We will address the Calvinist belief of once saved always saved and it’s nuances.

We all agree as truth that salvation can never be lost by a bad deed or failure to do good deeds and that salvation is not performance based.But can salvation be lost by loss of faith?

Some say they believe in once saved always saved but that people who lost their faith were never saved in the first place ,hence maintaing that true faith is never lost.

Baptist Minister Charles Stanley had a different perspective ,he said apostates who lose their faith will still be saved but they will lose all reward in God’s Kingdom(other than heaven and eternal life are a great reward but all other reward would be forfeited)

Let us here talk about this and also no other aspects of Calvinism or TULIP will be discussed just once saved always saved.

Here is Ephesians 1.13-14 NIV

 ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

This is very interesting but does it prove the case,lets see with other citations ,here is 2 Corinthians 1.21-22 NIV

 ²¹ Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Guaranteeing what is to come ,more convincing!

Philippians 1.6 NIV

⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

John 10.27-28 NIV

 ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

So far these scriptural citations leave no doubt that you can not lose salvation on bad works or failure to do good works but I still don’t feel yet that an absolute perseverance of the saints perspective has been proved as to the impossibility of apostasy.So can can those that lose faith be apostates?

Minister Dr Gene Kim makes a similar arrgument as Stanley and Kim says that if you lose your faith in Jesus you maintain salvation but lose sanctification.Meaning you lose your Holyness of judgement day so you will be judged more harshly. Evangelist Chuck Missler once said that many Christians will be disapointed in heaven and that in God’s Kingdom of glory there will be nobles and servants(people with little reward).

Final synopsis for me is that we all know salvation is not performance based but I can not make a call with my limited theological training(I’m a historian of the Bible not a spiritual advisor) on whether “once saved always saved means those who fall from faith will lose salvation but I encourage you to read the scriptures and decide for yourself.This blog is to address an important issue and get people thinking but I am not theologically qualified to answer.

Remember and most important do not bring this into the picture,keep the faith and do good works also,good works not to merit salvation but for rewards in this life and the next and to be happier and closer to God.Nothing will make you happier then a day spent serving God our Lord Jesus.Watch this youtube by Dr Gene Kim and decide for yourself.

Here is an edit from the original I forgot and should have put in,in the first place but I was not on my game. 2 Timothy 2:11-13

2 Timothy 2:11-13New International Version

¹¹ Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
    we will also live with him;
¹² if we endure,
    we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
    he will also disown us;
¹³ if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot disown himself.

Thank you all and God Bless!