Christians only: do you believe once saved always saved?

Question

If so then how do you interpret Hebrews 6:4-6

"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".

Answer 1

No I don't.  Another scripture, I am not sure where it is found, is that we are to seek God while he may be found.  That tells me there is a point of no return with God.  There will be a time that someone seeks him and won't find him.

There are many other scriptures in the NT that support the fact that your salvation can be lost for ever.

Answer 2

before i answer this let me question you.sense you believe you can loose your salvation from your scripture above.using the same scripture that you used then if a christian looses his or her salvation then they are forever lost and doomed to h**l.they can't regain there salvation.once lost always lost .

Answer 3

Yes I do because Gods hand is long enough to drag out of any mess you get into, once you belong to him.

Answer 4

if ur saved and happen to draw away frm God, repent ur sins and expose the devil of wat he has done and use that as a testimony

Answer 5

it's very possible to backslide. if you turn your back on God...you can lose your salvation.  

Answer 6

No Catholics do not believe in the idea once saved always saved. To think that you can say your saved and live the way you want is the sin or presumption or abuse of Divine Mercy.  

Answer 7

The Catholic is asked, "Are you saved?" The Catholic should reply: "As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13)."

The BIG "IF":

1 John 5:16-17 - If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly

There actually are a lot of exception clauses in the New Testament. You simply choose not to see them. Matt 6:14-15, “For IF you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Does that apply only to the unsaved? If so, where does it say that?

Well, if we look at Matthew 18:23-35, it applies to the saved. The debtor can’t pay the debt. His Lord has mercy on him and cancels the debt (he’s saved!). The forgiven servant doesn’t likewise show mercy to a fellow servant. The Lord calls him back and revokes His mercy and has the reprobate handed over to the jailers until he should pay every penny…which he can’t pay…so he’s there forever.

Romans 11:17-23, the wild branches (Gentiles) that are grafted into the olive tree (Christ) will remain “PROVIDED you continue in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.” John 15:1-6, the branches (Christians) of the vine (Christ) will be cut off, cast forth to wither, then be gathered and burned if they do not bear good fruit.

Heb 6:4-8, “For it is impossible to restore to repentance those who have once been enlightened…IF they then commit apostasy…”

Gal 5:2-4, “IF you receive circumcision…You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.”

1 Tim 5:8, “IF anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

I could go on…and on…and on.

1 Cor 4:3-5, “...I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes…” Yet, you are pronouncing judgment on yourself. You are saved. You’re going to Heaven. You are presuming upon the Lord. Something which Paul himself didn’t do.

1 Peter 1:17, “And IF you invoke as Father Him Who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.”

Phil 1:12, “...work out your on salvation in fear and trembling.”

Heb 10:29, “How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was SANCTIFIED [that means he was a Christian], and outraged the Spirit of grace?” Do you really think the person described here goes to Heaven?

1 Cor 15:1, “Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand [Christians], by which you are saved, IF you hold it fast,” [exception clause].Paul himself didn’t seem to have this “assurance” of salvation that you are so confident of: Phil 3:10-14, “...that, IF possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own…I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

1 Cor 9:24-27, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you MAY obtain it…I do not run aimlessly…but I pommel my body and subdue it, LEST after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

Ezek 33:13-16, “Though I say to the righteous [saved, right?] that he shall surely live [assurance of salvation, right? God has told him he shall surely live] YET [exception clause] if he trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.” If he dies in iniquity, that isn’t a good thing is it? Yet, he was righteous and he was told by God that he shall surely live. Once saved, always saved? Don’t think so.

Regarding the parables of the Good Shepherd and the Lost Coin. Those parables make no sense under your theology. How could a sheep be “lost” if once saved always saved is true? How could the coin be “lost” if once saved always saved is true? Who is the lost sheep Jesus goes to find? Can’t be one of the saved, can it? They can’t be lost, can they? Can’t be one of the unsaved, they’re not one of the sheep, are they? And, if none of the sheep can get out, as you proclaim above, how did it get lost? Sorry, but your theology makes these parables a load of nonsense.

Also, look at the parable of the Prodigal Son. Didn’t the Father allow the son to leave home? You seem to say that can’t happen. The Good Shepherd would never open the gate and say to the sheep, “Go ahead and leave if you want to.” Well, the Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son did, didn’t he? What Father is the parable actually referring to? And, how is the Prodigal Son referred to by the Father? As being in no danger of losing his salvation no matter how much he sinned? No. As being still saved even if he has backslidden a bit? No. The Father describes the prodigal son as being “dead!” Dead!!! Fits Catholic theology perfectly. Fits once saved always saved theology not at all. You seem to think that Jesus will keep us against our wills. Nowhere does the Bible say such a thing. If we are part of the family, and we want to leave…He lets us go. You have a big problem with the prodigal son.

