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Once Saved, Always Saved
But is it Biblical?
Dean Childers
Not very many doctrines receive as much debate as this one does. Many adhere to it, others
do not. There are a few others that will provoke debates even among long time Christians. The
Rapture, Millennialism (pre, post, and al) just to mane a few. As for me, I believe in the doctrine of
Once Saved, Always Saved. I was taught this from an early age in church. And for many years I
just accepted it as true. You know, what you learn at an early age tends to stick with you through
life. I started seminary school and a whole new world opened up to me. I’ve got a thirst for
knowledge that seems to be unquenchable. I began to research, to investigate, to seek
enlightenment, regarding church doctrines and what we come to accept and believe. I have read
some of the early church doctrines and early versions of Systematic Theology. I wanted to why we
believe what we believe. I have studied such authors as: John Gill’s “Body of Practical Divinity,”
The Complete Works of Jonathan Edwards, “Theology Proper” by Charles Hodge, “Institutes of
Christian Religion” by John Calvin, “Abstract of Systematic Theology” by James Petigru Boyce,
“Manual of Theology” by John L. Dagg, “Introduction to Christian Doctrine” by Millard Erickson,
The Complete works of Arthur W. Pink. And just to balance things out, I’ve even read Charles
Finney's 1851 Lectures on Systematic Theology, and the Theology of Karl Barth, along with The
Works of James Arminius.
You see, I felt a need to see how theology has developed from the earliest days, up to the
present time. I have even studied a lot of Augustine’s writings. While I do not agree with all of
Augustine’s writings, I have been able to pick bits and pieces of useful information from him, he
does have his good points. I have studied some of the Confessions of Faith, and in my humble
opinion, The Westminster Confession of Faith of 1647 to 1649 and The Baptist Faith and Message
of 1963 are the best ones. But that’s neither here nor there. Before I get into this subject, I wanted to
see how this idea developed. So I went and did research and some serious studying on the subject, I
wanted to make sure that what I propose is right and biblical. I studied a lot of scripture while doing
this, and decided on one single passage which I believe supports my position.
Before we dive in, I feel you should know at least some other views on this subject and their
position:
Classic Arminianism
One must persevere in faith to
be saved.
True believers can lose their
faith.
Those dying without faith in
Christ are condemned.
Antinomianism
One need not persevere in faith
to be saved.
True believers can lose their
faith.
Those who lose their faith are
saved because they once
believed.
The believer who loses his faith The believer who loses his faith
is damned.
is saved.
Classic Calvinism
One must persevere in faith to
be saved.
True believers cannot lose their
faith, since it is God’s gift.
Those dying without faith in
Christ are condemned.
Those who lose their faith
never had it to begin with.
God will preserve true believers
and they will be saved.
Now lets look at the above table for just a minute. Arminians are right when they say the
Bible teaches that only those who persevere will be saved, and they’re right in accusing
Antinomians of easy-believism and cheap grace. Antinomians (they wouldn’t use the term) are
right in telling committed believers that they are secure in Christ and “once saved, always saved.”
But where both of these views are wrong, is in assuming that a true believer can lose his faith and
fall away from Christ. Faith is “a gift of God—not by works, lest any man boast.” Paul was
confident that, since Christ had begun a good work in believers, He would continue that work until
completion (Phil. 1). John said that those who fell away were never really true Christians, since
true believers don't leave the faith (1 John 2:19).
Scripture teaches that believers must persevere until the end, but also that believers will
persevere until the end by God's grace. Christians might temporarily yield to Satan's temptations,
even to excess, but like Peter when he denied Christ three times, God will still restore and preserve
the faith of the Christian, a faith which God gave in the first place! Peter went on to be chief among
the apostles! It is my opinion that the classical Calvinist model takes into account all of the biblical
data.
One argument against this used by the Arminians is: “But when the righteous turneth away
from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that
the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned:
in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.” Eze.
