Are You Saved?
"For it is not the man who commends himself
that is accepted,
but the man whom the Lord commends."
2Corinthians
10:18
Some non-Catholics teach that all you have to do to achieve
salvation is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and your salvation is assured in this life. You only
have to make a once in a lifetime commitment and no matter what you do for the
rest of your life, you can be certain that you will go to Heaven when you die.
Once you do this, it is an impossibility that you will ever lose your salvation.
That train of thought, however, is not Biblical, and in reality it is a sin of
presumption.
Jesus did not die just so we could sin.
Let us examine Holy Scripture and see what it has to
say.
"For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Lord,
and believe in your heart that GOD has raised Him from the dead, You shall be
saved." Romans 10:9
"For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved." Romans 10:13
This is what St. Paul said. Some non-Catholics use these
two verses, taken completely out of context, to try to provide justification for
their false, man made, "Once saved, always saved" belief.
A text without
a context is only a pretext.
If they would only read further on in the
same chapter they would clearly see the context of Romans 10:9 and 13,
and the fallacy of this false belief:
Romans 10:14 "But how are men to
call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him
of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a
preacher?"
In this verse we see that in order to properly hear the word of
GOD so that they may believe, there is a condition attached.
They cannot
"believe in Him" unless they have heard it, and have heard it from a preacher.
Does that verse mean any preacher, even a false one (2Cor 11:12-15)?
No,
definitely not, for Holy Scripture teaches that it could not be just any
preacher, but only a preacher who is sent by GOD.
The very next
verse will teach us this.
Romans 10:15, "And how can men preach unless
they are sent? As it is written (Isaiah 52:7, Nahum 1:15*), "How
beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!"" (Please note
that "good news" is the meaning of the word "Gospel".)
"And how can
men preach unless they are sent?" Sent?
If anyone
has been sent, then it stands to reason that "someone" had to do the
sending. Isn't that true?
By simple deduction, and by common sense, the question must be asked that
they who were sent then, were sent by whom?
In this verse we can see
and hear the death knell of the "Once saved, always saved" false belief.
The
word for "sent", as used in the Greek language of which the book
of Romans was written, is apostello.
Doesn't that sound like another
Biblical word for which we are all familiar?
Apostello means to send
out properly on a mission. From apostello we get the Greek
word "apostolos", meaning "Apostle".
The Greek word "Apostolos"
means "he who is sent".
So who are the "they" who are those
sent, and by whom are "they" sent?
The same Greek word,
apostello, is used by Jesus Christ when He spoke to His
"Apostolos" in John 20:21:
"Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send
you.""
It is obvious that those who are sent (apostello)
by GOD are also given authority by Jesus Christ who is GOD.
That
authority was delegated to the Apostles alone by Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:15
had said, "And how can men preach unless they are sent?". I must
ask, "Sent by whom and with what authority?"
"And He appointed twelve, to be with
Him, and to be sent out to preach..." Mark 3:14
So, those who are
sent, are sent with the authority given to them by GOD. Consequently,
the only persons authorized to preach are the Apostles, and those who followed
them in a long line of succession, the office of the Bishops (Psalms 109:8, Acts
1:20).
This was said by Saint Paul:
"So, if I brag a little too much
about the authority which
the Lord gave us, I'm not ashamed. The Lord gave us this authority to help
you, not to hurt you." 2Corinthians 10:8
In addition there were a few others
mentioned in Scripture who were appointed directly by the Lord such as the
seventy who were sent in Luke 10:1.
There is another Greek word for
sent, and it is pempo.
Pempo is used in verses where sent means
not sent with the authority of GOD, such as in Matthew
14:10.
Non-Catholic preachers and ministers will have a hard time proving
that they were sent by the authority of GOD since they are not in the
line of succession going all the way back to the Apostles. So by what authority
do these men preach?
"Let every soul be in subjection to the higher
authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are
ordained by God. Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the
ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves
judgment."
Romans 13:1-2
None of those non-Catholic preachers and
ministers can claim that they have GOD given pastoral authority, since it would
be at most only a private revelation if that, and not a public one, so how could
anyone "prove" that their claim to "GOD gave me the authority" is to be
believed? Anyone can utter the excuse that "GOD told me!". History is repleat
with heretics, criminals, dictators, and despots who used that term as their
supposed justification for their evil deeds.
