Huntington Church of Christ

This is an old, but important, question that arises from time to time. The scriptures are very clear on the subject, thus we will allow God to speak.

"Be sober, be watchful: you adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour"(1 Peter 5:8).

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:1-13).

"Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12).

"For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:1-6).

"...Looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled" (Hebrews 12:15).

"...In later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4;1,2).

"But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do thy first love" (Revelation 2:4,5).

"For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first..." (2 Peter 2:21,22).

"Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be jsutified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4).

In light of such scriptures who would be so BOLD as to deny the words of God? There is just too much evidence against the docytrine of "eternal security" or "once saved always saved". Yes, God tells us the Christian may indeed sin and fall away from His favor, but this does not mean he cannot be saved! If the sinful Christian be willing to confess his sins, repent of them and pray to God for forgiveness, his sins will be forgiven and remembered no more (Acts 8:9-24; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9).

Daniel S. Dow
Huntington Church of Christ