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Does 1 John 5:13 Prove “Once Saved, Always Saved”?

Does 1 John 5:13 Prove “Once Saved, Always Saved”?

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“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13 NASB)

It is asserted by the proponents of the “Once Saved, Always Saved” doctrine that 1 John 5:13, among other scriptures, proves this belief to be Scriptural. One of the main fallacies of reasoning is “over-simplification.” While every scripture in the “inspired” word of God, from Genesis through Revelation, is true (2 Timothy 3:16; John 17:17), the scriptures must be “accurately” handled (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB). As is very typical of all false doctrines, 1 John 5:13 is taken out of context, and used in a way that John never intended, to prove the “Once Saved, Always Saved” doctrine. read more

What Are John 3:16 & The Gospel About?

What Are John 3:16 & The Gospel About?

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“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”—John 3:16 NKJV

On November 8, 2018, an article was posted on Patheos entitled, “Why John 3:16 Isn’t About The Crucifixion“:

In preparation for an upcoming online debate about PSA [Penal Substitutionary Atonement] Theory, I started wondering whether or not Jesus, or any of the Gospel authors, specifically communicated the Gospel as being about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, or to appease the wrath of God, etc.

In the process of exploring this question, I started with John 3:16 because, growing up, I had always equated it with the crucifixion. However, I realized that this entire conversation has nothing to do with the crucifixion, nor does it even mention the death of Jesus at all.

Here’s what the verse actually says:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

Now, I think most of the time we have been told to read the word “gave” in this sentence to mean that “God laid Jesus down on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world and sacrificed Him for us.”

But, quite obviously, it does not say any such thing.

What it says is that God loved the world. He loved the world so much that he gave us Jesus and that if anyone would trust in him, and his teachings, he would live and not die.

I’ve also started to realize that whenever Jesus talks about “eternal life” or “will not perish”, he is not talking about the afterlife, or about what happens to us after we die.

In a very practical way, John 3:16 is a verse about how those who follow the path of Jesus will escape the coming destruction of Jerusalem and live beyond that event.

Here’s the deal: Jesus showed up as the promised Messiah at a time when the Jewish people were seeking a violent, revolutionary hero who would lead the uprising against their Roman oppressors. Instead, Jesus tells them to repent of this desire for violent revolution and warns them that if they live by the sword they will all die by the sword. He teaches them to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and seek to overcome evil with good.

The promise, then, that Jesus makes is that they will have life that extends beyond the end of the age [that is, the end of the Jewish age], if they follow His teachings. If they refuse, then they will be slaughtered along with the destruction of the Temple, the end of the daily sacrifice, and the death of the Jewish Priesthood. [Which, by the way, is exactly what happened to those who rejected the message and path of Jesus].

So, the promise of John 3:16 is that those who trust in Jesus [that’s what the word “believe” really means], and put his teachings into practice, will not reap the fruit of rebellion [which is death], but survive the end of the age which Jesus promises will come within a single generation.

Forty years later, that prediction came to pass.

And, just as Jesus promised, those who followed the Way of Christ, escaped the “wrath of God” – which was simply the reaping of a harvest of rebellion against Rome – and the Christians who were in Jerusalem fled to the city of Pella months before the Roman army surrounded the city and began to lay siege to it.

In this way, the promise of John 3:16 was fulfilled: Those who put their trust in the Way of Christ – which was to love their enemies, bless those who cursed them, and do good to those who hated them – escaped the horror of AD 70. They did not perish but inherited life beyond the end of the age [or “eternal life” that extended beyond the present age].

Jesus never communicated the Gospel as saying a prayer so you could go to heaven when you die, or as a human sacrifice that would appease the wrath of God. What Jesus said the Gospel was is simply this: “Change your way of thinking! The Kingdom of God is here, right now! You can live under the rule and reign of God today. No need to wait until you’re dead. The Good News is for your life now, not for after you die.”

