Once saved always saved?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Craig Baker on February 8, 2011 at 4:45pm

Isreal, the Jews, were God's chosen people, are God's chosen people, and always will be Gods chosen people. God always keeps His promise, and He has promised to save His children, no matter what, to the end. He is able to do what He says He will do. He who began a good work in me is faithful and able to complete that good work. I am blessed because I realize that my salvation is not up to me, but it's up to the One who is able to complete it. You can trust in yourself but as for me I will trust in allmighty God through Jesus Christ my LORD. Having been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, another promise given to me that won't be taken back.

INDWELT 1. To be permanently present in (someone's soul or mind); possess spiritually

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Abel on February 9, 2011 at 4:41am

My further thoughts:

 

OFAF – Once foreknown, always foreknown.

 

Salvation is already made available to every individual on Planet Earth. So everyone is actually already saved by the work of Jesus Christ, it just has to be applied/validated in the individual’s life, which the individual has to be made aware of (hence the necessity to preach the gospel everywhere), and it is the individual’s choice to take it or leave it.

 

So ALL are saved in Jesus Christ, for he did not die for only the foreknown, but for EVERYONE, so the salvation of each individual is completed in Him at the Cross. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins, so with Jesus’ sacrifice for ALL, EVERYONE’S sins are already remitted through His sacrifice at Calvary. It’s just a matter of asking. Salvation is the simplest thing in the world, to those who have heard the gospel and ask Jesus into their hearts. It’s a done deal and the real thing.

 

Then they are saved, having applied God’s already accomplished salvation for them in their lives. Why would God withhold His already accomplished salvation from them when it is theirs already? Jesus paid the price for them to have it, so why would He withhold it? Maybe they were never saved in the first place, even after taking it by faith, confession, repentance, and by the Blood of Jesus? This cannot be, because God’s already accomplished salvation is easy to lay hold of. Jesus has made it very easy. It is as easy as reaching out and taking it. God will not withhold it, otherwise Jesus died in vain for those who call on His name and believe. So at this point in the convert’s life, salvation (already purchased and available for EVERY person) has been appropriated/applied/validated by the person. He is saved. And just like reaching out and taking that which was his already, that which was always available to him, the same person can shun and reject that very salvation that he laid hold of.

 

Now God keeps those foreknown by Him according to all the scriptures used for OSAS. God does His part, the foreknown doing their part, for their hearts are true to God from seed form (at initial laying hold of salvation) till full maturity at the end.

 

Now, to those who are not foreknown by God, God does His part, but the one who validated God’s salvation for himself by Jesus’ finished work on the Cross, can disdain/reject/lightly esteem/throw away his (Christ-attained and paid for) salvation. Some can lay hold of it again, for it is always there for them, but others reach a point of no return, shunning their salvation forever, and God in His sovereignty seals their destruction. Having initially laid hold of their salvation (already purchased and available for EVERY person), they lost it due to the corruption/wickedness of their own hearts, which was in seed form (at initial laying hold of salvation) but the water of God’s Word brought their wickedness to maturity and God then deals with them accordingly. These are the ones who, connected to the vine (Jesus Christ Himself) are at the end cut off; the fig tree in the owner’s vineyard who after three years of no fruit was to be cut down, but was given grace another year to bear fruit, but if still no fruit was to be cut down anyway; the servant who laying hold of his master’s forgiveness could not forgive others and failed at the end, and all the other scriptures anti-OSAS.

 

To me salvation is the easy part. Losing it is harder, but still possible. Only those foreknown by God are the ones who remain faithful till the end, and God’s finished salvation remains in their lives. All others never applied/validated it to their lives, or did and never handled it faithfully to the end.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sharon Theresa Theil on February 10, 2011 at 4:38pm

Roger,

 

Here on AllAboutGod we try to base our understanding of the topic under discussion, or at least back up our understanding of the topic, from the Sacred Scriptures and not from our own bold and presumptuous speculations.

 

Please take that in the charity with which it is given. 

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Abel on February 11, 2011 at 12:57pm

Hi LB. You misunderstood what I said and I never said, 'everyone in the world has "initially laid hold of their salvation,"'. I was careful to point out, and I will add even more words here for extra clarity, that even though everyone's salvation has been paid for through the shed Blood of the sacrificial Lamb Jesus Christ (and for EVERYONE, not just for the Elect), each individual still has to apply/validate that salvation to their life through true faith, confession, repentance, belief in Jesus Christ, etc. and receive God's forgiveness of their sins in Jesus Christ, already paid for by Jesus at the Cross. It is always available for everyone and each must attain it / lay hold of it by personal choice and conviction. Everyone is not already saved before their faith is applied, but everyone is already accounted for / their sins covered at the Cross, salvation ready for them when they are ready for God.

 

Jesus Christ DID die for ALL, not just for the elect/foreknown (so that everyone is without excuse before God on the day of judgement).

 

Rom 5:18

Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

 

God Bless,

David A.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carla on February 9, 2011 at 9:07am

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on February 10, 2011 at 12:48am

The Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter XVII

Of the [Preservation] Perseverance of the Saints

I. They, whom God has accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.[1]

II. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father;[2] upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ,[3] the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them,[4] and the nature of the covenant of grace:[5] from all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof.[6]

III. Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins;[7] and, for a time, continue therein:[8] whereby they incur God's displeasure,[9] and grieve His Holy Spirit,[10] come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts,[11] have their hearts hardened,[12] and their consciences wounded;[13] hurt and scandalize others,[14] and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.[15]

 

[1] PHI 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. 2PE 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. JOH 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 1JO 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1PE 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

[2] 2TI 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. JER 31:3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

[3] HEB 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. HEB 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. ROM 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. JOH 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. LUK 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. HEB 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

[4] JOH 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 1JO 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1JO 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

[5] JER 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

[6] JOH 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 2TH 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 1JO 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

[7] MAT 26:70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

[8] PSA 51 (the title) To the chief muscian, A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

[9] ISA 64:5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. 7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. 9 Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 2SA 11:27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

[10] EPH 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

[11] PSA 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. REV 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. SON 5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

[12] ISA 63:17 O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. MAR 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

[13] PSA 32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

[14] 2SA 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

[15] PSA 89:31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 1CO 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Craig Baker on February 10, 2011 at 6:57am

Thank-you David

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on February 10, 2011 at 9:39am

You are welcome.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on February 10, 2011 at 9:38am

Great article bro Roger,

 

Got questions.com is one of my fav places in the web http://www.gotquestions.org/eternal-security.html 

 

For those wanting to read more of the subject scroll down to the end of the page on the above link and you will find these additional topics:

 

Related Topics:

Once saved always saved?

Can a Christian lose salvation?

Is eternal security a "license" to sin?

Can a Christian "give back" salvation?

What is conditional security?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Yael Levi-Bénédict on February 14, 2011 at 9:15am

Is this the anglican profession of faith? there is lots of talk going on as to how they are all going to join the catholic church. do you think they will change their confession then?

i was in the uk just a few month ago. they are so much talking about the anglicans getting in communion with rome... that should be interesting to see.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on February 10, 2011 at 11:31am

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carla on February 10, 2011 at 2:17pm

Wow..  powerful message.  Thanks for posting.

Blessings brother..  Carla

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• …
• 24
• Next ›
• Page