Is Once Saved Always Saved True?

This is one of the most popular questions that is causing debates among religions.

This is a biblical question so of course if anyone would try to answer it, he should make sure that the answer should be coming from the bible with the biblical supports.

How this question came out to be this way?

Is once saved always saved true?

The bible is the manual of our life and salvation, and if you read it, you will only get to know the characteristics of our God and what he wants us to do in order for us to be guided in accordance to his will.

The bible is inspired by the holy spirit and therefore, not all words in there are telling straight to what is the meaning of the word itself,

some means something else other than what we normally know for the meaning of it.

The bible is speaking of spirituality therefore, naturally some words in the bible have the equivalent spiritual meaning.

So by reading one verse, we can’t just conclude that it’s exactly how it’s meant to be.

Just like for example this most popular verses below:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Many people now have based their faith by just this two verses and did not anymore consider other verses because for them this is all in all we needed and we are all considered saved forever.

For some of them would say that they don’t need to do some works anymore and by just believing to Jesus Christ is enough and we are saved.

We don’t even need to do any sacrifices, gatherings or whatsoever for as long as you believe in Jesus Christ then you are surely saved.

So let’s root it out, because as we said in the very beginning that since it’s a biblical question our answers should be supported by the bible.

All we have to do is to analyze that particular verses of the bible which are the verses 8 &9 of the chapter 2 of Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

The first few words of the verse 8 said, “For it is by grace you have been saved, meaning to say, the salvation was already done from the past. So, For it is by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Verse 9-not of works, lest any man should boast.

A lot of us have right away concluding that we don’t have to work for our salvation, because Jesus Christ had already worked for us. The question is, “ Are we sure that we don’t really need to work anymore for our salvation?”

If we understood it in this way, meaning to say, I don’t need to do any good work anymore?

If that’s how it is? Therefore, I don’t need to give which is one of the good works? How about going to church? And many more good works to be done.

Let’s go back again to Ephesians 2:9 Not of works lest any man should boast.

Actually, the verse is not really clarifying about what kind of works is that, that lest any man should boast.

What works is this that lest any man should boast? The only works that would make us boast is our own works. So it’s not the working of God but we have to work with God.

Let’s prove it through the following verses which most of them have cut off and not continuing to read.

So let’s read the very next verse just after that verse 9 of the Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, it’s very clear in this verse that we are in Christ Jesus unto good works. So we must do good, and what is that good work, that we must work for?

The good work that God had before ordained, it is not our own work that we may boast. So it must be the working of God in us.

Philippians 2: 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

So if it is God that is working with us in a particular good work then we can’t boast for it, because it’s done with God.

What apostle Paul is saying in the Ephesians 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

The work that you have done by yourself, you can boast for it but the work which God has done for us  or the good work which you have done with God’s help then we can’t boast for it.

We need to work the good work that God has before ordained for us to do.

Let’s put back again the verse.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. This particular salvation had already been experienced by the Ephesians in the past, Ephesians were saved through faith, from where were they saved, from judgment? No!

Judgment’s day had not yet come, but they were already saved, so what kind of salvation is that which they received through faith?

So the verse we’re talking about is verse 8 to 9 of the Ephesians. In order for us to have a clearer understanding about those verses, let’s read Ephesians Chapter 2:1-5

Ephesians 2:1-5 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the [a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Verse 5 says, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), so saved from what? We were saved from sins, saved from power of darkness and sins.

We were walking with lust of our flesh in the times past according to Paul. Paul said to the Ephesians that, “You were once gentiles, you were once ungodly, you were once pagans, you by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

But God who is rich in mercy that even we were dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ through grace you have been saved.

Saved from what? Of course, saved from the power of sins and not from the judgment. All those salvation was been earned through grace through faith not by work of our own. Such salvation didn’t need good work for it was earned through grace and faith. Because you can’t do any God’s work when you were still a sinner and that’s why God saved us from all those past trespasses he washed all our sins. While we were still in the darkness, while we were still doing all the things which is against the will of God, He couldn’t tell us yet to do all the good works that he likes us to do. Therefore, God by his mercy he saved us through faith from all our trespasses and from the power of Satan.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified[d] by faith in Me.’

The only thing needed is faith in order for God to save you from the power of darkness of Satan, from the power of sins, so that you will be transferred from the power of Satan to God. The only thing to do is just to believe, and you have to have  faith because no work is to be considered yet because we were then in the power of sins, and that’s how the verse is all about.

Let’s read as well another supporting verse from Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

So there is no work needed just faith, for God to transfer us from the power of Satan to light, from darkness unto light, from the power of Satan unto God, no work is needed, but after the translation, after the transferring from Satan, God wants to know only if you have faith or if you believe then he will saved you from being under the power of Satan, from being ungodly, from the lust, from those evil things we had done from the past, so all those trespasses we are saved through faith.

We became partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

From darkness, we are now in the kingdom of his dear son, so what do we do now being in the kingdom?

Are we going to be lazy? Don’t we need to work still? and is this true?

