how can "once saved, always saved" be Biblical?

Question

the Bible said: "work for your salvation with fear and trembling", so where did those Bible-fundamentalists get the idea of 'Once saved, always saved'?.

a person can lose one's salvation by continuously sinning.

therefore, the 'once saved always saved' is a false doctrine, and it's a very dangerous one.

Answer 1

You are absolutely correct!! I agree with you 100%.

Answer 2

People who believe in this doctrine of "once saved, always saved" don't even know what they believe. Does it mean, once you say, "I give my heart to Jesus", that no matter what you do from there on, you are saved, even if you renounce Jesus? I've asked this question to people who claim this doctrine and I usually get "well then, they were NEVER saved". This is one of the dumbest doctrines I've ever heard of. It is a very dangerous doctrine because you might get people believing they are saved when they are not. It is a non-biblical doctrine that contradicts MOST of the New Testament. So basically, you're saying that you can't walk away from Jesus and if you do, you were never really saved? How stupid is that! I've known people who were very sincere about serving God at one time, but later became disillusioned and didn't even claim to be Christian. So, under this doctrine, if they were to have died during that point in their life, they would not have been saved even though they believed and followed Jesus. Or later, you could say they were still saved even though they didn't claim to be Christian. Wow, talk about contradiction! You won't find genuine scripture to support that, only wishful thinking. There is such a thing as "back-sliding" and Jesus' talks about it (parable of the sower) and the epistles address this as well. People, it's time to dig into your bible and not be deceived by false doctrine!

Answer 3

I think it is a question of semantics. Catholics believe we were all redeemed by Jesus' death and resurrection, we presently work out our salvation, and we have faith that we are saved and persevere to the end.

My fundamentalists friends believe that once you accept Jesus as your savior, you are saved. However, if a saved person later commits sins after accepting Jesus, he can still repent. Sinning and repenting does not negate one's salvation and acceptance of Jesus. They get around the circular logic by stating that if someone sins but does not repent, after presumably he accepted Jesus as his savior, then his acceptance of Jesus was not sincere and thus he was never saved in the first place.

The once saved, always saved doctrine, while having the appearance of assuring one's salvation, actually does the opposite. It actually places one's salvation in doubt.

The Catholic approach is the most logical means of assuring one's salvation.

Answer 4

I think you are trying to reconcile the two concepts by simply dumping the verses that support "once saved, always saved" and keeping the "work out your salvation" verses in favor of your own prescient views. I believe this is called argument by laziness. The once-saved-always-saved verses are Calvinist, by the way. From your first note, you simply assert that "a person can lose one's salvation by continuously sinning." However, this will not happen if the Holy Spirit is working within our hearts. Your second note concludes that it's false and dangerous to believe in the eternal security of the believer, and I feel the same way about your statement -- false and dangerous, to think that man can reject God's decrees and ability to give us a new heart. You make God a very weak being, and truthfully, not a deity worthy of worship if he must beg us to come to him. Who should be praying to whom?

Answer 5

Now there's a good example of proper Biblical scholarship and exegesis!

Your understanding of working out your salvation is flawed.

Then you proffer a premise with a conclusion:

"a person can lose one's salvation by continuously sinning."

"therefore, the 'once saved always saved' is a false doctrine, and it's a very dangerous one."

Again a flawed premise followed by a flawed conclusion.

The premise is flawed in at least two ways:

1. Where does it say a Christian can lose their salvation by continuously sinning, and;

2. It presumes a Christian with God's Holy Spirit would go about continuously sinning. In other words, a person who God has placed His Spirit would go about sinning all the time, as though the Holy Spirit had no influence over the individual. This would have us conclude the Spirit of God is totally ineffectual in the Christian's life.

3. You claim that it is "Bible-fundamentalists" who believe this, as though this belief is exclusive to them.

The real issue boils down to whether or not God lies. I offer these quotes, and you tell me if God/Christ is lying.

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 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

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

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Answer 6

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 7

A fundamentalist does not believe "once saved, always saved". Once you study the "fundamentals" of the Bible, you realize that the "once saved" concept is NOT found in the Bible.

I believe your confusion is in the word "fundamentalist".

Anyone who follows the directions exactly, word for word, is a fundamentalist. If you have every used the instructions when assembling something, you were a fundamentalist. A fundamentalist reads the "instructions" (the Bible) for what it says and believes what he reads. There is no room for interpretation in the Bible, it is plain and clear. There is no room for man's opinions in the Bible, God's answers are the only ones that matter.

So if you follow the Bible instead of man, you are a fundamentalist.

Answer 8

Philippians 2:12 is one of the most abused verses in the Bible, too often people quote this out of context, neglecting to mention the fact that when God is saving someone (God does ALL the work in saving, cf. John 6:37,44; Ephesians 2:8,9; 2 Timothy 1:9, etc etc) it is God who is at work in the individual, doing His work according to His good pleasure, note the next verse that is key to the context:

Philippians 2:12-13 KJV:

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Now concerning the doctrine that God's elect cannot lose their salvation, quoting source below:

"The last of the five points of Calvinism teaches that God preserves His people so they can never be lost. To put it simply, it means this: "Once you are saved, you are always saved."

God's Word is full of proof for this beautiful truth. And though many deny it, and tell you that you can be lost and saved many, many times, and therefore can never be sure of your salvation, the Bible says otherwise. Talking about His elect sheep, Jesus said: "And I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28). See John 6:39, 17:2, 11,12; Romans 8:37-39; II Tim. 1:12; 4:18, etc. etc.

Some object to this doctrine because it supposedly makes men "carnally secure" in their salvation. That is, if I know nothing can make me go to hell once God has saved me, I will "live like the devil." There have been some who have used this beautiful truth as an excuse to live like the devil. But they are not Christians. Nor do they understand this truth. Because this truth also implies "PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS." Those who never fall away are saints. They are holy. And they are given power to live holy lives. They "continue in well-doing." Anyone who says he can "live like the devil" has not experienced the saving power of Christ and does not know the meaning of Philippians 1:6, "He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." God will continue working good works in us until Christ returns."

Answer 9

The Bible says "ye are saved by faith through grace; and it is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God; lest any man should boast." That Scripture is for you people who boast and say that you earned your salvation. How could you earn a gift? Are you going to tell me that you don't sin anymore? If you say that then God says youare a liar and the truth is not in you. How many sins does it take to lose your salvation? Explain to me what Paul said to the Phillipian jailer. How could you ever earn your way into Heaven? That is blasphemy!

To Bill - You are mistaken. The prize is the rewards given out to those who have labored for Christ. The prize is a crown which Paul speaks of.

Answer 10

how can "once saved, always saved" be Biblical?

Quite simply, it's NOT Biblical.

In fact, what Paul writes to the Philippians is quite the contrary.

Philippians 2:12

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling."

Answer 11

It says work out not work for. I do believe salvation can be lost though.

Phillipians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.