Here are just a few examples from Scripture:

“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (Luke 4:43)

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” (Matt 9:35)

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom..” (Matt 4:23)

Jesus taught this Gospel, and so did the Disciples, and the Apostles, including Paul and Peter and Philip, etc.

Why are we teaching any other Gospel than this one?

That’s a great question. (And another blog post).

Now let’s see what the Bible really says about John 3:16 and the Gospel:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)

The writer of the Patheos article falsely claims that John 3:16 isn’t about Jesus’ sacrificial death and his followers getting eternal life. He takes John 3:16 in isolation from its context. Not only taking the verse out of context, he also twists its meaning into something foreign to the writer’s intent, by claiming that doing what Jesus taught would enable them to live beyond Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 CE, without any promise of eternal life. A.nd, yet, eternal life is exactly what Jesus promised to those who are faithful, not just for those people who were living in the Jerusalem area back then, but for all people living at all times through history.

“No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” (John 3:13-15 NIV)

These verses prove it is all about God’s love for humankind, manifested in Jesus being put on the cross, or execution stake, and it also has to do with our response to it, resulting in our ETERNAL life or death!

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17 NIV)

“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:6 NIV)

These verses show that Jesus’ death is not just for Jews living back then before 70 CE, but is for all time, and is for the salvation of the entire world of mankind, for whoever will believe, and ‘do the will of God’ (Matthew 7:21).

“By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:2-4 NIV)

The writer of the Patheos article claims that ‘believing in Jesus Christ doesn’t save us from the wrath of of God’. However, the Bible indicates that it does, by saying:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains upon him” (John 3:36 NIV). Believing in God’s Son is contrasted with rejecting God’s Son. Of course, the ‘belief’ mentioned here is not just mental acknowledgment, but an active doing. Jesus made this very clear. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21 NIV).  read more

Must Christians Completely Obey? What Does the Bible Say?

Must Christians Completely Obey? What Does the Bible Say?

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The Old Testament was full of commandments to which the Israelites were obligated to be obedient. But what about the New Testament? Must Christians completely obey? Let’s find out what the Scriptures have to say.

Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching
“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” (Jn 14:23)

“Give yourselves completely to God… use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” (Rom 6:13 NLT)

“We will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” (2 Cor 10:6 NIV)
“After you have become fully obedient.” (NLT) read more

Must a Christian Work So As Not To Lose Salvation?

Must a Christian Work So As Not To Lose Salvation?

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Must a Christian work, or make effort, so as not to lose salvation? Many people who believe in the doctrine of “eternal security” don’t think so. They say all you have to do is believe in Jesus, and “once saved, always saved”, and that your Christian works are completely irrelevant to your salvation.  But what does the Bible say? Let’s find out.

Can you lose salvation?
Must a Christian put forth any effort so as not to lose salvation?

“Work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.” (2 Pt 1:10 NLT) The Bible does not say we’re saved by works. However, a “called and chosen” Christian can “fall away” if he does not “work hard.”

“‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'” (Jn 6:28-29 ESV) Believing in Jesus is a work that Christians must do.

“For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” (Rom 13:11 ESV) Christian “salvation is nearer,” but not yet achieved. This is a far cry from the “once saved, always saved” dogma.

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12 ESV) While not being saved by works, a Christian is encouraged to make every effort toward salvation.

“‘Lord are only a few people going to be saved?’ He said to them, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter but will not be able to.'” (Lk 13:23-24 NIV) Jesus shows that tremendous effort is needed to finally be granted salvation.

“I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Cor 9:27 NIV) Paul, obviously a “saved” Christian, was concerned that after all the preaching he had done to and for others, he himself might give in to sin and become “disqualified for the prize” of eternal life or salvation. In other words, he did not want to lose his salvation.

