Christianity teaches of a doctrine known as ‘once saved, always saved’, which refers to a belief held by some sects of this faith that those who accept Jesus Christ as their savior in life will be granted deliverance from eternal damnation after death, regardless of their subsequent behaviour, words or actions.The idea is often put forward that an individual accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior can, at any point in his/her life, be relieved of any sin – both past, present and future. The Bible, however, does not explicitly contain any evidence to support the doctrine of ‘once saved, always saved’ and, while certain verses may appear to imply it, some may argue that the graver implications of this position have potentially been overlooked on occasions.
Gospel of Matthew
Passages from the Gospel of Matthew suggest that only those who abide by the moral law will be granted eternal life: ‘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.'(Matthew 7:21), suggesting that without following biblical teaching, such as ‘love God and love thy neighbor’ (John 13:34-35), individuals may forfeit the promise of eternal salvation. According to this line of thinking, if ‘once saved always saved’ were true, these verses would be redundant.
Possibility of Denial
Though Jesus taught that salvation was granted to those who confessed and accepted him, he also reportedly spoke of the risk of having this salvation denied away by God. According to Jesus’ teachings found in the Gospel of Matthew (10:33) ‘Whoever denies me before men, Him will I also deny before my Father.’ As such, some believe it is possible for a person to be denied salvation despite former devotion.
Godly Repentance
Though the term ‘once saved, always saved’ has become widely used within Christian thought, this isn’t a message explicitly supported by the teachings of Jesus. In some passages, such as those in 2 Peter (3:9), Jesus speaks of the possibility of Godly repentance, described as a second chance where the believer is not just forgiven, but actually transformed in nature. This teaching suggests that if one’s belief is real and if one wishes to be forgiven, they can still be reborn (John 3:3).
Progeny of Abraham
Summary passages from the Old Testament, such as those written in Romans (9:7) also appear to indicate that salvation isn’t necessarily dependent on belief and good works but rather on a person having their ‘being’ in the physical progeny of Abraham; an aspect which some may argue further dilutes the idea of ‘once saved, always saved’.
Free-Will of the Believer
The Bible does contain evidence that God wishes for humanity to have the capability to make decisions in life, using this free-will for good or ill. For instance, Romans (6:16) states ‘Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone, as slaves to obey him, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin which leads to death or of obedience which leads to righteousness.’ As such, it’s possible that the path of deliverance walks both ways, dependent on how obedient one chooses to be.
Consequences Granted by God
Within the Bible, God speaks of the consequences held in store for those who blindly press ahead and continuously sin, as summarised by Hebrews (10:26): ‘For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins’. This verse suggests that when and if mankind transgresses God’s laws with full knowledge of the fact, the potential for penalty, in the form of damnation and hell, is imminent.
Christ’s Message of Salvation and Forgiveness
In addition to these more ‘messy’ theological matters, the general teaching of Jesus was for us all to turn to him, who alone has the power to grant forgiveness and salvation. Mark (2:17) states ‘Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’ This implies that Jesus forgives those who seek him, in the same way a physician can cure the sick who seek out their help.
Agape and Justice
Jesus himself speaks of two primary themes; agape and justice. Parables such as that of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) suggest that only those who actively use their gifts to better the Kingdom of God, will be rewarded and welcomed in. Further passages such as 1 John (2:2) and 1 John (1:7-9) confirm that ‘God is the just judge of the world’ and that although salvation and forgiveness is available to all who wish to bring themselves before him, denundants of ‘sinned and not repented’ may still be alike for their actions.
Humanity’s Sin and Forgiveness
In considering once saved, always saved, it is at least partially useful to consider the role of sin in our everyday lives. ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23) asserts that humanity is in a state of sin due to Adam and Eve’s acts in the Garden of Eden. As such, the Bible concedes to an individual’s right of free will and suggests that, no matter the sect to which they belong, if they repent and reach out to Jesus he may forgive them even the most egregious of sins.
Moral Imperatives and Conclusions
At the heart of the matter, what the concept of ‘once saved, always saved’ implies is that once an individual has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal lord and savior in life, they can act however they wish without consequence. The Bible, however, appears to disagree with this. As this article has sought to explore, passages from the Old and New Testaments appear to agree that a believer must keep the law and live a moral life; this suggests that earthly consequences may still befall those who choose not to do so. Furthermore, while the teachings of Jesus arguably hint at the possibility of posthumous judgement, this concept is never fully explored or upheld as definitively true in Scripture.
