Jehovah Witnesses: Can that which Christ made "new" be made old again?

Question

You say you don't believe in "once saved, always saved". But, if Christ makes you into a new creature (by being born again into His Spirit), how can you lose your salvation and become your old self again (the former flesh that has "passed away")?

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

I'd like to see a clear answer. If you're made new and old things have passed away, how can that be undone if it can be undone?

Answer 1

Jesus' words at Matthew 24:13 noted that continuous action is needed to attain to salvation. There he said, "He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved."

James indicated that "faith without works is dead." This does not imply that we can "buy" our salvation. That has always been undeserved kindness on God's part.

God has the right to require action of us. And we should do our best to live up to his requirements and not become complacent, trusting in "once saved always saved" as an excuse to sin.

Answer 2

I'm not JW and of course you can turn away from salvation... saying a few words doesn't save you. Niether does faith alone save. We must have faith and follow Jesus.
James 2:17-18

Answer 3

It's not our opinion, notice what Paul wrote at

Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible as regards those who have once for all been enlightened, and who have tasted the heavenly free gift, and who have become partakers of holy spirit, 5 and who have tasted the fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things, 6 but who have fallen away, to revive them again to repentance, because they impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public shame.

or how about what Jesus said at

Rev 3:1“And to the angel of the congregation in Sar′dis write: These are the things that he says who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, ‘I know your deeds, that you have the name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Become watchful, and strengthen the things remaining that were ready to die, for I have not found your deeds fully performed before my God. 3 Therefore, continue mindful of how you have received and how you heard, and go on keeping [it], and repent. Certainly unless you wake up, I shall come as a thief, and you will not know at all at what hour I shall come upon you.

4 “‘Nevertheless, you do have a few names in Sar′dis that did not defile their outer garments, and they shall walk with me in white ones, because they are worthy. 5 He that conquers will thus be arrayed in white outer garments; and I will by no means blot out his name from the book of life, but I will make acknowledgment of his name before my Father and before his angels.’

NASB uses the word erase from the book of life.


Even born again christians can have their name removed from the book of life.

Answer 4

Jehovah's Witnesses note that the plain language of the bible seems to plainly refute the notion of "once saved always saved".

(Matthew 7:20-23) Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize... “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.

(Zephaniah 2:3) Seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. PROBABLY you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah's anger. [emphasis added]

(Amos 5:15) Hate what is bad, and love what is good, and give justice a place in the gate. It MAY be that Jehovah the God of armies will show favor [emphasis added]

(Matthew 7:13-14) Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.

(Matthew 24:13) But he that has endured TO THE END is the one that will be saved. [emphasis added]

(Philippians 2:12) Keep WORKING OUT your own salvation with fear and trembling [emphasis added]

(Hebrews 10:26-27) For if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, 27 but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment

(Hebrews 5:9) [Jesus] became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those OBEYING him [emphasis added]

(James 2:14,17) Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if a certain one says he has faith but he does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it? ...17 Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/1996021/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_15.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_04.htm

Answer 5

I am not a Jehovah Witness, but "once saved always saved" is a false doctrine...