Eternal security in Christ is not a separate doctrine from soteriology(doctrine of salvation). And most people who denied the subject of eternal security are hypocrites because they do not even have a clue on how they can have their sins forgiven and forgotten by Christ.
Therefore the hypocrisy of those who don’t believe in eternal security is their inability to measure up to the standard of God about salvation in Christ Jesus.
What Does the Bible Teach on Once Saved Always Saved
Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”
The rainbow is a token between God and man, that God will never destroy the earth by flood again; but also to me, I believe that the rainbow is a shining reminder that God always keeps His promises. The greatest of all promises is that of eternal life. John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
There is a great hypocrisy in those who teach and defend the heresy, that says a believer can lose their salvation. I will address this in a bit, but first I want to make a few comments as introduction.
The Bible teaches that once a sinner is born-again, they are eternally secure, i.e., they can NEVER lose their salvation. John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” This truth is often referred to as “Once saved, always saved.” We read in 1st John 5:13 that we can “KNOW” that we are saved. 1st John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Tragically, there are some professed “Christians” who deny this Biblical truth, claiming that a believer can lose their salvation, and fall out of a state of grace with God. The Salvation Army teaches this junk theology. The Bible is clear that, just as man cannot go back into his mother’s womb, neither can a believer go back into an unregenerate spiritual state (John 3:1-7). Not one example is given in the Bible of someone losing their salvation. King David lost the joy of salvation, but not salvation (Psalm 51:12). Throughout the Psalms, David continually makes reference to “Thy salvation.” God saves us, not we ourselves. It is God’s salvation that gets us into Heaven.
Dr. M.R. DeHaan’s Heresy That Partial Faith in Christ Saves
I was recently reading an excellent book, 508 Answers to Bible Questions, by M.R. DeHaan M.D.(1891-1965). Now Dr. DeHaan was a great man of God and I respect him dearly; BUT, I disagree with something he said in his book concerning the eternal security of the believer. Dr. DeHaan DOES believe in eternal security; however, he said that those who don’t are still saved, just so long as they are trusting the Savior. Now, I have a big problem with that type of thinking. Why? Because the very idea that someone can lose their salvation, if they fail to do something to keep it, places salvation in men’s hands, instead of 100% in God’s. In one of the best MP3 sermons I’ve heard, Dr. Hank Lindstrom (1940-2008) explains this very truth. The sermon is titled, “How Permanent Is Your Salvation?”
As born-again believers, why would anything we do affect whether or not we’re still saved? Did we have to do any good works to get saved? No! We simply rested upon the Savior, because He paid the price for our sins with His blood. We did NOTHING to merit or deserve salvation. Salvation is of God, not man. Our part is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31), and God’s part is to save (Isaiah 43:11). If we can’t do good works to be saved, then how can we do bad works to lose it? We cannot! Listen to what the Word of God has to say about men who try to establish their own salvation …
“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” —Romans 10:3-4
Just because a person professes to be trusting the Lord, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are fully trusting Him. Partial faith is not good enough to be saved. You either trust Christ completely, or else you’re also trusting in something else too. Pastor DeHaan uses John 3:18 to defend the critics of eternal security, which states, “He that believeth on him is not condemned…” But they’ve added works to faith, which means they cannot be saved. Dr. DeHaan’s argument is that a person who doesn’t believe in eternal security can still be saved, just so long as they are believing on Christ. However, many Hell-bound Catholics claim to be born again and trust Christ, but they are not wholly trusting Christ. They are also trusting their priests, water baptism, religion, self-righteous works, and the sacraments to save them. So the question is consequently raised… Can a professed Christian who refuses to believe in eternal security actually be saved? Or is it unbelief and they are not really saved at all? I agree with Dr. Lindstrom, that if you deny eternal security, you are not saved.
From studying the mindset of Calvinists, I am convinced that their teaching of the “perseverance of the saints,” perverts their doctrine of salvation. It is a form of unbelief, and works salvation, to claim that a Christian can lose their salvation if they don’t remain faithful (i.e., persevere). Jesus PAID our sin debt so we wouldn’t have to persevere. And even if we did try to persevere, it wouldn’t be enough to wash away the sins on our record. Jesus had to die for the sins of mankind. There was no other way. Calvinists believe that a person who fails to “persevere unto the end,” has “fallen from grace.” That is works salvation. The Biblical context of the phrase, “fallen from grace,” was simply a reference to those who reject the Gospel, preferring religion instead. They have missed the only way to Heaven, which is Jesus Christ alone. No genuine Christian can ever fall from grace. Believers FALL IN GRACE, but never FROM GRACE!!!
If you think that you can lose salvation, you don’t have it! God only saves those who are TRUSTING to be saved, He never saves those who are TRYING to be saved! Partial faith in Christ plus anything is not salvation. That’s what Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Christ, Lutherans and other satanic religious groups have, not wholly trusting the dear Savior. Only those saints who believe in eternal security in Christ have the proper mindset and are really born-again. All else is of the Devil.
The Great Hypocrisy!
Calvinists, Hyper-Calvinists, and others, who deny the Eternal Security in Christ, are not fully trusting Christ for their salvation. The great hypocrisy is that they CLAIM to be wholly trusting God. How can that be? How can a person claim to be wholly resting upon Jesus Christ for salvation, while at the same time believing that one’s salvation is CONDITIONAL upon the life we live? This cannot be, but they’re in DENIAL.
This is so typical of deception and lies. As an example: America is increasingly becoming a police state, yet the majority of Americans have been successfully brainwashed to believe that they are not losing their freedoms. The handwriting is all over the walls, screaming at Americans, but they’re in DENIAL—and so is the crowd who doesn’t believe in Eternal Security.
Those who DON’T believe in Eternal Security in Christ have a completely different mindset towards salvation. They DON’T have the blessed peace and assurance which comes from resting upon the promises of God. Jesus is our Sabbath, upon whom we solely rest for our salvation. Titus 1:2 speaks of the promise of eternal life, from God Who cannot lie. Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”
As Christians, we can KNOW that we are saved, because our salvation is not rooted in merit or works, but upon the finished work of Christ. Our salvation is based upon God’s love for undeserving sinners, not upon our own self-righteousness. To say that a believer is not eternally secure in Christ, is to lower the Christian faith to the level of the woeful Islamic Muslim religion, which offers no security to it’s followers.