In Luke 10:16, Jesus said,
"He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects
me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." That verse is a verse of authority and it is a verse of infallibility as well. It is a verse also of
obedience for those who were sent. Now there are well over 36,000
non-Catholic sects, each with at least one preacher and all of them are
preaching something different from one another. So, given the fact that there
can be only one truth and with
obedience to only one authority, which one of those tens of
thousands is the model of obedience and has the authority and infallibility
given to him or her by Jesus Christ?
Which one of the tens of thousands of
them could lay claim to Luke 10:16?
"...and he who
rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent
me." What else could this part of Luke 10:16 mean
other than to be applied to those who reject the teaching of His "Apostolos" and
their successors through the one Church which He founded?
So by taking
Romans 10:9-15 in context, verse 15 clearly negates any thought of "Once saved,
always saved" as being a foregone conclusion.
But that is not all, as
there is more which negates the false belief of, "Once saved, always saved" in
Romans 10:
Romans 10:16, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah
says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from
us?""
How can anyone obey the Gospel when they are preached
to by someone who is not sent? And just who are "us"?
"Us" are those who are sent with the authority of
GOD.
Romans 10:17, "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard
comes by the preaching of Christ."
So from where does "the preaching of
Christ" in absolute truth come? Again, it is from those who are sent
with the authority to do so given to them by GOD. Authority from GOD is the
only guarantee for those sent, of preaching only one truth, and with
only one authority. It is the
lack of the authority from GOD that has created the tens of thousands of
non-Catholic sects that we see today, with all of them preaching their own
individual interpretation of Scripture. Theirs is nothing more than personal
opinionated preaching.
Truth stands alone. It comes from Jesus Christ, who
said, "I am the way, the truth, and the
life" in John 14:6. Truth is not dependant upon
private opinions. Jesus Christ said that he cares not for the opinions of men,
Mark 12:14.
Therefore the opinions of mankind have no bearing whatsoever on
doctrinal truth.
Romans 10:18, "But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed
they have; for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to
the ends of the world."
Whose voice "has gone out to all the earth, and their
words to the ends of the world"?
Again, it is those who are
sent, the Apostles and their successors whose words have gone
out to all the earth and to the ends of the world as commanded by Jesus Christ
Himself to the Apostles in:
Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and said to
them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given
to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the
close of the age."
And
in:
Acts 1:8, "But you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the
earth."
From what I have presented here for Romans 10, it is
to be a lesson learned
that no one should ever take a verse or two out
of context in order to promote a false belief.
It is impossible for
anyone to write a text of which any person could take a line or two out of
context and twist it to mean something entirely different from what the author
had intended. By taking verses out of context, a true statement could easily be
transformed into something other than the truth.
*Nahum 1:15, "Behold, on the
mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings (good news, Gospel), who
proclaims peace!"
The mountain is the dwelling place of GOD as shown in many
verses.
See Ex 3:1, Psa 48:2-3, Isa 2:2-3,30:29,65:25,66:20, Jer 31:23, Ez
11:23,20:40,
Dan 9:16,20, Joel 2:1,3:17, Mic 4:1-2, Hag 1:8, Zech 8:3.
The mountain also prefigures the Church, which is the dwelling place of
GOD.
Matt 5:14, the city which is set upon a mountain and cannot be hidden is
a prefigurement of the highly visible Church which
Jesus Christ founded.
Elucidation:
From the mountain of GOD, he who
brings the Gospel, is the preacher whom GOD has sent.
Jesus taught
from a mountain: Matt 5:1
From a mountain, Jesus in turn commanded His
disciples to teach all nations: Matt 28:16-20
On a mountain, Jesus multiplied
the loaves and fishes, which fed 5000: Jn 6:3-14
Jesus was transfigured on a
mountain: Matt 17:1-5, Mk 9:2, Lk 9:28-29
Mountain heights symbolize the
heights of authority.
Jesus Christ Himself said, "Not everyone who says to Me,
'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My
Father in Heaven shall enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew
7:21
"And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, 'Though the number of
Israelites were like the sand of the sea, ONLY A REMNANT WILL BE SAVED...'"
