By Jim Mettenbrink
Regardless of what the Bible reveals, it is man’s selfish nature to believe that once a person is saved from his sins, he can not lose his salvation, but will live forever in heaven. When those who are saved or think they are saved walk away from Jesus and returned to their previous sinful life, adherents to the “once saved, always saved” (OSAS) belief declare that they were not saved in the first place, because upon conversion, the truly saved were given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to make sure they stayed saved (Calvinist doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints – OSAS). Although it’s a most comforting belief, is it true? What say the Bible?
The most obvious refutation of OSAS is Jesus’ own words when He instructed His beloved apostle John to write to seven congregations of the churches of Christ (Revelation 1:1) – His church. The short of it is that five of the seven would be condemned if they did not repent.
In the greetings of the seven letters, John acknowledges that Jesus is the eternal almighty God, the redeemer who has power over death (Rev 1:5, 8, 18). Then he addresses the sinful condition of each congregation (Rev 2-3). Note these are Jesus’ churches, those He saved with the washing by His blood (1:5). If Calvin was correct (OSAS) then at least the first three chapters of Revelation is a fraud, a lie!
John wrote that the symbol for each congregation was a lampstand (Rev 1:20). Jesus said “…I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Rev 2:5). No lampstand – darkness –where Jesus is not because He is the light (John 1:4-9; 8:12; 1 John 1:6-7; Rev 21:23). In short, when anyone lives contrary to Jesus’ One Way (Jn 14:6), then it’s lights out – stark darkness – lost eternally.
A person can not have fellowship with God and live in sin. The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian churches of Christ that “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4). Cutoff from Christ and no grace, i.e., no forgiveness for leaving the truth for a faith of partial truth (Gal 1:6-7). Lights out! Can a nation rebel against God and still have lights on, i.e., continue to prosper in stability?