In Islam, you do your best, and hope to make it. Isn’t this the same garbage that is being propagated by those who claim that there is NO security in Christ? I find it a great hypocrisy for anyone to claim to be wholly trusting the Savior for salvation, while at the same time holding to the self-righteous idea that we can mess things up if we backslide and walk into sin. If the latter be true, then our salvation is dependent upon man, as much as it is upon God. The Word of God is clear on this matter in Jonah 2:9, “Salvation is of the LORD.”
Jesus Died for the Ungodly
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” —Romans 5:6
The absurd idea that Jesus only died for the Saints is unbiblical. Jesus clearly taught that it was wrong to love only those who love us back (Matthew 5:46). Do you think Jesus would violate His own teachings, by only dying for those who loved Him. No, on the contrary, we read in 1st John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.” Calvinists are liars.
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” —2nd Peter 2:1
Did you read that? … “even denying the Lord that bought them…” Jesus BOUGHT those false prophets! Jesus has bought every human being on this planet, because Christ died for ALL sinners (1st John 2:2). If you go to Hell for all eternity, it will only be because you rejected the free gift of eternal life. Can you imagine? Can you imagine someone being cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity to be tormented, knowing that Christ had freely paid for their ticket into Heaven? They were too proud and stubborn to accept it. John 3:20 plainly tells us that a love for sin causes many people to avoid the Truth of God’s Word, and the Saviour …
“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” —John 3:20
But Jesus is willing to save ALL sinners who come to Him for forgiveness. Yes! There is no depth of sin to which a man can go, but that God won’t still save him. If you desire forgiveness, Christ will forgive you. Jesus said in John 5:40, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Ye CANNOT come.” No, rather, Jesus said, “Ye WILL NOT come.” Will you come to Jesus? The choice is yours alone to make my friend!
How to Be Saved
Eternal Life is a “Free Gift”
“But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” —Romans 5:15
Did you ever read this verse before? Did you know that the words “free gift” are right in the Word of God for us to view? Well, they certainly are, and they’re wonderful words to behold. What a precious Savior! Eternal life is a free gift, paid for by the wonderful blood of Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1:18,19). It is this FACT that causes me, once again, to wonder what in the world those who deny the Eternal Security of the believer are thinking. How can a free gift be taken away or lost? The whole concept of losing one’s salvation sinfully requires Works Salvation to maintain it. I mean, if I give you a gift for your birthday and you receive it, then I have NO RIGHT to take it back, ever. If I did, then it was not a gift in the first place.
The Word of God makes no mistake when it describes salvation as a “free gift.” Romans 6:23 declares, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Those foolish people who claim that there is no Eternal Security in Jesus Christ, are turning salvation into a REWARD, rather than a gift. Their false Calvinistic doctrines require you to put forth much effort, stay on the right path, and persevere in your faith for the Lord—or risk losing all. This sounds more like operating a business than it does receiving a gift from a loving Savior. There is a vast difference between receiving a free gift, and trying to succeed in a business. Salvation is not a business opportunity, it is not an on-taking venture, it is not a life’s accomplishment, nor a reward—it is a FREE GIFT!
This is why I can confidently say to you my friend, according to the Word of God… that once you are saved, you will ALWAYS BE SAVED! Those who leave the church fold, sometimes leave because THEY WERE NOT SAVED to begin with (1st John 2:19). However, this doesn’t mean everyone who quits church is unsaved. Many churches these days are corrupt, and people ought to quit and go elsewhere. Some scholars foolishly claim that Judas (one of Jesus’ Apostles) was saved at first, but then fell from grace. That is simply not true.
There is no Biblical record of Judas ever being saved, nor of showing any signs of being saved. In fact, Judas was a known thief (John 12:6). John 6:70 says that Judas had a devil in him. Judas, as so many people today, had religion without truth, and churchianity without Christianity. I heard an atheist man speaking, who claimed that he “used to be” a Christian. No he wasn’t! Another man, a Mormon, who said he had gone to an Independent Baptist College when he was younger, claimed that he “used to be” a Christian. No he wasn’t. 1st John 2:19 plainly teaches that they left Christianity because they were never truly Christian to begin with. They didn’t lose salvation, because they never had it to begin with. They left us because “THEY WERE NOT OF US”!!!
The FACT that salvation is a FREE GIFT
(Romans 5:15; 6:23) totally destroys the heresies of Lordship Salvation, Calvinism, Hyper-Calvinism, and other damnable doctrines which REQUIRE people to GIVE something in return to be saved. It is hypocrisy for anyone to claim that faith alone in the Savior is insufficient for salvation, holding to the foolish belief that one’s own self-righteousness is also required. A “gift” requires nothing in return. You simply believe (trust) the Gospel to take it. If you want God’s free gift of eternal life, then you must receive it freely—by acknowledging your guilt of sin and believing upon the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The burden of sin was bore upon the cross by the Lord. Anyone who places the burden of sin upon a sinner to be saved is propagating a false gospel of self-righteousness. Jesus paid it all!
Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ’s best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. God will not save anyone who is trying to be saved, He will only save those who are trusting to be saved. The only requirement to be saved is to admit that you are a guilty sinner in God’s sight (Romans 3:19). You need to know what you’re being saved from. If we say we have not sinned, the truth is not in us and we are not saved (1st John 1:8-10).
You must come as an ungodly sinner to be saved. No one has ever been saved except the UNGODLY (Romans 4:5-6). God doesn’t save the self-righteous, who are going about to establish their own righteousness (Matthew 7:21-23)!!! We can only be saved by God’s righteousness, which is through faith alone in Christ. Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Jesus is precious!!!
You don’t even have to “ask” God to forgive your sins. That’s right! That is because Jesus has already paid for everyone’s sins with His precious blood. Forgiveness of sins is a free gift, that we simply receive by faith (trust) in the Gospel (Good News) of Christ crucified, buried and risen. It is that simple to be saved, and once you’ve been saved, it can never be undone or forfeited. Salvation is not a process, it is a new birth; a second, spiritual birth by the Holy Spirit of God. John 1:12-14, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” —Romans 4:5
Really, I was getting into this article. I was taking it up and re-thinking about everything indeed. This article is fascinating and seems to be eye opening. I believe that you have done a lot of researches. May God reward you.
