means to “abide” in Christ below
The IF in the above verse makes it conditional.. In other words what Christ will do is contingent upon what man does. And there are plenty of those in the Scriptures
Other Conditional Verses
As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:24 NASB)
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NASB)
yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. (Colossians 1:22-23 NASB)
but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house - whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. (Hebrews 3:6 NASB)
For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, (Hebrews 3:14 NASB)
Abiding
The Savior told us exactly how to continue abiding in Christ. Note the IF in the first verse
"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. (John 15:10 NASB)
He who believes (Gk. pisteuon̄) in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36 NASB)
The second verse is simply saying that those who believe will have eternal life.
Belief
In common usage English the word 'believe' means to have faith in, to place confidence in, to think to be true. However in the Bible the word believe carries far more meaning than simply mentally affirming that something is true. Pisteuon also means to 'trust' i.e. we are trusting Christ to save us. But that is not all.
The biblical meaning of "believe" extends beyond mere acceptance. It encompasses trust, relationship, and action. It is a profound and active commitment to God that influences every aspect of a believer's life. .com
John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NASB)
As said by bibledictionarytoday - This verse encapsulates the essence of belief - €”it's not just about acknowledgment but an invitation to embrace salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. See Salvation
Romans 10:9-10 says, "... if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 NASB)
In other words, true belief leads to transformative action.
John 6:40:
For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40 NASB)
It is significant that the words "behold" and "believe" are both used as present participles. These parallel terms are ongoing actions not one-time events which is exactly how the Concordant Literal version renders it -
For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who is beholding the Son and believing in Him may have life eonian, and I shall be raising him in the last day." (John 6:40 CLV).
Although Greek parsing is pretty complicated, Robertson's Word Picture points out "the present participle pisteuontes (continuing to believe) and the present active subjunctive echete (keep on having)."
but these have been written so that you may believe (Gr. pisteusete) that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing (Gr. pisteuontes) you may have (Gr. echete) life in His name. (John 20:31 NASB)
In other words, John was quite emphatic that continuous ongoing believing is necessary to have life in his name. One who continues to look to Christ and continues believing will be raised up at the last day. The believer's security is conditional upon an ongoing trust in Jesus not a single profession of faith or even a short lived period of faith sometime in the past.
Knowing God
In John 17:3, eternal life is attributed to "knowing" God and Jesus
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3 NASB) Jesus describes eternal life as knowing God.
The Old Testament regularly used the word "know" to describe the relationship between husband and wife who have a close personal relationship. This meaning did not change over the centuries.
In the New Testament "know" does not indicate intellectual knowledge of God or a mere casual familiarity with Him but a very close relationship. See Link Immediately Above.
See Faith Is Not The Only Requirement For Salvation (in The Myth of Faith Alone)
2) John 10:27-29
Jesus didn't 'lose' any of those given to Him
The following verse is often cited as evidence that believers cannot lose their salvation
My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29 NASB)
Every one of the four verbs in the above verses are present indicative tense used to describe something that is happening at the time of speaking. Thus the Concordant literal version renders the verses thus...
My sheep are hearing My voice, and I know them, and they are following Me." And I am giving them life eonian, and they should by no means be perishing for the eon, and no one shall be snatching them out of My hand." (John 10:27-28 CLV)
What Jesus was saying is that as long as His sheep are listening to his voice and following Him they will receive eternal life. As Paul later did in Romans 8:38-39, Jesus was endeavoring to give the believer confidence that they could not be snatched out of the Father's hand i.e. no outside power could separate them from the love of God.
Romans 8:38-39: by elaborating on Jesus’ words Paul pointed out what outside forces can snatch them out of Jesus’ hand
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NASB)
However, if a person gets to the point where they themselves cannot or do not hear His voice and are not actively following Him, they are not longer His sheep and these assurances do not apply to them.
3) 2 Timothy 2:11-13
It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. (NASB)
Proponents of Eternal Security often take verse 13 to mean that God will be faithful to us even in we are faithless towards Him. This is impossibly because Paul just said "If we deny Him, He also will deny us"
The meaning must then be that although we may be faithless God has to be faithful to Himself, i.e. it would be a denial of His very nature to save those who are unfaithful. He is holy and can only save those who are holy.
4) Hebrews 10:10
By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (NASB)
The three little words that are the key to correctly interpreting any Biblical verse are context, context, context. Reading any verse as a stand alone can and often does lead to completely erroneous conclusions. Only reading the relevant material that surrounds a particular verse will allow you to follow the author's train of thought.
