| Are You Already Saved |
| braditional Roman Catholicism |
How many times in my travels have I seen that familiar sign, "Are You Saved". The belief that you are already
saved, is unquestionably un-biblical and not Christian. The ramifications of this believe are numerous. Just imagine,
sin would no longer matter as you are assured of going to heaven! The idea is once you have reached the state of
grace you cannot loose it. This is a sad way for so many souls to be lost. In other words, " Once Saved Always
Saved".
There are several passages in Holy Scripture that repudiate the "Once Saved Always Saved" position. Since
Protestants use the King James Bible I will use quotes from this Bible although I do not be any means endorse it
over the Catholic Douay-Rheims. Before I even go to the Bible however, one must realize the devil was in the state
of grace and lost that grace, being sent to hell for the sin of pride.
We know in the Old Testament that King David , who was holy and just, became a terrible sinner, but then repented
and died a saint. He is regarded a Saint by Holy Mother the Church. King Solomon , son of King David, was wiser
and achieved great holiness, fell away and became an horrendous sinner. Of course we do not know if King
Solomon was saved but most authors are not optimistic. The Church does not regard him as a Saint.
In the Old Testament , Ezekiel teaches the following doctrine:
" But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all
the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be
mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye
say, the way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways
unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them;
for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die." ( Ezekiel 18: 24-26)
Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (11:19-22), says:
"Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were
broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear, For if God spared not the natural branches, take
heed least he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity;
but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
It is important to note that Saint Paul was talking to believing, genuinely born again Christians who lived in Rome.
He says in the same Epistle Romans
( 1:7 ) " To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be Saints..." He also says : " the mutual faith, both of you
and me"
( 1:11 ). According to the "Once saved always saved" theory, these people were saved. If that was the case, why
then does Saint Paul tell them to "fear" they could be cut off? The answer is, although they presently believe and
are "beloved of God" they can fail to continue in his goodness and loose their salvation.
Saint Paul teaches again that justified Christians can loose their salvation in Galatians:
" I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel."
(Gal.1:6) In the same Epistle he says: "having begun in the spirit," now fail to "obey the truth" (Gal.3:1-3)
Saint Paul himself feared for his own salvation: " But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: least by
any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." ( Cor. 9:2 )
So we see Saint Paul did not believe that because he was a believer and in the love of God, that he could not loose
his salvation. We are not any better than Saint Paul and we too can loose our salvation.
From the Catholic Epistles which are called General Epistles in the King James version of the Bible we read Saint
Peter's warning:
" For if they have escaped the pollution's of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had
been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turned to
his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in mire."
(2 Peter. 2:20-22).
This vivid allegory is so clear that a person can loose his salvation and the presumption of being already saved is
un-biblical.
Saint Peter emphasizes the point even further
" Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of
the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness." (2 Peter 3:17 )
Saint James exhorts the faithful:
"Keep yourselves in the love of God." (Jude 21) To keep is not to loose. St. Jude would not waste inspired words of
his epistle , if it were impossible for them to fail to keep the love of God.
Now at last we see the warning Our Lord Himself gave us:
" And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:he that endureth to the end shall be saved." (Matt.10:22)
Saint Cyprian (A.D. 200-258) commenting on this verse says:
" So whatever precedes the end is only a step by which we ascend to the summit of salvation. It is not the final point
wherein we have already gained full result of the ascent."
This is the classical distinction between being saved and being justified.
In Saint Luke in the Parable of the Sower our Lord gives us the different ways the Gospel is received by different
people. Our concern is the second which He states:
" They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a
while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." (Luke 8:13)
One more quote from Our Lord:
" Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, , If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed." (John 8:31)
The doctrine "once saved always saved" is a false doctrine and not even close to the teaching of the Lord and his
Apostles. I could go but the point is made. We can loose our salvation and to presume we cannot is not biblical and
not Christian. No one should presume they are going to heaven, however no one should give up the virtue of hope!
saved, is unquestionably un-biblical and not Christian. The ramifications of this believe are numerous. Just imagine,
sin would no longer matter as you are assured of going to heaven! The idea is once you have reached the state of
grace you cannot loose it. This is a sad way for so many souls to be lost. In other words, " Once Saved Always
Saved".
There are several passages in Holy Scripture that repudiate the "Once Saved Always Saved" position. Since
Protestants use the King James Bible I will use quotes from this Bible although I do not be any means endorse it
over the Catholic Douay-Rheims. Before I even go to the Bible however, one must realize the devil was in the state
of grace and lost that grace, being sent to hell for the sin of pride.
We know in the Old Testament that King David , who was holy and just, became a terrible sinner, but then repented
and died a saint. He is regarded a Saint by Holy Mother the Church. King Solomon , son of King David, was wiser
and achieved great holiness, fell away and became an horrendous sinner. Of course we do not know if King
Solomon was saved but most authors are not optimistic. The Church does not regard him as a Saint.
In the Old Testament , Ezekiel teaches the following doctrine:
" But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all
the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be
mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye
say, the way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways
unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them;
for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die." ( Ezekiel 18: 24-26)
Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (11:19-22), says:
"Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were
broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear, For if God spared not the natural branches, take
heed least he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity;
but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
It is important to note that Saint Paul was talking to believing, genuinely born again Christians who lived in Rome.
He says in the same Epistle Romans
( 1:7 ) " To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be Saints..." He also says : " the mutual faith, both of you
and me"
( 1:11 ). According to the "Once saved always saved" theory, these people were saved. If that was the case, why
then does Saint Paul tell them to "fear" they could be cut off? The answer is, although they presently believe and
are "beloved of God" they can fail to continue in his goodness and loose their salvation.
Saint Paul teaches again that justified Christians can loose their salvation in Galatians:
" I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel."
(Gal.1:6) In the same Epistle he says: "having begun in the spirit," now fail to "obey the truth" (Gal.3:1-3)
Saint Paul himself feared for his own salvation: " But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: least by
any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." ( Cor. 9:2 )
So we see Saint Paul did not believe that because he was a believer and in the love of God, that he could not loose
his salvation. We are not any better than Saint Paul and we too can loose our salvation.
From the Catholic Epistles which are called General Epistles in the King James version of the Bible we read Saint
Peter's warning:
" For if they have escaped the pollution's of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had
been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turned to
his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in mire."
(2 Peter. 2:20-22).
This vivid allegory is so clear that a person can loose his salvation and the presumption of being already saved is
un-biblical.
Saint Peter emphasizes the point even further
" Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of
the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness." (2 Peter 3:17 )
Saint James exhorts the faithful:
"Keep yourselves in the love of God." (Jude 21) To keep is not to loose. St. Jude would not waste inspired words of
his epistle , if it were impossible for them to fail to keep the love of God.
Now at last we see the warning Our Lord Himself gave us:
" And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:he that endureth to the end shall be saved." (Matt.10:22)
Saint Cyprian (A.D. 200-258) commenting on this verse says:
" So whatever precedes the end is only a step by which we ascend to the summit of salvation. It is not the final point
wherein we have already gained full result of the ascent."
This is the classical distinction between being saved and being justified.
In Saint Luke in the Parable of the Sower our Lord gives us the different ways the Gospel is received by different
people. Our concern is the second which He states:
" They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a
while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." (Luke 8:13)
One more quote from Our Lord:
" Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, , If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed." (John 8:31)
The doctrine "once saved always saved" is a false doctrine and not even close to the teaching of the Lord and his
Apostles. I could go but the point is made. We can loose our salvation and to presume we cannot is not biblical and
not Christian. No one should presume they are going to heaven, however no one should give up the virtue of hope!
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