I seems to be uncomfortable with the use of some negative words in your article about those who believe that salvation can be lost. Such words as ‘Hell bound Catholics’, ‘junk theology’, ‘… Lutherans and other satanic religious groups’, ‘foolish people’. It looks as if you are so much entrenched in this doctrine of Eternal Security to the extent of seeing these other party as of the Devil and I feel outright hatred in the use of such words. It is as if you don’t wish them well. Well, I might remind you if you know and inform you if you don’t know that the Lutherans were followers of Martin Luther doctrines (The German Martin Luther and not Martin Luther Junior of USA). Martin Luther from history can be tagged the father of the Protestants (although he wasn’t the first to protest as we have Jerome and Huss, but his stance became so popular). He stood against the Catholics (Papacy) writing 95 thesis as we read. Pentecostals and Evangelicals are off shoot from Protestant. Martin Luther translated the scripture into a native language giving many access to the Word of God. He can be said to be one of the fathers that allowed us have access to the scripture which is a premise for you and I vastness in the Word of God today. To say that Martin Luther couldn’t understand Eternal Security (If it were really so) and that makes him not saved in the first instance seems ridiculous to me. Going through the works and writings (books) of Martin will not make anyone to out rightly condemn him as unsaved for not believing in eternal security.
Below are my comments on some of your stands:
“I mean, if I give you a gift for your birthday and you receive it, then I have NO RIGHT to take it back, ever. If I did, then it was not a gift in the first place.” – My take on this is that Jesus said a parable of a man who was forgiven his debts by the Master but thereafter imprisoned his fellow worker for his indebtedness to him. When the master heard this, he had to withdraw his gift of debt pardon and jailed him. One can and really loses gifts and even the owner can retrieve it back. I think if you want to compare eternal security with life events, don’t make reference to a gift as it can be withdrawn or stolen.
“You don’t even have to “ask” God to forgive your sins. That’s right! That is because Jesus has already paid for everyone’s sins with His precious blood.” – Don’t you think you have to remove this from your article? That we shouldn’t as believers ask God to forgive our sins? The disciples weren’t seeking for forgiveness when they approached Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus gave them a template to follow when praying and he said in plain terms that we should ask God to forgive us our trespasses (sins). Luke 11:1-4. Where did you come about this statement that we shouldn’t ask God for forgiveness? 1 John 1:9 tells us to confess our sins. Am scared with this your mindset about forgiveness. This is a stand that can bring overconfidence in a believer. Jesus the author and finisher of our salvation who died for our sins still asks us to go to the father confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness and here you are telling us there is no need for that!!!
ETERNAL SECURITY & ETERNAL NON SECURITY?
The scripture tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). It says he who think he stands should take heed lest he falls (I Corinthians 10:8 – Paul here addressed believers not unbelievers here; warning them – read from verse 1). Apostle Paul told us that it is very possible for a believer to lose his salvation if he does not discipline himself (working out his salvation – I Corinthians 9:26-27). Jesus said in John Chapter 15 and verse 2 that every branch (part of the tree that relies on the root for existence) in him that does not bear fruit shall be cut off. He further said in verse 6 of same chapter that anyone who DOES NOT REMAIN in him will experience same faith as a cut of branch which shall be eventually thrown INTO THE FIRE AND BURNED! (Does that ring any bell to you?)
Do you know what it means for one’s lampstand to be removed from its rightful place. That is being deposed! Jesus, the one clothed in white before whom John fell flat as being dead, in his post earthly status said to the first church; Ephesus, that he would remove her lampstand from its place not minding the good deeds she keeps doing in exposing false prophets! (Revelation 2:1-7). Remove means having no place again with him. It talks of nowhere else than Hell.
Beloved, ponder on these. They are plain scriptures that need no further derivative meaning by searching through the pages of concordances or commentaries. They are explicit in themselves. As the scripture says that we know in part here tells us not to draw conclusion on all matters. Test all spirit says the scripture. This does not exclude the Holy Spirit that inspires us. I pray we shall continue to be on the right path and not eventually become a stumbling block to anyone who could have been more dedicated to God in Jesus’ name. Shalom!
Igbalade-Afariogun Olugbenga Favour (a child of God).
I appreciate your feedback and your comment on this article.
Let me elaborate some of the verses that:
Does the support your supposed lose salvation?
Philippians 2:12
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
This verse is commonly used by proponents of Lordship Salvation or some other form of works Salvation as a proof text for the idea that we have to do works in order to obtain, secure, or prove our Salvation, all the while trembling in fear at the idea that God might cast us into Hell if we fail to perform. That’s the way they’d like you to interpret this passage.
However, if that was the case, could you really say that Salvation is not of works (Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:6, Titus 3:5)? No, you couldn’t. Therefore we can know right away that this has nothing to do with needing to do works to hold on to our eternal Salvation.
Yet another proof that this has nothing to do with potentially losing eternal Salvation is the fact that Paul is clearly addressing brethren in Philippians (Philippians 1:12). We are born into the family of God by faith (1 John 5:1), and since a child of God can never lose their Salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14), the idea that Paul is telling them to be afraid of potentially winding up in Hell is ludicrous.
Paul even makes a statement in the previous chapter that would refute the interpretation of the passage that would encourage doubting one’s Salvation, when he references the fact that the Holy Spirit will be with his audience until the resurrection (similar to Ephesians 4:30):
Philippians 1:6
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Context – “fear and trembling”
So what is Paul saying? Let’s include verse 13:
Philippians 2:12-13
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Notice that it almost seems like the two verses don’t belong together, as 12 is emphasizing your works, yet 13 makes it seem like God will take care of things. The key is to look at another passage where Paul uses this phrase “fear and trembling”:
1 Corinthians 2:3-5
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Why did Paul present himself meekly to the Corinthians as one who is weak and afraid? So that those who were listening weren’t being compelled to believe him due to his “excellency of speech” (1 Corinthians 2:1), or charisma, or wisdom, but rather believed due to the actual content of what he was telling them. In so doing, their faith would rest in “the power of God”, which is the Gospel message:
Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Now what Paul says in Philippians 2:12 makes more logical sense in light of Philippians 2:13. He is encouraging them to present themselves meekly and weakly in all of their affairs, so that those who are persuaded to join them do so because of God working in them when they preach the Gospel rather than a cunning personality, charm, or human intellect and reasoning. It’s an exhortation to labour humbly for the Lord, showing outwardly what God is working to produce inside of them.
In fact, Paul uses this phrase “fear and trembling” often, and it’s one of the phrases that he uses to denote obedience, humility, and meekness:
Ephesians 6:5
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
2 Corinthians 7:15
15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
Never does this denote, imply, or even hint at a loss of Salvation.
