Sid Roth Interview: Is there a Once Saved Always Saved? Will there be a 2-State Solution for Israel?

Dear saints,

This is my response to an interview that Brandon did on his Last Days Youtube channel with our beloved brother Sid Roth. You can view the 45-minute interview at this link. Brandon did a great job with it and so did Sid. Let me share a few things about it here, along with some of my relevant articles.

Pray Without Ceasing and Be Thankful

I agree with Sid that we need to pray without ceasing and be thankful to God every day, as the Word teaches us to do (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17). I covered that in my article called Whatever You Do, Do All Like This.

Praying in the Spirit in Tongues

I also agree that every believer who is truly born again is eligible to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues (Mt 3:11; Lk 11:13; 24:49; Ac 1:5,8, 2:38). I agree that praying in tongues (1 Cor 14:2,4-5), otherwise known as praying in the spirit (1 Cor 14:14-15; Eph 6:18; Jude 1:20), is one of the best ways to pray without ceasing.  Let me encourage you to read my articles, Baptized with the Holy Spirit and The Gift of Speaking in Tongues.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit and Fire

Brandon asked Sid how he stays on fire for God, and Sid mentioned these things that I just covered above, emphasizing the importance of remaining on fire for God. He also said that in the first-century Church, they all received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire on the Day of Pentecost. It's true. However, I'd like to add that these days, even many who've received the baptism with the Holy Spirit have never received the baptism with holy fire. I was one of those people until 2012, when I received the holy fire baptism, and the Holy Spirit began to do the most amazing, supernatural things in my life once I got the holy fire. Please read my article called Holy Fire Baptism. There are so many naysayers out there who deny the holy fire as being truly from God, so if you are one of those, then please see my series called The Holy Fire Series, which will clear that up for you. 

Daily Repentance

Sid mentioned the importance of daily repentance, which is essential for every believer. In fact, he said that he repents instantly, which is what we all should do, in order to prevent any sort of stronghold from developing in our lives. I appreciate him saying that, because many today preach a false gospel without repentance, and some even teach that repentance is a work, falsely claiming that it nullifies the grace of God, which is  a foolish error on their part. Please see my articles, The False Gospel without Repentance, and Repentance That Leads to Life.

Once Saved Always Saved (Eternal Security)

Brandon said he does not believe in "Once Saved Always Saved," which is a widely held false doctrine  that the devil has released throughout the whole earth in these last days to deceive people into hell.  Brandon said, "I believe that you can backslide and go to hell that if you don't live a holy lifestyle, if you don't live on fire for Jesus, keeping your lamp full, ready for His return at any moment, and that you can actually backslide if you're living like the world." I completely agree with that. 

He asked Sid if he thinks that "Once Saved Always Saved" is true or not, and Sid replied, "I'm 100% convinced that what Brandon said is correct, and it's not 'Once-Saved-Always-Saved;' that is dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumber than dumb." Sid believes as I do that our security in Christ is conditional, which I call The Conditional Security of the Believer. I know there are many skeptics and naysayers on this topic, so if you have any doubts about what Brandon, Sid, and I are saying, then please see my series called The False Gospel of Eternal Security. Nobody has ever been able to refute this from Scripture.

Avoiding Worldliness

Brandon is "right on" when he says that if you live like the world and don't live a holy life, you will end up in hell unless you repent. You will not make it in the rapture, when Jesus comes, if you are living like that (1 Jn 2:15-17; Mt 25:11-12)). Please see my article called The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, in which I talk about a pastor who ended up in hell, because of worldliness. Please also see Separation from the World.

The Glory of God

Brandon asked Sid what the glory of God is, and Sid elaborated correctly on the light that comes forth from the Lord, which has been depicted by artists as a halo around the Lord's head and those of His saints. Let me encourage you to read my article called The Light and the Glory, which explains the glory from Scripture. If you you have not yet seen my article about a dream I once had of the glory of God on Sid Roth, you can read it here on my Yeshua Messiah blog, in my article called The Glory of God Appears on Sid Roth. It's very interesting! My Yeshua Messiah blog is dedicated to reaching Jews for Jesus.

Supernatural Power for All

Brandon rightly said that all believers can walk in supernatural power. I totally agree, and would like to invite you to read my article called Supernatural Power for All Disciples. I believe it will greatly encourage you.

