1. Once saved, always saved!

2. Saved today and lost tomorrow!

The writer, in his ministry in many lands is often asked by anxious and sometimes tortured souls, " Can I lose my salvation?" On the other hand, he sometimes sees people who profess to be saved, living a careless and sometimes sinful life, yet comforting themselves with a false assurance, that because they have made some decision years before, they are surely going to heaven.

What is the truth?

This paper is an attempt to find the answer to this question from the Bible, but at the same time makes no pretence of being an in-depth study of this subject. To arrive at the truth of this matter I need to ask two questions and in the answer to those questions lies the solution of our problem. The first question is

Whose is the work of Salvation?

The second question is -

On whom does my salvation depend?

Let us now look at the first question.

Whose is the work of Salvation?

Jonah gives us the answer to this question in chapter 2:9 of his book. There he says, " Salvation is of the LORD, (Jehovah)". Isaiah confirms this in chapter 44:22. There Jehovah says, " I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and, as a cloud thy sins". Then in verse 23, the prophet says " Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it!"

Salvation is not the work of man.

Man has been tried out under all circumstances in every age and has proved himself to be a complete failure. The only righteousness that man can achieve is self-righteousness and all his good deeds are "filthy rags", Isa. 64:6. They are like Adam's vain attempt to make himself fit for the presence of God by sewing together fig leaves to cover his nakedness and shame after the fall. (Gen .3) His dress of fig leaves seemed to vanish away when God came into the garden for he said "I was afraid because I was naked". All man's attempts to make himself fit for the presence of God will have the same result and leave us naked and exposed before the eye of a holy God. But when Adam's attempt had failed and after he had believed the word of God and God's promise of a redeemer who would crush the serpent's head, after he had exercised faith in God's promise, God then made them coats of skin and He clothed them suitably for his presence. Only then could they stand in the presence of God without fear.

Redemption or salvation cannot be accomplished by sinful man. The cost is too great for man to pay. Psa.49:8, says " The redemption of their soul is costly (correct reading) and must be given up forever". Verse 7 says, "None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him". The whole world has been brought in guilty before God and He proclaims "There is none that doeth good", Psa.14:1, . "There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not " Eccl. 7.20. Read Rom. 3:9 to 20. There Paul shows that whether it be Jew or Gentile, there is no difference.

Thus we have proved that salvation is not the work of sinful man, but the work of God only. How we should praise Him for this! What God does is both complete and eternal. Eccl. 3:14 says, " I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God doeth it that men should fear before him." That is, the contemplation of His work, in our present enquiry, His redeeming work, inspires awe, wonder and worship. On the cross Christ cried, " It is finished", John 19:30. Only then did He bow His head and deliver up His spirit. Thus he became the "Author of eternal salvation" and He has obtained an "eternal redemption for us", Heb.5:9/9:12.

Let us then recap on what we have seen.

1. Man cannot secure or earn his own salvation or that of his brother, nor can he add to what God has done.

2. The salvation of God is complete; nothing needs to be added.

3. The salvation of God is eternal.

Now we come to the second question -

On what does my salvation depend?

(a) Does it depend on me and on my ability to hold on to Christ, my ability to endure to the end? Or -

(b) Does it depend upon Christ alone, His finished work and His ability to hold on to me?

Let us now look at these two sub-questions.

(a) If my salvation depends upon me, and my ability to hold on to Christ in order to endure to the end, then I can never be secure.

Firstly, if I am a sincere believer then I shall be constantly in fear of losing my salvation. I have learned that I can never trust myself. Often through carelessness and sometimes through sin, I will be in constant danger until the end of my life of falling away and of being lost eternally. Also I will be an object of constant attack of Satan, who will drive me to despair with his constant condemnation. If I am a true believer, the thought or fear of losing my salvation will be the greatest torture possible, next to hell itself. Thus I will never be able to rejoice in the wonder of Christ's finished work. God will be robbed of the worship and adoration that such wonder produces and I will be robbed of the joy and liberty that is mine by right of the new birth.