Conclusion
It is frustrating that those who teach works Salvation hijack this awesome verse and totally ruin the interpretation in order to rob their audience of their assurance of Salvation. I love this passage and I love the fact that when I examine the broader context of Scripture, it harmonizes so well with so many other points. All of that is thrown out when you rip it out of context and slap a self-righteous, shallow interpretation on it.
The Clearest Doctrine in the Bible
The Bible teaches that anyone who has put their faith in Jesus instead of themselves to justify them before God has Eternal Life, and cannot lose their Salvation. Every single sin that they have committed or will ever commit has been paid for. Here are the 10 best verses clearly showing this from the Word of God:
John 6:39-40
1 John 5:1
John 10:28-29
Ephesians 1:12-14
Romans 8:38-39
Romans 11:29
John 6:47
John 3:36
1 John 5:13
John 5:24
Now we will go through these one at a time to comment on them and emphasize just what makes them so remarkable:
Verse 1 – John 6:39-40
John 6:39-40
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Discussion
In verse 39 Jesus states that He will not lose a single one of those who the Father has given Him. Then in verse 40, He defines that group as those that believe in Jesus. This is because we, as believers, are “kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation” (1 Peter 1:5) until a fixed point in time – which we learn from verse 40, is the day of Resurrection.
This passage is also important because it defines the “will of the Father”, which sheds light on the oft-twisted passage in Matthew 7:21, where we are told that only those who “do the will of the Father” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
The will of the Father is that every believer is to be eternally secure, and will be raised up from the dead to live forever with God in the new creation. That’s why we are told in 1 John 2:17 that “he that doeth the will of God abideth forever”. You can only have a place in the will of God, then, if you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Verse 2 – 1 John 5:1
1 John 5:1
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Discussion
This verse states plainly that if you believe in Jesus, you have been born again into God’s family. That means that you are made a sibling of Jesus Christ by faith alone, as John 1:12 and Galatians 3:26 also attest to. It doesn’t say “will be born of God”, it says “is born of God”, present tense. The moment you put your faith in Christ to save you, you receive the new birth.
This new birth is born of “incorruptible seed” (1 Peter 1:23), and “cannot sin” (1 John 3:9). When we die, this is all that will remain, which is why we will never sin in Heaven. The New Man within every born-again believer is therefore as perfect as Jesus Christ, and absolutely nothing can alter that, which is why we are predestinated to be just like Him after we die (Romans 8:29).
While we live on earth, this nature of our new birth struggles against our old nature (Galatians 5:17), which is the flesh of our old birth, something I cover in-depth in an article titled Every Believer Has Two Natures. The new creature that’s born of God however, is incorruptible and sinless, and so obviously cannot possibly go to Hell.
The part of you that is even capable of sinning is not the real “you” that God sees, if you have been born again. It’s merely a remnant of your first birth which has absolutely no affect whatsoever on your new nature from the new birth.
Verse 3 – John 10:28-29
John 10:28-29
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Discussion
Notice in verse 28 that there is not any man that can pluck a believer out of Christ’s hand. Any man includes the believer themselves. Verse 29 also says that we are in the Father’s hand – yet another witness to the fact that our Salvation is guaranteed by God Almighty. Those “given” to Christ are the ones being discussed (verse 29), and as we saw in John 6:39-40, this refers to believers in Jesus.
Going further, we are not only in Jesus’s hand, we are a part of His hand and His body (Ephesians 5:30). For a believer to lose their Salvation would require the body of Jesus Christ to be mutilated – it cannot happen.
Verse 4 – Ephesians 1:12-14
Ephesians 1:12-14
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Discussion
This passage shows that every single believer is sealed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the moment they believe. This Holy Spirit is the earnest (“down payment”) of our inheritance, meaning that God seals us to prove that He is serious about not losing a single one of those who have trusted in Christ.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit, then, is proof that a believer is destined to inherit in the Heavenly Kingdom of God. This is why the Bible says our “inheritance” is “incorruptible”, and “reserved in Heaven” for us (1 Peter 1:4).
The Bible is replete with verses teaching that the Holy Spirit lives inside of every single believer (Ephesians 4:30, Romans 8:9: 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19: 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, etc.), and this passage shows us that we are sealed until a fixed point in time – until the “redemption of the purchased possession”, which refers to the Resurrection when we receive a new, glorified body (Romans 8:23).
Furthermore, we are called a purchased possession – something owned by God himself right now. This is why we are said to be “bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23), that price being Christ’s own blood (Acts 20:28). The entire price for our justification has already been paid, and nothing can change that.
The Apostle Paul also acknowledges the fact in a parallel verse in Ephesians 4:30 that it’s possible to grieve the Holy Spirit (due to misbehavior), but is clear in stating that even such ones are “sealed unto the day of redemption”. A similar statement is made in 2 Corinthians 1:22.
Since we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, it is God Himself that secures our Salvation. Not only are we in the Son’s hand, and the Father’s hand, but the Holy Sprit is in us, and “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
Our Salvation is never put in our hands to keep because we aren’t reliable. Instead it is kept secure by the three-fold witness of each member of the Trinity.
Verse 5 – Romans 8:38-39
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Discussion
Notice that the Apostle Paul says that neither “things present, nor things to come” can separate us from the love of God. Can you tell me anything that this doesn’t include? There’s absolutely no conceivable action done at any point by anyone (obviously, this includes yourself) that can separate us from the love of God.
This bears witness to the truth that once someone is “sanctified by faith” (Acts 26:18) and made holy by the payment of Jesus Christ, they are safe forever, as Hebrews 10:14 says, “by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”. Once someone is sanctified, they are sanctified and perfected forever. The sanctification of the believer is irrevocable, and nothing can possibly change that.
Furthermore, why say something like this in the first place? Was there ever any doubt about God’s faithfulness? Of course not. No one questions God’s power to keep us saved, they question their own role to play and whether they can hold up their “part”. These verses are only meaningful, then, if they are discussing the fact that none of our sinful actions, regardless of their origin, can affect our eternal destiny. Otherwise, this, and all the verses about God’s faithfulness above, become trite, meaningless statements, as there was never any question as to whether God would uphold His “end of the bargain”.
All of the verses in this article, then, are given by God to set your mind at ease and debunk the idea that you can lose your Salvation. They do this by emphasizing God’s own faithfulness and power, as His work is the sole basis for our Salvation in the first place (2 Corinthians 5:21). You never had a “part” to do in keeping or earning your Salvation. If you had a part to play in keeping yourself saved, you would without question mess your part up. That’s why God does all the work Himself, and emphasizes this to us over, and over, and over again.
