DO WE BELIEVE 'ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED'?
Our church’s statement of faith says:
We believe that all who believe in Jesus Christ are regenerated, indwelt, baptized, and sealed by the Holy Spirit and so are secured for the day of redemption. We believe that those so secured will persevere in the faith of Jesus Christ and produce fruit evidencing their relationship to God.
One of the most common theological questions I’m asked is whether our church teaches eternal security, or “once saved, always saved.” I usually answer that question with this one: “What do you mean by ‘saved’?”
Evangelicals in my circles often equate ‘saved’ with ‘having made a profession of faith at some point in life”. After the first hellfire-and-brimstone message I ever heard, I went forward at the invitation, terrified, and in the back room a counselor told me that my profession of faith in Christ guaranteed me a home in heaven. Then he read 1 John 5.13 to me: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” He emphasized the word “know”. I didn’t have to question or doubt. Ever.
The counselor equated my profession of faith with certainty that the saving work of the Spirit had taken place in my soul. But are all professions genuine? Jesus made it clear, I think, that a profession of faith can be false.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7.21-23
Despite this clear teaching, some evangelicals have constructed a salvation based on profession alone. Now, a profession of faith is a good thing, but the Bible never says that a momentary profession of faith gives me assurance that my faith is real. The proof that the Holy Spirit has truly saved me is an ongoing demonstration of love for and obedience to Christ.
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. – 1 John 2.3
Many reject this idea, claiming it teaches ‘salvation by works’. It teaches, rather, ‘assurance by works’ – and it is true because that is what the Bible says. A profession is meaningless without external works that demonstrate one’s internal faith (James 2.14-26).
Second, if a profession of faith is real, the one making the profession will not turn away from Christ. He may struggle against sin and may have doubts, but he will not ultimately stop believing in Jesus. Jesus and the apostles taught that real faith perseveres.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. – John 10.27
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard… -- Colossians 1.21-23
Perseverance testifies that faith in Christ is genuine. This is why the old saints talked about ‘perseverance’ and not ‘eternal security’.
The doctrine of ‘eternal security’ that I’ve heard taught is a mangled and misleading version of an older (and BETTER-STATED) doctrine: the perseverance of the saints. ‘Eternal security’ gives assurance of heaven based on a mere momentary profession of faith ALONE. What happens afterward is irrelevant! Even turning away from Christ doesn’t invalidate a profession for believers in ‘eternal security’!
I’ve been to more than one funeral where the deceased had turned away from Christ decades ago. The surviving friends comfort each other that at least there was a childhood profession of faith. Then the pastor preaches confidently that the deceased is certainly in heaven because of that empty profession! God alone is the final judge, and I would hope for God’s mercy in such a case. But I could not comfortably and confidently assert that someone was in heaven merely because they had made an empty profession years before that didn’t persevere. Hebrews 10.26-31 doesn’t provide a very rosy picture for those who turn away from Christ.
Some may ask: “Are you saying you can lose your salvation?”
This is the wrong question entirely.
The better question is this: Is a profession of faith that doesn’t last beyond that moment really ‘salvation’?
We believe that all who believe in Jesus Christ are regenerated, indwelt, baptized, and sealed by the Holy Spirit and so are secured for the day of redemption. We believe that those so secured will persevere in the faith of Jesus Christ and produce fruit evidencing their relationship to God.
One of the most common theological questions I’m asked is whether our church teaches eternal security, or “once saved, always saved.” I usually answer that question with this one: “What do you mean by ‘saved’?”
Evangelicals in my circles often equate ‘saved’ with ‘having made a profession of faith at some point in life”. After the first hellfire-and-brimstone message I ever heard, I went forward at the invitation, terrified, and in the back room a counselor told me that my profession of faith in Christ guaranteed me a home in heaven. Then he read 1 John 5.13 to me: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” He emphasized the word “know”. I didn’t have to question or doubt. Ever.
The counselor equated my profession of faith with certainty that the saving work of the Spirit had taken place in my soul. But are all professions genuine? Jesus made it clear, I think, that a profession of faith can be false.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7.21-23
Despite this clear teaching, some evangelicals have constructed a salvation based on profession alone. Now, a profession of faith is a good thing, but the Bible never says that a momentary profession of faith gives me assurance that my faith is real. The proof that the Holy Spirit has truly saved me is an ongoing demonstration of love for and obedience to Christ.
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. – 1 John 2.3
Many reject this idea, claiming it teaches ‘salvation by works’. It teaches, rather, ‘assurance by works’ – and it is true because that is what the Bible says. A profession is meaningless without external works that demonstrate one’s internal faith (James 2.14-26).
Second, if a profession of faith is real, the one making the profession will not turn away from Christ. He may struggle against sin and may have doubts, but he will not ultimately stop believing in Jesus. Jesus and the apostles taught that real faith perseveres.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. – John 10.27
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard… -- Colossians 1.21-23
Perseverance testifies that faith in Christ is genuine. This is why the old saints talked about ‘perseverance’ and not ‘eternal security’.
The doctrine of ‘eternal security’ that I’ve heard taught is a mangled and misleading version of an older (and BETTER-STATED) doctrine: the perseverance of the saints. ‘Eternal security’ gives assurance of heaven based on a mere momentary profession of faith ALONE. What happens afterward is irrelevant! Even turning away from Christ doesn’t invalidate a profession for believers in ‘eternal security’!
I’ve been to more than one funeral where the deceased had turned away from Christ decades ago. The surviving friends comfort each other that at least there was a childhood profession of faith. Then the pastor preaches confidently that the deceased is certainly in heaven because of that empty profession! God alone is the final judge, and I would hope for God’s mercy in such a case. But I could not comfortably and confidently assert that someone was in heaven merely because they had made an empty profession years before that didn’t persevere. Hebrews 10.26-31 doesn’t provide a very rosy picture for those who turn away from Christ.
Some may ask: “Are you saying you can lose your salvation?”
This is the wrong question entirely.
The better question is this: Is a profession of faith that doesn’t last beyond that moment really ‘salvation’?