Secondly, if this proposition is correct, then the work of Christ on the cross is not sufficient. It was only an objective thing and subjectively it depends on me. This detracts from the glory of Christ and the wonder of His work and if I finally succeed in getting to heaven, then I will have had a part in it and have some cause to boast or to glory. God has decreed that this shall never be, that "No flesh should glory in his presence", 1 Cor. 1: 29-31, Eph. 2: 8-9.

(b) Dear believer my salvation depends upon Christ alone and his ability to hold on to me.

Blessed be God! I am not left in any uncertainty, not left to be a miserable object of Satan's condemnation. I am given the strongest assurance in the words of my blessed Saviour Himself. I can and must rely absolutely on what He says, for it is more reliable than heaven and earth (Matthew. 24:35). Let us look at some of the statements and promises that He makes to you and me in His holy word.

Firstly - John 5:24. As if to banish any possible doubt, He prefaces His statement with a double affirmation, "Verily, verily", that is, "It is true, it is true". Then He says, "I say unto you". He is not leaving it to angel, apostle, priest or preacher to tell, but says "I say unto you". Here then is a statement that is more reliable than heaven or earth, more enduring than both. A statement that I can fully, safely and eternally trust. The word of God Who cannot lie. Dear believer, what an assurance is this on which to rest your faith! Away with any doubts that you may have. Let your faith lay hold of this, let your soul rest in it and rejoice in it. "Rejoice in the Lord".

Then what does He say? "He that hears my word", "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God", we are told in Rom. 10:17. Hearing in John 5:24, has an intensive and active sense. There are many who hear the Gospel but have never heard the word of the Lord Jesus, His voice, what He says. Like God told Isaiah, "Hear ye indeed, but understand not", Isa. 6:9. But in this verse one hears with the heart, as it were. What is said reaches deeper than the mind or the intellect. Have you heard "His word", His voice speaking to you through the message, the Gospel? When you do, it will move you deeply within, you will feel a strange drawing within. But let us continue.

"And believes on Him that has sent me". This is an active, saving faith. The story of the Gospel is no longer just a story. It is true. It is true for me. No longer am I occupied with myself but now my faith has another object. I believe in my heart, (Rom. 10: 9-10) that God sent the Lord Jesus to be my Saviour. I believe that He gave his only begotten Son for me. I believe that the Lord Jesus shed His precious blood for me, that He died and rose again for me. The belief, the faith is personal leading to specific and absolute, final trust in God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Then the Lord Jesus says that such a person "has everlasting (eternal) life". There is no obscurity, no uncertainty, in this positive affirmative statement. "Has", is present tense, (Has it now!). "Has eternal life". Not an uncertain passing emotional experience but a life that will endure beyond this mortal life, beyond death itself. He does not say, "might have", but has it now. Next He says, "And shall not come into condemnation". (Judgment). Again a clear, positive, affirmative statement about which there can be no doubt. Here is the promise of the Saviour Himself that the true believer will never go to hell, (which is the eternal judgment of a holy God against the unrepentant Christ- rejecting sinner). Upon what firmer foundation could I possibly base the assurance of my salvation? Finally, to seal it up forever, Jesus says, "But is passed from death unto life". Once more the positive, present, active assurance. There is no maybe, no perhaps. On the day that I heard and responded to the word of the Lord Jesus Christ and exercised personal faith in Himself and his heavenly Father, these things became eternally true for me. I am now numbered among the LIVING. Blessed be our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Secondly let us turn to another passage John 10: 27-29. Here again we have the words of our Jesus Christ Himself, (not that the other statements of the Bible have any less authority as "all scripture is given by inspiration of God"), but it is so sweet to have your faith and assurance based upon the very words of the One who died for you. In this passage the Lord Jesus is speaking as the Good Shepherd and is speaking of us as His sheep for whom He has laid down his life. The first thing He says is , "My sheep hear my voice". This fits in with what we have already seen in the passage in chapter 5:24, but here, as verse 3 to 5 of this chapter 10 shew, His sheep are constantly hearing His voice alone and do not listen to the voice of strangers. This clearly shows that the sheep of the Good Shepherd continually read the Bible as a daily habit because it is through the word of God that He speaks to us.