Let’s read 2Timothy 3:16-17 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:17 is clearly saying that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

This is how the scripture is telling us what to do, we have to work and work, we have to do all the good works that is ordained to us before we are called.

But still some people would insist that we don’t have to work anymore because salvation is a gift of God, we will just believe and have faith then we will be saved for whatever sins we will be doing even after we received the salvation because work is not anymore needed for we are saved through faith. If we read only the Ephesians 2:8-9 we couldn’t exactly understand what Apostle Paul meant to be with  the scripture.

If we really don’t need to work for our salvation anymore, why are we being provoked unto love and to good works, to give, to go to church, just like what we can read in Hebrew 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Salvation is the most important part of the doctrine that should be explained in details by the leaders to their followers.

When we were still in the power of Satan, when we were still in the darkness, we didn’t need to work for it, God had saved us from there through faith, but now that we are already in the light, we have to work, we have to do good works.

As a matter of fact, when we give to the poor which is an example of good works, we are like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay as back.

Proverbs 19:17 When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.

Let’s put again the verse: 2 Timothy 3:17 is clearly saying that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:17 (GNT) so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

According to the scripture, we are thoroughly furnished or equipped unto all good works, so definitely we have to work, or to do good works, by not just relying on being saved, because the one who said so, that you are saved through faith is the same one who instructed you to do all good works.

That’s why we always heard that faith without works is dead.

James 2:26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.

Once again, from the power of Satan, from your previous sins, from your former ungodliness, wrong doings, from our all evil doings from the past, going out from their we don’t need to work, for it’s a gift of God, through faith he saved us from the power of Satan, from darkness to light.

So from the darkness to light, God took us out from their, now that we are in the kingdom of his dear son Jesus Christ then we have to work because Christ has his law also for us to follow.

Let us not forget that there is a what we called “THE LAW OF CHRIST.”

Galatians 6:2 Help carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will obey[a] the law of Christ.

And one of the law of Christ is for us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2: 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

We would not be instructed to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling if we are already forever saved from judgment through faith alone.

We are now under Jesus Christ law which is to work out our own salvation, and how do we work out our own salvation? Of course by doing our best to do good works until we die.

It’s a wrong idea of salvation that because we were already saved through faith, we would just allow ourselves to commit sin because no matter what will happen we were already saved through believing in Jesus Christ and to have faith.

We really have to work, we have to love, we have to give, we have to forgive, etc. and those are all good works that should be added to our faith.

So many works we have to do as Christians in order for us to be saved, where? of course in the judgment day and not from your past life.

Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Who will be saved? He that endureth until the end shall be saved.

Even Apostle Paul had given to us an example of himself that he was enduring up to the end for his salvation.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

If anyone would like to be what Paul was doing, finish your course and keep your faith through doing good works up to the end.

Let’s do the good works which had ordained for us to do and after doing it we have to say that we are just an unprofitable servant that we have done what we must do, there is nothing to boast for, we must be humble before God that we couldn’t do all those good works without him, and nothing to boast for.

And that is what Ephesians 2:8-9 meant: Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

We have to work, it was only misunderstood by some that they only focus on the particular verses without considering the other verses as well.

If we stick only on one verse we will be mislead unto wrong understanding of the scripture like for example if we focus only on one verse that Jesus died, how will we know that he rose from the dead?

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

Jesus Christ died for our sins, by reading the verse above, we only have the information about Jesus that he died, if we don’t consider other verses, we will think that until now he didn’t rise to life.

Romans 6: 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

In order for us to understand fully to what the scripture is saying, we need to consider other supporting verses as well.

When we read about salvation through faith that no works needed, we also have to consider why God said, “work out your own salvation.”

It’s because there were two kinds of salvations. One from our old life where we were in the darkness of our evil doings, and the other salvation is from the judgment’s day which is still to come.

Meaning to say, we are not completely saved yet from judgment’s day, that’s why we need to work on our salvation, we have to keep our faith till the end, like what Apostle Paul did. In other words, we were saved from our old life but there is still a tendency that we will lost it if we don’t keep it through doing good works till the end, so our salvation can be taken away once we don’t do what we are instructed to do.

Consider this verse below about all those Christians in Corinth during the time of Paul.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (GNT) Put yourselves to the test and judge yourselves, to find out whether you are living in faith. Surely you know that Christ Jesus is in you?—unless you have completely failed.

2 Corinthians 13:5(KJV) 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

REPROBATE definition and meaning-adjective · morally depraved; unprincipled; bad. Synonyms: corrupt, evil, sinful, wicked · rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation.

If God will talk about possible reprobation or being rejected from the hope of salvation, it simply means that our salvation from judgment can be taken away if we fail to do what the doctrines of Christ is telling us to do.

I hope this article of mine has given you additional insights about salvation. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to write them below and I will be more than happy to read it. You may also ask me some personal questions relevant or irrelevant, they are all more than welcome to me and I will surely answer them. Thanks so much for your time. May God bless you as always.