Tipping Over Sacred Cows Pt. 2: Once Saved Always Saved?

"One saved always saved." I'm not a fan of that cliche because it has deceived far too many unrepentant people that they are right with God. Some want to assure people they are Christians by virtue of their baptism but we in the Baptist circles have our own way to wrongly assure one that they are believers. Sadly, many Baptists will convince a loved one or friend that they are "going to heaven" because they "raised their hand to receive Christ" or "prayed the sinners prayer" at youth camp, Awana, Sunday School or even walked down an aisle to receive Jesus at a church service, while these very people they are seeking to comfort have never (or momentarily) showed any fruit of genuine conversion. In other words, people are being convinced they are Christians because of a profession of faith or from an objective act even though they are living in and have been living a lifestyle dominated by sin. They show no fruit and yet they are convinced they belong to the Lamb Of God. It is very tragic because on judgment day these unrepentant and unbelieving individuals are going to hear, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Mt 7:23). This is why I am not a fan of the slogan "Once saved always saved."

Perhaps it is wise, at this point, to affirm that I do believe that Christ will lose none that He came to save and have been effectively called unto Him. I think the concept of eternal security should be better phrased, as been historically termed, "perseverance of the saints." That is God preserves, those that are His, by equipping them with His Spirit to persevere in faith and godliness. 

"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Je 31:32–33).

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules" (Eze 36:26–27). 

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" (Php 1:6–11).


"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pe 1:3–11). 

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (Jn 6:37–40).

I think the Scriptures are very compelling on this point, God keeps His children. It is not just a matter of remembering when you prayed a prayer or walked down an aisle. That assures you of nothing. It is a matter of looking to Christ and resting your trust completely in his life, death and resurrection for your deliverance from God and reconciliation to God. When you look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2) it moves you to obedience in walking uprightly.This is why the Gospel is essential for both the believer and unbeliever. If there is no fruit, there is no root. It is dangerous to convince people there is a root when there is no fruit as much as it is to convince people to manufacture fruit when they have no root! The best way to deal with those that are doubting or that claim to be Christians but are showing no fruit is to evangelize them. Remind them of the Gospel as Paul did with the Corinthians,"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Co 15:1–4)

Now, some may think that I am quibbling over semantics and I admit that I am because of the confusion that is caused by "once saved always saved." Technically that slogan is true. Yet, the problem is clarifying what it means to be saved. And in Baptist(ic) circles being saved simply means having made a profession of faith apart from repentance. It comes from "easy-believism" where repentance is optional and may never happen in a "Christians" life. Submitting to the Lordship of Christ is for the second level mature Christians.Of course all this is completely foreign to Scripture and it is best to do away with "once saved always saved." Down with that sacred cow! Replace it with the perseverance of the saints.

I whole heartedly affirm that those saved will never be lost. However, those that belong to Jesus are those of faith and faith produces good works. Or as the Lord said: "As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience"(Lk 8:15). Therefore, let those that are Christ's persevere in faith and holiness. Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,

Fernando