The Truth About Holy Living

While Brandon emphasized the need to live a holy life, and Sid agreed with that, Sid also said that holiness is only internal, not external. He said, "Holiness is based on an internal thing: on loving God." At 21:57 in the video, Sid makes the big mistake of denying that God is concerned about the external aspects of our walk, such as what clothes you wear or whether you have tattoos. He doesn't realize that our bodies are members of Christ (1 Cor 6:15), our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), our bodies are meant for the Lord and the Lord is meant for our bodies (1 Cor 6:13), our bodies are not our own (1 Cor 6:19), and we must glorify God with our bodies (1 Cor 6:20). He fails to realize that the Word of God clearly teaches us that a disciple of Christ must dress modestly, as both the apostles Paul and Peter taught (1 Tim 2:9-10; 1 Pet 3:3-4). I have written about this in Garments of Godliness, Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy, and Holy Living in a Perverted World. In my article, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, I report on seven people who have had divine revelations from the Lord warning that how we adorn our bodies outwardly matters to God, and that many people have ended up in hell for sins pertaining to ungodly attire and adornment. I have also written about Cross Dressing vs. Carrying Your Cross.

Sid also forgets that God clearly forbids tattoos in His Holy Word (Leviticus 19:28). Just because this verse is found in Leviticus doesn't mean it is irrelevant for a believer in Christ. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2Ti 3:16). Jesus quoted from that same chapter in Leviticus 19:18 about loving your neighbor, which He said is the second greatest commandment. 

The command that forbids tattoos is not some Jewish custom that no longer applies to believers in Jesus (Yeshua), as is the case with circumcision. The commands of God are still applicable today, except that we are free from the ritual, ceremonial, and dietary laws, which were shadows of the realities now fulfilled in Christ Himself. Let me encourage you to read my article called, Tattoos and Body Piercing, which not only addresses the Scriptural basis for why these things are wrong, but also mentions revelations that the Holy Spirit has given to people warning of the same.

Two State Solution for Israel

Brandon asked Sid whether he believes there will be a two-state solution for Israel that will result in Jerusalem being divided, and if so, what the consequences will be for America. Sid said the Bible clearly states that God owns the land of Israel and leased it to the Jewish people (Ps 105:8-11), and no court of law can break that lease. However, since the two biggest power brokers -- Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu -- are both pushing for a two-state solution, Sid believes this will inevitably happen this year. He says it is a bad idea, since he says most Palestinian people are taught from birth that their purpose in life is to kill a Jew, and are falsely taught that this is the only way they can be sure they are going to heaven (i.e., jihad). 

Brandon referred to the Abrahamic covenant in which God said those who curse Israel will be cursed (Gen 12:3); and he said he had a vision, in which he saw a major earthquake in the US along the New Madrid fault line that would happen if the US agrees to divide Jerusalem, as part of the two-state solution. He saw in his vision, while praying, that around 1,800 people will die just along the area between Texarkana, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma; but he said that overall, tens of thousands of people will be killed by the quake. I would like to show you a map that indicates the catastrophic destruction that would occur if there is an earthquake along the New Madrid fault line (see map at this link).

Ungodly Monetization

Let me just say a word about monetization of Christian channels like this. Throughout this video and all of Brandon's videos, viewers are forced to watch multiple ads (at least the first parts of them, for the ones that allow you to opt out at some point), which are often ungodly and even demonic. For example, there is one that shows demonic creatures (pictured left), one of which has something coming out of his belly button, at one point during the ad. You can see that it has the antichrist number 666 on it, too (displayed in red numbers above the creatures head). These are straight from hell, and yet they are being shown to viewers of a channel airing Christian content, including prayers, prophecies, and testimonies. (Sid Roth's channel, "It's Supernatural," is also monetized).

I love Brandon and Sid, and I love their hearts. I am a subscriber to both of their channels. I realize that monetizing a channel is very lucrative, but I don't think it's appropriate to use these ads, especially in light of their ungodly nature. This is not the way God has ordained that we fund His gospel work. God's ministry is to be funded God's way, not the world's way. The preacher is allowed to earn a living from the gospel (1 Cor 9), but that doesn't mean we can be yoked together with darkness or use worldly means to do so. Free-will love offerings are one biblical way to fund the gospel (Gal 6:6). Another way is for the preacher to be bi-vocational, as Paul was and as I am. I have never monetized my blogs or videos on my Youtube channel. My book, A Willing Heart to Please the Father, is also free of charge, both the hard copy and the e-book version. That doesn't make me any better than anyone else, but I am simply leading by example. For more on this important topic, please see my article The Sale of Christian Music and Art -- A Robbers' Den?

