Many sincere people have been taught:
“Once saved, always saved.”
According to this teaching, once a person has truly been saved, it is impossible for that person ever to lose salvation.
But this is too important to settle by a slogan.
The question is:
WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE ACTUALLY SAY?
Can someone who has received God’s grace later turn away from Christ?
Paul answers that question with remarkably direct language.
PAUL SAID SOME HAD “FALLEN FROM GRACE”
Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia:
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law…”
(Galatians 5:4, KJV)
Then he said:
“…ye are fallen from grace.”
(Galatians 5:4, KJV)
Notice the exact words:
YE
↓
ARE
↓
FALLEN
↓
FROM
↓
GRACE
For someone to fall FROM something, he must first have had a relationship to that from which he fell.
Paul did not say:
“You were never really connected with grace.”
He said:
“YE ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE.”
PAUL WARNED CHRISTIANS THEY COULD BE CUT OFF
Paul wrote:
“Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God…”
(Romans 11:22, KJV)
Then he told believers:
“…toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”
(Romans 11:22, KJV)
Notice:
GOD’S GOODNESS
↓
IF THOU CONTINUE
↓
OTHERWISE
↓
THOU ALSO SHALT BE CUT OFF
The word:
IF
matters.
Paul did not teach that continuation was irrelevant.
He warned Christians to continue.
JESUS WARNED DISCIPLES TO ABIDE IN HIM
Jesus said:
“Abide in me, and I in you…”
(John 15:4, KJV)
Then He warned:
“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered…”
(John 15:6, KJV)
Notice:
A BRANCH
↓
MUST ABIDE
↓
IN CHRIST
What happens if it does not?
CAST FORTH
↓
WITHERED
↓
BURNED
Jesus’ warning only makes sense if remaining in Him matters.
HEBREWS WARNS BRETHREN ABOUT DEPARTING FROM GOD
The writer of Hebrews said:
“Take heed, brethren…”
(Hebrews 3:12, KJV)
Who is being addressed?
BRETHREN.
What were they warned about?
“…lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
(Hebrews 3:12, KJV)
Notice:
BRETHREN
↓
TAKE HEED
↓
EVIL HEART OF UNBELIEF
↓
DEPARTING
↓
FROM THE LIVING GOD
A person cannot depart from a place he has never been.
The warning was real.
HEBREWS SAYS WE MUST HOLD FAST
The same chapter says:
“For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;”
(Hebrews 3:14, KJV)
Notice again:
IF.
PARTAKERS OF CHRIST
↓
IF
↓
WE HOLD FAST
↓
UNTO THE END
The Christian life requires perseverance.
PETER WARNED OF BECOMING ENTANGLED AGAIN
Peter described people who:
“…have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…”
(2 Peter 2:20, KJV)
These people had:
ESCAPED THE POLLUTIONS OF THE WORLD
How?
THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST.
But Peter continued:
“…they are again entangled therein, and overcome…”
(2 Peter 2:20, KJV)
What then?
“…the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”
(2 Peter 2:20, KJV)
Notice:
ESCAPED
↓
AGAIN ENTANGLED
↓
OVERCOME
↓
LATTER END WORSE THAN THE BEGINNING
Peter then said:
“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.”
(2 Peter 2:21, KJV)
They:
KNEW THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
↓
THEN
↓
TURNED FROM IT
That is not describing someone who never knew Christ’s way.
CHRISTIANS CAN FALL FROM STEADFASTNESS
Peter later wrote:
“Ye therefore, beloved… beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”
(2 Peter 3:17, KJV)
Notice:
BELOVED
↓
YOUR OWN STEDFASTNESS
↓
BEWARE
↓
LEST YE FALL
Again, Scripture warns Christians about a genuine possibility.
PAUL HIMSELF EXERCISED DISCIPLINE
Paul wrote:
“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection…”
(1 Corinthians 9:27, KJV)
Why?
“…lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
(1 Corinthians 9:27, KJV)
Paul did not believe his apostleship made perseverance unnecessary.
He disciplined himself because faithfulness mattered.
THE ISRAELITES SERVE AS A WARNING
Immediately after Paul’s statement, he reminded Christians about Israel.
They had received tremendous blessings from God.
Yet Paul wrote:
“But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”
(1 Corinthians 10:5, KJV)
Then:
“Now these things were our examples…”
(1 Corinthians 10:6, KJV)
Why remind Christians about people who began with God but later fell through unbelief and disobedience?
Paul explains:
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
(1 Corinthians 10:12, KJV)
The lesson is unmistakable.
STANDING
↓
DOES NOT MAKE FALLING IMPOSSIBLE
Therefore:
TAKE HEED.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN CHRISTIANS MUST LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR
The Bible does not teach that Christians should spend every day wondering whether one mistake instantly destroys their relationship with God.
John wrote:
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light…”
(1 John 1:7, KJV)
Then:
“…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
God has provided continuing cleansing for Christians who walk faithfully with Him.
When Christians sin:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…”
(1 John 1:9, KJV)
Therefore, the message is not:
LIVE IN TERROR.
The message is:
WALK IN THE LIGHT.
CONTINUE IN CHRIST.
CONFESS SIN.
REMAIN FAITHFUL.
DO NOT TURN BACK.
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN
OBEY THE GOSPEL
↓
ENTER CHRIST
↓
WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE
↓
ABIDE IN CHRIST
John 15:4
↓
CONTINUE IN GOD’S GOODNESS
Romans 11:22
↓
HOLD FAST UNTO THE END
Hebrews 3:14
↓
DO NOT RETURN TO THE WORLD
2 Peter 2:20–22
↓
TAKE HEED LEST YOU FALL
1 Corinthians 10:12
↓
BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
Revelation 2:10
↓
RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE
THAT IS THE PATTERN.
God is faithful.
Christ is powerful to save.
No outside force can separate the faithful Christian from God’s love.
But Scripture repeatedly warns Christians themselves not to abandon Christ.
Therefore, we should reject both extremes.
We should not live without assurance.
But neither should we become spiritually careless because someone told us:
“Once saved, always saved.”
Paul wrote:
“…ye are fallen from grace.”
(Galatians 5:4, KJV)
Peter warned:
“…beware lest ye also… fall from your own stedfastness.”
(2 Peter 3:17, KJV)
And Jesus said:
“…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
(Revelation 2:10, KJV)
Don’t accept that conclusion merely because it is written here.
Open your Bible.
Read John 15.
Read Romans 11.
Read 1 Corinthians 9–10.
Read Galatians 5.
Read Hebrews 3.
Read 2 Peter 2–3.
Read 1 John 1.
Read Revelation 2.
Compare Scripture with Scripture.
Then ask:
DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACH THAT FALLING AWAY IS IMPOSSIBLE, OR DOES IT REPEATEDLY WARN CHRISTIANS TO REMAIN FAITHFUL?
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
(1 Corinthians 10:12, KJV)
ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE.
The Biblical Pattern
Biblical Studies & Books by Kevin L. Walker
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The Biblical Pattern 