Romans 9:27
"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to GOD on THEIR behalf is
for salvation. I testify with regard to them that they have zeal for GOD, but it
is NOT DISCERNING. For I bear them witness that they have zeal for GOD, but not
according to knowledge; for, ignorant of the justice of GOD and seeking to
establish their own, they have not submitted to the justice of GOD. For Christ is the consummation of the law unto justice for everyone
who believes." Romans 10:1-4
St. Paul clearly said that only a remnant
of the Jewish nation will be saved, as they have not rejected Jesus Christ as
the Messiah. In these verses he addressed the Judaizers who were still clinging
to the Old Covenant Jewish traditions.
However, Jesus Christ in Matthew
7:21, had spoken to all of us, and He clearly stated that we have to do the will
of the Father. Doing something requires effort, or work. That work is keeping
the commandments. Those who do not keep the commandments will not enter
heaven.
Does this sound like "Once saved, always saved to you?"
Jesus
Christ redeemed us and provided for our salvation. The Gates of Heaven were
opened, but not one of us can just 'walk in' and claim residency without obeying
the will of the Father.
Another verse which they use to try to support the "Are you Saved"
misnomer, is John 10:28.
"And I give them everlasting
life; and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My
hand."
See also John 6:37, "And him
who comes to Me I will not cast out."
Both of those
verses indicate that Jesus Christ will be loyal to us and will never cast us
out.
However, He left open the fact that we could simply jump out of His hand
and walk away from Him by not keeping His Word.
Here is yet another verse
used by those who say they are forever "saved".
"For GOD so loved the
world that He gave his only-begotten Son, that those who believe in Him may not
perish, but may have life everlasting." John 3:16
It seems at first
glance from that verse, that all one has to do is to believe in Jesus Christ to
be saved. Again, when the verse is understood from the original Greek text, this
is not the case at all. When the underlying Greek wording is analyzed, their
argument is lopped off from the vine as yet another fruitless branch would
be.
The Greek word used here for "believe", is "Pisteuvw", or when
transliterated into English is "Pisteuo". This Greek word means, to believe, to
rely on, and to "obey". To "obey" involves works, which means we must bear good
fruit.
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I
tell you? Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will
show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and
laid the foundation upon rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against
that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But he who
hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without
a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the
ruin of that house was great."
Luke 6:46-49
Those
are powerful verses against "once saved always saved". Let us shine a bright
light upon them.
Non-Catholics believe that all we have to do is to hear His
words and accept them and they are saved. However, Jesus said not only do we
have to hear His words, but we have to DO WHAT HE TELLS US.
Here is only one
example out of many, a case in point:
Jesus said in John 10:16, "...and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." And in John
17:21, "...that all may be one."
In those two verses are just a single example out of many
that I could list. That being said, I must ask, "Since there are now some 37,000 non-Catholic sects (folds) in the world today,
how can any one of them claim that they obey the words of Jesus when He
commanded that we must be one?" If they do not obey His words, then
Scripture has clearly conveyed to them the fact that their house is built
without a foundation and that it will fall.
37,000 sects in existence now is
proof enough that those words of Jesus have come true.
If those verses of
Luke 6:46-49 are ignored by the tens of thousands of sects, then the following
verse has to be ignored by them as well:
"Knowing their thoughts, he said to
them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste,
and no city or house divided against itself will stand;...""
Matt 12:25
United we stand. Divided we fall.
You could be a branch
attached to the vine, but just who is the vine dresser?
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every
branch in Me that bears no fruit He will take away; and every branch that bears
fruit He will cleanse, that it may bear more fruit."
John
15:1-2
"For all of us must be made manifest before
the tribunal of Christ, so that each one may receive what he has won through the
body, according to his works, whether good or evil."
2Cor 5:10
See
Matthew 22:8-14, the parable of the marriage feast. The one who was not dressed
properly was cast into the darkness outside where there was weeping and the
gnashing of teeth.
In Matthew 25:1-13 is the parable of the ten virgins.
Five were not prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom (Christ) and were shut
out of the marriage feast.
Then there is another parable which applies to
our topic. In Matthew 13:47-50, the kingdom of heaven is likened to a net cast
into the sea and gathers fish of every kind, both good and bad. The good fish
are saved, but what happens to the bad ones in verses 49-50? They are cast into
the furnace of fire where again there is weeping and the gnashing of teeth. All
of the fish were gathered into the net, but were all of them saved from the
furnace of fire?
Read about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46.
You probably have already noticed that both believed, but did you also notice
that only one worked? What was the final end of those who did no works? See
verses 45-46. Since the goats believed, why then were they not saved
also?
