Is once saved always saved?

[stevehut]

No need to derail this one Steve.....

Not intending to derail.

I just think it's silly to argue something like with "the Greek says". I believe that we have some very fine English translations that convey the message just fine.

There, I'm done.

[Guest LadyC]

Seriously, I will be more than happy to help you with this.

[Guest markh]

Hello there,

Having been in the situation where I was away from the Lord for 10 years, I believe that you cannot lose your Salvation. I drifted away from the Lord through being in bad company, peer pressure. I suppose you could say that I shouldn't have got involved with them in the first place and you are right. I was just riding along on the current of going to church and trying to do my best as a Christian. But, I wasn't reading the Word or praying as I should have been and I became susceptable to the temptations of the devil and this world. I sank so low that when I was asked if I was a Christian, I said that I wasn't. Looking back on it now I am still sorry that I denied the Lord.

Then in February of this year the Lord really spoke to me through a plutonic friendship I had with a girl. I recomitted my life to the Lord after weeks of crying and heartache. You see now I know I wasn't lost because the Lord pleaded with me to come back to Him. And now I am more at peace with myself than I have ever been. I can't leave the house in the morning without a time of reading and prayer, it's like I depend on it. So for anyone who thinks they will lose their Salvation, fear not because it won't happen.

Also I believe that the verse quoted from Hebrews talks about intentional sin. That is knowing that it's wrong, thinking about it all and still doing it. I don't believe that anyone will lose their Salvation over it but they will have to answer for it at the Judgement Seat Of Christ.

Yours in Him

Mark

[Big Steve]

I know exactly what you are saying, I actually was Southern Baptist and I used to say "they were never really saved to begin with". You know what though? It happened to me, I was saved and I chose to do my own thing after I got saved. it does happen! I just want to encourage you and tell you that some people who believe OSAS really are listening and God will soften their hearts. I have seen this come true with my family and friends. Just keep praying for them!

[Guest Called]

You see now I know I wasn't lost because the Lord pleaded with me to come back to Him. And now I am more at peace with myself than I have ever been. I can't leave the house in the morning without a time of reading and prayer, it's like I depend on it. So for anyone who thinks they will lose their Salvation, fear not because it won't happen.

Also I believe that the verse quoted from Hebrews talks about intentional sin. That is knowing that it's wrong, thinking about it all and still doing it. I don't believe that anyone will lose their Salvation over it but they will have to answer for it at the Judgement Seat Of Christ.

Hi Mark! Welcome to Worthy!

I would like to make a couple of comments about what you said. First, just because the Lord convicted you and wooed you back to Himself doesn't mean that you weren't lost. The Holy Spirit draws sinners to God all the time.

Secondly, I am not quite sure if I understand what you are saying about sin. We all know the difference between right and wrong and alot of times we choose to do the wrong thing. That is deliberate sin. I don't believe we "accidentally" sin. SIn is sin is sin.

Also, what scripture are you basing your belief on that we won't lose our salvation, but that we will just have to answer for our deliberate sins at the judgement seat?

God Bless!

Debbie

[Guest idied2]

Can someone help me out on this? Am I missing somthing?

morejesus

The LORD has given you insight. You are on HIS path. Stay there, pray, fast and study. You need no mans help. You are missing nothing except the teachings of man that would explain to you why the scriptures don't mean what they say. Let the LORD JESUS CHRIST be your teacher.

Here is scripture of a group who thought they were christains right up to the last minute.

Matthew 25:

41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;

43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'

44 Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'

45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Mt 7:21

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven

Mt 20:16

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."

Mt 22:14

For many are called, but few are chosen."

In CHRIST JESUS :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Guest LadyC]

steve, i certainly don't believe in OSAS, as you've probably noticed. but i do believe God, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, allows us ample time to return to Him. (prodigal son ring a bell?)

during my years and years away from God, He was still working on my heart. however, until i finally repented of the sins i committed, i was not forgiven for them. repentance is not a one time deal, it's a daily deal. had i died during that time, i honestly can't say if i'd have gone to heaven or not. probably not because scripture distinguishes between the lukewarm, the backslidden, the faithful and the unsaved. i was definitely backslidden and lukewarm, and God says He will spew the lukewarm out of His mouth like vomit. but i know NOW what eternity holds for me. i never actively chose to deny God, i just didn't believe i was worth saving. but i never lost my faith in God, He never turned me over to my reprobate mind... but i was not picking up my cross daily.

on the other hand, my oldest daughter was saved, was baptized, and yet actively chose to deny God completely and become involved in wicca. she has not simply backslidden and gone lukewarm... she has verbally and emphatically stated she wants nothing more to do with God. this scares me. i hope that in her heart she doesn't mean that, and that she will have a second chance. but it does scare me because scripture indicates that one who knows God and then rejects Him has no second chance.

