Once save always saved?
A layman’s point of view

Most preachers of cheap grace or antinomianism (Greek: ‘anti’ or against - 'nomos' meaning law; which is to disregard the need for the 10 commandments or moral laws of God or under no obligation to regard the moral laws of God) usually preached along the lines of 'Once Saved Always Saved'. They attribute this to Apostle Paul with regard to his teaching on Grace and on Christian liberty (Gal 2:4). I.E. they say that Christians are no longer under the requirements of the law or saying that God doesn’t require anything from the people He send His only begotten Son to die to save. This is also to say that Christians don’t need to grow toward the level of holy or righteous living because once a person accepts Christ he or she is automatically holy or righteous. One recent popular verse is as follows……

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2Co 5:21)

This is to say that Jesus bore ALL our sins therefore we receive the gift of righteousness. So the conclusion is that we are no longer condemned by the law because Jesus took the full punishment for sin for us that we might be made right before God. Rightly so! In preceding verse, Paul reminds us that we Christ ambassadors, meaning we are to represent Him correctly. If God is Holy, therefore we should represent our Holy God. We know that righteousness is a gift of God by His grace, but keep in mind that a gift has to be firstly received. The condition of receiving the gift of righteousness, I believe is on the condition that we are willing to let go of the past sin life. The previous sin life and the new creation life in Christ can’t mix as much as oil and water can’t.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (Rom 6:14-15)

Therefore if we continue to live under the bondage of sin, Paul strongly says ‘God forbid’. For we are no longer under the dominion of sin but under the Lordship of Christ! We no longer live under the law that condemns us but it becomes liberty to us. Liberty doesn’t confine us the way we think, but liberty not to sin as well as liberty to forgive, be meek, bless our persecutors, pure in heart, etc as Jesus outlined for us in Matt 5. We need to look at liberty the way Jesus sees it, not what we perceive liberty to gratify the flesh.

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. (Jas 2:12)

This means that we are free from the curse of the law but judged by the law of liberty which is not a law of external constraint but of internal freedom to love, forgive, etc. For example Jesus taught us that He came not to do away with the law to fulfill it (Matt 5:17) and subsequently go on to expound that He is not looking at the external but internal. For example with regard to adultery in Matt 5:28 goes another level deeper from the committing the physical act of adultery to conceiving it in the heart. If we have true liberty in Christ then we are free from the even committing adultery in the heart. This seems to be almost impossible. But what is impossible with man is possible with God. That is why the promise of the Holy Spirit is the key to being true citizens of the Kingdom of God. I believe that the Lord is reminding us that we can’t deal with flesh and sin; we need the baptism of fire which only He can baptize us with to set our internal to liberty. If our internal is liberated than the external will be free (Matt 3:11). The more we submit to Christ and allow the Fire of Heaven touch our inert the greater the freedom. David understood this by saying in Psa 51:6 that we need to be truthful inside in the dealing with sin.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Gal 5:13)

As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. (1Pe 2:16)

Liberty is not to be abused and ties in with serving God. Moses told pharaoh to let His people go to serve Him. We ought to serve God with ‘clean hands’. If our service to God is motivated by love (not recognition) than we know that the self has taken second seat and others considered better than ourselves. This is where our struggle begins on our pilgrimage to complete liberty. How much of self have to die, firstly in that Christ increase (John 3:30) and secondly to serve other in love.

What is Calvinism?
Much of the ‘once saved, always saved’ thinking have been attributed to John Calvin. He was a theologian during the era of the Protestant Reformation about the same time as Martin Luther in the fifteen hundreds.

John Calvin was a very logical man and gave much thought into the understanding of salvation and came up with the acronym TULIP.The Five Points of Calvinism in acrostic form

+ T :Total Depravity : Everyone is born in enslaved in sin, being lovers of self than lovers of God.
+ U :Unconditional election : Our salvation is purely by God’s mercy, not because we choose salvation.
+ L :Limited atonement : Salvation applies to those who God has elected to be saved by His grace. This is against the teaching of universalism which says that eventually everyone will be saved because of God’s grace…. Not true teaching, since we know that salvation is by faith (Eph 2:8,9)
+ I :Irresistible grace : Salvation is God’s grace alone. This also means that the Holy Spirit overcomes all resistance (unbelief, etc) to convict individuals of sin, realizing that Salvation is the saving Grace of God.
+ P :Perserverance of the saints : This is also known as ‘eternal security’. Take note that the title ‘saints’ in the Bible is given to those who are holy or set apart by God. Some evangelicals advocate say that Christians remain ‘saved’ despite apostasy, unrepentant of sin and continually participate in habitual sin. But traditional Calvinist would dispute that in the first place did true salvation actually too place.

The antinomian may take the Perseverance of the saints as the supporting point for ‘once saved always saved’. This is of course generally true that once one put their trust in Christ, there is the assurance of salvation and eternal life with God. Once there is the complete trust in Christ, God will ensure He preserves us in the faith. John Calvin is right with regard to Perseverance of the saints as given to us in John 10:28-29, Phil 1:6, 1 Pet 1:5, and Jer 32:40.

However, we can’t neglect the call of the Apostle to ‘Fight the Good Fight’ which is to endure till we reach Heaven’s gates.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1Ti 6:12)

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (2Ti 4:7)

The crown of finishing is to ‘lay hold on eternal life’ as our crown or prize or victory. To fight means to require effort on our behalf. Why? I believe because it takes effort to pry the past life away just as the Israelites that left Egypt led by Moses but Egypt didn’t leave their hearts (Acts 7:30). 1 Cor 10:1-11 also reminds that it’s not about starting well, but ending well is just as important. Therefore we can’t say that we are ‘heaven-bound’ but continue or even return to a life of sin. Grace is not cheap and leaves no room for carnal Christianity which is by and large popularly taught in many churches today. Grace caused the Father to send His only Begotten Son and Grace caused the Son of God His life (and everything - remember that He died in shame bearing the sin of the world!)

The Bible is clear about enduring to the end (the term by Jesus in Revelation is ‘Over-comers’) as necessary for final salvation as per Matt 24:13, Mark 13:13, Matt 10:22, 2 Tim 2:11-13, and 1 Cor 15:1-2.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (Jas 1:12)

We are warned not to give up, only those who over-come shall receive the crown of life (http://pursuinghispresence.blogspot.com/2007/11/crown-behold-i-come-quickly-hold-that.html).

We also have a responsibility to be our brother’s keeper that we will together endure till we meet Christ face to face. It is our responsibility to love others as we love ourselves.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (Jas 5:19-20)