See, you may think you are "saved", but a fruitless person is cut
off. Now you can readily see that salvation depends upon each one of us and on
our individual fruitful actions in a very important way.
Nothing defiled may enter the kingdom of heaven.
"And there shall not enter into it (heaven) anything defiled, nor
he who practices abomination and falsehood, but only those who are written in
the book of life of the Lamb." Revelation 21:27
Does this
sound like "Once saved, always saved?"
The people who fit this verse are not
following the will of GOD, the Ten Commandments.
"He
who overcomes shall possess these things, and I will be his GOD, and he shall be
my son. But as for the cowardly and unbelieving, and abominable and murderers,
and fornicators and sorcerers, and idolaters and all liars, their portion shall
be in the pool that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death." Revelation 21:7-8
Does this sound like "Once
saved, always saved?"
Where do liars spend all eternity even if they
accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but fail to work out their
salvation by keeping the Ten Commandments? Are not "Thou shalt not lie", and
"Thou shalt not kill" two of the Ten Commandments?
According to the "Once
saved, always saved" group of believers, you can sin as much as you want after
accepting Jesus Christ and your salvation is guaranteed, regardless.
"Why
do you ask me what is good? One there who is good, and he is GOD. But if you will enter into life, OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS." "Which commandments?" the man asked. Jesus said, "Never murder.
Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Honor your
father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.""
Matthew
19:17-19
These verses clearly have said that if we do not obey the
commandments, we will not have (eternal) life.
So if a person who thinks he
is "saved", and then lies or commits adultery,
how then does he reconcile
his actions with Matthew 19:17-19 and Revelation 21:7-8 and 21:27?
Jesus
did cure the infirmed man at the pool in John 5:1-9, and later He told him in
verse 14, "See, you are well! SIN NO MORE, THAT NOTHING
WORSE BEFALL YOU." Does that sound like, "once saved,
always saved"?
Here is yet another example, the woman caught in adultery in
John 8:1-10. Jesus had prevented her from being stoned to death, and in verse 11
He said, "Neither do I condemn you; GO, AND DO NOT SIN
AGAIN." Again, Jesus cautioned, not to sin
again.
What is the message from these two examples from John
5 and 8? What if both sinned again? In the first case it would seem that indeed,
SOMETHING WORSE WOULD BEFALL THE MAN and in the second case it would be a clear
disobedience by the woman to a direct command of Jesus. I repeat, does that
sound like, "once saved, always saved"? No way!
"Here is the patience of
the Saints, who keep the commandments of GOD, and the faith of
Jesus."
Revelation 14:12
If we are "saved" already then what is the
purpose of having to obey the commandments?
So, can we truthfully say that we are saved? If we co-operate with the
commands of GOD, we can have hope that we will be saved. However, we
cannot assume, as some non-Catholics believe, that it is a one sided process
completed by Jesus Christ alone. He did His part, now it is up to each one of us
to do our part by our co-operation with His unlimited sacrifice on the
cross.
How can anyone reconcile the false man made doctrine of "once saved,
always saved" when Holy Scripture clearly tells us to, "Work out your
salvation with fear and trembling."? Phil 2:12
Nevertheless,
Catholics realize that even the fulfilling of Our Lord's requirements for
salvation is impossible without the free gift of His grace.
Salvation is an ongoing process throughout our lives. It is a life-long
struggle
as this verse, mentioned earlier, tells us:
"Work out your
salvation with fear and trembling." Phil 2:12
This verse is in direct
conflict with the notion of "Once saved, always saved".
Since salvation
is an on going life-long process:
We were saved in the past: Rom 5:1-2,8:24,
Eph 2:5-8, 2Tim 1:9, Tit 3:5.
We are being saved now: Rom 5:9-10, 1Cor 1:18,15:2, Phil 2:12, 1Pet
1:8-9,2:1-2.
We will be saved in the future: Mt 10:22,24:13, Rom 13:11, 1Cor
3:12-15,5:5, 2Tim 2:11-13, Rev 21:6-7.
We can lose our salvation:
Those who believe "Once saved,
always saved", assume (presumption?) that they are written in the "Book of Life"
(Dan 12:1) in red indelible
ink, and cannot ever be removed from it no matter how much they
sin.