Closing Words

As I have shown in my article above, I agree with Brandon's viewpoints in this interview, and I agree with Sid on most everything he said. But with all due respect, I cannot agree with him about his statements contradicting the Word of God with regard to holiness, since holiness is not limited to internal matters of the heart. The very word "holiness" indicates total and complete consecration to God, being set apart wholly for Him, which means being "devoted to Him in both body and spirit" (1 Cor 7:34).

My aim here has been to strongly support what they said that was true, to encourage, and to provide some of my content that will further explain and confirm what they said, but also to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15), and to lovingly confront my dear brothers in Christ about their beliefs and actions (Gal 2:11-14; Mt 18:15; 1 Tim 4:2; 5:20). My hope and prayer is that Brandon and Sid, as well as their viewers, will read what I have written in this article, as well as the articles I have linked to above, and take these things before the Lord in prayer, asking Him to reveal the whole truth and nothing but the truth to them about these matters. And once they have done so, I pray that they will make any necessary changes in their lives and ministries, wherever applicable, as needed.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, you are invited to check out the series called The False Gospel of Eternal Security. You may also enjoy reading Can You "lose" Your Secure Position in Christ? and Is it Possible to Resist God? If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Can You "lose" Your Secure Position in Christ?

To all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Have you ever heard anyone say that it's not possible to lose your salvation? That's actually a very popular teaching all around the world, known as "eternal security" or once-saved-always-saved (OSAS), which I've already disproven completely in numerous other articles. In this post, I'd like to respond to the question: can you "lose" your secure position in Christ?

Just to give you one example of a single verse that answers that question, rather than showing you over 200 of them, here is a verse from Peter's second epistle that states:

"Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position." (2Pe 3:17)

The word "fall" in this verse is translated from the Greek word ekpipto. According to the Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament, ekpipto means "to fall off or from, Act_12:7; Act_27:32; met. to fall from, forfeit, lose, Gal_5:4; 2Pe_3:17; to be cast ashore, Act_27:17; Act_27:26; Act_27:29; to fall to the ground, be fruitless, ineffectual, Rom_9:6; to cease, come to an end, Jas_1:11; 1Pe_1:24."

According to NASEC, ekpipto means: "to drop away, fig. to lose, become inefficient: — failed (1), fall (1), fall away (1), fallen (1), falls off (2), fell off (1), run aground (3).

According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, ekpipto means "to drop away; specially, be driven out of one's course; figuratively, to lose, become inefficient:—be cast, fail, fall (away, off), take none effect."

According to Thayer's Greek–English Lexicon, ekpipto means "to fall out of, to fall down from, to fall off;  metaphorically to fall from a thing, to lose it, to perish, to fall; to fall from a place from which one cannot keep; fall from a position; to fall powerless, to fall to the ground, be without effect."

This same greek word ekpipto is used in the New Testament to refer to flowers falling and ships running aground.

I have just cited four reputable, Greek-language Bible resources (Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament, NASEC, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, and Thayer's Greek–English Lexicon), which all indicate that ekpipto can mean "to lose."

The "secure position" Peter was referring to is our secure position in Christ, known as the divine promise of our salvation, which some people falsely teach is eternally secure. But it is actually conditionally secure, since Peter the apostle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit warned that you must be on your guard, so that you do not "lose" (Gr., ekpipto) your secure position or salvation. Obviously there would be no need for Peter to warn believers to guard against losing their salvation if it were not possible.

Also see the LSJ Lexicon online and Blue Letter Bible for a more in depth definition of ekpipto.

Closing Words

Based on the definition of the Greek word ekpipto, the verse in 2 Peter 3:17 that we have studied could be translated like this: Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and lose your secure position in Christ by falling from it, thereby forfeiting it and perishing.

Indeed, Scripture teaches that our secure position in Christ is conditional, as I have clearly explained and proven in my article called The Conditional Security of the Believer. In it, I show 24 positive conditions in Scripture for maintaining your secure position, which contain the word "if", as well as 30 negative conditions -- or warnings found in Scripture-- for those who do not keep the conditions, which also contain the word "if." 

