Once saved, always saved?

Question

Do you believe once saved, you are always saved?
What does the parable of the 10 virgins mean then?

Answer 1

Jamilah You are not lost so you need not be saved.

God loves you far to much to ever let anything happen that would keep you from returning home.

These things you have heard are not truth.

love and blessings Don

Answer 2

I don't even believe in "once saved"...I believe salvation is a future event and not one that will happen in this life time. No one's salvation is 100% guaranteed, not even the "saved" Christians, sorry. Christ is the only one whom can assure salvation and unless you have a personal visit from him, you will just have to go on faith that you are doing the right things to attain salvation like the rest of us.
The parable of the 10 virgins is showing us that we need to be prepared, 5 were and 5 were not. It was to late for the 5 who did not 'have enough oil to fill their lamps'. The oil I would say is represent of spiritual strength and covenants made. The 5 prepared had made those covenants and endured to the end. That of course, is what is required.
Once saved always saved is pure speculation. And yes, something CAN take you from the hand of God, sin. And if one does not repent, the sins are still there, and you will not gain exaltation if all the proper requirements have not been made.

Answer 3

I studied this question a while ago, and here is the answer I came up with:

Being saved is a spiritual condition, and a "spiritual location" is analogous to being "in" a town or city, there are boundaries that define the area of the town or city, As long as you remain inside those boundaries you are within the town or city. To use a Biblical phraseology "you are within the gates of the city".

In the parable of the ten virgins, the oil is analogous to the condition of readiness.

Answer 4

Jesus was talking about "Don't wait to become saved" had nothing to do with once saved always saved.
If ten people are setting in a church and five ask the Lord into thier lifes and the other five decide to wait another day and the Lord came that night only the first five would be saved.

Answer 5

it depends on that person's perception of salvation.....there are many false converts, and this would become obvious after awhile....these people were never saved to begin with.

there is a scripture (forgot where) that says it is better for someone to be lost, maybe due to ignorance, than for someone who used to know the Lord and then turned against Him. This indicates that if someone was saved, and then rejection the salvation, his final punishment will be greater.

the parable of the 10 virgins does not have to do with salvation... it has to do with readiness to meet God.

Answer 6

Oh...oof. Now we are going to have to add 'Free will, limited atonement and predestination' to the weapons of Yahoo. Just set it next to 'Burden of proof', "Transitiry life forms' .......

I know. You are just asking a question. Maybe expressing a position or playing devil's advocate. Not sure.

I 1st heard about how deep it gets, when I set out to learn what 'Calvinism' is, after my church almost self-destructed during my stay in europe.

I found no problem with believing that God, who is not limited by time, knew who would choose Him, and provided for them a way. One of the things we do to encourage ourselves into bible study and awareness, is to keep ourselves focused on the Word. Discipline is needed to do something that can get real boring or mocked, remebering the reason for it all. Be diligent. Keep yourself immersed. Keep your lamp full, trimmed and burning. These encouragements aren't aimed as a warning shot across the bow, but utilized to keep us going. Not with fear, but with understanding. I think that anyone who falls away and never shown any fruits, could very well have never known Him in the beginning. If there was fruit and God was seen through them, then they might know Him, and are just taking a hard road. Since we cannot know the heart of a man, we have to treat all the same. How should we do it? With fear that they need encouragement, lest they fall away and are lost? Or by telling them that it is ok to fall away, knowing that they are saved? I would choose the fear route. Better to be sure than to be ignorant.

Answer 7

Mt 7:21 not everyone saying Lord Lord will inherit
Mt 24:13 those who PERSEVERE to THE END will be saved
Rom 11:22 REMAIN in his kindness OR you will be cut off
Phil 2:12 WORK OUT your salvation in fear and trembling
1 Cor 9:27 drive body for fear of being DISQUALIFIED
1 Cor 10:11-12 those thinking they are sincere, may FALL
Gal 5:4 SEPERATED from Christ, you've FALLEN FROM grace
2 Tim 2:11-13 must hold out UNTIL THE END to reign with Christ
Heb 6:4-6 descibes sharers in Holy Spirit who THEN FALL away
Heb 10:26-27 if sin after receiving truth, JUDGMENT REMAINS.

Answer 8

I do. The parable of the ten virgins is written to those who have not yet believed. Look at the context of to whom he was speaking and of what time period. The whole thing talks about "The kingdom of Heaven is like..." You must include this in your interpretation. What does it tell you? It tells you that they are ALREADY in the kingdom of heaven doesn't it. So it cannot be about salvation. Instead it is about what Jesus is doing at the end of the age. That is the time of the bridegroom's coming isn't it? The issue is to be about His work now so that you will join in His work and celebration later.