Next he says "and I know them". This is a source of great comfort to the true believer. He knows me through and through. He knew me before I was born. He knows what I have done and what I will yet do. He knows my tendency to wander and to fall but He loves in spite of all that He knows, and He loves me so much that He laid down his life for me (Verse 15). I can never surprise or disappoint Him by anything that I might do in my weakness or even in my self-will. After this He says, "and they follow me". This is the consistent characteristic of one who is truly His. Day after day, year after year, it is the sheep's delight to follow, to be near the Shepherd. "They will not follow a stranger". (Verse 5). There are many "strangers" in these last and difficult days and those who are not the sheep of Christ will follow such. The strangers are described in Matt. 24: 23 to 26. Such today claim to be prophets, miracle workers etc. Let us be warned!

Now comes the beautiful statement, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish", Verse 28. What clearer statement could possibly be made? Dear troubled believer, rest your soul on this forever! Would He deceive you or lie to you? It is unthinkable. If you can lose the life that He has given you, then it is not eternal life. When he says "they shall never perish", He means just that. Once you have really trusted Him and been born again, then your soul will never perish but is eternally secure. Then he says, "and no one one shall seize them out of my hand", (correct translation), meaning that neither man, angel or demon, can pluck you from His almighty hand. Can you not see now that your eternal security depends on His unquestionable ability to hold on to you and not on your questionable ability to hold on to Him. Then, as if to doubly assure you, He says, "My Father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one can seize out of the hand of my Father". So then, first we are in the mighty hand of Christ and secondly to make us doubly secure, the Father's mighty hand is over the hand of Christ. None can pluck us from those hands.

But once I heard a preacher say, "But I can take myself out of His hand". That preacher was wrong, and his statement implies that my strength is greater than that of the Father and the Son. I have proved this in my own experience. In my teenage years, though I had been saved at an early age, I became very rebellious and brought much sorrow to my blessed Master and also to my parents. I wanted to give up the One to whom I had given myself. I wanted to take myself out of His hand. I tried to pose as an atheist and knowing the Bible very well could have a strong argument with those who knew less. But I am happy to tell that I could not take myself out of the mighty hand of the Good Shepherd. He would not let me go, He would not give me up. Thus we have shown that the security of our salvation does not depend on our holding on to Christ, but on His holding on to us.

SOME OBJECTIONS

There are some believers who object to the doctrine we have stated and bring scriptures that seem to support those objections. It must be clear to us all that the Bible does not contradict itself, so let us now look at some of those objections and the scriptures brought forward to support them.

(1) "If once saved always saved, it then does not matter what I do, I will still go to heaven?"

The answer to this objection is quite simple. If I am truly saved, I will have no desire to just do as I please. Rather I will want to do those things that please my blessed Lord and Master, Who bought me with His precious blood. The fear of losing my salvation is not what prevents me from living in sin, but rather my love for the Lord Jesus. He did not say, "If you are afraid of going to hell, keep my commandments", but, "If you love me, keep my commandments". There is a very great difference in each attitude.

(2) "I know someone who says that they are saved, yet are living in adultery or some other gross sin. What about them?"

It is most unlikely that such a person will be in heaven, but we are not the final judges. It is "the judge of all the earth" who will decide. The person in the case cited does not lose his salvation, but it would seem that in spite of his bright and enthusiastic beginning, he was never really saved and because of this he did not continue. He had no salvation to lose. It is possible for counterfeits to look very genuine and to be accepted by many as genuine but to be what Peter describes as a washed sow, which goes back to rolling in the mud and filth, 2 Peter 2: 21-22.

