Once saved, always saved

Good evening everyone, and thank you for being in attendance tonight. Let’s open with some prayer. Shake hands

Well I thought me and Mike were on a first name basis but I guess not. Introduce myself

Before I begin, I’d like to open up with prayer.

Tonight’s sermon has to do with salvation, and whether once we are saved, are we always saved? I want to begin by making clear that the Free Will Baptist denomination believes in the possibility of losing salvation or becoming back-slidden. This is often why you hear Bro. Roger say that someone has recommitted themselves.

Roger asked me to preach about a month ago and as I was preparing a totally different sermon then, I came across a documentary on this topic and since then I couldn’t get this topic off my mind and so I felt as if God had a reason for that.

I want to begin this sermon by giving some background of where the belief once saved, always saved came from…it came from a group of Gnostics which if you know much about Gnosticism you’d know that their beliefs are not sound.

One quote I gleaned from this documentary came from Origen in which he said in summary that believing that one is eternally secure essentially destroys free will. I quote this because it shows what the early church fathers truly believed and practiced. They didn’t live in such a comfortable time as what we do now. The men and women of faith back then were being martyred!

The foundation of the doctrine for once saved always saved came from Augustine of Hippo. In which he basically said that all of our salvation comes from God: our faith, our obedience, and even our endurance.

From Augustine it then went to Martin Luther, and from there to John Calvin who took it the furthest extent.

This brings me to my next point, in which the rebuttal to those who believe one is always saved, is “what happens if I sin? Does that not mean I lose my salvation instantly if I sin?” NO! The point of losing salvation doesn’t have anything to do with perfection, but everything about faithfulness.

Do we not fall short each and every day? Romans 3:23 reads

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

But here’s the best part…we have an advocate! 1 John 2:1 tells us that Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father.

A great example of this free will comes from Hebrews 4:16

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Doesn’t that sound like we have the freedom to approach the throne? We will fall short of God’s glory due to our sin each and every day, but does that give us the free will to just live the way we want to? No! I loved a ladies quote in the documentary in which she says, “It’s a difference between falling in dirt and rolling in dirt.”

We all stumble and have our struggles the difference is heeding the spirit when it says “Derek get up! Get away from this unrighteousness!”

Here’s they key here guys…we’re gonna have good days and bad days right? The object here is that even in the bad days our life needs show that we have continual growth towards the Lord.

Here’s the point where we establish the biblical support for conditional security.

I want to begin with 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 ESV

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

I want you to highlight that very last word in bright yellow. Paul is saying that he would be disqualified guys. He believed his salvation could be taken from him!

Furthermore, in 2 Corinthians 13:5

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

This is the point where you need to be asking yourself, wait am I in the faith? Am I practicing my faith the way that the Word of God directs me to?

Not only that but in both Greek iterations of these passages Paul uses the same word. Adokimos which meant to be disqualified.

Another example from Paul comes from Romans 11:22

Romans 11:22 ESV

Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

Here’s a big error with the once saved, always saved, that would mean God forgives us not only of our past and present sins…but also our future ones.

We know this from 2 Peter 1:9

2 Peter 1:9 ESV

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

James 5:19–20 ESV

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Would we even have anything to confess if we were just forgiven of every sin? No we must repent because we are not forgiven for future sins! What we have to understand tonight is that sin without repentance gets in the way of receiving the ongoing forgiveness that Christ has already provided.

Our justification comes throughout our continued faith in the Lord and the Grace the Lord provides us. Second, we do not earn our salvation. As Christians we must remain in the faith to earn the promises of faith like forgiveness and eternal life.

We are told that we have a new covenant, and with that new covenant comes a new heart. We will be filled with the Holy spirit to guide us.

As I end tonight, I want to give everyone a chance to come to the altar if they feel the need to. Whether that be the need to just come pray over something on their heart, or seeking to recommit to the Lord.

Make sure you are running that race! Being faithful to the Lord in all you do. If there’s anyone here tonight questioning whether they are still in the race come forward we have people here who are willing to pray with you.