The Doctrine of Eternal Salvation or Eternal Safety 

            The doctrine of eternal salvation or eternal safety in Christ teaches that once a person makes a commitment to Christ and gets saved (or born again) that person is always saved.  In other words, once saved always saved.  This doctrine teaches that a saved person cannot backslide and return to their unregenerated state.  Those who believe in the doctrine of eternal salvation use the following scriptures to support their belief. 

1.  John 10:27-29 

            They focus on the fact that this scripture says that no one is able to pluck or snatch the child of God out of God’s hand.  I agree that no man (a third party) can take a person out of God’s hand.  However, God never takes away the individual’s right of choice.  He does not force any person to accept Him nor does He force a person to stay with Him.  Each individual always has the right to choose.  Just as we choose to surrender our lives to Christ we can also choose at any time to turn away from God and return to living a life of sin. 

2.  Ephesians 1:13-14 

            The believers in the doctrine of eternal salvation believe that once one is sealed by God the seal cannot be broken or removed.  This might be true if we were talking about a brand (mark) or a binding apparatus like a rope, chain or lock.  But we are not talking about that type of seal.  The seal (security, confirmation) of God’s ownership of the Christian is the Holy Spirit which was promised to all who accept Christ.  He is God’s promise to us that we will inherit eternal life and that God will one day come to receive all who are His (Rom. 8:11).   But only those who have the Spirit of God are God’s children.  We have Old Testament examples to show that the Spirit can indwell a person and later leave the person (I Samuel 16:14,  Psalms 51:11).  Though Saul and David were not born again; they were simply anointed to do a particular service to God, sin did cause the Spirit to leave Saul and prayed after his sin that God would not depart from him.   The fact that we as Christians are born again does not mean that we can not choose to live in sin again.  The fact that we are adopted into the family of God does not mean that we can not denounce the family and forfeit our inheritance.  Before he sinned Adam was spiritually alive and the sin of disobedience brought him spiritual death.  Those who are born again through the spirit can through sin again experience spiritual death. 

            There are several other scriptures that should be considered in order to give a full picture on this topic.  Consider 

1.  Hebrews 3:12-14 

            First of all these people are called brethren by Paul a term generally used of those who are of like faith, i.e., Christians.  Paul warns them to be careful lest unbelief rise up in there hearts causing them to depart from God.  Some would say here that Paul is talking to Jews who may be rejecting Christ as the Messiah and therefore they are not saved.  But in verse 14 Paul warns that our inheritance with Christ is manifested only if we hold fast to our faith until the end.  Since Paul talks of being a partaker with Christ he must be talking to Christians and thus the warning is to Christians to be careful lest they be drawn away by sin and unbelief. 

2.  Hebrews 6:4-6 

            Many who believe in once saved always saved know of this scripture.  However, they explain it by saying that this only applies to those who are reprobate, having turned so far from God that they cannot be reached (Romans 1:21-32).  Whether the people in Hebrews are reprobate or not is not relevant.  The scripture says that they were once enlightened (having understanding), tasted of the heavenly gift (experienced the gift of salvation) and were partakers of the Holy Spirit (at a minimum they had the baptism of the Holy Spirit which save us).  These people also have studied the Word of God and know that it is good and have some understanding of the coming kingdom.  In other words, the description shows that these people are really saved.  But verse 6 says, “If they shall fall away” implying that there is a possibility that these people could turn away from God.  Whether they turn to the point of being reprobate is not the question.  The fact is they were save and they turned away.  Thus one who is save can choose to turn away from God and fall away from their repentant state. 

3.  Colossians 1:20-23 

            Those of us who have been reconciled to God through accepting the salvation through Jesus Christ will be presented to God by Jesus if we continue in the faith and are not moved being moved (or turned) away from the Gospel.  Christianity requires a lifestyle committed to complete surrender to the will of God, with that surrender being demonstrated by obedience to God.  If we are going to be presented to God we must continue faith and obedience. 

4.  II Peter 2:20-22 

            It is clear here that Peter believes a person can know the way of righteousness (i.e., be saved) and then turn from it.  In fact he says that it is better not to have known (experienced) the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away.  To turn away from knowing God is worse than never having known him at all. (Hebrews 10:26-29). 

5.  II Peter 3:17-18 

            Peter like Paul warns the believer to beware lest after having known the way of righteousness we be led astray and fall into wickedness.  The fact that he feels led to warn the believer implies the possibility of falling back into a sinful life style. 

6.  Revelation 3:5 

            If your name can be blotted out of the book of life then that implies that it was once there and can be removed.  Since only the saved are in the book of life, removal of ones name implies that he or she went from being saved to being unsaved.