Finally, in regards to this, let me ask you this question. When Adam and Eve were created, were they saved or were they unsaved? They were saved, right? I mean, they spoke directly to God. He walked in the garden where they were, didn’t He? So, they were saved. Yet, they sinned. Not just any sin, either. They sinned THE sin…changed all of history. Changed everything. And, what happened?

Were they still allowed into the garden?

Absolutely not.

They got tossed out of the garden because of their sin, even though they were originally saved. And, let’s examine their sin a bit more closely. God tells them that if they eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they will die. But, who comes along and tells them otherwise? Who comes along and says, “You will not die?” Satan.

Satan was teaching once saved always saved in the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve bit on his lie…and they were expelled from the garden. The very first lie of Satan as recorded in the Bible is the lie of once saved always saved. That, if they sin, they will not die. You need to consider that very carefully.

Peace in Christ

............

Answer 8

Catholics do not believe in once saved, always saved.

Saved Christians have the freedom to fully reject God and their salvation. We call this mortal sin.

1 John 5:16-17 - If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

The parable of the Good Samaritan also teaches us about the sin of omission, not doing something that morally we should do. The priest and the Levite are examples of "saved" people who are committing serious sin. See Luke 10:30-37.

However the best scripture about the sin of omission that makes a believer lose their salvation is Christ’s prophecy of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46 which concludes:

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?



Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.



And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Nowhere in this prophecy does Jesus mention anyone's faith or acceptance of him.

With love in Christ.  

Answer 9

Let me deal with your quote of Hebrews first.

The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers in the Church who were experiencing persecution and going back to the old covenant worship. So that verse does not directly relate to Gentile believers.

Recipients

The letter was addressed primarily to Jewish converts who were familiar with the OT and who were being tempted to revert to Judaism or to Judaize the gospel (cf. Gal 2:14). Some have suggested that these professing Jewish Christians were thinking of merging with a Jewish sect, such as the one at Qumran near the Dead Sea. It has also been suggested that the recipients were from the “large number of priests who became obedient to the faith” (Ac 6:7).

http://www.ibs.org/niv/studybible/hebrew...

As to your original question regarding OSAS. I go to and describe myself as Baptist but was raised in the Nazarene church. I have heard the arguements for and against this and still have not reached a conclusive belief one way or another. I council to keep a short account with God since it can effect your relationship and will leave it to him to sort that out.

edit

Have been having an on going dialog with this person and read his site for a number of reasons. He presents several good arguemnts for OSAS. I do not aggree with everything but it is one side.

edit

An arguement against.

All in all it is something that you will need to ask for wisdom from God on.

Answer 10

I believe once a Christian always a Christian.

One cannot be baptised twice. One may fall away from the faith and they come back, this is what some people mistakenly call; 'born again christian.' I do not believe there is such a thing. Some fall away from the faith and never come back, but if they were baptised into the Christian faith, they are still God's own.  

Answer 11

No.. it's like tending a garden, it takes continual work.  You can't "get saved", go kill someone tomorrow, and be like, "oh, I'm cool, I'm saved.  I'm still going to heaven."  Nope, doesn't work that way.  You repent, you don't do the sin again, you move on.  End of story.  You only take on more responsibility once you're "saved".  It doesn't lessen.  

Answer 12

no i do not believe once saved always saved

Answer 13

would be nice if you put it in context, rather than picking and choosing your verses.  Once Saved is not always Saved.  Mankind sins on a daily basis.  Salvation must be on a daily basis.

Answer 14

No we Catholic Christians do not.

Answer 15

No.  Life is a journey.  Saved at 12 years old leaves too much time for something else.  Grace has to be nurtured or it can wither, as Satan works nonstop.

Answer 16

It was an Invetion of Calvins

Chris you realy need to stick with your devil aliens

Answer 17

To an extent.  I believe that a person can still be a Christian even if they sin, so long as they repent as soon as they can, and try not to sin any more.  But we can still walk away, if we so choose.

If a person is on a diet, and one day they eat nothing but junk, it doesn't mean they're off their diet.  It just means they messed up.

That's really what the once saved, always saved doctrine refers to.