When considering certain doctrines within the Christian faith, it’s difficult to set aside presuppositions we have in order to look objectively at the truthfulness of those particular doctrines. For example, when I was an adherent to the oneness position (that Jesus was the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) I really believed deep down that trinitarians were polytheists despite their vigorous objections to that claim. Regardless of how many times I had heard them say they only believed there was one God, when I would hear them say that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit was God AND that the Father was not the Son, the Son was not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit was not the Father, the calculator in my cranium shouted: “3 Gods!!” What was the problem? One of my errors was not listening close enough. I wasn’t hearing the trinitarians when they were explaining that they believed God was One in one sense and Three in another. I presupposed that they believed that God was One and Three in the same sense (which would have been a contradiction). Listening more carefully would have helped me to see the doctrine of the Trinity much sooner.
I often see the same problem or very similar ones made by those who argue against the doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved.” Unfortunately, even some who would say that they hold the OSAS position often have a distorted view of it which casts a dark shadow on such a beautiful doctrine and causes great confusion. These would be those who actually hold to the straw man that’s usually argued against by those against OSAS, namely that, once you’ve said a little prayer or prayed with a preacher at an alter then no matter what you do for the rest of your days on earth, you will go to heaven to be with Jesus. Some will even suggest that you can deny the faith and as long as at one point you professed faith in Christ, you will be saved (see the Free Grace position). Such beliefs are reprehensible; these views do not properly represent Once Saved, Always Saved.
A further issue arises when we consider that there are a few similar views under different names: Eternal Security and Perseverance of the Saints. While there are some slight differences, it is my opinion that these three positions are seeking to express (essentially) the same point. For that reason, I will not seek to distinguish between these 3 views in this blog. Rather, I will attempt to give a reasonable defense for the driving point behind these 3 positions: Once a person is truly saved, it is impossible for that person to be lost at the last. There are some meaningful differences between OSAS, ES, and POTS, but try not to get too hung up here.
Proper definitions are key in understanding and evaluating the legitimacy of any doctrine. To lay out my case, I’ll first draw from the 1963 Baptist Faith & Message for what I consider to be a standard, uncontroversial, and (most importantly) biblical explanation of salvation. To proceed any further without establishing exactly what it is we are examining would be counterproductive. Section 4.1 of the BF&M states,
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, sanctification, and glorification.
Glorification deals with the completion of the work of salvation by God, and though it is of vast importance to our faith, it is really the part of the work that most Christians agree wholeheartedly; that God will glorify His people at the end is likely a universal belief amongst Christians. If I’m wrong on this, I’m not even sure where to begin searching to find the groups that would disagree. I will, however, use another term to expound upon the doctrine of salvation (soteriology) in its place: justification. Justification could be viewed under the regeneration heading but due to the amount of information needed to properly describe both, I’ll split them up. In defining these 3 aspects of salvation (regeneration, justification, and sanctification) and looking at the ways they are used in Scripture, hopefully, even if you still disagree with my position, you will at least understand how some Christians come to the conclusion that once God saves a person, that person is eternally secure.
Regeneration: generally speaking, regeneration is the process of God bringing sinners who had been previously “dead in [their] transgressions and sins” to new life (Ephesians 2:1-5). This “deadness” entails being “separated from God” (Gen. 2:17, Isa. 59:2, Eph. 2:12), “bondage to sin” (John 8:34), “under condemnation/wrath” (Rom. 5:15-19, John 3:36). Through faith in Christ, we are “made…alive with Christ…” (Eph. 2:5). The apostle John records Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in the beginning of the 3rd chapter of his gospel. Jesus reveals to us that a man “must be born again” to see and to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-8). This new birth, brought about by the Spirit of God within the believer, is the very thing we are speaking of when we talk about regeneration. We are made “new creatures/ a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17), given new hearts (Eze. 11:19-20, 36:26-27, Jer. 24:7), and new eyes to see spiritual things and ears to hear them (Luke 10:23, 2 Cor. 4:6). Regeneration is a work of God within a man or woman. It is a perfect work. A person is never half-born-again. He or she IS a new creation. A regenerated person no longer loves their sin. Instead, they war against it due to having been given a new heart — one set ablaze with a love for God and a desire to please Him.