18:24. John Gill gives this answer:
“Such a sense of the words is contrary to the scope and design of the whole chapter, which
not at all concerns the perseverance or apostasy of saints, and neither their salvation nor damnation;
but the sole view of it is to vindicate the justice of God, from a charge of punishing the Jews, not for
their own sins, but the sins of their fathers, and of injustice and inequality in his providential
dealings with them, and has nothing to do with the spiritual and eternal affairs of men.”1
The whole context wholly and solely regards the house of Israel, and the land of Israel, and
the conduct of the people of Israel in it. In applying that to the saints in particular, which relates to
the Jewish church and nation only, as distinguishable from all other people, and so stands selfcondemned. Millions of instances of this kind will never enervate the doctrine of the saints
perseverance; let it be proved if it can, that any one that has been made righteous by the obedience
of Christ, and has been truly and inwardly sanctified by the Spirit and grace of God, ever so fell
away, as everlastingly to perish; let this be proved and we have done: As for a man’s own
righteousness and outward acts of holiness, we allow a man may turn from them and he lost, but not
from the righteousness of Christ, which is everlasting, nor from an inward principle of grace and
holiness, which ever abides.
Another argument is: "one who is endued with the faith that purifies the heart, that produces
a good conscience, may nevertheless so fall from God, as to perish everlastingly." In proof of which
is produced, 1 Timothy 1:19, 20, holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put
away, concerning faith have made shipwreck, of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander. It does not
appear that these men ever had their hearts purified by faith; this should be first proved, before they
are produced as instances of the apostasy of real saints; the contrary appears in their characters; they
were ungodly men, and were never otherwise for any thing that is said of them; and after their
profession of religion, they increased and proceeded to more ungodliness; they were vain-babblers,
opposers of the doctrines of the gospel, and blasphemers of it, and were never upon the foundation
that stands sure, or were known by the Lord as his, (see 1 Tim 1:20 and 2 Tim. 2:16, 19; 4:14, 15). 2
1
2
Final Perseverance, Asserted and Vindicated, John Gill
Ibid
Arthur W. Pink says: “This terrible sin is not committed by a mere professor, for he has
nothing to fall away from, save an empty name.”3 Nor is it clear from the text, that they ever had a
good conscience, but rather that they never had one; putting it away does not necessarily suppose
they had it, but rather that they had it not, they rejecting it with dislike; as the Jews who never had
the gospel are said to put it away; when they contradicted, blasphemed and rejected it, the apostle
says, ye put it from you, , the same word that is here used; ye rejected it, cast it from
you, and would not receive it, so here; had these persons ever had a good conscience, it would
rather have been said, which some having put out of them; but they never had it; when it was
proposed to them, as the Christian religion proposes that a man should exercise a good conscience,
they disliked it, and put it away, and would not attend to it, and chose rather to drop the faith they
professed, as being contrary to their evil consciences and practices; besides, persons may have a
good conscience in some sense, and as it is shews itself by an external behavior among men, which
does not arise from an heart purified by faith; the apostle had such an one before he had faith in
Christ, Acts 23:1. though it does not seem as if these men had ever such an one.
The faith they made shipwreck of, is not the grace of faith, which it does not appear they
ever had, but the doctrine of faith, the Gospel; concerning the faith, is a phrase
that is never used but of the doctrine of faith, see Acts. 24:24; 1 Timothy 6:21; 2 Timothy 3:8. This
is the faith they made shipwreck of, denied and destroyed, or contradicted and blasphemed, as it is
explained in the next verse; and the particular doctrine of faith they made shipwreck of. Men may
profess the doctrine of faith and fall from it; but this is no instance of a man’s having true faith
which purifies the heart, and falling from God so as to perish.
