Time to tackle the theological conundrum of ‘once saved, always saved’ versus ‘falling away’ from faith.

Mulling over first thing with the Lord on today’s blogging I thought about Sunday at 3Counties Vineyard on 1Corinthians 12 and Holy Spirit’s gifts. But upon booting up my phone a message arrived about ‘lost salvation’ as a possible topic for this Saturday’s Men’s Breakfast. (Last weekend was a theological trilogy on Holy Spirit; it comprised that teaching with ministry for the giftings plus Saturday’s double dose of Romans 8 at our breakfast and the Alpha course’s Holy Spirit Away-day.)

Reflecting upon that group’s message about covering a side-issue, once again I got dropped upon from ‘On High’ to write on it! – rather like last Thursday’s jigsaw pieces.

Moreover I was ‘nudged about it being a suitable follow-on to the previous post about major church leaders now implementing apostasy, to the consternation of many laity. (It’s been an ongoing issue ever since launching this blog – 66 posts thus far).

Therefore, I humbly submit the following for consideration:

STUDIOUS DISCUSSIONS

For thirty years men from various churches in Haslemere have enjoyed working our way through various books of the Bible and discussing its verses in depth. In view of Paul’s longest letter being the pinnacle of Christian doctrine, it’s taken us some months to arrive at Romans 8 on Life in the Holy Spirit .

‘There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who^[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be ^[b]carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the ^[c]carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸ So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (NKJV, Bible Gateway.com)

Last week, in passing, our study-leader referred to losing salvation. He and I cited Hebrews 6 but others objected and reminded us of the ‘once saved, always saved’ dictum.

This difference of opinion has cropped up a few times recently and this week’s leader undertook some research just in case the group decides to consider it. However, he concludes the wiser option is to adhere to our usual practice of examining the scripture under review.

Yet, how does a divergence of opinion emerge when most of us are well-grounded in The Word?

Furthermore, the ‘scripture confirms scripture’ principle means the whole Bible should be clearly understood; thereby leaving us of one accord!

SCRIPTURE CHECK

Here’s a small selection recommended by one of the group for consideration. Lead-in verses from the New International Version will give the cited verses some context:

John 10:28-29 > ²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

Philippians 1:6 > ³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:38-39 > ³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

FALLING AWAY FROM FAITH IN JESUS

Yet one must ask; if ‘once saved always saved’ is the correct understanding of the Word of God and faith in His Son Jesus Christ, then how come Holy Spirit foretells in 2 Thess 2:4 a specific ‘apostasia’ (literally, ‘from standing’ – Interlinear Greek), which translates as ‘falling away’?
³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of ^[b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits ^[c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God…
⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.’

In the previous post I particularly stressed verse 11, which should generate a righteous fear of the Lord in everybody!

Also, Paul later instructed his disciple Timothy that “the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…”

That means not at a contemporary time but at a ‘latter time’ well into the future. However, apostasy began in the first century after Jesus’ life on earth, as attested to or implied by the author of the Book of Hebrews – AND definitely by Jesus’ closest disciple, John.

So, consider carefully Hebrews 6. It opens by saying its addressees have received foundational teaching and so it’s now time to progress: “Therefore, let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity…”

Note well verse 5:

⁴ It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age ⁶ and who have fallen^[c]away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.’

We have tasted God and His Word and know Him to be good, and been given gracious giftings in the Holy Spirit – some even baptised in Him. BUT how many disciples today can operate fully in Holy Spirit’s power? Very, very few!

So the author of the treatise to the Hebrews must be referring to the miracles, signs and wonders of those apostles and disciples who were anointed in power, as described in The Acts of the Apostles. What’s more, that should have continued throughout Church history!

CONCLUSION

In view of the theological nature of this matter, this can be but my initial thoughts, submitted for what they may be worth.

I offer this as a way of indicating how two apparently contradictory understandings may be reconciled because they refer to different situations.

‘Once saved, always saved’ applies to all believers who do not fall into the error of apostasy or heretical belief. Some may even experience the supra-natural powers of the Age to Come,. Those who live in that category but subsequently disobey Jesus and scripture by following demonic doctrines and failing to repent and renounce satan, are the ones for whom salvation is withdrawn. Remember, we are to work out our own salvation in fear and trembling, according to Paul at Philippians 2:12.

Do not overlook what Jesus’ closest disciple writes about the apostates he knew or learned about:

1 John 2:19 > Warnings Against Denying the Son

¹⁸ Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

Maybe John is referring to those who became teachers of Gnosticism, a documented historical heresy, and similar movements in those early centuries in Church history.

Also, Jesus foretells His honouring believers but disowning anyone who disowns Him [Greek ‘amesamenos’ – ‘one-disowning’], which is a deliberate act of disobedience, not one of simple unbelief:
⁸ “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.⁹ But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” (Luke 12 NIV)

PS. (18.11) To be continued with short posts on apostasy and salvation separately.