BEING SAVED,
STAYING SAVED?

(by Stephen C. Lord)

First, a believer has the ability to say with confidence he is saved. "There is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." {Romans 8:1; see 1John 5:13; Philippians 4:3}. We are not saved by degrees, we either are or we aren't. As the Apostle John frequently points out in his writings there is no middle ground--there is light or dark, truth or lie, love or hate, life or death, righteousness or sin, godliness or worldliness. There are no spiritual orphans, one is either a child of God or a child of the devil (see the short letter of 1John for the above examples).

Endurance, perseverance plays a large part in one's salvation: "And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved." {Matthew 10:22; 24:12-13; Romans 5:1-5; 2Timothy 2:12; Revelation 2:10}.

But if I understand the question properly, many ask, "Can one who is genuinely saved lose that salvation?" Some look at passages like John 10:27-29 and say "No." Does the passage teach that?

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand."

The meaning of the underlined term above is "to snatch, seize, i.e., take suddenly and vehemently, or take away in the sense of steal, carry off, drag away." [Bauer, Walter, Gingrich, F. Wilbur, and Danker, Frederick W., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press) 1979.]; "to grab or seize by force, with the purpose of removing and/or controlling; to attack, with the implication of seizing - ‘to attack, to seize.'" [Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible Societies) 1988, 1989.].

Note how the word is used in John 6:15; 10:12; Acts 23:10. The verb is in the third person, meaning that it does not refer to an action of the Lord or the sheep, but of a third party. This is born out not only linguistically, but contextually when Jesus speaks of sheep thieves {10:1,8,10; note Matthew 6:19-20 in this regard}. Jesus is saying here that His sheep (and I am unaware of a Biblical use of the sheep metaphor that identifies a sheep as a non-believer--those are goats) will not be "rustled," stolen by some other party. This says nothing about the sheep wandering off on their own accord. Indeed, we know in fact that the Lord's sheep do wander off, scatter, and become lost {Psalm 119:176; Jeremiah 50:6; Matthew 10:6; 15:24; 18:12-13; Luke 15; 1Peter 2:25}. Using Matthew 6:19-20 and a more urban analogy, God assures the believer that God's "bank" is thief proof, rust proof, Wall Street proof. This says nothing, however, about whether or not I can withdraw and close out my account. Again, It deals with third parties.

Indeed, Paul exercised self-control in order that he would not become disqualified for the prize {1Corinthians 9:24-27}. If a true believer cannot become disqualified, then Paul was misguided in his efforts and the whole force of his argument is lost.

Paul was warning the Gentile Christians in Rome about their smug attitude toward Jews who had not believed unto salvation. Look closely. He used the olive tree illustration. Those who are part of the tree are saved {Romans 11:16-18}. There is no mistaking that, for the orchardist who planted the tree and grafted new branches on is God. He knows who is who. The text clearly says branches (the saved) can and are broken off because of unbelief, even those grafted in because of belief can be broken off if they do not continue in their belief. In fact, Paul warns Gentile branches/believers, "Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." {see Romans 11:19-24} These words are baseless, an idle threat if it be true that one who is genuinely saved cannot walk away from her salvation. I submit that God and His Apostles do not make such idle warnings. A parallel passage to this is John 15:1-6. Can one be part of the vine, part of Christ, yet not truly be part of the saved? (Remember, there are no degrees of salvation, and God is the husbandman who plants and tends the vineyard. He would not plant a counterfeit and knows one when He sees one.) The branches that are part of the vine, part of Christ ("I am the vine") that do not bear fruit will be cut off. Note that this message was addressed to the 11 Apostles; they are the original "you" of this passage, Judas having already left {John 13:30-31}. Why did Jesus caution them about bearing fruit or being cut off, if it be true that one who is saved cannot lose that salvation through his own volition?

Ephesus had a "lampstand" (a symbol of their light) in Jesus' presence. Ephesus was commended for their doctrinal faithfulness. Ephesus had persevered. But Ephesus had lost their first love (the love had been genuine, real), and unless they repented, they and their lampstand would be removed from the Lord's presence {Revelation 1:12-2:7}. Another idle threat since the saved can't lose their salvation? Or a genuine possibility?

Seems also, that one's name can be removed from the Book of Life {Revelation 3:5; 22:19}.

In Matthew 25:14-30, the Lord throws one of His own servants (not some impostor) into outer darkness because that servant proved unfaithful.

Demas is described by Paul with a very special term, not one he uses for everyone--fellow laborer [from synergos] {Philemon 24}. Paul uses this term to describe such notable kingdom workers as Luke, Mark, Philemon, Timothy, Priscilla, Aquila, Apollos, himself. Yet we sadly read that this Demas whom Paul once described with this glowing word, left the faith {2Timothy 4:10}. Was the Apostle Paul deceived by Demas? Was Paul fooled? Did Paul not recognize a wolf, a goat, naively describing him with that special term--"fellow laborer"? Or was Paul not deceived and Demas was a true believer, a sheep, who wandered off, not staying the course?

"Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called `Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." {Hebrews 3:12-13; but in truth the whole of 3 & 4}.

"Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." {James 5:19-20}.

My present understanding is that the Scriptures do teach that I have the assurance of salvation; I know now. They also teach that salvation is given to those who endure to the end. Further, they teach that a genuinely saved believer can surrender that status through disobedience, unbelief, rebellion. Sheep can wander off and become lost. I can withdraw from and close out my "account." A third party (Satan, False Teacher, etc.) cannot steal or destroy my salvation. Should I take my inheritance and squander it in reckless living (read the story in Luke 15), the Father does not stop loving me; He continues to look down the road for me, ready to welcome me back. But I left the Father's house on my own volition, and while out in the world I am dead to Him, and the decision to come back is entirely up to me.

If I have mistated or misunderstood the position, I ask the reader--please do respond. I am teachable. I trust you will give serious and open-minded consideration to the evidence I have presented as well. If I have erred, do correct me. That is what being a part of the family is all about: "As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend." {Proverbs 27:17}.