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So far in our study we have considered numerous
scriptures which teach that a child of God most certainly can fall
from grace and be lost. Before we conclude our study, I'd like
for us to consider a few more passages from the Bible.
John
15:1-6
This is Jesus' powerful parable of the vine and the
branches. Jesus tells us in verse
1 that He is the vine, and his Father is the husbandman (Greek georgos,
"a husbandman, tiller of the soil, a vine dresser").
The vine has two types of branches as part of it: Those that
bear fruit, and those that do not bear fruit (verse
2). The Father plays an active role in the fates of these
two types of branches. Those that do not bear fruit are taken
away (take away, Greek airo,
"to move from its place; to take off or away what is attached
to anything; to remove"), and those that bear fruit He purgeth
(Greek kathairo,
"to cleanse, of filth impurity, etc"). Jesus tells
us how we are made clean: Through the word that He has spoken (verse
3). Just as the branches of a vine cannot bear fruit of
themselves, the fruitful branches in Jesus bear fruit because they
abide in Him (verses
4-5). If a branch (a man) does not abide in Jesus, he is
cast off and is withered. Their fate will be to be gathered
together and burned, just as unfruitful branches of a vine are cast
off, gathered together, and burned (verse
6).
In this passage we learn that it is entirely possible
for one who is a child of God to be eternally lost. Jesus isn't
speaking of some branches that are in Him and others which are
not. All of the branches in this parable are part of the vine,
and Jesus is that vine! Those who have never been obedient to
His commandments are not in Him and therefore are not part of the
vine. However, those who have been obedient are not necessarily
fruitful. Many branches are unfruitful. These unfruitful
branches are not retained as part of the vine. The husbandman
(God, the Father in this parable) cuts them off from the vine.
When they are cut off, they become withered and will be gathered
together and burned. The Father cleanses those that are fruitful, so that they may bear more fruit. Jesus tells us
how the fruitful branches are cleansed: By His word! The
fruitful branches remain true to the word of Jesus, are cleansed by
the Father, and produce even more fruit.
In this parable we see with absolute certainty the
possibility that one who was obedient to Jesus' commandments can fall
away and be lost! Each one must determine whether they have
been obedient to the word of Jesus, by which they enter into Him,
become part of the vine, and through it bear fruit. Once
becoming a fruitful branch we must then remain faithful to Jesus'
word, by which we are cleansed and able to bear even more fruit for Him.
Galatians
5:4
This is a passage that should cause much trouble for
anyone teaching the impossibility of a child of God falling from
grace. Listen to Paul's words: "Christ is become of
no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are
fallen from grace." In my studies the two explanations
most frequently used by those teaching the doctrine of "once
saved, always saved" are these:
-
Grace in this verse refers to a "present
experience" of grace, and not the saving grace taught by Paul in Ephesians
2:8. In other words, one might experience present-day
consequences as a result of sin while alive on this earth, but will
not suffer any eternal consequences.
-
The falling from grace is limited to those who attempt
to be justified by law, but no other circumstance will lead to such a
consequence. This usually goes hand-in-hand with teaching that
we are not subject to any law whatsoever today.
I'm sure there are additional explanations used by
people who wish to continue teaching "once saved, always
saved" that are unknown to me. However, the difficulty
persists for anyone teaching such doctrine: Paul clearly states
that one who is a child of God may lose the grace they need to be
saved. As we learned in our study of grace, Paul is not
speaking of a present-day experience of grace. He is speaking
of the grace we need to be saved. Since we may fall from grace,
children of God must be vigilant to maintain their standing in the
grace of God.
1
Corinthians 9:27
Here Paul says, "But I keep under my body, and
bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Hupopiazo
is translated "keep under", and means "to beat black
and blue, to smite so as to cause bruises and livid spots; a. like a
boxer one buffets his body, handle it roughly, discipline by
hardships." Doulagogeo
is translated "subjection" and means "to make a slave
and to treat as a slave i.e. with severity, subject to stern and
rigid discipline." The word translated "castaway"
is adokimos
and means "not standing the test, not approved." Paul
uses adokimos in Titus 1:16 (translated "reprobate";
verse 15 included for context): "Unto the pure all things
are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing
pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They
profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being
abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work
reprobate." Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that he
beats his body until it is black and blue (metaphorically, of
course), makes it a slave to his will and treats it with severity
(subjecting it to stern and rigid discipline), because he may well
fail to stand approved before God should he allow his flesh to escape
from the enslavement of his will and indulge in the lusts which dwell
within it. This is the apostle Paul speaking!! If he
was concerned about standing before God a reprobate, who today should
not also tremble with fear at the possibility of falling from God's
grace and spending eternity in torment? Each and every child of
God must be constantly on guard against the temptations sent
our way by the force of sin, whose master is Satan. If we allow
our lusts to conceive and bring forth the act of sin, we will stand
before God as reprobates and will suffer the full severity of His
wrath should we die in such a state!
Paul uses adokimos 3 times in the 13th chapter
of 2 Corinthians. Please consider verses
5-7: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith;
prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye
shall know that we are not reprobates. Now I pray to God that
ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should
do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates." Paul
asks them the question, "Know ye not your own selves, how that
Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" Paul
uses the same Greek word to describe their state should they examine
themselves and find that Jesus Christ is not in them as he does to
describe his state should he fail to keep his body under subjection!
Now, how many religious people today claim that one can be saved
without having Christ dwell in them? None that I know of.
The "sinner's prayer" so often uttered makes a request of
God that Jesus would "come into" the heart of the one
praying and grant them salvation (or some similar petition).
But Paul teaches that his condition should he allow his physical lust
to escape from its servitude is no different than that of one who
doesn't have Christ in them! Therefore, one who continues to conform
to his former lusts does not have Christ in them and therefore
cannot be saved! Such a one was saved in the past, but is no
longer saved. What does this tell us? They've fallen from
grace and will be lost for eternity should they refuse to repent!
These are only a few of the many passages in the New
Testament warning us of the possibility of falling from grace and
being eternally lost. I've only included these 3 at this time,
since all we need is a single verse showing us that we can fall from
grace to confirm the truth of this doctrine. I plan to add
others as I continue to work on this study. Please look for the
"new" flag posted next to this study on my website.
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