Another objection is: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good
word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto
repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame.” (Heb. 6:4-6) John Gill says:
“There is nothing in the characters of these persons which shew them to be true believers;
there is nothing said of their believing in Christ, or that necessarily implies it; there is nothing said
that is peculiar to true believers; they are not said to be regenerated by the Spirit of God, called by
the grace of God, or sanctified, or justified, or adopted, or heirs of God, and meet for the
inheritance, or sealed by the Holy Ghost, or any thing of that kind.” 4
The following section is taken from Arthur W. Pink’s Exposition of Hebrews:
“Apostasy from Christ was a step more easy and natural to a Jewish than to a Gentile
believer, because the way was always open and inviting them, as men, to return to those
associations which once carried with them the outward sanctification of Jehovah’s name, and which
only the power of grace had enabled them to renounce. When heavenly realities became inoperative
in their souls, the visible image was before them still, and here was the danger of their giving it the
homage of their souls. If there were not an habitual exercise of their spiritual senses, the power of
discernment could not remain: they would call evil good, and good evil. The ignorance which
springs from spiritual neglect begins its own punishment of apathetic dullness on the once clear
mind, and robs the spirit of its power to detect the wily methods of the Devil. It is in the presence of
God alone that the Christian can exert his spiritual energies with effect. Abiding in Christ, maintains
us in that presence. A more unhappy error cannot befall a believer than to separate, in the habit of
his mind, acquired knowledge from the living Christ. Faith dies at once when separated from its
3
4
Arthur W. Pink, An Exposition of Hebrews, Chapter 24: Apostasy
Final Perseverance, Asserted and Vindicated, John Gill
object. Knowledge indeed is precious, but the knowledge of God is a progressive thing (Col. 1:10),
whose end is not obtained this side of the glory (1 Cor. 8:2).”5
A clear and growing faith, in heavenly things was needed to preserve Jewish Christians from
relapse. To return to Judaism was to give up Christ, who had left their house ‘desolate’ (Matthew
23:38). It should be pointed out, however, that it is just as easy, and the attraction is just as real, for
a Gentile Christian to return to that world out of which the Lord has called him, as it was for a
Jewish Christian to go back again to Judaism.
In verse 4, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened" the apostle continues
the digression which he began at Hebrews 5:11. The parenthesis has two divisions: the first,
Hebrews 5:11-14 is reprehensible; the second, Hebrews 6:1-20 is hortatory. In chapter 6 he exhorts
the Hebrews unto two duties: to progress in the Christian course (verses 1-11); to persevere therein
(verses 12-20). The first exhortation is proposed in verses 1,2 and qualified in verse 3. The motive
to obedience is drawn from the danger of apostasy (verses 4-6). The opening "For" of verse 4
intimates the close connection of our present passage with that which immediately precedes. It
draws a conclusion from what the apostle had been saying in Hebrews 5:11-14. It amplifies the "if"
in verse 3. It points a most solemn warning against their continuance in their present sloth.
Three things claim our careful attention in coming closer to our passage: the persons here
spoken of, the sin they commit, the doom pronounced upon them. In considering the persons
spoken of it is of first importance to note that the apostle does not say, "us who were once
enlightened", nor even "you", instead, he says "those". In sharp contrast from them, he says to the
Hebrews, "Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you".
It is scarcely accurate to designate as "mere professors" those described in verses 4,5. They
were a class who had enjoyed great privileges, beyond any such as now accompany the preaching
of the Gospel. Those here portrayed are said to have had five advantages, which is in contrast from
the six things enumerated in verses 1, 2, which things belong to man in the flesh, under Judaism.
Five is the number of grace, and the blessings here mentioned pertain to the Christian dispensation.
Yet were they not true Christians. This is evident from what is not said. Observe, they were not
spoken of as God’s elect, as those for whom Christ died, as those who were born of the Spirit. They
are not said to be justified, forgiven, accepted in the Beloved. Nor is anything said of their faith,
love, or obedience. Yet these are the very things which distinguish a real child of God. First, they
had been "enlightened". The Sun of righteousness had shone with healing in His wings, and, as
Matthew 4:16 says, "The people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the
region and shadow of death light is sprung up". Unlike the heathen, whom Christ, in the days of His
flesh, visited not, those who came under the sound of His voice were wondrously and gloriously
illumined.
The Hebrews had accepted the gospel of the once crucified and now glorified Redeemer,
who sent down from heaven the Spirit, a sign of His exaltation, and a pledge of the future
inheritance. Having thus entered into the sphere of new covenant manifestation, any one who
willfully abandoned it could only relapse into that phase of Judaism which crucified the Lord Jesus.