Thus, if you step back from the details for a moment and endeavor to grasp the overall picture the author of Hebrews painted (which is what should be done with all the books of the Bible) you will realize that the overriding theme of the book is the 'superiority of Christ'. He is superior to the Prophets (1:1-4), to the angels (1:5–2:18), to Moses (3:1–4:13), to the priesthood of Aaron (4:14–7:28). And His ministry is superior to the old covenant ministry (8:1–10:18).
In this case, to accurately grasp what verse 10 means, it is necessary to begin reading at verse one.
The chapter opens by talking about the Old Testament Law that was "a shadow of the good things to come". It then went on to speak of the sacrifices that although offered continually year after year, could not perfect those who drew near ... "For the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins. (Vs. 4). Verse 9 then says Christ took away "the first in order to establish the second", followed by verse 10 that says "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
In other words, the author was pointing out the superiority of Christ's sacrifice compared to the Old Testament animal sacrifices. While those had to be repeated year after year and could not take away sin, Jesus only had to be sacrificed once in order to sanctify us. The "once for all" refers to the Jesus' one time sacrifice, not the effects of it. This is confirmed in the next two verses.
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, (Hebrews 10:11-12 NASB)
It is exactly the same case with...
5) Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able also to save forever (Gr. panteles) those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (NASB)
The Greek word panteles has been rendered 'forever' in the NASB. However, the interlinear Bible says it means 'to the uttermost' [03] which is how the King James and CLV translate it. In other words, Christ is able to completely save those who draw near to God through Him.
However, read the verse in context
(23) The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, (24) but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever holds His priesthood permanently. (25) Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:23-25 NASB)
Jesus who has a permanent priesthood thus "always lives to make intercession" for anyone who comes to Him. The "forever" indicates how long He lives to save, not how long salvation lasts.
6) 1 Corinthians 1:8
who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB)
One of the most common mistakes made by believers today is arbitrarily applying promises from the Bible to their lives, in soite of the fact that they were so obviously made to a particular individual, or group of people, under very specific circumstances.
For example, when Paul wrote "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel" we don't assume he was talking to us - 21st century Christians and that we are somehow 'deserting' Christ. Common sense tells us that since this letter was written to the Galatians who were beginning to follow a different Gospel.
Similarly, the letter to the Corinthians was written specifically to the church in Corinth thus not everything that was said can be applied to every Christian who has lived since. Although they were far from perfect, the church obviously had some very impressive strong points. They were spiritually rich in all speech and knowledge, and did not lack in any gift. The Corinthians also eagerly awaited Jesus' coming - How much of the modern church does that?
In other words, Paul was saying the Corinthians knew about Jesus, they preached Jesus, they had supernatural gifts of God and were pumped up about the return of Christ. Is it then any wonder then that he also told them Christ would confirm them to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
However, do not forget that although Paul began this letter on a high note, he added a very strong word of warning towards the end. He told them that they were saved IF they held fast to the word he had preached to them. If not, they had believed in vain.
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NASB)
And this was far from the only warning in the Bible. As shown below there were an almost uncountable number of warnings about the consequences of not persevering in the faith.
Warnings From The Old Testament
A Lesson From The History of Israel
After Abraham settled in the land of Canaan, the Father told him to lift up his eyes and look in all directions "for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever" (Genesis 13:12-15). (Please note this was one of three interconnected and inseparable promises made to him
See God's Three Interconnected And Inseparable Promises to Abraham in
What And Where is "Heaven"? Part II... The Promises and The Prophecies.
In order to keep His promise God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and led them across the desert on their way to the Promised Land.
(As we should all know, much of what happened in the Old Testament was a rough draft or glimpse of one or more actual events or people yet to come. The original occurrence is called the type - the fulfillment the antitype. The Old Testament trek across the desert was a type of believers trekking through this life led by the Spirit of God to the Promised Land. See Article on Typology
However, the Israelites were terrified when they discovered that the land they had been promised was occupied by giants and grumbled against Moses and Aaron telling them that it would have been better if they had died in the wilderness because it seemed that the Lord had brought them to Canaan to die by the sword. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb begged them to trust the Lord and not fear the people of the land who would become their prey. This had no effect other than to cause the people to want to stone them (Numbers 14:9-10).
Then God stepped in. Swearing that this faithless people would never enter his rest, He turned them away from Canaan and forced them to wander in the wilderness another 40 years until all the adults except Joshua and Caleb died. This was summarized by the author of Hebrews:
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:16-19 NASB)
He also drew an analogy between the Israelites and all believers warning us
Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11 NASB)
When Paul recounted the delivery of the Israelites from Egypt in his epistle to the church in Corinth, he emphasized the point that this series of events was an example to us - written for our instruction.