Justification: the doctrine of justification is of immense importance to the biblical narrative and to the individual experience of the believer. When we talk about justification, we are speaking of “the process of being made or declared right (guiltless, justified) before a holy God. The need for justification presupposes the guilty verdict upon all those to whom justification would be needed, biblically speaking that is. We are sinners, God is a holy Judge. How could we ever stand before God and receive anything other than the righteous punishment for sins against Him (“the wages of sin is death” Rom. 6:23)? We couldn’t. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). It would be wholly unrighteous, and therefore unbefitting, of God to pardon sinners without justification for doing so. Here then is the heart and glory of the gospel: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Jesus was “ delivered over because of our transgressions” (Rom. 4:25). God “ made [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). God does this for 2 reasons: “for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26). This is why Jesus can say “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). He, through His death, burial, and resurrection, provides the only means by which God can justify guilty sinners — because Christ bears in His own body the due punishment for all the sins of all those who believe in Him. This is justification.
Sanctification: the last aspect that we will examine here is sanctification. Sanctification deals with the life of the believer post- regeneration and justification through to the end of their life on this earth. Those are one-time events; sanctification is the progressive work of the Spirit in the life of the believer. It’s described in different ways throughout Scripture: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;” (Rom. 8:29). “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2). “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). “work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). These are just a few examples illustrating the work of sanctification Christians are called to. “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11)
Now that we’ve defined some key aspects of salvation, let us consider the implications thereof. Many who reject the OSAS position will agree with the following verses and passages concerning God’s ability to keep us, yet they will argue that these verses do not speak to whether or not a true believer can walk away. I’ll give some more detailed objections to this doctrine in a later post, but for now, let’s examine a couple of places that (for us) seem to clearly lay a foundation for the OSAS case.
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 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 will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
— John 6:37-40
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.
— Philippians 1:6
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
— Jude 24
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will 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. I and the Father are one.”
— John 10:27-30
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
— Romans 8:31-39
It is certainly not my intention (though the preceding lines may appear otherwise) to blast a whole bunch of proof texts out without properly exegeting each, but since you’ve already been reading for 15 mins (if you’ve made it this far), I’ve shared these with the hope and prayer that you will consider these texts of Scripture in light of what I’ve already laid out above in trying to define the nature of salvation and it’s various elements. I’m also assuming that the reader is already familiar with these verses and their contexts. A few comments from only the first passage above to finish up:
— From John 6:37-40: Those given to the Son WILL come, and those who come to Jesus will NEVER be cast out. “But what if they fall into sin?” “What if they walk away from Christ?” “What if they quit believing?” A Christian may certainly fall into sin. They may struggle with doubt for a time or go through spells of drought. But “All who come will NEVER be cast out!” By the very nature of salvation, one who has come to Christ has been changed, made alive, made new, given a new heart. They’ve been justified by Christ’s blood. They will be disciplined by their loving Father as a part of their sanctification. Jesus states in this passage that it is His Father’s will that all who He gives to the Son, NONE will be lost. The gospel is a Divine Rescue Mission, and Jesus will be found to be a perfect Savior.
If a man or woman has been regenerated and stands justified before God, the Spirit will certainly begin the work of sanctification in the believers life. It may look rocky at times. But God saves to the uttermost. As Paul says above: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Rom. 8:32). Again, in another place, he says, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life“ (Romans 5:10). Salvation is the work of God, from start to finish.
From there, I leave it to you. Consider this doctrine afresh. Whether you hold to OSAS or not, to contemplate the wonderful works of God in the salvation of man will always be edifying. Fight the good fight, Brethren!
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