4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
John 10:28-29 (CSB): “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
There’s a statement that is true, but I don’t particularly like it. Here it is:
“Once saved, always saved.”
It’s true. But it is often used by folks who have embraced the Americanized, distorted view of the gospel.
The Americanized “gospel” goes something like this: It starts off with a “sinner’s prayer” (something that appears nowhere on the pages of Scripture) and then assures the person that they are saved and cannot lose it from that point on. The problem is that the Lordship of Jesus is rarely ever included in that Gospel presentation. The Americanized “gospel” is basically receiving Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. The folks who say the prayer want Heaven; they just don’t particularly want Jesus.
I believe that “once saved, always saved” is true and lines up with Jesus’ words in John 10:28-29. It’s just been my experience that it is typically used by people who are trying to excuse someone’s lifestyle who claims to be saved, while not actually bearing the fruit of someone who is genuinely converted.
“My cousin, Mortimer, is saved even though he hasn’t darkened a church door in years. His Bible collects dust, and his knees never touch the floor for a time of prayer. He mistreats his wife and tries to find his hope at the bottom of a bottle. But I remember when he said “the sinner’s prayer” when he was a kid. And, after all, we believe in “once saved, always saved,” don’t we?
With all that being said, is it true that when someone is truly born again, they can never be lost again? Yes! A thousand times, Yes!
John 10:28-29 (CSB): “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
Once we are genuinely born again, we are in the safety of Jesus’ hand and the Father’s hand. No one can take us out of their hands into unbelief again. In fact, John 3:16 also speaks to this!
John 3:16 (CSB): “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Notice the part where it says that “everyone who believes in him will not perish.” That means that anyone who has ever placed their trust in Jesus to make them right in the Father’s eyes will NEVER(!) experience God’s divine judgment in Hell.
This is very important based on what we just saw in John 3:16. If it were possible for someone to be legitimately saved and then lose it and spend eternity in Hell, then John 3:16 is a lie. The one who “believed in Him” DID “perish.”
But praise God that John 3:16 is NOT a lie. It is a beautiful, incredible truth! When we trust in Jesus to save us, we are guaranteed never to suffer God’s judgment in Hell. Instead, we are guaranteed to enjoy God’s presence and pleasure on this earth and then, in its fullest expression, in Heaven forever!
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you be assured that you are truly trusting (resting) in Jesus alone to make you right in the Father’s eyes.
- Ask God to help you see if there is tangible evidence (fruit) in your life that testifies to the fact that you are genuinely born again.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into “once saved, always saved,” consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“Is once saved, always saved biblical?”
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)
Matt’s Musings 