Verse 6 – Romans 11:29
Romans 11:29
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Discussion
The verse states that God’s gifts are without repentance, meaning they will never be snatched back from those to whom they’ve been given, and God will never relinquish His promise to someone. Why is this significant? Because the Apostle Paul calls Salvation/Eternal Life a “gift” no less than 7 times in the previous chapters (Romans 5:15-18, 6:23).
Furthermore, Salvation is called a “gift” two other times, notably Ephesians 2:8-9, and John 4:10. Even common sense says that a gift that has been given to someone cannot be taken away. It cannot have caveats or stipulations. The definition of a gift is something given for free, to keep. And the Apostle Paul affirms that here in no uncertain terms.
Verse 7 – John 6:47
John 6:47
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Discussion
It’s a wonder how with verses like this in the Bible someone can come to any conclusion besides that Eternal Life is a free gift received by faith alone. How can Christ be more clear? He clearly states that those who put their trust in Him as their Savior have – as a present possession – Everlasting Life .
And if I have, right now, Everlasting Life, then how can I lose it? If I could lose it for any reason, could it be called everlasting? It didn’t last forever! It would need to be called Probationary Life, Temporary Life, We’ll See Life, Hopefully Life, or Maybe Life. If I have Everlasting Life now, I will never, ever die, no matter what, otherwise it’s not everlasting. God is not duplicitous or deceptive – He says what He means.
Verse 8 – John 3:36
John 3:36
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Discussion
Another crystal-clear statement affirming that those who believe have Everlasting Life as a present possession. The similar statement in John 3:18 says that those who believe are not condemned.
I would like to point out the obvious – the time period “Everlasting” or “Eternal” includes all of the time from when you get saved until you die. This is something that we have now, will have when we die, and will have forever after that.
The fact is that if there has ever been a person who has trusted Christ to save them who doesn’t have Eternal Life, then these verses are deceptive, meaningless, inconsequential statements.
This is true despite dishonest attempts to redefine faith to mean some nondescript level of ongoing obedience (works), which as the Scriptures show, is patently absurd (Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:6).
If (and since) Eternal Life is something that can be possessed currently, that means it’s something obtained in a single moment in time. Salvation is not a lifelong process, it’s an event – when you receive the new birth by faith. Did your first birth take a lifetime? No, you have a definitive birthday that you can look back on. If you put your faith in Christ alone to get you to Heaven, you have a spiritual birthday that happened in a moment in time.
Verse 9 – 1 John 5:13
1 John 5:13
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Discussion
Not only do we have Eternal Life as a present possession, but God wants us to know this, and be confident in this fact. John tells us that we should “know that (we) have Eternal Life” – and why? Because we “believe on the name of the Son of God”. No works mentioned, because works have nothing to do with Salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:6, Romans 4:5).
We know that we have Eternal Life because we have trusted the Savior that God provided for us to save us from Hell through His payment for sins on the cross. We have ceased trusting in our works (Isaiah 64:6) to get us to Heaven, and instead put our trust in Christ alone to get us to Heaven.
That’s why we can never lose our Salvation. All of our sins are gone, and that payment is based on the work of another person entirely – it had nothing to do with our works to begin with. When we trusted in Jesus Christ to save us, all of our sins past, present, and future were paid for and are gone forever (Revelation 1:5). When Christ died on the cross, all of your sins were future. He’s outside of time, which is why He’s called the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
Verse 10 – John 5:24
John 5:24
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Discussion
Yet another statement that proves that we have Eternal Life as a present possession. And notice – we shall not – future tense – come into condemnation. This hearkens to many passages we’ve already discussed, especially Romans 8:38-39.
Also notice that the one who believes “is passed” from death unto life. It’s a completed operation, not a lifelong process.
In no circumstance can we come into eternal condemnation in the future, because we are washed clean of all our sins in the blood of Christ (Revelation 1:5: 1 Corinthians 6:11). Never again can we be condemned, regardless of what takes place, because we are redeemed by the Savior.
What about murder? Paid for. Moses killed a man and hid him in the sand. Paul was an active participant in putting Christians to death when he was a leader of the Pharisees. Adultery? Paid for. David committed adultery, got the husband drunk, and then had him killed. Lying? Paid for. Peter denied Jesus and told people he didn’t even know who He was. Abraham lied everywhere he went and led people to believe that his wife was his sister because he was afraid they’d kill him. Idolatry? Paid for. Solomon (as far as we know) died an idolater, and he wrote three books of the Bible.
Suicide? Paid for. Sampson killed himself and he’s listed as one of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews chapter 11. Theft? Paid for. Jesus looked to the dying thief and says “today you’ll be with me in Paradise”. Drug and alcohol abuse? Paid for. Noah and Lot got blackout drunk, and Lot slept with his own daughters. As you can see, the Bible is not like other “holy books” which hide their hero’s sins. The Bible is brutally honest in it’s depiction of even the best of men, which is why David says “every man at his best state is altogether vanity” (Psalm 39:5).
Yet despite my sins, I am washed clean forever, and as far as God is concerned, I am as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). This forgiveness was purchased by the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, and His resurrection confirmed the purchase and secured our redemption.
We reap what we sow in this life (Galatians 6:7), and God will chasten us if we misbehave (1 Corinthians 11:32, Hebrews 12:6) just like any good father would, but as far as our eternal, judicial standing before God is concerned, we are as spotless as Jesus Christ. Our new birth that made us a son/daughter of His is, eternally speaking, all that He sees.
Blessings in this life, earning eternal rewards in Heaven (1 Corinthians 3:14-15), and avoiding God’s chastening here on earth, are the motivations given to a Christian to live righteously. Threatening His children with Hell is never something that God uses to “motivate” you anywhere in either Testament, as such a thing is absurd and impossible.
Logically, if you could lose your Salvation, then if God loved you at all, He’d take you home to Heaven the moment you believed. He wouldn’t leave you in a precarious situation for decades, dangling your soul over Hell the whole time. In such a situation, living a long life would be a tremendous curse. The doctrine that you can lose your Salvation doesn’t even make sense on basic logical grounds.
Conclusion
I hope you are confident in your assurance of Salvation, as that was the point of this article. If you have trusted Christ to save you, you have Eternal Life, and that life, by the basic definition of the word “eternal”, and many Biblical proofs, can never, ever be lost. As far as God’s concerned, you are as righteous as Jesus Christ, having God’s very own righteousness imputed to you (Philippians 3:9).