Let us look at that passage. In verse 21, Peter says that "it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them". Light or knowledge does not change any one but it does make them more responsible. No longer can they plead ignorance and because they reject what they know to be right, they may suffer much remorse and sorrow here and now in this life. Though there has been some outward cleaning of their lives, their unregenerate hearts have never been changed. You may get a pig, a sow, and scrub it much, using much soap, water, brushes etc., until the pig is clean. You may then put powder, scent etc., and the pig will even smell clean. Then while ever you keep it shut up in a clean yard it will remain clean but if you open the gate and let it go free, it will quickly go to the mud and filth and will soon be as dirty as it ever was before. Not only so, but it will seem to enjoy the filth, the defilement. Also with a dog, it may be feeling unwell in its stomach and will vomit but soon it will eat again what it has vomited. This describes the case we are considering in this objection. They may be very aggressive and outspoken in their preaching.

Balaam the false prophet who is referred to in verse 15 and 16 of 2 Pet. 2, said some lofty and wonderful things and his words spoken through the compulsion of the Holy Spirit. Who came upon him, became scripture. Yet he was never more than a false prophet and sorcerer. His actions and methods of sacrifice prove this, yet there are still those today who regard him as a true prophet, a righteous man and a real servant of Jehovah. So complete was his deception. He was one who knew the way of righteousness, but loved the reward of unrighteousness. He was slain by the sword of the people he wanted to curse. There are many passages of scripture that convey a solemn warning to such people as we are thinking about. They are also a warning to any believers who are tempted to turn back. However they were not meant to shake the faith and confidence of the true believer and destroy their enjoyment of the security they have in Christ.

DIFFICULT SCRIPTURE PASSAGES

Let us now look at some of the scripture passages referred to and learn what they really mean. There are a number of verses in the epistle to the Hebrews that convey warnings. Before we look at each such verse, let us look at the epistle itself.

It is the epistle to the HEBREWS. It is not written to any individual, or Church or even to the saints only, the elect. Compare the first epistle of Peter which is also written to Hebrews, but to the elect, though scattered through persecution, to those whom he says are born again. Whereas the epistle to the Hebrews was written to Hebrews, some of whom were faithful suffering saints. Some were new believers but many were not yet committed. They had been attracted by the Gospel of Christ and had seen its power in their lives but were themselves in danger of going back to the sacrifices that were still being offered according to the Old Testament instructions at the temple in Jerusalem which had not yet been destroyed. That danger was not there when Peter's epistle was written, because the temple had then been destroyed and the sacrifices were no longer being offered and have never been offered since the desecration and destruction of the temple and never will be offered until the temple is rebuilt or the brazen altar erected in its proper place.

Keeping this in mind, let us now look at -

Hebrews Chapter 2: 1-3

Here those interested in the Gospel and probably convinced by what they had heard, were in danger of " letting them slip" or of neglecting to heed and receive by personal faith, both the Saviour and His salvation. Once a person is truly saved, the work is done. He is in Christ and can never "let them slip". The only way that he can then neglect that "so great salvation" is by neglecting to share it with others who are unsaved. But the person who had been given the wonderful privilege of hearing the Gospel, but let the opportunity of receiving it and the Saviour through whom it is made available to them, slip away without accepting it by faith, cannot escape. Those who thus neglect that is, neglect to receive the Christ of the Gospel, for them there was no way of escape, for they had neglected to take the only way of escape from the righteous judgment of God.

Hebrews Chapter 3:6

This verse states that we are God's house, "if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end". That little English word IF, with the big meaning, comes in here. That seems to cast a doubt in many minds, but you will notice that it is not "if we hold fast to our salvation", but "the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope".

This statement does not mean that I have to hold fast to be the house of God but rather that my "holding fast" and continuing "unto the end", is proof that I am a part of the house of God. 1 Pet. 2: 4-5. tells me that I come to Christ as a "living stone", He being " the living stone", that is I am of the same character as Himself possessing His own nature. (2. Pet. 1: 3-4) and He builds me into His "spiritual house". Thus it is all His work and not mine. There may be many stones lying around a building but those built into and permanently fixed into the building are part of the building. No stone can fix itself into the building and no stone can take itself out of the building.