[Guest CalvaryAloha]

There is nothing that can prevent a believer from one day being glorified because God has already purposed it in heaven. Once a person is justified, his salvation is guaranteed - he is as secure as if he is already glorified in heaven. (2) Jude 24 declares, "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy." God's power is able to keep the believer from falling. It is up to Him, not us, to present us before His glorious presence.

Ephesians 4:30 tells us the believers are "sealed for the day of redemption". If believers could lose their salvation, the sealing could not truly be unto the day of redemption, but only to the day of sinning, apostasy, or disbelief. (8) John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never "eternal" at all. Hence if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error. (9) For the most conclusive argument, I think Scripture says it best itself, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:38-39)." Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure.

-Just some thoughts. Hope this helps!

Blessings.

[Guest markh]

There is nothing that can prevent a believer from one day being glorified because God has already purposed it in heaven. Once a person is justified, his salvation is guaranteed - he is as secure as if he is already glorified in heaven. (2) Jude 24 declares, "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy." God's power is able to keep the believer from falling. It is up to Him, not us, to present us before His glorious presence.

Ephesians 4:30 tells us the believers are "sealed for the day of redemption". If believers could lose their salvation, the sealing could not truly be unto the day of redemption, but only to the day of sinning, apostasy, or disbelief. (8) John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never "eternal" at all. Hence if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error. (9) For the most conclusive argument, I think Scripture says it best itself, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:38-39)." Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure.

The verse quoted above are what I base my belief on Salvation. The question of sin is different. When we sin, it is our reaction to that sin that counts. If we repent immediately then we are on the right road so to speak. I too believe that repentance is a daily act in fact it's anact that should be carried out every minute of the day. It's not just a physical act of sinning but every wayward thought should be repented of.

Mark

Edited September 7, 2004 by markh

[Guest TLCveritas]

This is another very intersting topic... seeing that I am still new here I guess I can put in my 2 cents ... for what it's worth. I believe that we are "JUSTIFIED BY FAITH" in Jesus Christ, believers will never face God's judgment in regards to their ETERNAL SOUL... HOWEVER our good deeds show our appreciation for the grace of God which has been showered upon us... there are indications in the bible of "rewards" according to his own labor

" ... And every man shall receive his own rewards according to his own labour." (1Cor 3:8)

The same chapter goes on to say (verses 13-15)

(13)"Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the days shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

(14)"If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward."

(15)"If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Like a person who has a wonderful house and no fire insurance... POOF... it's all gone. And you are left with the scared flesh from being burned in the fire yet you survived.

So, if you are a christian and you continue to live a carnal life... it will go on your "record" in heaven and you will suffer (perhaps not in this life.. but in the life to come) for Rest ASSURED that what you do in this life will and does matter for ETERNITY. Your faithfulness here on earth will determine your reward in Heaven.

As a Christian I will one day have to stand before Christ's Judgment seat (2Cor 5:10, Rom 14:10-12, 1 Cor 3:11-15, Rev 22:12) and have all my works (good or bad) put before the LORD for HIM to TEST what sort they are... and motive. I could be doing all these wonderful works for profit, gold, money, earthly treasures, for prideful reasons or for acceptance of others (etc) or I could be giving all the GLORY to God for every little seed and speck of work HE allows me to do for Him.

Yet if a being that was once indwelt by the Holy Spirit , or a true Christian not just one who has put one the MASK of Christianity for reasons of their own (and there are many out there sitting in pews today that are not Christians). If that "true" Christian turns from God and to EVIL then there is no hope for that person (example would be Lucifer who was once God's "bright morning star" ...being cast out of Heaven)

Thanks for letting me tell you what is on my heart today...

TLCveritas