My article called New Testament Books Disproving Eternal Security shows that most New Testament books contain one or more verses disproving the once-saved-always-saved heresy. There are hundreds of these verses, more than half of which are the very words of our Lord Jesus Himself.

Another article of mine called Drifting Away highlights 22 Greek words in the New Testament Bible that mean to forfeit one's salvation, abandon one’s faith, drift away, turn aside from the truth, forsake the straight way, stray, wander, or become apostate and fall away from the Lord.

My post called The False Gospel of Eternal Security contains numerous articles I have written disproving OSAS, which no one has ever been able to contradict or refute. If you still have any doubt about this matter, or know someone who is confused about it, please share this article with them.

Attribution notice: Scripture taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image courtesy of Beth Ariel Congregation, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only. We have no affiliation at all with that ministry, nor does use of this image imply any endorsement of their teachings.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, you are invited to check out the series called The False Gospel of Eternal Security. If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

New Testament Books Disproving Eternal Security

In my series of articles entitled, The False Gospel of Eternal Security, I have completely disproved that doctrinal error, which is also known as Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS). In this article today, I will show you how most of the New Testament books of the Bible contain one or more verses proving that doctrine to be false. For the sake of brevity, I will directly quote only one verse per book, and simply cite the references to the other verses, while in some cases also making general reference to them for emphasis.

Matthew
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Mat 7:21). It could not be clearer than that. He said that only the one who does the will of His Father in heaven shall enter the kingdom of heaven, regardless of whether that person calls Jesus their Lord. 

Speaking to His disciples, He also taught that it is possible for them to lose their saltiness and become worthless (5:13). Anyone who says, "You fool!" is in danger of hell fire (5:22). You would be better to cut off any body part of yours that causes you to stumble, so that you can avoid hell and enter heaven (5:29-30; cf.,18:8-9). If you do not forgive, the Father will not forgive you (6:15), and any unmerciful servant will be thrown into jail (hell) to be tormented (18:32-35). If you merely hear His words, but don't practice them, you will be completely destroyed (7:26-27). Only those who stand firm to the end will be saved (10:22). You should fear God, who has the power to destroy you in hell (10:28). Jesus will disown any disciple who disowns Him (10:33). Any disciple who does not take up his cross and follow Jesus is not worthy of Him (10:38). It's possible to fall away on account of Jesus (11:6). Your words will either acquit or condemn you (12:36-37). The disciple who has no roots falls away from the Lord (13:21). You must be ready when Jesus comes back, or else be left behind (24:40-44). The wicked servant will be thrown out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (24:48-51; 25:26-30). The goats are cast into the eternal fire, and the factor that made the difference between them and the sheep was what they did or didn't do (25:41-46). The Lord clearly taught that to enter life, you must obey the commandments (19:17).

See also Mt 12:31-32; 18:6-7.

Mark
Jesus said to His disciples, "...the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Mar 13:13). This salvation that He promised to those who stand firm to the end is not merely referring to deliverance from evil, but rather to the eternal blessedness to be received by all those who endure or persevere to the end throughout their service to Him in the midst of its accompanying sufferings. This implies that those who do not stand firm or endure to the end will not be saved, which he directly states elsewhere. For example, He taught about some seeds of the Word that are planted on the soil of human hearts, who initially make a start, but later fall away, because of trouble or persecution (4:16-19). For whoever tries to save his life will lose it (8:34-35), and at His coming the Lord will be ashamed of anyone who has been ashamed of Him and His Words. 

See also Mk 8:38; 9:42-48; 11:25-26; 13:22.

Luke
The Lord said to Peter, "But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers." (Luk 12:45-46). Notice that the Lord said He (the Master) will cut the servant up and assign him a place with the unbelievers (hell).

He also said that the disciple who is not careful or prayerful won’t be prepared for the Lord’s return (21:34-36).

See also Luke 6:49; 7:23; 8:13-15; 9:23-26, 62; 10:28; 12:9; 12:10; 13:24-25; 14:27; 17:33; 18:18-22; 21:19.

John
Jesus said that He cuts off every fruitless branch of His (Jn 15:2), and warned us, "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (Jn 15:6). He meant that any disciple of His who does not remain in Him will be cut off and thrown into the fires of hell to be burned. 