Every Christian denomination which teaches that you can lose your Salvation nullifies faith alone. They may even espouse faith alone for Salvation – but common sense says that if your actions can cause you to lose that Salvation (or “prove you never had it” – same consequence, same emphasis), that’s not faith alone. That’s faith plus behavior.
It’s also important to mention that “faith” really just means believing something is true. Belief in Jesus is simple trust in Him, instead of yourself, for Salvation from Hell/entrance into Heaven. Beware of attempts to redefine faith to mean “works”, keeping in mind the clear distinction between the two made in Romans 4:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9:
Romans 4:5
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Once you are saved, you are always saved, and that applies even if you stop believing altogether (2 Timothy 2:13), as believing false religions/false doctrine is a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-20) which any believer is susceptible to.
The teaching that you can lose Salvation demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of what happened at Calvary. Jesus paid for all of your sins. Once He saves you, He doesn’t need your help keeping you saved. It’s not a cooperative effort. He either does it all from start to finish, or you are your own savior. Grace is completely nullified if it requires any work on your end:
Romans 11:6
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Now please, stop worrying about losing your Salvation! This fear is the #1 hinderance to evangelism, as why would I tell someone how to be saved if I don’t know I’m saved myself? Most Christians don’t have a clue where they are going when they die because they are never taught any of this. This is why this is such a vital doctrine, and I hope that this article has shown you that’s it’s also a doctrine firmly rooted in the Word of God.
Every Verse Teaching Salvation by Faith Alone in the New Testament
This List is Essential For:
Finding verses supporting the fact that the moment a person puts all of their trust in Jesus’s finished work to get them to Heaven, they are irrevocably saved from Hell and given Eternal Life, regardless of:
Whether they do any good works in the future (Romans 4:5)
Whether they lose that faith in the future (2 Timothy 2:13)
Whether they repent of sin (1 John 3:4 w/ Romans 10:4)
Whether they submit to Lordship of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Whether they are water baptized, go to church, pray, read the Bible, etc. (Romans 4:5)
Nullifying the New Testament:
This doctrine will be attacked perpetually by those who:
Redefine the meaning of the word “faith” or “belief” to include obedience and living a life of good works (This doesn’t work, Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:6, Titus 3:5 – all of which would be meaningless, inconsequential statements that apply to no one, if “true” faith involved some unquantified, nebulous amount of works).
Conflate discipleship/friendship/following/knowing/loving/abiding in Jesus with Salvation from Hell, by citing verses such as Luke 14:33, and saying that the concepts are one in the same.
Subconsciously add the words ‘of your sins’ every time the word ‘repent’ is used, ignoring the fact that the word simply means “to turn”, and in reference to Salvation this means turning from belief in yourself/unbelief to belief in Christ for Salvation. Ignore the fact that God repents more than anyone in the Bible. Ignore the fact that turning from your sins is called works by God (Jonah 3:10).
Make every mention of the word ‘saved’ and ‘justified’ refer to eternal Salvation from Hell and justification before God, rather than considering the possibility that these two words often refer to Salvation from temporal judgement or wrath in this world (James 2:14, Romans 10:9-10), and to justification before men (James 2:24).
Read the Bible with the mindset of looking for caveats to the clear statement made in John 6:47, ignoring that only one book in the Bible claims to be written explicitly to tell you how to be saved from Hell (John 20:31), and should therefore be consulted as the basis for our view on Salvation.
Make every verse about ruling/inheriting authority/possessions in Christ’s Kingdom about getting into the kingdom. This is done by quoting verses like 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:5, and Galatians 5:19-21, while totally ignoring and not comprehending 1 Corinthians 15:50.
Completely ignore the Scripture’s teaching of the Old and New nature (Romans 7-8) and the fact that every believer needs to be told to walk in the Spirit because it takes effort. If not, verses like Galatians 5:16 and Ephesians 4:30 would be nonsensical.
Ignore that a believer can be punished here on this earth (Hebrews 12:6), lose rewards in Heaven (1 Corinthians 3:15), and die (1 Corinthians 5:5, 11:30) if they misbehave. Instead, declare that anyone who is not living right must not have truly believed, thereby turning Salvation into a reward or a contract rather than a gift, and robbing a believer of their assurance of Salvation by getting them to look to themselves and their lives for assurance rather than the finished work of Christ.
Make a ‘free gift’ (Romans 5:15-18, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 4:10) cost something and have stipulations beyond simply accepting it.
Make it possible to have Eternal Life as a present possession (John 3:36, 5:24, 6:47: 1 John 5:13) that doesn’t last forever, making it “Probationary Life” and turning Jesus into a liar.
And when all else fails, frantically quote such self-righteous clichés as “Licence to sin”, “If He’s not Lord of all, He’s not Lord at all”, “Cheap grace”, “Salvation is free, but it will cost you everything”, “Salvation is by faith alone, but true faith is never alone”, “Saving faith is faith that works”, and so on.
The List:
Notes regarding a verse will be below the verse, and we will go in order of the books of the New Testament.
Press ctrl + f on your keyboard to search the page.
Mark 16:16
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
No, this does not teach Baptismal Regeneration. He that believeth and stands on one leg shall be saved. What’s the essential part? Well, we learn from the similar dichotomies given in John 3:18, and John 3:36 that the essential part is belief.
Luke 8:12
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
The Devil knows that once they believe, they are saved, so he works to harden the hearts of those that hear the word lest they believe it. Notice the Devil apparently doesn’t care about anything other than preventing their belief. Personal holiness isn’t mentioned. Neither is a devious scheme to stop up the plumbing to prevent water baptism.
Luke 7:50
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Luke 17:19
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
In regard to the two passages above, “thy faith has made thee whole/saved thee” is used many many times by the Lord, but the two here are specifically and obviously in regard to eternal Salvation, in context. I see in these verses the fact that the Lord wanted to give people assurance of Salvation. He did not make them wait on pins and needles.
John 1:12
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
This verse is reiterated in Galatians 3:26 and in 1 John 5:1. There is not a single verse in Scripture even hinting at the idea that once you’ve been born into God’s family, you can ever be unborn/kicked out of the family. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again (John 3:3, 3:7), and compares this spiritual birth to a fleshly, aka “water” birth (John 3:5-6). That is, an event that happens at a moment in time, as opposed to a process that takes a lifetime.
