Once Saved ALWAYS Saved???
I USED to believe that “once saved, always saved.”
This is in error of scriptures! It is very clear that faith is required for salvation and I can at anytime, with my own free will, place my faith in someone other than Yashua/Jesus.
Salvation is coming INTO TRUST RELATIONSHIP with the Savior, Jesus of Nazareth — who he is and what he did. And while God remains utterly faithful, we can opt out of this relationship and abandon our trust/faith.
Should I do that, I am no longer in the faith and no longer eternally secure. Scripture is also clear about proving/demonstrating your repentance by your DEEDS. Works do NOT save you, but are proof/fruit/demonstration you have been born again.
The work that God wants you to do to be saved is to BELIEVE in Jesus (who He is, that He was sent by the Father in heaven, and what he did at the cross). (John 6:29 and John 8:24) You can choose to disbelieve. You can choose to withdraw your trust. God will be grieved at your own needless loss, but will HONOR YOUR FREE CHOICE to push Him out of your life, at any point in the relationship.
The more a persons understands salvation:
• what they have been saved from (sin, wrath, death, hell, etc.)
• who Jesus is (light of the world, sacrificial lamb of God, bread of life, water of life, etc..)
• what Jesus did on your behalf (tool your curses, took the death punishment, removed the barrier between you and God, transferred you out of the Kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light, etc. etc etc)
The more you actually understand the Gospel, the more you HANG TIGHTLY ONTO YOUR FAITH. The more you proactively pursue your relationship with Jesus. God can allow and do things in your own live hat you very must don’t want (allow someone to have an accident or die, not make your life and relationships work out like you wanted, etc..) and you can get OFFENDED AT GOD.
At this point most will QUESTION God. But you can question God from faith — seeking to understand with a heart of submission. Or you can question God from a heart-stance of suspicion and rebellion, not believing in His goodness. This is a serious issue that affects us all and IT IS OUR CHOICE how we respond to the hurts and disappointments in each of our lives.
Satan’s agenda is to (1) HURT you (steal, kill, destroy), and then (2) put LIES against God’s goodness into your head. You must (1) EJECT those lies and (2) seek to align with God’s heart and His perspective on everything that happens in your life.
