Ask Your Preacher #14
"Where does the Bible say 'once in grace, always in grace,' or 'once saved, always saved'?"
You have heard this statement made many times, haven't you? Over and over men proclaim that if a man is once in grace, he is always in grace. In other words, they say if he is once saved, he is always saved. This simply means that a child of God can do nothing that would cause him to fall from grace - that if he is once saved, he could not possibly commit a sin that would send him to hell at last.
There are preachers in almost every community who are preaching this. If your preacher preaches it, go to him today and ask him where the Bible says "once in grace, always in grace."
And while he is looking for the passage, you might call his attention to the language of Paul in Gal. 5:4 which says: "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."
Of course, if a man can fall from grace, the theory of "once in grace, always in grace" cannot be true. The two ideas are contradictory. But what does this passage say about it? "Ye are fallen from grace." Does this look like what your preacher has been preaching? Not if he has been preaching "once in grace, always in grace."
Then have him read I Cor. 10:12 for you; or if he is unwilling to read it to you, then you read it to him. The passage says: "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
The man who teaches that a child of God cannot possibly be lost evidently thinks he stands. So even if a Christian thinks he is absolutely safe, Paul says for him to "take heed lest he fall." To "take heed" means to be careful.
Therefore, Paul tells Christians to be careful lest they fall. Wouldn't that be absurd if the Bible somewhere else says it is impossible for a child of God to fall? And you might have your preacher read Heb.3:12. Here we have these words from the inspired author:
"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."
You might ask your preacher these questions relative to this passage: Can a man depart from the living God and still be in his grace? Or if a man departs from the living God, is he still with God? And if he is without God, will he be saved anyway?
But whatever you do, be sure to ask him for the verse in the Bible that says, "once in grace, always in grace."
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