The house that Christ is building will never fall apart or decay, but is eternal and even the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it. (Matt. 16:18.) Its stones will never decay or fall apart, because it is built by Him, by God. The fact that the believer continues to "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope" is proof that he is a part of God's building. It will be clear to us that a person, like those earlier discussed, who makes some decision, shows some joy and confidence, but them just falls away, loses interest in the things of God and goes back to the world, such prove that they were never part of God's house.

Hebrews Chapter 3:8 to Chapter 4:11

The rest of chapter 3 of Hebrews and the first eleven verses of chapter 4, deal with the doctrine of sanctification not of salvation. The children of Israel are used as a warning. They all came out of Egypt, they all crossed the Red Sea, but none of those who were in the first numbering of the people, who were above the age of 20 years, ever entered the promised land except Caleb and Joshua. They were all saved from the judgment of the destroyer by trusting in and sheltering beneath the blood of the Passover lamb. They were all delivered from the slavery of Egypt (the external power of sin) by passing through the Red Sea, but they never entered into the enjoyment of their promised inheritance, Canaan. "Their carcasses fell in the wilderness". Just like so many believers they are truly saved from the guilt of their sins and the judgment those sins deserve, but they seem to spend their lives wandering aimlessly in a dry and barren waste never entering into the enjoyment of the riches of their inheritance in Christ. Their life is an endless struggle as they strive to live a holy life, but are so often defeated, unable to control the sinful habits which spoil their lives.

Believers are warned in verse 12 to beware of an evil heart of unbelief which turns away from the "living God". Unbelief in this case, is not necessarily the wilful rejection of divine truth and the "turning away", is not necessarily to gross sin or to the world. It has been described as the "reasonable alternative to faith". That alternative is "works". When I exercise faith I turn away from myself and everything else and acknowledge that only God can keep me and I trust him to do that. But when I turn away from Him, I turn to myself and try to do in my own strength and imagined wisdom what only God can do. Like Israel we say in presumptuous self confidence, "All that Jehovah has said will WE do and obey", (Ex. 24:7.) As a result they were given the law, which was to teach them that they could not do what they had vowed to do. All this leads to struggle and the believer does not enter into the REST spoken of in ch. 4:11. As we have proved, it does not mean that my salvation is lost but that I fail to enjoy the sanctifying work of Christ or to enjoy His rest.

Hebrews Chapter 6: 4-9

This passage is very much misunderstood and is used by Satan to hold genuine believers in fear and torment, causing them to fear that at last they will be burned. Please bear in mind our earlier remarks about the nature of this epistle. In verses 4-6, we read that it is impossible to renew certain people to repentance. Repentance is the first requirement to experience salvation. However repentance alone will never save anyone. Two other things are necessary, "Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ", (Acts 20:21), and for one to receive him as their personal Saviour, (John 1:12, Rev. 3: 20, Rom. 6:23). Repentance comes through the goodness of God, (Rom. 2:4). That is God orders the circumstances, creates the environment outwardly and convinces me of sin by his Spirit inwardly, but the act of repentance is my responsibility, a command all must obey, (Acts 17:30). It is clear then, that the persons warned in the passage being considered, had been under the sound of the Gospel. They had experienced the convicting power of the Holy Spirit inwardly and the enlightening power of the Holy Spirit outwardly. The same Spirit and power that will pervade the "world to come". They had tasted, not received, "the heavenly gift". I would point out that it is possible to taste yet not receive. Let me give an example.

In India I am sometimes offered food, (their food is often extremely hot with chillies), but after tasting ( and diving for the water jug!), I have to respectfully decline to receive the food. This is what these Hebrews were in danger of doing. They had been made partakers of the Holy spirit. This does not mean that they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. "Made partakers" does not involve the action of the will or personal choice, just as it is said in chapter 2:14. There the children are said to be "partakers of flesh and blood". This was not because of the children's choice; they had no say or part in the matter. These people had experienced the Holy Spirit's power both inwardly, convincing them of sin, and outwardly through the hearing of the Gospel being preached and through seeing the lives of others changed. They had experienced the powerful atmosphere of the presence of the Holy Spirit of God. Yet they were in danger of going back to the law, of going back to offering the animal sacrifices which were no longer of any value. Some had done this and they had rejected the salvation of God after having been convinced of its truth and having witnessed its power in others. Yet they had hardened their hearts so much as to make it impossible to bring them again to the point of repentance. Please note, it does not say, "to renew them again to SALVATION". This is because they had never been saved.