John 3:14-16
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The only way to get around this clear teaching is to redefine faith to mean good works and obedience, which the Scriptures declare cannot be done as that would be a category error (Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:6).
John 3:18
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Notice the black-and-white nature of the two dichotomies. None can be saved without belief that Jesus is their Christ (John 8:24: 1 John 5:1), but those who believe have Eternal Life and shall not in any circumstance come under condemnation. Notice that eternal life is a present possession. They have eternal life. And eternal life, by definition, can never be lost, or it wasn’t eternal. “Temporary” eternal life is a doctrine invented by a false prophet who needs logical impossibilities to cling to their religious dogma.
John 5:24
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Notice that those who have eternal life shall not – speaking of the future – come into condemnation. In no future possibility can they be condemned. Once again, Eternal Life is spoken of as a present possession.
John 6:35
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
The Scriptures always liken Salvation to something easy, or something that takes a moment – in this case, eating a piece of bread. I did an entire article on the Bible’s metaphors for Salvation which gives many such examples. He doesn’t say whoever eats and keeps eating will never hunger – such a point would be redundant and superfluous. Jesus states that if someone comes to him, then they will in no future scenario ever hunger, and that no one who believes in Him will ever thirst (like they do in Hell).
John 6:39-40
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Here the will of God is clearly defined in regard to Salvation, and works aren’t even mentioned. This is the will spoken of by the Lord in the oft-twisted passage Matthew 7:21. The Father’s will is that every single last person which trusts Jesus Christ to save them will have Everlasting Life and never be lost.
John 6:47
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Either Jesus Christ is a deceiver, or Eternal Life is obtained at the moment of faith in Him. This is the clearest statement of faith alone for Eternal Life in the Bible. The only recourse to dismiss it must be to redefine faith to mean doing works, which as I’ve already pointed out, simply cannot be done (Romans 4:5). I, an ordinary human, because I have believed on Jesus Christ, will live forever in perfect harmony with the God of the universe.
John 8:24
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
To give some context, believing that Jesus is “he” means that you are believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ (1 John 5:1). This is why none can be saved without Jesus, because there is no other Christ, no other means by which to pay for sin. Only blood atonement of the Christ can appease God’s justice and pay for sin (Hebrews 9:22, 9:12).
John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Am I alive? Check. Do I believe in Jesus as my Messiah? Check. Will I ever die? Never.
John 16:8-9
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
They aren’t reproved because of the sin per-se. They’re reproved because they refuse to take the cure for their sin, the payment that God paid for with his own blood. Why do men reject the cure? It’s like refusing to drink life-giving water (John 4:10-14) that’s offered to you when stranded in the vast Sahara Desert because you’d rather try to dig a well through hundreds of yards of sand with a plastic shovel to get your own.
John 20:31
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
To those who say that tracts are useless – be sure to inform the Apostle John. He was fully under the impression that written material can persuade men to trust the Messiah, as that is why he sat down to right the book. I am proof-positive that written material can save, as I was led to the Lord through the ministry of GotQuestions.org, as you can read in my testimony.
Acts 10:43
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Remember this next time someone tries to tell you that Acts 2:38 is the Gospel. Show them this verse and Acts 10:47, because in tandem the same speaker of Acts 2:38 (Peter) makes it clear that the remission of sins is through faith, and that people receive the Holy Ghost who have not yet been baptized (Acts 10:47).
Acts 13:38-39
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
There are still people today who fail to understand why the Law was given. It was to show us our need for a Savior (Galatians 3:24). No one has ever kept the Law, in whole or in part, because once you break any aspect of it, you are as guilty as if you had broken each point of it (James 2:10).
Binding yourself to keeping any aspect of the Law for Salvation is binding yourself to keeping all of it perfectly (Galatians 5:3), which no one has ever done except Jesus Christ. This is why no one can be justified by the Law (Galatians 2:16, 3:11, Romans 3:20).
Acts 15:9-11
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Here we have Peter rebuking those who went about teaching that people had to be circumcised to be saved. And beyond circumcision, how many hundreds of different things have men throughout the ages tried to add to the simple Gospel? These additions are likened to yoke which none can bear in verse 10, because if any aspect of human effort is involved, then perfect obedience is required and the grace of God is nullified (Romans 11:6). But we know that, as mentioned in verse 11, grace – unmerited favor, is the means by which God provides Salvation to His hurting, desperate creation.
The true Gospel, that our hearts are made perfectly spotless and pure by faith alone, has always and will always stand in stark contrast to the dozens of things men have dreamed up as the way to curry favor with God.
Acts 16:30-31
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
What must I do to be saved? What a poignant question to ask for a man that was about to kill himself in despair not one moment beforehand (Acts 16:27). He wanted to know how to be saved, but saved from what? From his sins (Matthew 1:21). The answer given, so concise, so clear – believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lord (God, deity), he was a man named Jesus, and He is truly humanity’s Christ (Messiah, Savior).
Romans 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Paul says that the Gospel message is what leads us to faith in Jesus, and consequently we are saved. It does not say that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that “behaveth”, or “liveth a good life”.
The fact that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead gets us to put our faith in Him, because it shows us what He did for us as a Savior. The Gospel means “good news”, and it’s good news that Salvation is free because of the atoning work of Jesus. Lordship Salvation and other forms of work Salvation are invariably bad news. Hearing that you have to obey God to some unspecified degree until you die or else you’ll go to Hell is horrible news.
Romans 3:22-26, 28, 30
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
I wanted to break this up for easier digesting, but it all flows together so well. It’s a relentless condemnation of the idea that someone can keep the Law to please God, and a repeated reminder of the basis for our justification – faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. This is the solution to the dilemma presented earlier in the chapter (Romans 3:10, 12), that none of us are righteous. Therefore the way to be made righteous is to obtain the righteousness of God by faith, which frees us from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:10, 13).
Romans 4:3-8
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Again, I can’t break up the passage without breaking the flow of the point that Paul is hammering again and again – that it is by the mercy of God which is obtained through faith in the Messiah that He provided, not by our own efforts, that we are declared righteous in His sight. The examples of Abraham and David are testimonies to the fact that Salvation has always been by faith (Acts 15:11), as all of the prophets gave witness to the coming Messiah (Acts 10:43, 26:22).
Also notice that verse 5 plainly shows that while “faith without works is dead” (James 2), it is sufficient to save any sinner. If faith alone without works doesn’t justify a sinner, then verse 5 is meaningless. If some unknown quantity of works always follow faith, then verse 5 has said nothing at all, and is deceptive, and false.
