Would God's prophet Ezekiel agree with the man made doctrine of "once saved always saved"?

Question

Is the concept of "once saved, always saved" contradicted by the words of God's prophet Ezekiel:

And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. - Ez 18: 24

When Peter said that all Scripture is God breathed, he was speaking of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the foreshadowing of the new Testament and the New Testament is the fullfillment of the Old Testament. But I guess if Martin Luther can throw out 7 books of the Old Testament, others can throw out the book of Ezekiel.

Answer 1

Ezekiel is right. The "doctrine" you mention is a false philosophy of men and is not doctrinal at all. The truth is that we must have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost and follow Christ for the duration of our lives, or endure to the end. Then can we be accepted into Christ's family and God's Kingdom. As Paul said, he finished the race. There is no such thing as retirement from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The notion that we can declare our belief in Christ as our Savior and that is it, we are saved, is foolish and false. Salvation is not that easy. If we return to our former sins, then we never really repented in the first place. That is what Ezekiel is teaching. Repentance means a change of life, becoming a spiritual being, never doing that sin again. If we backslide, then the old sins return to us because true repentance was not effectuated.
I am guilty of that same principle. There are weaknesses in my behavior that I have been fighting against most of my life. I have not conquered these weaknesses. Therefore, I have not yet fully repented of them. I believe that God is being patient with me, knowing that I am trying to change my habits for the better, but I have not yet been absolved because I have not yet truly repented.
The notion of "once saved, always saved" as you state it is merely an excuse to do what we want without regard to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Answer 2

Yes,

Has God indeed said...Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away."? (Luke 8:13)

The scriptural position is that a person who is saved can forfeit that salvation. The bible teaches those at highest risk of forfeiting their salvation are those who are newly saved, and those who continue on in known disobedience, after being born again.

The elect are those whom God chose, whom God foresaw would both trust in His Son AND who would endure or persevere in the faith given them until the end of their physical life, or the return of Jesus.

Those whose hearts are seeking the Lord with all that is in them, should have no concern about "losing" their salvation. Nor should they have any concern about forfeiting their salvation.

Salvation cannot be lost, but it can be forfeited - this is the nature of covenants in the bible. The bible no where guarantee's someone that salvation once received cannot be turned away from or forfeited by the individual that possesses it.

Receiving salvation involves man's will, and not works. Forfeiting salvation involves man's will, and not works. In the same way the Lord did not force His salvation on anyone, He neither forces anyone to remain in the covenant.


All of Ezekiel chapter 18 is dealing with the subject of God's mercy and justice for the individual. For those who turn to the Lord to find His mercy, they shall be forgiven, no matter what they have done in the past. Likewise, those to turn away from the Lord will find His justice at the end of their lives, and all their righteousness will be forgotten.

The arguments will come like, "those were principles for the law, not for grace". Wait a minute, these are issues of relationship and the moral law, NOT the ceremonial law, so these principles have not passed away Or, "he was talking about physical death, not spiritual death". Really? Where do the wicked go when they die? How about the righteous, where do they go when they die? The Old Testament taught that righteousness was by faith (Gen. 15:6; Hab. 2:4), and these passages in Ezekiel simply have the fruits or righteousness or wickedness in view.

The fact is that the principles taught in Ezek. 18 are moral/relational principles that stand forever. The same principle is taught in the New Testament, i.e. a man will reap what he sows; whether from faith to eternal life, or whether from the flesh, to eternal death (James 2:14-26).

Answer 3

Ezekiel was prophesying under the old law and the old covenant. Jesus gave the new covenant - saved by grace.
What Ezekiel said was true under the old covenant.

1 John 3:1-6
Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.

Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.

Whosoever abides in Him sins not; whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither known Him.

1 John 3:8
He that commits sin is of the devil;
for the devil sinned from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin;
for His seed remains in him;
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God

Answer 4

Yes he would agree. Have you heard of "perseverence of the saints"? I believe this best encompasses the Biblical view here.

F=S-> Good works (you are saved through faith, & the fruit of salvation is good works)

Read:
Ephesians 2:8-10
Read James 2:14-26

Answer 5

Interesting question and you went way..way back to find a scripture to back it up. Remember, Old Testament (before Christ) and New Testament.? Men before Christ had only their sacrifices and obedience to OT law to keep them out of hell.
There was no savior. That's why we needed Christ. His perfect sacrifice, blotted out all shortcomings and sin, and therefore was enough to save us..and keep us saved.
However, that doesn't mean you can do terrible things and claim you are saved. A tree is known by the fruit on it.

Answer 6

Once saved always saved is the concept of God offering salvation as a FREE GIFT (Ephesians 2:8-9) to those who would accept His sacrifice for their sin. One cannot EARN therefore one cannot LOSE it due to anything they worked for.
However, the sincerity that is necessary to accept that gift cannot be short changed. One cannot just believe....one has to "believe into" as it says in the Greek.
Ezekiel was a prophet, before the incarnation of Christ, and the way God talked to His people was different (Hebrews 1). After Christ, and currently God speaks to us through His Word, not the prophets. God's plan was always for faith to be the way to heaven (Hebrews 11). He just expressed it different ways in different books. Your comment above is proof texting and not within the entire context of the Book of Ezekiel

Answer 7

You are doing good.
Too bad you spend so much time in the Old Testament.
You should try the New.
Hang up the Old coat and put on the New one. The New one fits better too.

Answer 8

It is contradicted by a more authoritative source. Christ himself:
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast what thou hast, that no man take thy crown. -Revelation 3:11.
Salvation is an ongoing thing.

Answer 9

Yeah. There are too many examples in the Bible that do not support 'once saved always saved'. Otherwise the word 'apostate' would not be in the Bible at all.

Answer 10

well, those Calvinists would say that the man wasn't saved to begin with.

Faith + works = Heaven. It all begins with faith.