How then could they ever explain Ex 32:33:
"The Lord answered, 'Him
only who has sinned against Me will I strike out of My book'"?
Even St.
Paul admitted that he could lose his salvation:
"...but I chastise my body
and bring it into subjection, lest perhaps after preaching to others I myself
should be rejected."
1Cor 9:27
Then there is Rom 11:22, "See, then,
the goodness and the severity of GOD: His severity towards those who have
fallen, but the goodness of GOD towards you if you
abide in His goodness; otherwise you also will be cut
off."
"I have confidence in
you the Lord, that you will not think otherwise; but
he who disturbs you will bear the penalty, whoever he may
be." Gal 5:10
"But that servant who knew his masters will, and did not make ready
for him and did not act according to his will, will be beaten with many
stripes." Luke 12:47
"You therefore, brethren, since
you know this beforehand, be on your guard lest,
carried away by the error of the foolish, you fall away from your own
steadfastness." 2Pet 3:17
Is this
"once saved, always saved"? Well then, what about those who fall into this
trap?
Refer to John 10:28 earlier in this post where I said we can simply
jump out of His hand and walk away from Him.
Who are those who gloss over
these verses and present a blind eye to them?
"Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are immorality, uncleanness,
licentiousness, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, jealousies, anger,
quarrels, factions, parties, envies, murders, drunkenness, carousings, and
suchlike. AND CONCERNING THESE I WARN YOU, AS I HAVE WARNED YOU, THAT THEY WHO
DO SUCH THINGS WILL NOT ATTAIN THE KINGDOM OF GOD." Gal
5:19-21
Again, does this sound like "Once saved, always saved"?
Who
can ignore Matt 25:31-46, where the shepherd will separate the sheep from the
goats and the righteous will receive their reward but the accursed will depart
into the everlasting fire?
See also, Matt 6:14-15, 7:21, 24:44-51, Mark
11:26, Luke 10:16, John 14:21, Rom 11:22, and Rev 21:8.
Perseverance in doing the will of the Father:
This virtue will
bring us to our goal:
"...but he who has persevered
to the end will be saved." Matt 10:22, 24:13
Notice that
these verses do not say that we are saved but that we will be
saved...future tense. What does "persevered" mean? Why should anyone have to
worry about perseverance if they are already saved?
"Life eternal indeed
he will give to those who by patience in good works
seek glory and honor and immortality; but wrath and indignation to those who are contentious, and who do not
submit to the truth but assent to iniquity." Rom 2:7-8
"And in doing good, let us not grow tired; for
in due time we shall reap if we do not relax." Gal 6:9
"Do not therefore,
lose your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of patience
that, doing the will of GOD, you may receive the
promise:" Heb
10:35-36
"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been
tried, he will receive the crown of life which GOD has promised to those who
love Him." Jam 1:12
"But he who has looked carefully into the perfect law
of liberty and has remained in it, not becoming a forgetful hearer but
a doer of the work, shall be blessed in his deed." Jam 1:25
"Take, brethren,
as an example of labor and patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the
Lord." Jam 5:10
"Therefore, brethren, strive even more by good works to make
your calling and election sure. For if you do this, you will not fall into sin
at any time. Indeed, in this way will be amply provided for you the entrance
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ." 2Pet
1:10-11
Well, this verse makes it clear that you need good works to help you
to your salvation.
"Once saved, always saved" does not look so promising
anymore, does it?
"Him who overcomes I will permit to eat of the tree of
life, which is the paradise of my GOD."
Rev 2:7
"Fear none of those
things that you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of
you into prison that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten
days. Be you faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." Rev
2:10
"And to him who overcomes, and who keeps
My works unto the end, I will give
authority over the nations." Rev 2:26
"Therefore let him who thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall."
1Cor 10:12
Let us take this verse in
context so we all know the truth of what St. Paul has said here:
Starting with 1Cor 10:1-4, all were believers and
thought they were going to be saved. In verses 5-10 some were lost for
various reasons due to sin (surprise!!!). Verse 11 is a warning for those today
who proclaim that they are saved. The end of ages points to today
as well. Verse 12, those who think they stand (are saved) are liable to
fall.
Let us now back up to verse 9, "We must not put the Lord to the
test...".
Aren't we putting GOD to the test when we claim that we are
saved?
Now we must read this next verse yet again to answer that
question.
"For it is not the man who commends himself that is
accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends."
