If your a Christian do you believe in the "once saved always saved"?

Question

My church does. and ive come to the point where i (not exactly dont) would rather not believe it that way because it could easily give you a "crutch" to intentially sin with. Questions.Inputs.Comments.Ideas?

Answer 1

"Once saved" implies a starting point for salvation, and it negates predestination and effectual calling, and the (intimate) foreknowledge of God, of His own. Nope, Christians persevere because they belong to God from eternity to eternity. Some just don't know it yet.

Answer 2

I do to an extent. I don't believe that if a person constantly sins, while thinking that they can do whatever they want since they're "saved" that they really ARE saved. Or at least, I would have to question whether they're "saved" or not.

However, I believe that if a person slips up once in awhile, which we all do, that they're still saved if they've accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I used to not believe in that, but then a member of the church I attend gave me an example. Let's suppose there's a man who has lived his ENTIRE life trying to do what's right by God. A truly godly, righteous man. Then let's suppose while he's driving down the road, he sees a scantily clad woman, and he has lust for her in his heart. And then BAM! He's hit and killed by a drunk driver. Would he still go to heaven? Is he still "saved?"
Or what if this same man had just finished having an affair on his wife with his secretary, and was on his way back to the office from a hotel, and both of them are killed by a drunk driver? Or a grand piano falling on the car...whatever. Is he still "saved?"

I believe in both cases, though he would have to account for his sins before God, he's still saved. It doesn't make what he did any less wrong, of course, but perhaps he would have repented had he been given a chance.

We should try NOT to sin, but I would think that the God I serve would be understanding of the human condition; He did create us, after all! He expects us to try not to sin, but He knows that we will.

Answer 3

NO, and the Apostle Paul did not either.

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.

Answer 4

No there is no "once saved always saved" in the bible. Salvation is an on going process and must be worked on daily, it is not just a one time thing. All who endure til the end shall be saved.

"As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13)."

Answer 5

In mild of the scriptures you quoted, how do you provide an explanation for the myth of the prodigal son in Luke Chapter 15? As for the grafting in of the Gentiles, that has to do with the Gentiles who think and comply with Jesus Christ fitting followed into the household of God of which God selected the Jewish individuals. Therefore, Gentiles might no longer be Jewish until they're grafted into the foundation that is Jesus Christ (a Jew). Another phrase for the grafting in is adoption.

Answer 6

I absolutely do believe "once saved, always saved"- however you are right to say, this could become a crutch to sin. However, we do sin, no matter how much we desire not too- so what if you sinned after becoming a believer, and then you died in a car crash minutes later, and you did not repent- would you be in hell- No- because Jesus died ONCE AND FOR ALL for all sin. Being a Christian , however, we must strive to please the Lord- and desire to sin less and less, because Grace is free but not cheap.

Answer 7

Once a person truly becomes born again he is a child of God, John 10:28,29 . He has a brand new soul that doesn't want to sin 2 Corinthians 5:7 and , we live with a body that lust after sin . That is why we pray for strength and direction .One can back slide but God will chastise him . If you willingly sin all the time then you never were born again .

Answer 8

Yes once saved always saved, but not only that. The Bible teaches of an inevitable correlation between a person's behavior and their salvation status - a doctrine which has come to be known as "The Perseverance of the Saints". This as opposed to the heresy of "Free Grace Theology" which I've analyzed at http://www.bcbsr.com/topics/freegrace.html

For example John writes, "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." 1John 2:19 And likewise "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." 1John 2:9,10

For more see the study guides on 1John at http://www.bcbsr.com/books/1jn.html

Answer 9

i don't believe in on ce saved always saved. i believe once you are saved you strive for the goodness God gave you inside - you want to do and be a wonderful loviong person - however you will still sin and still fall and you need to go back to Him continually.

to me hearing Once saved always saved means that you have a liscense to do whatever you want and harm anyone or whatnot and it won' matter - becuase you've been saved.

i am sure that is not how they look at things, this is just how it reads to me.

Answer 10

Nope, just because you are saved doesn't mean that you are living in the path of the Lord. The only way to remain saved, is to live the life of Jesus. Most "Christians" claim to be saved, but do the things that God is against. Then they feel that by going to church, they are cleansing their souls of sin. But, if you sin in your heart, God sees that as well.