There was no other alternative for them, but either to go on to the full knowledge of the heavenly
priesthood of Christ, and to the believer’s acceptance and worship through the Mediator in the
sanctuary above, or fall back into the attitude, not of the godly Israelites before Pentecost, such as
John the Baptist and those who waited for the promised redemption, nor even into the condition of
those for whom the Savior prayed, ‘for they know not what they do’; but into a state of willful
conscious enmity against Christ, and the sin of rejecting Him, and putting Him to an open shame"
(Adolph Sophir)
5
Arthur W. Pink, An Exposition of Hebrews, Chapter 24: Apostasy
Now I don’t believe that a true believer can fall into apostasy either. The stress is on “true
believers.” And the people spoken of in Hebrews 6:4-6 were not true believers.
First, the Greek word for "enlightened" here signifies "to give light or knowledge by
teaching". It is so rendered by the Septuagint in Judges 13:8, 2 Kings 12:2, 17:27. The apostle Paul
uses it for "to make manifest", or "bring to light" in 1 Corinthians 4:5, 2 Timothy 1:10. Satan blinds
the minds of those who believe not, lest "the light of the gospel should shine unto them" (2 Cor.
4:4), that is, give the knowledge of it. Thus, "enlightened" here means to be instructed in the
doctrine of the gospel, so as to have a clear apprehension of it. In the parallel passage in Hebrews
10:26 the same people are said to have "received the knowledge of the truth", cf. also 2 Peter 2:20,
21. It is, however, only a natural knowledge of spiritual things, such as is acquired by outward
hearing or reading; just as one may be enlightened by taking up the special study of one of the
sciences. It falls far short of that spiritual enlightenment which transforms (2 Cor. 3:18). An
illustration of a unregenerate person being "enlightened", as here, is found in the case of Balaam;
Numbers 24:4.
Second, they had "tasted" of the heavenly gift. To "taste" is to have a personal experience of,
in contrast from mere report. "Tasting does not include eating, much less digesting and turning into
nourishment what is so tasted; for its nature being only thereby discerned it may be refused, yea,
though we like its relish and savor, on some other consideration. The persons here described, then,
are those who have to a certain degree understood and relished the revelation of mercy; like the
stony-ground hearers they have received the Word with a transcient joy" (John Owen). The
"tasting" is in contrast from the "eating" of John 6:50-56. Those here in view had had an
acquaintance with the Gospel, as to gain such a measure of its blessedness as to greatly aggravate
their sin and doom. An illustration of this is found in Matthew 13:20, 21.
Third, they were "made partakers of the Holy Spirit". First, it should be pointed out that the
Greek word for "partakers" here is a different one from that used in Colossians 1:12 and 2 Peter 1:4,
where real Christians are in view. The word here simply means "companions", referring to what is
external rather than internal. These apostates had never been "born of the Spirit" (John 3:6), still
less were their bodies His "temples" (1 Cor. 6:19). Nor do we believe this verse teaches that the
Holy Spirit had, at any time, wrought within them, otherwise Philippians 1:6 would be contravened.
It means that they had shared in the benefit of His supernatural operations and manifestations: "The
place was shaken" (Acts 4:31) illustrates.
Fourth, "And have tasted the good Word of God". "I understand by this expression the
promise of God respecting the Messiah, the sum and substance of all. It deserves notice that this
promise is by way of eminence termed by Jeremiah ‘that good word’ (Jer. 33:14). To ‘taste’, then,
this ‘good Word of God’, is to experience that God has been faithful to His promise. They could not
say with Jeremiah, "Thy words were found and I did eat them" (Jer. 15:16). "It is as though he said,
I speak not of those who have received nourishment; but of such as have so far tasted it, as that they
ought to have desired it as ‘sincere milk’ and grown thereby" (Dr. John Owen). A solemn example
of one who merely "tasted" the good Word of God is found in Mark 6:20: "for Herod feared John,
knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did
many things, and heard him gladly".
