The False Doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved

The False doctrine of Once saved Always Saved.

The doctrine of Once saved Always Saved has been the subject of debate and controversy among Christians for a long time. There are many who agree with and still many who don’t.

The proponents of Once saved Always Saved doctrine believe that it is impossible to lose salvation once you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. This is regardless of whether one falls back into sin or backslides. This confuses many and raises more questions than answers.

Whenever there is confusion and controversy let us always run towards the light of the scriptures. The word of God reveals all the truths as there are lots of deceptions and false prophets in the world.

Psalms 119:105. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

The word of God must be read in the power of the Holy Spirit. The person reading the word of God must have an indwelling of the Holy Spirit in order to have the required revelation of the subject at hand. It is the Holy Spirit who is our ultimate teacher.

1 Corinthians 2:13. “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

Every word that came from the mouth of Jesus Christ was from the Father. This meant that the doctrine that He brought wasn’t His own but the father’s. For this very reason, many are condemned for rejecting Jesus Christ.

John 7:15,16. 15And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 16. Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me.

It is possible for a Christian to backslide / become apostate

The bible is very candid about backsliding and apostacy. The Holy scriptures prove that Christians can actually backslide or become apostate. Backsliding and apostacy are clear evidence that once saved always saved doctrine is deceptive. Furthermore, the word of God also shows us how one can lose the indwelling of Holy Spirit. However, the Lord calls us to repentance and have our relationship with Him restored. Let us study scriptural proofs for backsliding:

• 1^st Timothy 4:1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. 
• 2^nd Timothy 4:3,4. (3). For there will come a time when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. (4). And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.
• 2^nd Thessalonians 2:3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
• Hosea 11:7. And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the Most High, none at all would exalt Him.
• Psalms 51:11. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

The seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. Only two were found to be righteous and the other five had fallen and only repentance could save them.

• Revelation 2:1-6. The church of Ephesus had lost their first love. Christ exhorted them to remember where they had fallen and repent, and do the first works. Failure to which their candle would be removed from its place.
• Revelation 2:12-16. The church of Pergamos. This church served two masters at the same time. They served Jesus Christ but they also had the doctrine of Balaam, which was witchcraft. Furthermore, they dwelt at the same place that the seat of Satan was. They were told to repent.
• Revelation 2:18-29. The church of Thyatira which was charitable, had faith and patience. However, they allowed a prophetess who had the spirit of Jezebel to teach and seduce God’s servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. This church had been given time to repent and would not. However, she was given another opportunity to repent. If she did not repent then she would be judged. Despite this, a few remnants had remained pure and righteous. They were encouraged to remain steadfast in the faith.
• Revelation 3:1-6. The church in Sardis. This church was not perfect before God and was dead spiritually. However, not all souls in Sardis had defiled themselves and they were exhorted to hold fast. The rest were told to repent to escape judgement.
• Revelation 3:14-17. The church of the Laodiceans. This church was found to be neither cold nor hot, they were lukewarm. This church was blessed materially and financially but were poor spiritually. They were told to repent and become hot for Christ or be spewed out (judgement).

Jesus Christ warned about living in sin. The soul that sins will die.

In John 5:1-14 we read about the man who had infirmity for thirty-eight years. As he lay by the pool known as Bethesda, which was at the sheep market, Jesus Christ healed him. A few days later Jesus Christ met him in the temple and warned him not to sin anymore, lest a worse thing happened.

In another instance, in John 8:1-11 we read about the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees and Jewish elders delivered her to Jesus Christ. Their intention was that she would be stoned to death, as per the laws of Moses. Jesus Christ asked the one who had no sin to cast the first stone. Nobody was found to be sinless and they left one by one. In the end, Jesus Christ forgave her but warned her not to sin anymore. The two instances where Christ Jesus warned about living in sin, clearly shows that once saved always saved doctrine is deception.

Prophet Ezekiel said that the soul that sins and does not repent will die.

Ezekiel 18:20. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

Man can be likened to a tree in a desert

The desert is an excellent mirror to this world that we live in. A tree in a desert is exposed to the harshest conditions of simmering heat and dry soil that lacks water. It can only survive if there is daily provision of water, cool air and fertile soil. The same goes with a Christian. Daily and constant fellowship with the scriptures with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives a sure foundation. The foundation rests on the unshakeable rock of Ages who is Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:19. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

1 Corinthians 3:11. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Matthew 7:24-27. (24) Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

See also Luke 6:47-49.

The backslidden and the apostate soul can repent and come back to God.

None of us is righteous before the Lord. The righteousness that we boast of is as filthy rags before Him. However, we can only be righteous in Him as He took our sins. If we walk in Him and repent of our sins, then His blood cleanses our sins.

2^nd Corinthians 5:21. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Ezekiel 18:21. But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he committed, and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live and not die.

The Lord calls on the backslidden to repent and He will accept them back with open arms. Its not about the number of times you have sinned or the magnitude of the sin.

Luke 15:7. There is joy in Heaven when one sinner repents, over ninety-nine others who are just and have no need of repentance.

In Luke 15:11-24 we learn about the prodigal son. He asked for his share of inheritance, left for a far country. Later on, he squandered all his inheritance on riotous living. When famine came, he suffered and ate with swine. At long last he came to his senses and went back home. The prodigal son repented his sins before his father and before God in Heaven. He was humble and had a contrite heart. He was accepted back home by his father in open arms.

The first step for the backslidden soul is to own up to the sinful life that he/she has become. Secondly, confess your sins before the Lord and repent.

1^st John 1:9,10. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just enough to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

SHALOM