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There are so much debates about this doctrine, and until now it is still causing many discussions. The cause of the debate is misquoting and misrepresenting this doctrine. This doctrine is NOT telling us “who” will be in heaven (only Jesus will judge us) nor teaching us that unholy person is saved after receiving Christ. Today, I’m not going to end the century debates, but of course I wanted to explain what the Bible says about this doctrine. Is it biblical or not?
Salvation is based on the grace of God through faith in Jesus, not a result of works so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Above verse told us that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works, meaning you have nothing to do for you to have eternal security.
Do we have a power and free-will to choose Christ for us to be saved? The answer to this question is “No” because we are sinners, and as a sinners we don’t have a capability to know and accept Christ:
“as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”
- Romans 3:10-11 If no one seeks God, then how would you accept Christ? Even you have a free-will, your free-will is incapable to know and accept Christ. Your sinful nature will never understand God and never accept Christ. The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Now, the question is “how come I accepted Christ as Lord and Savior if I don’t have the capability to accept Christ?” The answer to this question is: Because of the grace of God, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4 ). It is the works of God of why you believe in Him:
“Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” – John 6:29
The above verse told us the reason why we believe in Him, it is because it is the works of God, it is not ours. Another verse that gives us a promise of eternal security:
“In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were SEALED with the promised Holy Spirit,” – Ephesians 1:13
We are tamper-proof! When we are once saved, we are always saved because the Holy Spirit sealed us. It makes our salvation irrevocable.
Now, question could be raised; “What if someone accepted Christ, serve in the Church wholeheartedly and after a years became an atheist or became a believer of other religions, or living unholy life, and then died, is he/she saved?”
The answer to this question is written:
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”
- 1 John 2:19 There are people who accepted Christ and assumed that they were saved but actually they were not.
“How about those who accepted Christ then leave and live unholy life then came back again and accepted Christ?” The reason why he came back because he was sealed by Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) that caused Him to come back. Those who are sealed by Holy Spirit may sin but never they will continue in sinning and not coming back to Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit in someone will prevail that causes him to be saved.
So the answer to the “Is Once Saved, Always Saved?” Is YES!
“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” ) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Romans 8:31-39#ChristUnfolds
#OnceSavedAlwaysSaved
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