Sermon Audio Archive

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

  

FROM: 2/2/03 Radio Program

Question:

What about once in grace, always in grace? Are there Scriptures that support this doctrine?

Answer:

A word of explanation: "Once in grace, always in grace," is sometimes called, "Once saved, always saved," or the impossibility of apostasy. Perhaps you have heard of this doctrine by one or more of these terms.

Put simply, the answer to the question is "No." The Bible does not support that doctrine at all. Please consider the following Scriptures:

1. Hebrews 3:12-13 - "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

2. Galatians 5:4 - "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."

3. I Timothy 4:1-2 - "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron..."

Based on these first three verses, consider a few questions:

1. Can one "depart" from a place where he is not? These three passages speak of one departing from God, departing from the faith, and falling from grace. Can one do this, having never been in that relationship?

2. If one has departed from the faith, has fallen from grace, or has departed from God, will this person go to Heaven, anyway? Is that consistent with Bible teaching? (See: Romans 11:22)

Let us consider two passages from the book of II Peter:

1. II Peter 2:20-22 - "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For 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. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

2. II Peter 3:7 - "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."

   As we did earlier, let us ask a few questions:

   1. If one is "again entangled," does that not imply that one had been "untangled" at some point?

   2. If one was "again entangled ... and overcome" how could the latter end be "worse" IF once one is saved, he is always saved? For the doctrine of "once in grace always in grace" to be true, it would seem that the "latter end" ought to be better than the beginning!!

   3. Furthermore, notice that Peter warns those brethren to "beware" unless they would be "led away" and "fall from your own steadfastness." As we noted earlier, if one "falls from" a place, does this not imply he was first there?

   While we have looked primarily at New Testament passages, the entire Bible declares in no uncertain terms that the doctrine of "once in grace, always in grace" or "once saved, always saved" is a false doctrine. In other words, there are NO scriptures which support such a doctrine as "once in grace, always in grace."

   * Related Articles *

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   Do You Teach "Eternal Security" When You Encourage Christians To Repent And Pray For Forgiveness Of Sins?

   Do My Sins Affect My Soul?

   When You "Fall Away," Do You Have To Be Baptized Again?

   
   

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