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-12 NASB)
Ezekiel
Perhaps the least ambiguous warning about the consequences of falling away from faith is in the book of Ezekiel that tells us if a righteous man turns away from righteousness, he will die for his sins regardless of how many righteous deeds he once did.
But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. (Ezekiel 18: 24 NASB)
Warnings From The New Testament
(Jesus' Warning and Parables About Persevering to The End are in Part 2 HERE)
Paul's Warnings
Letter To The Romans:
In this communication Paul clearly warned the believers in Rome that the Jews had been cut off because of unbelief and that God would be kind to the Roman Christians IF they continued in His kindness.
for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. (Romans 11:21-23 NASB)
Letters To The Corinthians:
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he was clear that they used to be thieves, idolaters, drunkards, homosexual etc. who could not inherit the kingdom of God, but they were now washed and sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). He called them brothers but warned they were believing in vain if they did not hold fast the word which he preached them
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NASB)
Perish:
In 1 Corinthians Paul talked about the eating of things sacrificed to idols which made no difference one way or the other unless it adversely affected someone whose conscience was weak. Eternal Security proponents tend to interpret this verse as meaning the weak conscience of the brother is 'damaged' but not lost.
(10) For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? (11) For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined (Gr. apollumi) , the brother for whose sake Christ died. (12) And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. (13) Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble. (1 Corinthians 8:8-13 NASB)
I fail to see how the NASB can translate the Greek apollumi (Vs.11) into "ruined" when it actually means 'perish' or 'destroyed' which is how most translations render the word. Numerous examples leave no doubt that the exact meaning of apollumi is to die.
Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy (Gk. apollumi) Him." (Matthew 2:13 NASB)
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing (Gk. apollumi)! (Matthew 8:24-25 NASB)
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death (Gk. apollumi). (Matthew 27:20 NASB)
It (the evil spirit that possessed a boy) has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy (Gk. apollumi) him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" (Mark 9:22 NASB)
Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed (Gk. apollumi) by the serpents. (1 Corinthians 10:8-9 NASB)
through which the world at that time was destroyed (Gk. apollumi), being flooded with water. (2 Peter 3:6 NASB)
Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed (Gk. apollumi) those who did not believe. (Jude 1:5 NASB)
Letter To The Galatians
When he wrote to the churches of Galatia, Paul was addressing an entire church that had confessed faith in the Lord Jesus, but showed signs of seeking instead to be justified by law. He was worried that he had wasted efforts on them, which would not have been the case if they were not in danger of losing their salvation.
But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. (Galatians 4:9-11 NASB)
No one can be "severed from Christ" and "fallen from grace" and still be saved
Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:2-4 NASB)
Paul later warned them the Galatians that they would reap a harvest only if they did not give up.
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. (Galatians 6:9 NASB)
Also See The Myth of Faith Alone
Having all the correct beliefs about God will hardly suffice: even demons believe in God.
Letter To The Ephesians
Paul addressed his letter to the church at Ephesus with the words "To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus" which means he was writing to Christians. Yet he warned them that they would not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God if they became immoral, impure or greedy
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:3-5 NASB)
Letter to the Philippians:
In this letter addressed to "all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons" Paul wrote About attaining to the resurrection of the dead. It is quite obvious that he did not consider that he had already ‘arrived’. This is is a far cry from so many today who consider that the resurrection of their bodies a forgone conclusion.
if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:11-14 NASB)
Letter To The Colossians:
Paul addressing this letter to "the saints and faithful brethren" told them that Jesus would present them to God as holy and blameless and beyond reproach if they continued
... in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. (Colossians 1:23 NASB)
Letter to The Thessalonians
In this letter addressed to the "church of the Thessalonians" Paul says that if the tempter had succeeded with the people the apostle's efforts has been wasted. I have no idea why he would have had any cause for concern had they been forever saved.
For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. (1 Thessalonians 3:5 NASB)
And then he went on to tell them that they (the apostles) were proud of this church because of their perseverance and faith that indicated they were worthy of God's kingdom.
therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 NASB)
Letter To Timothy
Remembering that a person can only abandon something they had in the first place, Paul spoke of people like the young widows who were once true Christians dedicated to Christ, but had since wandered away.
But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; for some have already turned aside to follow Satan. (1 Timothy 5:11-15 NASB)
But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:9 NASB)
O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge"-- which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. (1 Timothy 6:20-21 NASB)
Even though Paul knew that Timothy was a true believer it is very telling that he found it necessary to warn Timothy that he must persevere in the faith in order to be saved.
Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:14-16 NASB)
Peter's Warnings
Chapter one of Peter's second epistle is devoted to the topic of false teachers who, like the false prophets of the Old Testament, would secretly introduce destructive heresies
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought (Gr. agorazo) them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Peter 2:1 NASB)
Not only did these false teachers arise from among the people, but they were also "bought" by Christ - purchases that cost Him plenty. See for example 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23
The Bible undeniably states that false teachers were also "bought" by the Lord which knocks the wind out of the sails of the doctrine of Eternal Security or Once Saved Always Saved.
However, in an effort to refute this, some have put forward some immensely convoluted arguments to 'prove' that Peter didn't mean what he wrote. They go sort of like this - Deuteronomy 32:6 says the Father 'bought' (acquired for His own) the people. However, since they were not bought by the blood of Christ, the verse had to be referring to God freeing the Jews from slavery in Egypt. But some who were delivered from the bondage in Egypt were false prophets and never true believers. Thus there will be some today who are also not true believers, but will only appear to be bought by Christ.
On the surface this might sound quite Biblical. It's not!
Everyone who came out of Egypt was 'bought'. It was only when the going got rough that they grumbled and complained and showed a lack of faith in God's ability to take them to the Promised Land with the result that all the adults died in the wilderness. They started out in great shape but faith took a nose dive when they were faced with what they saw as insurmountable problems.
What Peter Went on to Say
In any case, Peter didn't write the first the first verse and then decide that this whole writing bit was not for him but went on to say that these same false teachers forsook the right way and went astray.
forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (2 Peter 2:15 NASB)
You cannot forsake or abandon a path you were never on in the first place. To clinch the point, Peter stated that they returned to their own vomit.
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "a dog returns to its own vomit," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:20-22 NASB)
In fact he ended his second epistle with the words.
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, (2 Peter 3:17 NASB)
Peter's warning about false teachers were not written to a specific group of people in particular circumstance. They were very general and applied just as much to the those in the 21st century church as they did to those of Peter's time. What is especially telling are Peter's words that these false teachers promise freedom to the people. What better description of the teachers of Eternal Security or Once Saved Always Saved. Also See Doctrines of Demons
Those Who Fell Away In The New Testament
Judas
At the feast of the Passover Jesus implied that Judas Iscariot was unclean...
Jesus *said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean." (John 13:10-11 NASB)
However, it does not mean that Judas was never clean. Much to the contrary, he was one of the original twelve disciples chosen by Christ himself at the same time as the others. He was given the same spiritual authority as the other eleven and sent out as one of them to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons but somewhere along the line, he decided to betray Jesus (John 13:2)
Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. (Matthew 10:1-4 NASB)
Many Unnamed Disciples
John tells us that many unnamed disciples went back and stopped following Jesus
Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. [John 6:66]
Demas
Demas was a companion and fellow worker of the Apostle Paul (Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24). However, in Paul's last letter to Timothy he wrote
Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica... (2 Timothy 4:9-10 NASB)
Hymenaeus and Philetus
Virtually nothing is known about these two people except for this verse.
and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. (2 Timothy 2:17-18 NASB)
A person cannot wander away from the truth unless that person was first in the truth. Also the fact that these two managed to destroy "the faith of some" means that the "some" had to have had faith to begin with, or it could not have been destroyed.
Some Younger Christian Widows
Some younger Christian widows turned from Jesus and started to follow Satan.
Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; for some have already turned aside to follow Satan. (1 Timothy 5:14-15 NASB)
Verses 11 and 12 clarify that these young widows were first pledged to Christ but turned away to follow Satan
But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. (1 Timothy 5:11-12 NASB)
Greedy Christians
Some Christians eager for money can wander from the Christian faith. Paul wrote:
If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction (Gk. apoleia) For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:8-10 NASB)
The word translated 'destruction' is the Greek apoleia, also used in Matthew 7:13 where it clearly refers to damnation
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction (Gk. apoleia), and there are many who enter through it. (Matthew 7:13 NASB)
Unnamed Believers
In this verse, Paul spoke about "some men" who strayed from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith but had turned aside to fruitless discussion (1 Timothy 1:5-6 NASB).
But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. (1 Timothy 1:5-7 NASB)\
He then named Hymenaeus and Alexander (possibly the same two men mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 2:17) whom he said had shipwrecked their faith and whom he had handed over to Satan. (No one really knows what Paul meant when he said he handed them over to Satan but it is possible that he meant they had been excommunicated and in some sense placed under Satan's control).
