Once Saved, Always Saved?
Those who believe in “once saved, always saved” argue that salvation cannot be lost. Salvation is sort of like a fire insurance policy which can never be cancelled, no matter what happens. A Christian could become a Satan worshiper and not lose his salvation.
There is a slightly different version that Calvinists hold to called “perseverance of the saints.” Calvinists argue that once someone becomes a Christian, he will persevere (stay saved) till the end. And if someone does fall away, it means he was never really saved in the first place.
This article will show that neither of these views are biblical.
To start with, there are many clear passages showing that Christians can in fact lose their salvation.
The Vine and the Branches
Jesus compared himself to a Vine, and he compared believers to branches attached to the Vine. And then he said:
“If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned [like firewood]” (John 15:6).
This is a clear warning to Christians to stay attached to Christ, the source of eternal life, otherwise they will dry up and die (spiritually). Eternal life/salvation is in Christ, not in the believer. As John said:
“God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
As this passage shows, eternal life is in the Son. Therefore, the believer must stay attached to the source of eternal life, Christ, in order to continue having access to the life. If he detaches himself from the source of life, he will dry up and die, and will be good for nothing but firewood.
The Olive Tree
Paul gave a similar metaphor in Romans 11. Paul compared believers to branches attached to an olive tree. The olive tree represents Israel (Jer. 11:16) and consists of natural branches (Jews) and wild branches (Gentiles). Paul said the unbelieving natural branches were broken off the tree so that the believing wild branches could be grafted in (attached) in their place. Then Paul warned his fellow Christians:
“Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Rom 11:19-24).
It doesn’t get any clearer than this. Paul warned his fellow Christians not to be so haughty as to think they are better than Jews and cannot be broken off. For if God broke off the unbelieving Jews from the tree, he will likewise break Christians off too “if they don’t continue in His goodness.”
And if a branch is broken off—if a branch is detached from the source of life—it dries up and dies, and is good for nothing but firewood!
Paul Could Have Lost His Salvation
Even Paul could have lost his salvation. As Paul said:
“I [Paul] discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).
Note: the Greek word for “disqualified” is adokimos, which means “reprobate.” And reprobates don’t go to heaven. Paul said elsewhere:
“Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified [Gk. adokimos = reprobate]” (2 Cor. 13:5).
Even Paul could have become reprobate…and reprobates don’t go to heaven!
Various Other Warnings
Jesus also warned Christians that if they don’t forgive others as God has forgiven them, God will demand payment for ever sin they’ve committed (Matt. 18:22-35)!
At another time, after healing someone, Jesus said: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14).
Jesus also told Christians not to stumble a weaker brother because it could lead to him perishing:
“Shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?” (1 Cor. 8:11).
Note: If someone is a brother, it means he is a fellow Christian. And if that person perishes, he’s not going to heaven (John 3:16).
Peter likewise warned:
“For when they [false teachers] speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error…For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Pet. 2:18-22).
These kinds of warnings are all throughout the New Testament, and they clearly show that Christians can lose their salvation!
Various Objections
Objection #1 – Some Christians argue that those who fall away were never really saved in the first place.
Response: It’s true there are many passages about false prophets and false teachers who claimed to believe, but really didn’t. But the passages cited above describe genuine believers—not fake Christians!
Objection #2 – “Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ” (Rom. 8:38-39)…Nobody can snatch someone out of Christ’s hand (John 10:28).
Response: It is true that no external thing can separate someone from Christ, but this doesn’t mean he can’t walk away (see examples above). In the same way Christians were free to choose or reject Christ prior to being saved, Christians can likewise choose or reject Christ after being saved. Christians don’t lose their freewill after becoming Christians!
Objection #3 – “Eternal life” means never-ending life. So if someone has eternal life, he has it forever.
Response: Eternal life is in Christ, not the believer (1 John 5:11-12)! Therefore, one must remain attached to Christ—the source of eternal life—to continue having access to source of eternal life. This is why Jesus warned:
“If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6).
Objection #4 – A Christian’s bad works will be burned up, but he himself will be saved. Paul said, “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15).
Response: This passage is not addressing whether a Christian can lose his salvation or not. As the immediate context shows, it’s about ministers who mistakenly build churches on something other than Christ (see 1 Cor. 3:9-15). And if someone does this, his work will be burned up, but he himself will be saved. Paul is warning ministers to build wisely.
Objection #5 – “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13).
It’s true God cannot deny himself, but he can deny us. In fact, the previous sentence says just that:
“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:12-13).
Objection #6 – “We are sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
Response: The seal refers to an authenticating mark which God/Jesus puts on true believers (Rev. 3:12; Ezek. 9:4). But if someone falls away, he will no longer have this authenticating mark/seal. In fact, Paul warned Christians a few sentences later:
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children…For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Eph. 5:1-5).
Objection #7 – “Whoever believes in me shall never perish” (John 3:16)…“He that drinks shall never thirst” (John 4:13-14)…“He that eats this bread will never hunger” (John 6:35). Never, never, never!
Response: Notice that all these statements are in the present tense. In other words, whoever is presently believing/drinking/eating will never perish/thirst/hunger. But if someone stops believing/drinking/eating, then he will perish/thirst/hunger.
The opposite is true too: “He who does not believe the Son shall not see life” (John 3:36). But this doesn’t mean the unbeliever can’t change his situation by repenting. And if he does, then he will see life.
Objection #8 – If Christians can lose their salvation, then how many sins does it take to do so?
Response: No amount of sins can separate a believer from God. When Peter asked Jesus: How many time should I forgive my brother, seven? Jesus replied: “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:21-22). In other words, the number isn’t what’s important. What matters is whether one is a believer or not.[1]
Conclusion: None of these objections refute the clear passages in Scripture, which show Christians can be separated from Christ. And if someone remains separated from Christ, he will eventually perish (John 3:16).
For more information about the topics discussed in this article, please visit Answering Calvinism (.org).
[1] A saving kind of belief/faith is one that trusts Christ enough to do what he says (and asks for forgiveness after falling short). Even the demons believe that Jesus exists, yet are not saved (James 2:19). Why? Because they don’t do what he says and they don’t ask for forgiveness after falling short.