That is why He warned the former, lifelong invalid whom He had miraculously healed, "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." (5:14). It's also why He told the woman caught in the act of adultery to go and leave her life of sin (8:11). For at the resurrection, those who have done good will live, and those who have done evil will be condemned (5:28-29). Those who don’t keep his Word will be condemned (12:47-48). But if you are really His disciple, you will hold to His teaching (8:31-32) and keep His Word, thus you will never see death (8:51). It's simple: Love your life and you will lose it; or hate your life and keep it for eternal life (12:25). 

Jesus never taught easy believism or grace as a license to sin. Nor did he teach that nothing you ever do or say could ever have any bearing on your salvation. Instead, He had many hard sayings, which is why at one point, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him (6:66).

Acts

Peter taught that just as Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people [Jesus]; you must listen to everything He tells you. Anyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from his people.'" (Act 3:22-23). Thus Scripture teaches us that anyone, no matter who they are, who does not listen to everything Jesus says will be completely cut off. That's why Peter told Simon he would perish for his sin, despite being a baptized believer (8:20-23).

Romans
Paul the apostle wrote to the Romans, "Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off." (Rom 11:20-22)

To all who persist in doing good, God will grant eternal life, but for those who are self-seeking, reject the truth, and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger (2:5-8). All who sin apart from the Law will perish (2:12). If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die (8:13). It is possible to destroy a brother by distressing him (14:15-16), for you can destroy the work of God in the life of a fellow believer by what you allow in your own life (14:20-21).

1 Corinthians
Paul the apostle wrote to the Corinthians, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Co 6:9-11). By this he meant that those who do evil, including those in the Church, will not inherit the kingdom of God.

That's why Paul instructed them to expel the wicked brother from among them, and hand him over to Satan, so he that he wouldn't be destroyed (5:5). If the prospects of eternal destruction were not real, there would be no need to resort to such drastic measures. However, a believer may in fact be disqualified for the prize, even after preaching to others, and that is why Paul did everything in his power to avoid such a potential outcome for himself (9:27).

Of course, we are saved by believing the gospel, as long as we hold firmly to the Word. For it is possible to believe in vain, and perish in the end (15:2). Paul also taught the saints that God will destroy those who destroy His temple (3:16-17).

Galatians
He warned the Galatian church that, "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21). Those who live wickedly will simply not inherit the kingdom of God, regardless of whether they are a baptized believer or not. For he who sows to please the sinful nature will reap destruction (6:7-8).

Ephesians
Paul wrote to the saints in Ephesus, "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient." (Eph 5:5-6). He could not have been more clear that no immoral, impure, or greedy person shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Philippians
Why else would he have told the Philippians, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (Php 2:12). Let there be no doubt about it that we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Colossians
Again, he exhorted the saints in Colossae: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips." (Col 3:5-8). You must put to death the sinful nature, for because of these sinful things the wrath of God comes.

1 Thessalonians
He wrote to the saints in Thessalonica, "For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain." (1Th 3:5). Paul was afraid the tempter may have tempted the saints, and his efforts might have been useless, meaning that they had gone back into sin and forfeited the gift of eternal life.  Also see 4:6-8.

1 Timothy
In his first epistle to Timothy, Paul exhorted him to keep on "holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." (1Ti 1:19). If any believer fails to hold onto faith and a good conscience, like Hymenaeus and Alexander, they will shipwreck their faith and perish. That's what happens to those who abandon their faith, wander from it, or turn away from it to follow satan (4:1; 5:15; 6:9-10).

2 Timothy
In his second epistle to Timothy, Paul again warned him to, "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some." (2Ti 2:16-18). Not only do such people depart from the truth to their own ruin, but they also destroy the faith of some other believers as well (2:16-18).  

Hebrews
The apostle wrote to the Hebrews: "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb 10:26-31)

Therefore, if those who have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus deliberately keep on sinning, then there remains for them only a fearful expectation of judgement and fire that consumes God's enemies.

That's why we must pay careful attention, so that we don’t drift away, because it's possible to drift away to one's own destruction (2:1-3).  Indeed, a believer could have a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from God, so we must hold firmly till the end as Jesus said (3:12-15). Be careful that none of you falls short of God's eternal rest (4:1), and make every effort to enter that rest, so no one falls by following disobedience (4:11). The warnings against falling away are real (6:4-6), and that's why we must show diligence to the very end to make our hope sure (6:11), because those who shrink back are destroyed (10:36,38-39). Surely no one will see the Lord without holiness (12:14), and we won’t escape, if we refuse Him who warns us from heaven (12:25).