While it is true that there is nothing that we can do to “earn” salvation, that does not mean that our salvation, as Christians, doesn’t depend on our doing Christian work. Jesus said,

“‘Don’t work for the food that spoils. Instead, work for the food that endures into eternal life'” (John 6:27 GWT). “‘Then what must we do,’ they asked him, ‘if our work is to be the work of God?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the work that God requires: to believe in the one whom he has sent'” (John 6:28,29 REB). read more

Salvation Through Faith – What About Christian Works?

Salvation Through Faith – What About Christian Works?

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“Faith without works is dead”—James 2:26

In our previous article on salvation, we established that the Bible does not support the eternal salvation (or “once saved, always saved”) doctrine. So how is a Christian saved? Is it by doing good deeds and refraining from doing bad things? Is salvation attained by Christian works? Or is it by faith alone? If by faith alone, then where do Christian works fit in? Let’s see what the Bible has to say on this matter.

Christian works
Do Christian works produce salvation, or does salvation produce Christian works?

“Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done.” (Ephesians 2:9 NLT) The same verse in the NIV says that salvation is “not by works.” So obviously, the Bible says our own works cannot save us. It is not saying that as Christians, we should not be doing good works. Rather, it is saying that salvation is not attained simply by doing good works.

“To cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.” (Titus 2:14 CSB) We Christians should be eager to do good works.

“That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded.” (Matthew 24:46 CSB) Christians are expected by God and Christ to work as Christians. See Matthew 25:14-46; Matthew 24:45-51; Luke 12:42-48; Luke 19:11-27.

“To equip his people for works of service.” (Ephesians 4:12 NIV) So God’s people, Christians, are saved and continuously equipped for “works of service.” So rather than being the mechanism by which Christians are saved, good works are actually a product of salvation. A Christian who is truly saved will be equipped by God for good works and will therefore be fully able to accomplish these works.

“You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.” (Revelation 3:1 CSB) A Christian who is not working for God and Christ is spiritually dead.

“For I have not found your works complete before my God.” (Revelation 3:2 CSB) While no amount of Christian works can save the Christian, works of Christian service are vital for a Christian so that Jesus “will never erase his name from the book of life.” (Revelation3:5 CSB)

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) Saved Christians are “God’s handiwork.” God through Christ has done a special work being “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24 NIV) The point of being “saved” (vs. 8) starts the work of being “created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” This is not “working one’s way to salvation,” but working for God and Christ because one is saved. Anyone who is not saved is “dead” spiritually in “transgressions and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1 NIV) But now, God has “made us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5 NIV), to do good works.

James 2:14-26 discusses the relationship of faith and works in some detail, even giving Biblical examples, such as Rahab and Abraham. The main point is “that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24 CSB) He says that “I will show you my faith from my works.” (James 2:18 CSB) Obviously, proper Christian works are vital, not optional. While no Christian can earn their salvation through good works, James’ conclusion is that “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26 CSB)

But let’s be clear: Just as “Abraham was” not “justified by works” (Romans 4:2 CSB), neither are we. Let no one mistake that.

Just as Romans 4 uses Abraham as an example of how no one is justified or declared righteous by works, but by faith, James 2 uses Abraham to prove that genuine faith is accompanied by works.

“You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” (James 2:20 NIV) Some who don’t like what James says here about works claim this contradicts what Paul says about faith alone in Romans. Martin Luther, for example, was one of them. He, and others today, have dismissed James as being uninspired. Like other parts of the Bible that may appear to be contradictory but are actually complementary, James and Romans complement each other. How so?

“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” (James 2:22 NIV) Without actions, faith is incomplete. Biblical faith and works go together.

“And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'” (James 2:23 NIV) Abraham believed God, “so much so that he was willing to sacrifice his one and only son.” (Hebrews 11:17 NIV) This is how Abraham’s faith and works worked together. One was not complete without the other.

The misunderstanding that many have based on scriptures such as Romans 4 is that they don’t look at the scriptures in context. When the scriptures are looked at isolated from their context, misunderstandings occur. What is the context of Romans 4?

