Once Saved, Always Saved

During or Mid-week service a comment was made by Pastor Bud about those whom are saved and in sin.  I have talked to people on several occasions about this.  On one hand, I have talked to people who see people that have professed to be saved and live like the devil.  On the other hand, I have talked to the actual people who have made a profession and have told me that they have forsaken Christ and lost their salvation.  To these folks, I often tell them you can’t give back what’s not theirs in the first place.  Anyway, the doctrine is called Perseverance and we’ll take a quick look at it today. 

If properly understood this is an incredibly comforting doctrine, but is indeed often abused, misunderstood, or both.  The Bible teaches that all who are by faith united with Christ, who have been justified by God’s grace and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, will never totally nor fully and finally fall away from the state of grace, but with certainty persevere until the end.  Romans 11:29 states that the “… the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”   Leon Morris comments, “It is one of the precious things about the Christian faith that our continuance in eternal life depend not on our feeble hold on Christ, buy on His firm grip on us” (Morris, “The Gospel According to John (ref. John 10:27-30)).

It’s important to remember that perseverance is not dependent on us the same way salvation is not dependent on what we do or don’t do.  Jesus’ work on the Cross was accepted by the Father (Rom 1:4; 4:25).  Romans 5:8-10 tells us that Christ died “while we were yet sinners.”  However, Christ’s present ministry purposes to keep us saved just as much as his past work on the Cross purposed to save us in the first place.  Christ at this very moment is seated next to the Father. Why? – to continue to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).  You see, I believe God the Father answered Jesus’ prayer in John 17, among other things that He would keep those who believe and that they might enjoy the blessings of eternal fellowship with him.  And so our Savior is presently at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Rom 8:34).

This, however, does not mean that everyone who professes to be saved is eternally saved.  Furthermore, it doesn’t mean that everyone who is members of our church and even manifests certain gifts in Christian service is necessarily eternally saved.  This doctrine of perseverance of eternal security is applicable only to those who have a dynamic experience in salvation.  I say dynamic because, it’s a salvation that they shall never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace.  It’s dynamic because the Spirit of God has testified to their spirit that they are his child (Rom 8:16).  This is not to say that they shall never backslide, never fall into sin, and never fail to show forth the praises of him who called them out of darkness into this marvelous light.  It simply means that they will never totally fall away from the state of grace into which they have been brought, nor fait to return from their backsliding in the end. 

The born-again Christian can no more lose his sonship to the heavenly Father than an earthly child can lose their sonship to an earthly father.  Once saved, always saved!