Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”. Mt 16:24, Mk 8:34 and Luke 9:23
“Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he 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 evildoers.’
“Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. Matthew 7:21-26
The Catholic Church believes that salvation is a lifelong struggle. The idea of Eternal Security, also known as Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS) is against Catholic teaching. Many cradle Catholics are often surprised the first time they hear of the so-called Eternal Security, or the Once Saved, Always Saved teaching.
In a nutshell, Catholics believe that our salvation isn’t assured until we die and get to heaven, but there are some Christian denominations and groups who believe that our salvation is guaranteed once we profess Christ by believing in our hearts, and professing with our lips that Christ died for our sins to save us, and that we are justified, even if we persist in serious sin, or even fall away from the faith entirely.
I have often wondered why anyone would believe such an unlikely teaching. I know Romans 10:9, if not properly understood, would seem to suggest that interpretation.
The misinterpretation of Scripture, like this, is the major reason why private interpretation is dangerous.
Does the Bible support “Once Saved, Always Saved”?
Let us look at some of the verses that have been used to argue support.
The Bible says in Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
So, the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour, I was saved from that day onwards. It’s a done deal.
This sounds very fine, however, it is like passing an examination and interview to an educational institution, and you do not attend lectures, don't study, or take tests and examinations and hope to get a certificate of graduation at the end. Remaining on campus and not participating in what you are supposed to do as a student will not earn you a degree. It does not matter whether you have paid your school fees and registered your courses.
The Fundamentalist commits a big error with this interpretation. He assumes that the word believe is a ‘one time’ past event. The present tense word ‘believe’ signifies that it is an active, continual belief, not just a past act of faith. In other words Believing at one time in the past is not sufficient for eternal life. This is most clearly seen in the parable of the sower in Luke 8:13, where it is stated, "they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial."
This passage assumes that a person may have believed in the past and still lose their salvation. Therefore, we cannot assume this passage is speaking of a one-time past event. In reality, this passage only says that if we currently believe in Christ, we are saved, which the Catholic Church agrees with.
John 10:28 “and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.”
Jesus says here that nobody will be able to take us away from God. This is similar to Paul’s words in Rms 8:39, when he says that nothing in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. So, both passages are addressing the issue that nothing will be able to remove us from the grace of God. No one is capable of nullifying your salvation. It is like saying nobody will be able to pull you out of a fast speeding car. That does not mean you cannot open the door and jump out. This is possible because of our God given Free Will? God does not force anyone to follow, or remain with Him.
Again, you can say the same thing for your adopted son or daughter, because, we are also adopted sons and daughters of God. That you are sure that nothing or nobody can snatch him or her away from you, does not mean that he cannot decide to leave you and forfeit his inheritance.
In the same way Jn10:28 does not mean you cannot severe your relationship with God. God never leaves us, we leave him by mortal sin.
In John 15:6 Jesus tells the Apostles at the Last Supper to remain in his love.
He adds that if we keep his commandments we will remain in his love. He who does not remain in his love is “cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned”
If salvation were a done deal, why would Jesus feel the need to tell anyone to remain in his love? He said this because just as we freely entered a relationship with him, we are also free to leave him.
In Rms 11:22, Paul says, Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.
In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul again warns the Christians against being overconfident: but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified.
3. Now, this question. If you can lose your salvation by sin, does that not mean you are earning your salvation?
Ephesians 2;8-9 says, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not because of works, lest any man should boast.
The Council of Trent in its Decree on Justification in chapter eight; the Church states that;
“none of those things which precede justification - whether faith or works- merit the grace itself of justification.”
This means that you do not make yourself deserving of God’s justifying grace by believing or doing good things beforehand; God graciously takes the initiative, enables your free response, and gives the new life in which faith, charity, and good works can then bear fruit.
Which means that, no man can work himself into a state of justification. The New Covenant is not a system of works righteousness whereby a person can please God by doing many good deeds. This is what Paul is saying in Ephesians 2. He is not saying sin cannot separate us from Christ.
When he gave a litany of created things that can not separate us from the love of God in Romans 8:39, notice that he did not say, “neither fornication nor adultery nor drunkenness nor murder will separate us from the love of God.” He was well aware that if we choose sin, we renounce Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:1–2, Paul says;
“Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain.”
So, you could believe, but fail to hold fast to the gospel, and not be saved (cf. 2 Pet. 2:20).
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. In fact, in Gal 5:19-21: same Paul warns;
Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Again Paul said say; I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God. (1 Cor 4:4-5)
How did “Once Saved Always Saved” come about?
The unanimous belief and consent of the early Christians was that a Christian could lose his salvation by committing mortal sin, as in 1 john 5:16-17: If any one sees his brother committing what is not a deadly sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not deadly. There is sin which is deadly; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not deadly.
In the first century, the Didache, commonly known as the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, said; “Watch for your life’s sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ready, for you know not the hour in which our Lord comes. But you shall assemble together often, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if you be not made complete in the last time” (Didache 16 [A.D. 70]).
“Once Saved, Always Saved” is not biblical
1. 2 Timothy 2:11-12, "This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us."
In other words, if we do not persevere, we will not reign with Christ. This passage is clear that remaining faithful to the gospel is critical to our salvation. Paul is certainly not telling his readers that they have an absolute assurance of salvation.
Romans 11:22, "See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God's kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off."
In this passage, Paul gives the Romans another warning that they must endure in the faith to receive the inheritance of eternal life.
2 Peter 2:20-22, "For if they, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of (our) Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, again become entangled and overcome by them, their last condition is worse than their first. For it would have been Better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them. What is expressed in the true proverb has happened to them, ‘The dog returns to its own vomit,’ and ‘A bathed sow returns to wallowing in the mire.’
There is probably no verse that refutes the "once saved always saved" belief better than this one. The individuals spoken of in this passage were true believers at one point and later denied the faith. Those who persevere to the end will be saved. Mt:24:13
4. Jn15:5: I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.
To be a branch of the vine means you are a believer, a Christian. Christ is saying here that you can be cut off (lose your salvation) and be burned in fire, if you do not bear fruits.
Conclusion
In the decree of justification (Session 6. chap. 9), the Council of Trent says: “No one can know with certainty of faith, in which there can be no error, that he has obtained God's grace.
Catholic Theology teaches us that if a man does not place an obstacle on his way, the sacraments confer (saving) sanctifying grace. In that case, one would be sure of salvation because the sacraments work irrespective of the moral condition of the priest who celebrates it.
But this pertains to the Sacrament. The question is: How do we know that a man does not place obstacle on his way? The Council further asks: What does Christ say about the talents? Does Paul not say that we should work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), and that we should be alert or else the one who thinks that he is standing may be approaching his fall (1 Cor. 10:12)?
The conclusion of the Council is this: ‘IF A PERSON HAS TO CO-OPERATE IN THE REALIZATION OF HIS SALVATION, THERE CANNOT BE PERSONAL CERTAINTY.’”
The Bible speaks of salvation as a past-tense event. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith.”
Scripture also speaks of salvation as a present-tense event. In Philippians 2:12, Paul exhort us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”
Salvation as we said at the beginning, is a life long struggle, that is why the Bible also speaks of it as a future-tense event.
Romans 13:11:”Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed;
1 Corinthians . 3:15: “If any man’s Work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
1 Corinthians. 5:5 “You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
Peter warned those who misinterpret Paul's writings against the danger they face thus;
2 Pt. 3:15-16: And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
It is pretty clear from the above that the OSAS doctrine cannot be correct. If it were, it would have been a very serious contradiction to Christ coming into the world as man, to defeat sin and death.