Once Saved Always Saved?

When I hear a Christian say, “We just don’t know who will or will not go to heaven. If you say, well I know I’m going to heaven that’s pride and pride is a sin.”

You can be sure of your salvation and having faith in God to do what He said is not pride, it’s faith. “Once saved always saved,” means those who love God and strive daily to please Him, Jesus says will not be plucked from Him. Yet others believe that ‘Once Saved Always Saved’ means that it is for those who no matter how they conduct their lives, are going to heaven regardless. They base this on the fact that we don’t have to do works for salvation. There is a difference in doing works to earn or ensure your salvation, and doing good deeds or being Christ-like because you love Him. If you were saved and love God, you will walk in Him and He will dwell in you.

When Jesus died His covering of our sins was once and for all. It was a gift to each and everyone of us who will accept Him. If you think in order to keep your salvation, you must do works, then how much will be enough? How much is enough to be righteous enough to enter heaven? We can’t possibly know. We are not perfect and can never achieve that here on earth. If we still have to do works, then that would also mean that Jesus’ death on that cross was not enough to cover your sins, and we know that’s just not true. Jesus freely gave this amazing gift, the last shedding of blood to make atonement for us.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9) not of works, that no man should glory.

Can you lose your salvation? Christians will usually say, “If someone walks away, they were probably never saved to begin with.” I don’t believe that is always the case. There have been dedicated people following God, and sometimes through tragedy or disillusionment, they harden their hearts and walk away. They may have been saved once, which was the start of the foundation, but turned their backs on God, the building never got built and they sold back the foundation. There are many Christians today who continue to purposely sin knowing it is not pleasing to God, say they are saved and then pray for forgiveness each day and still believe they will spend eternity with God. They have the foundation but the building is not being built. Which is no difference than someone who turns their back to God. You are either striving to live a righteous life for God, or your not.

In Mathew 7:15 Jesus warns narrow is the way, and don’t walk through the wide gate. It may seem easier to some, but it won’t lead you to God. He tells us that for the narrow path, there are few who actually find it.

Matthew 7:21-23
21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

None of us are perfect, we all fall short and sin, but is a person honestly in their heart trying to please God and be Christ-like and striving to grow spiritually? Or do they believe that being saved was a free pass to live in sin, or continue to live according to their own standards? If a person who is a believer continues to do those things that would not be pleasing to God, then how can you tell a Christian from a non-Christian?

1 John 2:4-6 4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
We are told that the love of God is in those who keeps His Word. Once we have received Christ we are to continue in growing spiritually, putting away the old man and walking as Christ walked. At the point of receiving salvation we were all babes in Christ drinking milk. We are to move onto solid food and grow to enjoy the fullness of God.

People get confused about works versus being Christ-like. We do not do works for salvation, but do what Christ commands because it is pleasing to God and this shows our love and devotion to Him. When we ask Christ to forgive us of our sins, to cleanse us, we dedicate ourselves that from our moment of salvation we will turn and strive to walk in His ways. When we repent of our sins, and we are truly sorry for the things we have done, God shows His love and will forgive us. When we ask forgiveness for our sins and purposely continue to commit the same sins over and over, then we are not truly sorry, and we are not growing into a deeper relationship with God. God knows our hearts and He knows us better than we know ourselves. If we are not truly sorry, then how can we expect to be forgiven?

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins How can there be? If you willfully sin, you are rejecting the commandments of Christ and rejecting Him by crucifying Him over and over again. Salvation is the just the start of a long term relationship between you and God.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
What a wonderful verse. Jesus tells us that if we love Him then we will keep His words. Abode in the Greek, means residence or stay. The Spirit of God will dwell with us and stay with us if we follow His words. We can have faith and confidence knowing that we will inherit the kingdom of God.

We are told that there are those that will not inherit the kingdom of God;

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
It says, “those who do these things“, saved or not. When we repented and were saved, our salvation was for what we have done, not a free pass for what we are going to do. Paul wrote to the young churches, to warn them, if you do such things, you will not inherit the kingdom. If the term ‘once saved, always saved’ applies, and these are saved Christians of the early church, why bother telling them these things? Because Paul knows that even if you claim to have been saved, and you do these things you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

We know when we come to Christ we must allow Him to be the center of our lives, if we do this we can know we will spend eternity with God.