Romans 5:1-2
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
I have peace with my creator, because the Messiah reconciled me from the condemnation of the Law (Romans 3:20) which I’ve broken innumerable times. I am a guilty convict, the Judge is God, and yet my sentence has been paid for by another man.
Atheists call this substitutionary redemption ‘injustice’, and in so doing blaspheme the perfectly just God of the universe, who is made just by the fact that the atonement applies to all men (1 John 2:2). The gift of justification is offered to all, for free, and therefore the substitutionary redemption of Christ cannot be called injustice. Just because you refuse it, don’t be mad or cry ‘injustice!’ if those that sinned against you accepted it.
Romans 9:33, 10:11
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
“Ashamed” means disappointed, and this references Isaiah 28:16. Catholics say that you can believe and be disappointed. So do Lutherans. So do Charismatics. They all believe that a genuine believer can wind up in Hell, completely refuting this verse. I won’t be disappointed that I chose to believe in Jesus, because my hope is totally in Him, and He is reliable.
Romans 10:3-4
3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Faith in Christ gives us the righteousness of God (Romans 3:22). I am as righteous as Jesus Christ. In God’s sight, I’ve kept the Law perfectly, because Jesus’s righteousness has been imputed to me. That’s the only way to meet the terrible demands of the Law, which requires a righteousness which no man, try as they might, can ever hope to achieve.
This is because the new man born again in every believer is utterly sinless and incapable of sin (1 John 3:9). While we live on earth, this new man struggles against the old man of our first, fleshly birth (Galatians 5:17)
1 Corinthians 1:21
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
It pleased God to save them that believe, not them that behave. That’s the will of God. Trying to get around it doesn’t make any difference. He’s chosen to save all those that believe, period.
Galatians 3:11-13
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Those who would teach a “repent of your sins” for Salvation are teaching that a man can be justified in part by the Law, because sin is the transgression of the Law (1 John 3:4). We are not justified in any sense by the Law. We live, and have Eternal Life, by faith (John 6:47).
Galatians 3:22-26
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
What an excellent passage to demonstrate the purpose and role of the Law, and the Law’s relation to Jesus Christ. Verse 26 mirrors the message of John 1:12, and 1 John 5:1, that we become children of God, born again spiritually into God’s family, by faith plus absolutely nothing.
Ephesians 1:12-14
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Yet another excellent proof that we can never lose our Salvation. Ephesians 4:30, and 2 Corinthians 1:22 also bear witness to this fact – we as believers are sealed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit until a fixed point in time (the resurrection). We are sealed forever by the God of the universe, and nothing whatsoever can possibly break that seal.
Furthermore, it is called the Holy Spirit of promise – what promise? The promise itself is Everlasting Life (1 John 2:25, Titus 1:2).
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Every single denomination (even Catholic) will claim that they aren’t earning Heaven by good works. They will say, in accordance with this verse, that Christ is the only reason that they can get to Heaven. You just, well, ehh.. Still need to have good works to get to Heaven. But you aren’t saved by your works! But if you don’t do them you won’t be saved. This will never be anything more than a contradiction.
Every false branch of Christianity tries to sneak works into the definition of faith. In doing so, they must literally cut this verse out of Scripture with scissors, or pretend it doesn’t exist, or assert that it doesn’t say what it clearly says, because it repudiates them.
Philippians 3:9
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Pairs excellently with Romans 10:3-4. Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have God’s righteousness. When God looks at me, He doesn’t see the sinful flesh. He sees His Son’s righteousness.
1 Timothy 1:15-16
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Are you a good person? Okay, this message isn’t for you then. The Gospel is for sinners who need a Savior. And this Savior gives them eternal life, and saves them from Hell.
1 Timothy 4:10
10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
A great verse for the deity of Christ. This, along with John 5:24, equate faith in Jesus Christ with faith in God. That is, we believe the record that God gave of His Son, that whoever believes in Him has Eternal Life (1 John 5:10-13).
2 Timothy 3:15
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Another proof, along with John 20:31, that it’s possible to get saved by reading the Bible. Is it easier and more likely to get saved if someone explains it to you? Yes. Are the Scriptures still able to make you wise unto Salvation by faith in Christ? Yes, without a doubt.
Titus 3:5-7
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Since we are justified by his grace, works are foreign to our justification (Romans 11:6). Notice that the Law isn’t mentioned. A common way to dismiss Romans 4:5 and Romans 3:28 is to say that we don’t have to keep the Law, but we still must do good works to be saved. Titus 3:5 makes it clear, we are saved by God’s mercy, “not by works of righteousness which we have done”.
Furthermore, the Law contains things like prohibitions on lying, stealing, adultery, and all kinds of other things that we are expected to follow today. Therefore this assertion is just more grasping at straws by those desperate to have a role in their own Salvation.
1 Peter 1:5
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
God keeps all those who have come to Him without exception (John 6:37). This is a fantastic Eternal Security verse, mirroring ones such as Philippians 1:6, and Ephesians 4:30. The Bible is clear that God himself is the one securing our Salvation, therefore we can in no circumstance lose it. It’s secured by the most powerful being imaginable.
1 John 5:1
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Pairs well with John 1:12 and Galatians 3:26, both of which also testify to the fact that we are born into God’s family by faith alone. Belief in Jesus Christ is how you meet the demands of John 3:7, where we are told that “[we] must be born again”. Our new birth is of “incorruptible seed” (1 Peter 1:23) because God is our father.
1 John 5:11-13
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Verse 12 parallels the other dichotomies in John 3:18 and in John 3:36, where he makes it abundantly clear that the only factor determining whether or not someone goes to Heaven or Hell is based on whether they’ve trusted Jesus Christ to save them or not. Verse 13 is an exhortation to confidence assurance to those of us that have believed, that we can know that we have Everlasting Life as a present possession.
Conclusion
In reality, this only scratches the surface of the New Testament’s teaching on faith alone. If this list was totally exhaustive, it would need to include almost the entire chapters of Romans 3, 4 and 5, Ephesians 1 and 2, Galatians chapter 3, all of the references in the Gospels where Jesus likens saved people to children, the passages that Jesus is called the Savior/Lamb of God (either he is or you are, pick one), all the chapters that explain the blood atonement, the fulfillment of the Law, etc.
These verses are just the ones that are especially good for quoting and memorization. The message is so, so clear – Salvation is a free gift, and it’s received through faith alone in Christ alone.