When they offered the animal sacrifices again, knowing what those sacrifices spoke of, that is the suffering and death of Christ on the cross, in their minds they crucified Him again and repeated the shame and horror of Calvary. They were like the earth that had drunk in the rain. They only brought forth "thorns and briars" (verse 8). These are useless and harmful things that cause injury to any who would come near or try to handle them. I would point out that most land that has never been cultivated grows thorns and briars. The first thing the farmer has to do to bring the land into production is to cut down and burn this harmful growth. Then he breaks up, ploughs and cultivates the land. Only after a lot of labour and patient toil can there be fruit or herbs or vegetables. In the Indian context, sometimes there are Hindus, usually the intellectual and philosophical types, who will come to meetings, listen to the Gospel and often relate it to something in Hinduism. They see others accept Christ and are convinced of the truth. They too may make a profession and go through the formality of accepting, but later they go back to their idols, (They probably never really left them). Such people become so hard that it seems impossible to bring them again to the point of repentance. They often hinder others who would trust Christ as Saviour. They will tell them, "Don't do it, I studied it all and it is empty. Our religion is the oldest and the best".

However, in spite of all that we have said, there is enough in this passage to bring a solemn warning to professing believers, whose lives are bearing no fruit or who are living in sin. A true believer can fall into sin but they can repent and should repent. If they continue to live in sin, there is a very real doubt if they are really saved.

Hebrews Chapter 10: 26-30

Finally let us look at this passage, which is similar in many ways to the one in chapter 6. Here Paul speaks again of the same kind of people, whom he warns again. These people "sin wilfully" after having received "the KNOWLEDGE of the truth". That sin is wilfully, not through weakness, rejecting the truth of Christ and His salvation and going back to Judaism and to the offering of animal sacrifices. To do this was to reject Christ and His sacrifice.

Paul is telling them that those animal sacrifices cannot take away sin nor can they give any peace to the conscience of the offerer. Such sacrifices only make the offerer conscious of the horrible guilt of sin and the terrible judgment that it deserves. For such there is no more sacrifice for sin, because they have rejected the only sacrifice that can take away sin. Such people deserve a sterner judgment or punishment than those who broke or despised Moses' law. This is because by their actions they have "trodden under foot the Son of God". They do this by saying that the animal sacrifices are better. They are saying by their actions that Christ is not the Saviour, that He is not the fulfilment of the Old Testament sacrifices. By this they are saying that He is an impostor, a deceiver and that His precious blood, the only thing that can cleanse the soul from guilt and deliver from the judgment of sin, is just a common thing, that it is unclean, unholy. In turning back to the law they despise divine grace, for it is "By grace are ye saved". Such expose themselves to the judgment of God, His vengeance. He will surely recompense. Having warned the wavering, Paul then turns to encourage the suffering believers and urges them to continue faithfully and thus receive the reward of their confidence.

There are doubtless other passages that could be explained, but this little booklet does not pretend to be an exhaustive study. Nevertheless, we have examined some of the strongest passages and those passages most used by the enemy to shake the believer's assurance of salvation and to torment the souls of many with doubt.

Thus we commend this little booklet to God, with the prayer that He may be pleased to use it to strengthen and encourage true believers, to make their hearts to rejoice in Him and His wonderful and eternal salvation. May He also be pleased to use it to shake and to awaken those who are careless and to restore backsliders to Himself.

Written at Edakkara, Kerala, India. 11/1/92.

Enquiries and requests for further copies are welcomed by the author. C.E. Wigg,

P.O. Yolla,

Tasmania, Australia. 7325.