Today I will be covering the topic of assurance in regards to salvation. The verses on this post are the ones that may be used for the doctrine of once saved always saved. It is my current stance that a Christian can lose their salvation if they depart from the faith or if they live in habitual unrepentant sin. If the reader has better verses than these to support once saved always saved please share, I'd like to see them.
First we have the questions in Isa 50:2 which ask us in regard to whether or not God can redeem or deliver. We find out in Isa 59:1-2 that the Lord's hand isn't shortened that it cannot save but the peoples sins has hid his face from them. We also learn in the Old Testament that God doesn't take pleasure in the death of the wicked but will's that they turn from their sins and live (Eze 33:11).
John 6:37 teaches us that Jesus will not cast out those that come to him. In Joh 10:27 -29 we learn that no man can pluck the saved from the Father's hand. The bible teaches us that it is God's will that everyone gets saved (1Ti 2:4). Jesus promised to never leave us (Heb 13:5). We also learn from scripture that God is long suffering and doesn't want anyone to perish but to come to repentance instead (2 Pe 3:9).
Ok, these verses talk about God's faithfulness and desire to save all, but these verses DON'T teach that you can't walk away from your faith and forfeit salvation.
The book of John teaches us that those that believe in Jesus are not condemned or confounded (Joh 3:18, 1Pe 2:6), and has everlasting life (Joh 3:36, Joh 6:47). Joh 5:24, Act 10:43, etc.
The caveat here is continued believe. Believeth means that you don't leave the faith.
What I find interesting is the closing verse of the epistle is saying that grace is with those that sincerely love Jesus, so you can know that you are saved if you truly love him (Eph 6:24, Jas 1:12). We know that we know him and dwell in him and he in us if we keep his word / commandments (1 Joh 2:3, 1 Joh 2:5, 1 Joh 3:24). The next point that I'll make is if we confess our sins to him he will forgive and cleanse us (1 Joh 1:9). God will not turn his face from us if we return to him (2 Ch 30:9). If a man love God the same is known of him 1 Co 8:3.
With these verses it shows salvation as conditional, IF, IF, IF we....
One of the strongest proof texts for eternal security is 1 Joh 5:13 which states "...ye may know that ye have eternal life...".
I agree to this statement, however this assurance is for believers only!
The epistle to the Ephesians teaches us that we are saved by grace (Eph 2:8).
It's true that your can't earn salvation by doing good works but scripture also warns of falling from grace and failing of the grace of God.
Jesus says that he knows his sheep, but he also says that he never knew those that did all those wonderful works in his name but still worked iniquity (Mat 7:21-23).
This shows that there is a distinctions between the true converts and the false ones, whether or not Jesus knew them. This also shows that those in the Matthew reference didn't lose their salvation, they never had it to begin with. They were false prophets.
What about Rom 7:17- 20?
This is describing someone who hates and wants to be rid of their sin. Unbelievers and backsliders can sear their conscience and be dead to feeling remorseful over sinning.
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