Once Saved, Always Saved?

by Matthew Simmons

This issue, OSAS, draws a divine line across the landscape of Christian theology. Over the topic, once saved, always saved, Christians are devouring and cursing one another, brawling over Scripture. If you want to see the battle of Armageddon, put Christians in an empty field and hold up a banner that says, "Once saved, always saved!" It would be a bloody massacre. We need a clear, unbiased, and passionate pursuit for the truth. We need to have a child-like, custom confidence in the Word of God. This is one of the most debated theological arguments of all time. This subject has caused a civil war within the body of Christ. It's a question that all of us believers should be very interested in because it has eternal implications. The question is, once a person is saved, will he always be saved? Can a child of God ever fall from grace and be eternally lost? Is the Calvinistic doctrine that is widely held in many hearts today called "final perseverance of the saints" or "once saved, always saved" true? Remember, an impressive name to try to make a point of theology doesn't make it true. Does it hold up under the scrutiny of Scripture?
The issue is not how many times a person can be born again. The Bible teaches us that there is only one new birth and one baptism. The issue at hand is not if a child of God always remains a child of God. Yes, when a person is born again, he or she is always a child of God. Children can never biologically cease to be children of the parents. But the probing question is, can a child lose their inheritance?