![[DeepDive1.png]] **Eternal Security**—also known as _“once saved, always saved”_—is the doctrine that a person who is truly saved (justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ) can never lose their salvation. This belief is common in many Protestant and evangelical circles, especially among those with a Reformed or Baptist background. Let’s do a deep dive into it from theological, biblical, and historical perspectives. --- ## **🔍 1.**  ## **Definition of Eternal Security** Eternal Security teaches that: > Once a person is genuinely saved, their salvation is permanently secure, regardless of future sins or spiritual struggles. This belief is often contrasted with the idea of conditional security, which holds that a believer can lose salvation through apostasy or persistent unrepentant sin. --- ## **📖 2.**  ## **Biblical Support for Eternal Security** ### **Key Verses** 1. **John 10:27–29** > “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” 2. **Romans 8:38–39** > “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life… shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 3. **Ephesians 1:13–14** > Believers are “sealed with the Holy Spirit… who is the guarantee of our inheritance.” 4. **Philippians 1:6** > “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” 5. **Hebrews 7:25** > “He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” These passages emphasize God’s initiative in salvation, the permanence of His work, and Christ’s ongoing intercession. --- ## **📚 3.**  ## **Theological Foundations** ### **A.**  ### **God’s Sovereignty in Salvation** If salvation originates from God’s will and is sustained by His power, it cannot be lost due to human failure (John 6:37–39). ### **B.**  ### **Justification as a One-Time Act** Justification is a legal declaration of righteousness. Romans 5:1 says, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God.” It’s not a process that can be reversed. ### **C.**  ### **Adoption into God’s Family** Believers are adopted as God’s children (Galatians 4:5). The nature of adoption in Roman law (the backdrop for Paul’s writing) was permanent. --- ## **🏛️ 4.**  ## **Historical and Denominational Views** |**Tradition**|**View on Eternal Security**| |---|---| |**Reformed (Calvinist)**|Strongly affirm eternal security as part of the “Perseverance of the Saints”| |**Baptist**|Generally affirm “once saved, always saved”| |**Wesleyan / Methodist / Arminian**|Believe salvation can be forfeited through persistent sin or apostasy| |**Roman Catholic**|Teaches that grace can be lost through mortal sin but recovered through confession and penance| |**Eastern Orthodox**|Emphasize synergy (cooperation with God); salvation is a lifelong process and not guaranteed without perseverance| --- ## **⚠️ 5.**  ## **Challenges to Eternal Security** Those who oppose eternal security point to: 1. **Warnings in Scripture** - _Hebrews 6:4–6_: “It is impossible… if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance.” - _2 Peter 2:20–22_: “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness.” 2. **Call to Persevere** - _Matthew 24:13_: “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” - _Revelation 3:5_: Names can be “blotted out” of the book of life. 3. **Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:13)** Some receive the word with joy but fall away in time of testing. --- ## **🧠 6.**  ## **Reconciling the Debate** ### **Eternal Security vs. Perseverance of the Saints** - Some distinguish **“once saved, always saved”** from **“perseverance of the saints.”** The former can suggest passive security, while the latter emphasizes that true believers _will_ persevere in faith and holiness because of God’s sustaining grace. ### **True vs. False Converts** - Many who believe in eternal security argue that those who “fall away” were never truly saved in the first place (1 John 2:19). --- ## **💬 7. Practical Implications** ### **Positive Aspects:** - Assurance and confidence in God’s promises - Encourages love and gratitude, not fear - Motivates spiritual growth from a place of security ### **Potential Misuses:** - Some take it as a license to sin (_antinomianism_) - Can lead to false assurance if conversion was not genuine --- ## **🤔 Final Thought** Eternal security, when rightly understood, is not an excuse for careless living but a profound comfort rooted in God’s faithfulness. As Paul said in Romans 6:1–2: > “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” --- - [[Comparison Table of warning passages]] - [[Controversial passage regarding Eternal Security]] - [[2 Timothy 4 1-8]] - [[Ancient Artifacts that Confirm the Bible]] - [[Contentment from Philippians]] - [[Historical Survey on Philippians 4 1-9]] - [[Isaiah 44]] - [[Making the Most of Every Opportunity]] - [[Philippians 3 17-21]] - [[Philippians 4 1-9]] - [[Philippians 4 20-23]] - [[Romans 12 1-2]] - [[A Citizen of Heaven]] - [[Daily Bible Reading]] - [[Faith - A Devotional]] - [[Philokalia]] - [[John MacArthur's View of the Bible]] - [[John Calvin's view of the Bible]] - [[Saint Gregory of Nyssa]] - [[The Historical Value of the Bible]] - [[The Pursuit of Holiness]] - [[The Spiritual Value of the Bible]] - [[The Wesleyan Quadrilateral]] - [[Thinking God's Thoughts After Him]] - [[Understanding Spiritual Warfare--A Comprehensive Guide for Evangelical Christians]] - [[Visualizing Spiritual Warfare]] - [[Home]] ◦ [[About]]