A Word of
Encouragement
Once Saved ... Always Saved?
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by Terry
Watkins
This tract is published here with
the permission of Dial-the-Truth
Ministries
Can a Christian ever
lose his salvation?
Can someone who has truly been saved ever
be lost?
What saith the scriptures?
Salvation is
BELIEVING in Jesus Christ!
Salvation is trusting or believing in, by faith,
that Jesus Christ paid for your sins with His blood on
the cross of Calvary.
"He that BELIEVETH on the
Son hath everlasting life:. . ." John 3:36
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH
in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." John 3:16
We are NOT saved
by WORKS!
The Bible makes it clear that OUR WORKS has
nothing whatsoever to do with our salvation.
We don't receive it by our works - and we don't
keep it by our works!
" NOT BY WORKS of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us,. . ." Titus 3:5
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT
OF WORKS, lest any man should boast."
Ephesians 2:8,9
Salvation is a
FREE GIFT!
Salvation is the free gift of God. If we had to work to
keep it - it would not be a free gift - and God
would be a liar!
". . . the GIFT of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 6:23
". . .by the righteousness of one THE
FREE GIFT came upon all men unto justification
of life." Romans 5:18
Salvation is a NEW
BIRTH!
Salvation is not enduring or a process, but an event
in time. Salvation is a NEW BIRTH. Just as
your first birth happened on a certain time and day, so
does the second birth.
"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a
TIME accepted, and in THE DAY OF
SALVATION have I succoured thee: behold, now
is the accepted TIME; behold, now is
THE DAY OF SALVATION.)" 2
Corinthians 6:2
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be BORN
AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:3
"Being BORN AGAIN, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 1 Peter
1:23
You become a CHILD
OF GOD!
Once you are born again SPIRITUALLY - you become a child
of God.
"Beloved, NOW are we the SONS OF GOD,
. . ." 1 John 3:2
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of ADOPTION,
whereby we cry, Abba, FATHER." Romans 8:15
Nothing can
SEPARATE us from our Father!
Just as nothing can "negate" your physical
birth, nothing can "negate" your spiritual
birth.
My children will always be my children. We may
have troubled times. Our fellowship may be
broken, but our relationship can never
be broken. They will always be my children. Nothing
or nobody can change that! And once you are
born again spiritually - God becomes your Father - nothing
or nobody can change that! Your fellowship
may be broken, but your relationship can never
be broken!
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, SHALL BE ABLE TO
SEPARATE US from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38
"My Father, which gave them me, is greater than
all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's
hand." John 10:29
Jesus will NEVER
leave us!
Jesus promised He will never leave us. Jesus could not
say this if there was even a chance of losing our
salvation.
". . .for he hath said, I WILL NEVER
LEAVE THEE, nor forsake thee."
Hebrews 13:5
". . . and, lo, I am with you ALWAY,
even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew
28:20
We already HAVE
eternal life!
When the Bible speaks of possessing eternal life, it
speaks in the present tense (hath, have,
etc.) - SOMETHING WE ALREADY HAVE! If we had to work or
endure to keep our salvation, this could not be true.
"He that believeth on the Son HATH
EVERLASTING LIFE:.. ." John 3:36
"These things have I written unto you that
believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know
that YE HAVE ETERNAL
LIFE,. . ." 1 John 5:13
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that sent me,
HATH EVERLASTING LIFE,. . ." John
5:24
Jesus will NOT
cast you out!
". . . him that cometh to me I WILL IN
NO WISE CAST OUT." John 6:37
We are COMPLETE
in Jesus Christ!
"And ye are COMPLETE IN HIM,
which is the head of all principality and power:"
Colossians 2:10
We are PERFECTED
FOR EVER!
We are "perfected for ever" by Jesus
Christ. How could the Lord say such a bold statement if
we had to earn or keep our salvation?
"By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR
ALL. . . For by one offering he hath PERFECTED
FOR EVER them that are sanctified."
Hebrews 10:10,14
We are PRESERVED
in Christ Jesus!
"Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother
of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father,
and PRESERVED IN JESUS CHRIST, and
called:" Jude 1
"And THE LORD. . . WILL PRESERVE ME
unto his heavenly kingdom:. . ." 2 Timothy 4:18
We are KEPT by the
POWER of God!