2Cor 10:18
And what about
this one?
"I have a clear conscience, but that doesn't mean I have God's
approval. It is the Lord who cross-examines me."
1Cor 4:4
Aren't those
who claim that they are saved already,
prejudging themselves and are
attempting to circumvent the judgment of GOD?
See these additional verses
also: John 15:4-10, 1Cor 15:58, Eph 4:14,6:10-17, 1Thes 3:8,5:21-22, 2Thes
2:15-17,
Heb12:1-15,13:9, Jam1:4,2:14-26, 1Pet1:4-7,5:8,
Rev2:17,3:5,11-12,21,21:7
For all of those who think they are already saved, I must warn
them that it is a sin of presumption to believe that false Protestant
invented doctrine, as 1Cor 10:1-12 and 2Cor 10:18 in the previous section have
told us.
Show me a genuine historical document written before 1500 in which
it is defined?
I would suggest that you re-read Matt 25:31-46. You will see
in these verses that both the sheep and the goats thought that they would be
saved, but the sin of presumption was upon the goats and they were
rejected, simply because they did no works.
Clearly, Holy Scripture has shown
that the false doctrine of once saved, always saved has no Scriptural
basis whatsoever.
"So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the
greatest of these is love."
1Cor 13:13
So if we are saved by faith
alone, then what is the purpose of Scripture telling us to have hope? There
would be no need for hope if we are saved already. What does that verse say
about love?
It says love is greater than faith. For those who say they are
saved by faith alone, are they not insinuating that faith is greater than love?
Aren't they ignoring both hope and love?
Since I mentioned the year 1500
above, there was a reason why I did. It was Martin Luther who
"invented" the false doctrine of "Once saved, always saved", when in Romans 3:28
he added the word "alone" to his German translation of Holy Scripture. That
verse then read, "...a man is justified by faith alone". This action on
his part was an embarrassment to the other reformers, and so you will not find
that little word "alone" in Romans 3:28 in the King James or any other
Protestant Bible except for Luther's.
Here is one quote from Martin
Luther regarding "Once saved always saved",
"Be a sinner and sin boldly, but
believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly... No sin will separate us from
the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a
day."
Martin Luther, letter to Melanchthon, August 1, 1521
What about
those verses I quoted previously regarding the command of Jesus to sin no
more."
Is this the meaning of "Once saved always saved"?
Can we throw
out the ten commandments now along with scores of other verses?
No, not at
all according to John 14:15, "If you love me you will keep
my commandments".
How can anyone possibly
reconcile those Words of Christ with that quote from Luther above?
Of what
purpose does that verse serve with Luther's twisted theology?
What about
"Thou shalt not commit adultery and thou shalt not kill?
Shall we believe
the words of Luther or the Words of GOD?
Did you know
that Martin Luther wrote the obituary for his own church?
In this quote from one
of his writings, he was speaking of "Saved by Faith alone (or only)".
"If
this article stands, the church stands; if it collapses, the church
collapses."
Martin Luther, Exposition of Psalms 130,4
Well, Martin,
that 'article' of yours did not stand, but did indeed
collapse.
You see, your added word "alone"
in your German Bible in verse Romans 3:28
was removed by your successors and
was never added in other language translations.
I have shown more than ample
evidence of that collapse in the verses included in this writing,
soooo....?
Interestingly, the people who believe in "Are You Saved", or "Once
Saved, Always Saved", are the same people who berate the Catholic Church for
canonizing saints. Now the word "Saint" simply means, a "Holy One", or a person
who is in heaven. So, by believing in, "Once saved, always saved", it simply
means that those who believe in it are canonizing themselves
already. In other words, since I am "saved", "I will go to heaven, and
therefore, all who are in heaven are saints, therefore I am already a saint".
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way
is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the
gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it
are few."
Matt 7:13-14
It would seem to me that
"Once saved, always saved" is the easy way since it requires no effort on
the part of the individual. The easy way, according to the teaching of
Holy Scripture, is not the way to eternal salvation.
"For it is not the man who commends himself that is
accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends."
2Corinthians 10:18.
Has
any believer in "Once Saved, Always Saved" ever read this
verse?
AGAIN, JESUS DID NOT DIE JUST SO WE COULD SIN.
©
Written by Bob Stanley, November 16, 1999
Updated June 27,
2004
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