Fifth, "And the powers of the world to come," or "age to come." The reference here is to the
new dispensation which was to be ushered in by Israel’s Messiah according to Old Testament
predictions. It corresponds with "these last days" of Hebrews 1:2, and is in contrast from the "time
past" or Mosaic economy. These "powers" of the new Age are mentioned in Hebrews 2:4, to our
comments on which we would refer the reader. Of these mighty "powers" these apostates had
"tasted", or had an experience of. They had been personal witnesses of the miracles of Christ, and
also of the wonders that followed His ascension, when such glorious manifestations of the Spirit
were given. Thus they were "without excuse". Convincing and conclusive evidence had been set
before them, but there had been no answering faith in their hearts. A solemn example of this is
found in John 11:47, 48. The class here described are such as had had their minds enlightened, their
consciences stirred, their affections moved to a considerable degree, and yet who were never
brought from death unto life. Nor is it backsliding Christians who are in view. It is not simply "fall
into sin", this or that sin. The greatest "sin" which a regenerated man can possibly commit is the
personal denial of Christ: Peter was guilty of this, yet was he "renewed again unto repentance". It is
the total renunciation of all the distinguishing truths and principles of Christianity, and this not
secretly, but openly, which constitutes apostasy.
By ‘falling away’, we are plainly to understand what is commonly called apostasy. This does
not consist in an occasional falling into actual sin, however gross and aggravated; nor in the
renunciation of some of the principles of Christianity, even though those should be of considerable
importance; but in an open, total, determined renunciation of all the constituent principles of
Christianity, and a return to a false religion, such as that of unbelieving Jews or heathens, or to open
infidelity and open godlessness" (Dr. J. Brown).
"If they shall fall away". "This is scarcely a fair translation. It has been said that the apostle
did not here assert that such persons did or do ‘fall away’; but that if they did—a supposition which,
however, could never be realized—then the consequence would be they could not be ‘renewed
again unto repentance’. The words literally rendered are, ‘And have fallen away’, or, ‘yet have
fallen’.
Taking the passage as a whole, it needs to be remembered that all who had professed to
receive the Gospel were not born of God: the parable of the Sower shows that. Intelligence might be
informed, conscience searched, natural affections stirred, and yet there be "no root" in them. All is
not gold that glitters. There has always been a "mixt multitude" (Ex. 12:38) who accompany the
people of God. Moreover, there is in the real Christian the old heart, which is "deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked", and therefore is he in constant need of faithful warning. Such, God
has given in every dispensation: Genesis 2:17; Leviticus 26:15, 16; Matthew 3:8; Romans 11:21; 1
Corinthians 10:12.
Finally, let it be said that while Scripture speaks plainly and positively of the perseverance of
the saints, yet it is a perseverance of saints, not unregenerate professors. Divine preservation is not
only in a safe state, but also in a holy course of disposition and conduct. We are "kept by the power
of God through faith". We are kept by the Spirit working in us a spirit of entire dependency,
renouncing our own wisdom and strength. The only place from which we cannot fall is one down in
the dust. It is there the Lord brings His own people, weaning them from all confidence in the flesh,
and giving them to experience that it is when they are weak they are strong. Such, and such only,
are saved and safe forever.
Now to the passage in question.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them
out of my Father's hand.
Pelagius held a man-centered concept of salvation in which grace was unnecessary and man's
heart was not affected by Adam's fall into sin. Augustine set forth the biblical teaching that Adam's
sin was imputed to the race, that man did not have the moral ability to respond to Christ apart from
the grace of God and, therefore, God was the initiator of salvation. Coupled with the idea that
salvation was of the Lord was also the implication that God would carry out his plan and purpose in
the life of each recipient of divine grace. Shortly after the time of Augustine, the Church moved
away from his position and embraced a semi-pelagian concept in which man possessed an
autonomous will that had the moral power to choose the gospel in and of itself. This laid the
foundation for many of the Roman Catholic concepts of man contributing to his salvation through
earning merit before God. Semi-Pelagianism focused on the power of man to choose the good; to
make right moral decisions, and ultimately be able to choose Christ. This position denies the fact
that Scripture teaches that man is dead in sin (Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 2:13); that no one is righteous,
understands, or seeks for God (Rom. 3:9-12); that man is hostile to the law of God and is incapable
of submitting to it (Rom. 8:7); that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him (John
6:44, 63-65); and that regeneration must precede faith (Eph. 2:1-5; John 3:1-10; John 1:12,13; 1
John 5:1). Semi-Pelagianism, in giving great power to man, also gives man the power to receive and
reject salvation repeatedly. A person's salvation ultimately lies in the whims of that person's will.