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:18-20 NASB)
All of which raises one other question....
Can Someone Return To The Faith After Falling Away?
Early in Romans 11, Paul spoke about the 'stumbling' of the Jews,
I say then, they did not stumble (Gk. ptaio) so as to fall (Gk. pipto), did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. (Romans 11:11 NASB)
He did not say that the Jews had fallen away permanently but had stumbled as a result of which salvation had come to the Gentiles.
Paul then compared Christianity to an Olive tree and told his readers that as wild olives they had been grafted into the tree among the Jews (v.17) who were the natural branches that had been broken off for their unbelief. He warned the Romans not to be arrogant enough to assume that the natural branches were broken off so that they might be grafted in." (Vs. 17-21)
However, he went on to warn them that just as God had not spared the natural branches, they too would be cut if they were conceited and did not stand by their faith (Vs 20 - 21). In verse 23 he then said if the Jews would be grafted in again if they did not continue in their unbelief. (Vs. 23)
Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:22-24 NASB)
But does this conflict with Hebrews 6:4-6 that states that a believer cannot return if he or she falls away?
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made 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. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; (Hebrews 6:4-7 NASB)
Bearing in mind that there are NO conflicts in the Scriptures difficult passages have to be interpreted in light of those that are unambiguous - that have a single clearly defined meaning.
Although these verses from Hebrews are important and can have serious implications, they are ambiguous (open to more than one interpretation). Thus they have given rise to endless debates and disagreements usually based on the person’s already-in-place belief system. Contrarily, the message in Romans 11:23-24 is crystal clear and admits no doubt or misunderstanding. if the Jews did not continue in their unbelief, they would be grafted into the tree again.
Thus we need to consider Hebrews 6:4-6 in light of Romans 11:23-24. However, a question not easy to answer is who exactly was Paul referring to. There are two options...
1.) The apostle was specifically speaking about the Jews who were the only "natural branches" and who could be grafted in again. (This fits in with what he went on to say in the next few verses i.e.a partial hardening had happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles came in V.25. All Israel will be saved and the deliverer would remove ungodliness from Jacob. V. 26-27)
2.) Was Paul issuing a warning to the Gentiles to stand on their faith and not assume that Israel having rejected and salvation now belonged to them. (I am afraid that many in the modern church who opine that Israel is finished and that the church has been chosen instead need to pay attention to this message)
So what did the author of Hebrews mean? Is it possible that he was referring to those who were not genuinely saved? If so why did he say it was impossible for them to be renewed to repentance?
The word "renew" together with verses 4 and 5 that say these people had been "enlightened", and had "tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit", and had "tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come" certainly imply that at some point they were true Christians.
However, when Hebrews said they 'fell away' it implies that after all they had heard, seen, and/or experienced they deliberately rejected the light they had been given. Considering that nothing is impossible with God, I very much doubt he was saying that it was impossible for God to renew them provided they genuinely repented and turned back to Him. which means Hebrews was saying the apostates had hardened their hearts to the point that repentance became impossible. Without true repentance there is no renewal.
Additionally Hebrews 6:4-6 has to be understood in conjunction with Hebrews 10:26-27 that reads, (Emphasis Added)
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:26-27 NASB)
Peter said it was better those who apostatized had never "known the way of righteousness"
For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. (2 Peter 2:20-21 NASB)
In other words, like the Galatians, people can fall away by being misled, falling prey to false doctrine etc. However, once aware of their error they can repent and return. The ones who choose to deliberately continue in sin are pretty much up the proverbial creek.
It is more than likely that the author of Hebrews mentioned all the good that these apostates had seen, heard, and experienced as a warning as to how deeply we can appear to be converted yet fall away. Perhaps one of the ways we can know how committed we are is by whether we are living according to deeds of the flesh or displaying the fruit of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:19 - 24) AND whether or not we frequently repent. As Paul said in his epistle to Titus
They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. (Titus 1:16 NASB)
The book of Hebrews also says
For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, (Hebrews 3:14 NASB)
Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. (Hebrews 4:1 NASB)
End Notes
[01] Charles Stanley. Eternal Security Can You Be Sure? Thomas Nelson (September 1, 2002) Pg. 94
[02] Is once saved, always saved biblical? Got Questions Ministries.
https://gotquestions.org/once-saved-always-saved.html
[03] https://biblehub.com/interlinear/hebrews/7-25.htm
Continue On To Part II - Jesus' Warnings and Parables About Persevering to The End HERE
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