Notice how many times in Romans 4 circumcision is mentioned. The Jews thought that outward actions proved their righteousness. They also were fanatical about keeping the Mosaic Law, and all their man-made rules pertaining to it. By doing all this, they thought their righteousness was guaranteed. This is similar to pagans thinking they could manipulate their gods through various actions. Notice how Romans 4:14 refers to “those who depend on the law” (NIV). Romans 4 therefore argues against dependence on “works of the law” (Galatians 2:16 NIV), like Galatians does.

Getting the context of Romans and Galatians helps us to see clearly there is no contradiction between these two Bible books and the book of James. Paul tells us that Christians are saved through faith and not works, and James tells us that Christians who are saved through their faith will produce good works as a result of their faith. These ideas are not contradictory – they are complimentary. Christian works are an outward sign of faith, but they are not the means of salvation. And this faith in Jesus Christ and the work he accomplished is the only means of salvation.

Eternal Security: Once Saved, Always Saved?

Eternal Security: Once Saved, Always Saved?

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Many modern Christians believe in the doctrine known as “eternal security” (commonly known as “once saved, always saved”). But is this belief scriptural? Let’s allow the scriptures to speak for themselves.

eternal security
Is the doctrine of eternal security supported by the Bible?

“I mention it that you may be saved.” (John 5:34 NIV). Salvation is not guaranteed to everyone, or anyone. See Matthew 7:21-23.

“For in this hope we were saved” (Romans 8:24 NIV). “It is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:5).  As these verses show, in one sense, salvation is past tense.

“To us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV). “We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved.” (2 Corinthians 2:15 NIV). “Being saved” in these two verses is in the present tense. Salvation began at baptism and this process continues during a Christian’s life, as long as he/she is faithful. So in another sense, salvation is an ongoing process for Christians.

“The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22). To be finally saved, we must be faithful to the end, and not give up. According to the Scriptures, “Once saved, always saved” is unscriptural. This may be surprising for some, but it is true.

The Apostle Paul did not consider anyone, including himself, to have eternal security

This can be clearly seen from the Apostle Paul’s candid discussion of his “goal” in Philippians 3:11-14:

“And so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

These verses make it obvious that Paul did not consider himself “once saved, always saved.” Other verses he wrote will also emphasize this point.

“For in this hope you were saved.” (Romans 8:24). So Paul is saying salvation is past tense. “But…” But what? “Hope that is seen is not hope at all.” So the salvation Roman Christians had received was not finalized, otherwise it would “be seen,” which “is no hope at all.” This can be seen in the final part of verse 24: “Who hopes for what they already have?”

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:25). Paul is saying “the redemption of our bodies” referred to in verse 23 is not yet attained. The “salvation” referred to in verse 24 is not finalized. These Christians are not “once saved, always saved.”

Jude Did Not Believe In Eternal Security

Jude gives us another excellent example of the unscriptural thinking of the eternal security theology. Jude wanted to write about:

“The salvation we share….” (vs. 3 CSB) But he decided it was more urgent to “remind you… the Lord first saved a people out of Egypt.” (vs. 5 CSB) So they had salvation in a sense, in some ways like “the salvation we share” that Jude wanted to write about. “And later destroyed those who did not believe.” (vs. 5 CSB) Jude is warning Christians with this example that salvation is contingent on continuing in the godly course. Thus, salvation is not eternal security.

“By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:2 NIV).  read more

Once Saved, Always Saved? How About Works?

Once Saved, Always Saved? How About Works?

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Once saved, always saved
How about works?

Many modern Christians believe in the doctrine known as “eternal security” (commonly known as “once saved, always saved”). But is this belief scriptural? Let’s allow the scriptures to speak for themselves.

“I mention it that you may be saved.” (John 5:34 NIV). Salvation is not guaranteed to everyone, or anyone. See Mt 7:21-23.

“For in this hope you were saved.” (Romans 8:24 NIV).  In one sense, salvation  is past tense.

“It is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:5 NIV). read more

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