This is the background to the debate of whether or not a Christian can lose his salvation. The
Augustinian position and later the position of the Reformers in the sixteenth century was that if a
person is truly regenerate, God will protect and sustain that person so that he will persevere unto the
end and be saved.
Many people who approach the Christian life in an antinomian (lawless) way and excuse
their sin by saying, "It doesn't matter what I do, because I can't lose my salvation." That is a
distortion, not only of grace, but also of the concept of salvation itself. Many of the arguments I
have heard against the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints stem from understanding the
doctrine in this way. Paul goes to great lengths in Romans 6 to demonstrate that if a person is truly
in Christ, he cannot sin in order that grace might abound. Union with Christ presupposes a new
heart that desires to obey God.
"For I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it
until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil.1:6) In John 6:37-40, Jesus states that all who the Father gives
to him will come to him and the ones who come will not be cast out. Verses 39 and 40 say, "And
this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that he has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on
the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in
Him, may have eternal life; and I myself will raise him up on the last day." Jesus promises eternal
life to those who believe and he immediately connects the giving of eternal life to the resurrection;
those who come to him will be raised up on the last day (see also: John 5:24; 6:44). Just as
Philippians 1:6 says that God will perfect the work which he began to the day of Christ Jesus, so
also Jesus ties coming to him and receiving eternal life with the idea of a future resurrection.
Receiving eternal life is concomitant with being raised on the last day. The two ideas cannot be
separated. Eternal life is not eternal if it can be lost in the morning and regained in the evening only
to be lost again at some future date; it is not eternal if it lasts only five days or five years. When
Jesus promises eternal life and connects the receiving of eternal life with a future resurrection, he is
teaching that the true believer is eternally saved.
This same idea is reiterated in John 10:27-29: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall
snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one
is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." Again, Jesus states that he gives his sheep eternal
life and emphasizes this by the statement that no one is able to snatch them out of either his or his
Father's hand. Concerning this passage, some contend that although others cannot snatch a man out
of God's hand, the man himself is free to do so. However, the verse states that no one can do this.
That is a universal negative which certainly includes the man himself. The passage does not qualify
the "no one" by saying that the regenerate man himself may make himself unregenerate and
translate himself from the kingdom of God back into the kingdom and family of the devil. Another
attempt to discount this passage argues that Satan can snatch a man out of the hand of God. This
passage blatantly contends that the Father is greater than all and no one can snatch them out of his
hand. That certainly includes the devil and man. This passage also demonstrates that the
perseverance of the saints is actually a preservation by their Savior; their coming (being drawn by
the Father) and their perseverance are grounded on God and not man (see: John 6:53,63-65).
If you believe in the sovereignty of God, that He is omnipotent, all powerful, then how can
you disagree with the above passage? If man can take himself out of the Father’s hand, then in
effect, that makes man more powerful than God! And this is not so. God sits on high, and rules all
facets of my life, my world and is the only God.
The predominant teaching of Scripture is that the believer is eternally saved. The rejection of
this position means that assurance of salvation is impossible. The most anyone could say is that at a
present moment in their life they are in a state of grace, but they could not express assurance toward
ultimate salvation; they could not say that they knew they were going to heaven because the
possibility of falling from that state of grace sometime in their life exists. Those who hold that the
true Christian can lose his salvation find themselves in disharmony with a preponderance of
Scriptural evidence.