Your preacher preaches every Sunday morning, do you believe the teaching? Let us say, last Sunday he preached “once you are saved you are always saved;” do you believe the teaching? Here is an interesting question: “Have you ever read those words in the New Testament?” You may say, “No, but I have read the teaching in the New Testament.”
Well, here is another interesting question: “Have you ever read about a warning of losing salvation?” Allow me to help just here, you know about those Moses led out of Egyptian bondage having crossed the Red Sea, and how they were headed to the “Promised Land; thus, they were saved from Egyptian bondage. They had the promise of entering into the “Promised Land.” Yet, Paul wrote of them: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). Get this now, “they drank of the spiritual Rock” which was Christ. Were they saved? Is there any doubt! Well, Paul continued with these words: “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness (verse 5). Does this sound like, “Once saved always saved?” So, you need more to be convinced you that “once saved, always saved” is not true!
When Paul wrote to “the churches of Galatia,” he said of some of them: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Gal. 1:6). Let us examine three words in Paul statement. First, the word “so” which is the Greek “houto” and means: “in this manner. Second, the word “soon, which expresses the “manner;” is the Greek “tacheos” and means: “quickly.” Third, notice the word “moved,” and is the Greek “metatithemi)” and means: “to transfer one’s self or suffer one’s self to be transferred.” Now let us put the meaning of these three words in the text; “I marvel that ye are in this manner, quickly transfer yourself, or have allowed yourself to be transferred from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” This either expresses that some of these Galatians had quickly transferred themselves, or they allowed others to quickly transfer them to another gospel. Whichever it is, their station in the gospel of Christ had been changed!
Yet, there is another point that must not be overlooked. When Paul used the word “another,” the Holy Spirit had two words to choose from. One is the Greek “heteros” which means: one not of the same nature, in other words, one of a different sort. Second, is the Greek word “allos,” which means: “another of the same sort.” So, which word did the Holy Spirit have Paul use? Paul used the Greek “heteros;” thus, when he wrote, “another gospel,” he is saying a gospel of a different sort. In other words, Paul is telling these Galatians, they have started following a “gospel” not of the same sort which he preached and which they obeyed unto salvation. So, are they still saved, having transferred themselves to a “gospel” not the gospel of Christ? But, let us continue with Paul’s words; he followed with: “Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (verse 7). Here the apostles, when using the words “not another,” he used the Greek word “allos” which means: “another of the same sort;” however, he writes “not another of the same sort.” Question, is it possible for a “gospel” not the gospel of Christ to save? God forbid! Now, if these Galatians were now believing and obeying, something not the gospel of Christ, were they still saved? Just be honest and answer the question, please!
What were Paul’s next words? Take heed how you read: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (verse 8). To which John would write: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9). Is there a meaningful difference between the gospel of Christ and the teaching of Christ? No, but when a person “transgresseth” and does not “abideth” in the teaching of Christ, he neither has the Father, nor the Son; and he does not have salvation!
Friends, how can you continue to believe, “once saved, always saved,” in light of the truth by which one is sanctified (John 17:17)?
— Frank R. Williams