James
James wrote: "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins." (Js 5:19-20). He was writing to believers regarding their fellow believers who have wandered from the truth and are headed for eternal death.

All religion, including the Christian faith, is profitless (worthless) if you don’t keep tight rein on your tongue (1:26-27). For example, James said that you will receive condemnation for swearing, and if your "yes" is not "yes", and your "no" is not "no". We must be men and women of our word, or else face condemnation (5:12). Moreover, judgment without mercy will be shown to the unmerciful, whether you are a believer or not (2:12-13). Likewise, if a believer becomes a friend of the world, then he is an enemy of God (4:4). 

1 Peter
In his first epistle, Peter taught that judgment begins with the family of God, that it is hard for the righteous to be saved, and that we must obey the gospel. He said, "For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, 'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'" (1Pe 4:17-18)

2 Peter

In his second epistle, Peter taught: "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them." (2Pe 2:20-21). Believers who have once known the way of righteousness, and then become entangled in the world again, after escaping it by knowing the Lord, are worse off in the end than they were before they got saved.

Therefore, you must make your calling and election sure by doing what Peter instructs us to do in his opening chapter. For if you do these things, you’ll never fall (1:10-11). Moreover, you must be on guard against error, so as not to be carried away by it and fall from your secure position (3:17). If it were not possible to fall from your secure position, there would be no need to warn against it. For more on this verse, please see my in-depth, Greek-word study called Can You "lose" Your Secure Position in Christ?

Revelation
Our Lord Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, said: "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (Rev 22:14-15). This means that only those who wash their robes can enter the Holy City, not those who practice evil. 

Based on what He had previously said to the church in Sardis, we understand that, as a believer, you must be dressed in white, being careful not to soil your robes, and you must overcome in order for your name not to be blotted out of the book of life (3:4-5). We also learn from Him that those who’ve forsaken their first love must repent or have their lampstand (their church) removed (2:4-5). And as He warned the church in Sardis, if your deeds are not complete in God’s sight, you need to repent, wake up, and obey God, or Jesus will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour He comes (3:2-3).

Also see Rev 21:7-8.

Putting it All Together
There are 207 New Testament verses found in 19 out of the 27 New Testament books, disproving the false doctrine of eternal security, more than half of which (52%) are the very words of our Lord Jesus Himself found in the gospels. Put differently, seventy percent of the New Testament books, including seven out of the eight writers of the New Testament, contain one or more verses disproving the once-saved-always-saved heresy. This does not include countless Old Testament verses that we could also cite to disprove it.

Attribution Notice: All Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Special thanks to my wife Jennifer, and my sons Christopher and Joseph, for their help  in compiling these verses together with me.

Author's note: This article is part of the series called The False Gospel of Eternal Security. If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The False Gospel of Eternal Security

One of the most popular teachings in the Church worldwide today is the doctrine of eternal security, which is the teaching of once-saved-always-saved. They teach that once we get saved, there is nothing we can ever do to lose our salvation. It is taught as if it is the gospel. If you are in a church that teaches this error, or if you yourself teach it, then I would like you to consider the following articles of mine. In these articles, I explain from Scripture what the Bible actually teaches on this topic:


If -- A Picture Paints a Thousand Words
Drifting Away
Is Obedience Optional?
Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven
You Must Be Born Again (see the section on New Life)
Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian
The Apostasy Parables

New Testament Books Disproving Eternal Security
Keeping Power of God

The Fruit Test of a Genuine Disciple

Can You "lose" Your Secure Position in Christ?

Is It Possible to Resist God?

These articles clearly show that eternal security is not taught in the Bible. However, if after reading them you still need more proof, then you may also read the following articles:

Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?
Walking in the Perfect Will of God
Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God
The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer
Having a Servant's Heart
Holy Living in a Perverted World
The Cost of Discipleship 
Salvation with Fear and Trembling
Faith Works! 

Being Blessable 
No Turning Back

The enemy uses the false teaching on eternal security to deceive many people to hell. Please don't let that happen to you or those you love. Prayerfully read these articles and share these articles with others who believe in eternal security, so that they will not perish but have everlasting life.

Author's note: If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.