"Who are KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time." 1 Peter 1:5
"Now unto him that is able TO KEEP YOU
from falling, and to present you faultless before the
presence of his glory with exceeding joy," Jude
24
We are saved to
the UTTERMOST!
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the UTTERMOST
that come unto God by him,. . ." Hebrews 7:25
We are SEALED
until the day of redemption!
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby
YE ARE SEALED unto the day of
redemption." Ephesians 4:30
". . .after that ye believed, YE WERE
SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise,"
Ephesians 1:13
What about the
BACKSLIDER?
What about the "backslider" or somebody that
forsakes the Lord? The Bible says he will suffer loss
(rewards, etc.) - but he himself shall be saved!
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is
laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon
this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by
fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what
sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work
shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: BUT HE
HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by
fire." 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
We become the BODY
OF CHRIST!
"For we are MEMBERS OF HIS BODY,
of his flesh, and of his bones." Ephesians 5:30
"Now ye are the BODY OF CHRIST,
and members in particular." 1 Corinthians 12:18
What if we later -
BELIEVE NOT?
Our salvation is so secure - even if we BELIEVE NOT after
we're saved, because we become part of Him (the body of
Christ), ". . .yet he abideth faithful:
HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF."
"If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful:
HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF." 2 Timothy
2:13
But what if I sin
an awful sin?
1 Corinthians 5 reports of an awful sin in the church.
And even though Paul commands ". . . To deliver
such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the
flesh" - Paul still speaks of that person being
saved - ". . .that the spirit MAY BE
SAVED. . ."
"It is reported commonly that there is
fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so
much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have
his father's wife. . .To deliver such an one unto Satan
for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit MAY
BE SAVED in the day of the Lord Jesus."
1 Corinthians 5:1,5
To lose your salvation -
makes God a LIAR!
With all the PROMISES from God to KEEP you,
to SAVE you, to PRESERVE you - to even suggest
you could lose your salvation - is to call God a
LIAR!
". . .he that BELIEVETH NOT GOD hath made him a
LIAR; . . ." 1 John 5:10
Why do people
doubt their salvation?
- They trust in feelings rather than
the word of God.
"He that trusteth
in his own heart is a fool:. . ."
Proverbs 28:26
- They are confused by the
simplicity of salvation.
"But I fear, lest
by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtlety, so your minds should be
corrupted from THE SIMPLICITY
that is in Christ." 2 Corinthians
11:3
- They trust in tradition or church
teachings rather than the word of God.
"Making the word of
God of none effect through your TRADITION,.
. ." Mark 7:13
- They trust in their own
righteousness.
". . . and all OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as filthy
rags;. . ." Isaiah 64:6
- They have NEVER been saved.
"Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven;. . ." Matthew
7:21
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN
SAVED?
Is there a time and place in your life, when you trusted
in the blood of Jesus Christ? Not joined a church, not
kept the sacraments, not baptism, not good works - but
simply, by faith, prayed and asked Jesus Christ to save
you?
To die without Jesus Christ will be the worst thing
you could ever do.
"And whosoever was not found written in the book
of life was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE."
Revelation 20:15
YOU CAN BE SAVED
THIS VERY MINUTE!
It's simple to be saved ...
- Know you're a sinner.
"As it is written,
There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans
3:10
"... for there is no difference. For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God;" Romans 3:23
- That Jesus Christ died on the
cross to pay for your sins.
"Who his own self
bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
..." 1 Peter 2:24
"... Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own
blood," Revelation 1:5
- And the best way you know how,
simply trust Him, and Him alone as your personal
Savior.
"For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life." John
3:16
"For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved." Romans 10:13
WOULD YOU LIKE TO
BE SAVED?
Pray this prayer, and mean it with all your heart.
Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and unless you
save me I am lost forever. I thank you for dying for me
at Calvary. I come to you now, Lord the best way I know
how, and ask you to save me. I now receive you as my
Savior. In Jesus Christ Name, Amen.
If you've just now prayed this prayer we'd like to send
you some information to help you in your New Life in
Jesus Christ. If you just now prayed this prayer - click
here or write to
us at Freedom
Ministries.
Copyright © 1995 Dial-the-Truth Ministries
The author of this tract may be contacted at; webmaster@av1611.org
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