This is further clarified in the next parable which is linked to this one by "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. " It is about reward not salvation. To those who do much with what they have been given Jesus will give more responsibility to in the Kingdom of heaven.

It also applies now to believers. It is not that they will be cut off or out of heaven. It is that every believer is given things over which he has charge. When you invest that back in people Jesus will make it grow. When you do nothing with it there will be no fruit. If you invest it back in people you will be given more to invest into people. If you do nothing with what you have you will be given no more until you do.

In fact, this whole section is a great description of the process of maturity, not salvation. Remember he is talking to believers.

Answer 9

Not according to God's word.
The once saved always saved would me we would never ever commit a sin after we have been baptized.
Romans 3:23 If once saved always saved then why...
James 4:7 RESIST the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
James 5:19 if any do ERR from the truth...
Becoming a Child of God is just the beginning, we are babes in Christ, we have to study to show ourselves approved unto God, ...
We have to grow in the knowledge and truth of God......We have to strive everyday to do his will and resist the devil....

If we were once saved always saved then those that teach that are teaching a false doctrine other than the truth of God's word.
Ephesians4:13,14 1 Timothy 6:3 2 Timothy 14:3
Matthew 7:21 For in vain do they worship me , teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.
We all will fall short, God will forgive us each and every time we repent., and listen to him.
The Church of Christ only teaches what is in God's Holy inspired word.
We do not add to or take away from God's word.
Christian in PA.

Answer 10

Yes, eternal security is assured for a true Christian. Far as I know it is the Catholic church that doesn't understand this simple fact...or maybe they do, but purposely mislead, despite the truth? I mean after all there would be no need for confession to a priest if everyone had a real and true personal one-to-one relationship with God.

How does one prepare them self? Simple...believe in your heart and soul that Jesus is who He said He is. It is the unbeliever who being unprepared will be left as they did not prepare for His coming. For those people it will be too late and better for them if they were never even born.

Answer 11

Jesus said: “Five of them were foolish.” Was that because they did not believe that the groom was coming? Were they off pursuing pleasures? Or were they deceived? None of those. Jesus said that these five “went out to meet the bridegroom.” They knew that he was coming, and they wanted to be involved, even to share in the “marriage feast.” Yet, were they sufficiently prepared? They waited a while for him, until “the middle of the night,” but they were not prepared for his arrival whenever that would be, whether earlier or later than they initially expected.

The other five, those whom Jesus called discreet, also went out with lighted lamps, expecting the groom’s arrival. They had to wait too, but they were “discreet.” The Greek word translated “discreet” can convey the sense of being “prudent, sensible, practically wise.” These five proved that they were discreet by bringing receptacles with extra oil to refill their lamps if necessary. In fact, they were so focused on being ready for the groom that they would not give away their oil. Such vigilance was not misplaced, as is proved by their being present and completely prepared when the groom arrived. These who “were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.”

Jesus was not offering a lesson in wedding decorum, nor was he giving counsel about sharing. His point was: “Keep on the watch, therefore, because you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Time and again Paul likens the Christian’s course to a “race” that must be run to the finish. “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” he urged the Hebrews. (12:1, AV) To enter the race, sinners must take the steps necessary for salvation: hearing and accepting the Word of God, believing in Jesus Christ and his ransom sacrifice, repenting of their sins and being baptized. In this way, they get saved “from this crooked generation,” as Peter exhorted those gathered at Pentecost. Unbelievers are outside the race, having failed to enter by getting “saved.”Acts 2:37-40.

Once entered in the race by being “saved,” a Christian takes “hold of the life which is life indeed.” But is it possible to lose that grip on life? Paul answers with this question: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize?” In the Christian race, Paul indicates the “one” who receives the prize is anyone who finishes the race. Therefore, Paul urges, “So run that you may obtain it.” Then, using himself as an example to make the point of his illustration, he continues: “I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Tim. 6:19.

Evidently the apostle, who surely was a “saved” Christian, believed that even he could be “disqualified” from the race. Yet as long as he continued to ‘run that he might obtain’ the prize, thus remaining in the race, salvation was assured. This is why Christians who remain in the race can be said to ‘have everlasting life.’ But if they should ever quit the race, they are “disqualified,” losing their hold on everlasting life.