Once Saved, Always Saved - A Verse by Verse Analysis
Introduction
The rejection of the biblical teaching of justification by faith and works leads some Protestants to believe in an absolute assurance of salvation. This is common for Protestants who label themselves as Fundamentalists. Since a person is justified at the moment he has faith in Christ, the person is "saved" and therefore will go to heaven regardless of how he lives from that day on. No matter how sinful they live the rest of their lives, their salvation is assured. According to the "once saved always saved" belief, there is no way they can forfeit their salvation. As a result of this belief, many Fundamentalists refer to someone as "saved" or they may ask someone, "have you been saved?" Although this belief is comfortable to the believer, it is not supported in Scripture. What is the Catholic teaching of salvation? Obviously, it is quite different. The Catholic Church does not teach that we have an absolute assurance (absolute meaning that we are saved no matter how we live the rest of our lives) of salvation upon receiving Christ. Salvation, similar to justification, is an on going process. We must continue in his grace and obedience. Catholics believe in a moral assurance of salvation, that is God will always be faithful to his word and will grant salvation to those who have faith in him and obey his commands. Thus, salvation is clearly dependent on continual obedience and love for Christ. If a person is currently in a state of friendship with God (in other words, in a state of grace) he can confidently say that he is saved. However, he could never be absolutely sure that he would stay in that state. He knows that he can turn his back on God and sin serious enough to lose his salvation. Since salvation is a continuous process and since we can not predict the future, we can not be absolutely sure that we are saved. One note should be made here. If we lose our salvation, it is not because God’s lack of love for us or his inability to keep his promise. Rather, it is our inability to remain obedient to him. When we accept Christ he does not leave us with the task of enduring without his help. He is always with us and gives us more than enough grace to continue in his love.
So the question is, "Do the future actions of a Christian have any effect on their salvation?" The Catholic Church says yes. In supporting the Catholic view of salvation, we will look at several biblical passages.
Verses that Support Salvation Through Endurance
The following passages from Scripture support the Catholic belief in salvation through endurance. For each passage, a brief explanation of the passage is provided as well as typical Fundamentalist responses.
Catholic "Proof Text"
1 Corinthians 15:1-2, "Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." In his letter to the Corinthians Paul specifically adds the condition, "if you hold fast." Therefore, Paul is clearly warning the Christians that they must remain faithful to the gospel or they will lose their salvation. There is no absolute assurance of salvation in this passage.
Fundamentalist Objection # 1
A typical Fundamentalist response to the above passage is that Paul was not speaking to 'true' Christians. Instead, he is referring to those who 'really did not believe initially' (i.e., false Christians). If his audience were true believers, then there would be no need for such a warning since their salvation is assured.
Catholic Response
Reading the context of the passage easily dismisses this interpretation. First, Paul was clearly writing to 'true' Christians because in the first part of the passage Paul's describes his audience as those who have "received the gospel" and they have "taken their stand" on the gospel. Furthermore, the letter to the Corinthians was clearly written to true believers, which is evident in Paul's opening statement of the letter. 1 Cor 1:4 says, "I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ." This opening statement by Paul makes it clear that his message was directed towards true believers. Such an introduction would not be suitable for 'false' Christians. Additionally, Paul says that they 'are being saved,' which is something he would probably not have said if he knew his readers did not rightly believe the gospel. So why would Paul warn true believers about holding firmly to their beliefs? The answer is that Paul knew that the salvation of a true believer could be lost through disobedience. Therefore, the idea of eternal security based on the understanding that 1 Cor 15: 1-2 refers to false believers is unreasonable.
Fundamentalist Objection # 2
Typically, Fundamentalists believe that Paul is simply warning the Corinthians of lapsing in their faith. This lapsing is often referred to in Fundamentalist circles as ‘back sliden.’ There is no worry, Fundamentalists claim, on Paul's part that the Corinthians could actually forfeit their salvation and end up condemned in hell.
Catholic Response
The key to responding to this objection is Paul's words at the end of his warning, "unless you believed in vain." These words clearly point to something much worse than just falling lightly into sin. To believe in vain is something far more serious. Webster's defines 'vain' as having no real value or something without effect. Therefore, Paul is saying that if they fall away in the future and do not hold firmly, then their original belief is of no value. This worthless value can be compared with those who never believe in Christ as illustrated in the gospel of John:
John 3:18, "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."
Therefore, the condemnation for those who do not believe can be compared with the condemnation that some will have who have believed at one time, and have turned away and not endured in the faith. The idea of a vain belief is also mentioned in connection with the resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says that if was not for the resurrection of Christ, our belief would be in vain.
1 Cor 15:17, "and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins."
To not hold firmly to the faith as cautioned in 1 Cor 15:1-2 is equivalent to denying the resurrection of Christ because Scripture tells us that both result in a worthless belief. Both Catholics and Fundamentalists agree that without the resurrection, there is no redemption or salvation. It is clear, that the warning that Paul gives is more than just a fear of slipping in the faith. It is a fear of turning back to the point that one's original belief in Christ is worthless. If a person's original belief has no value it leaves the person subject to eternal damnation. In summary, this passage does not simply refer to a slight loss in faith, but it refers to the possibility of eternal condemnation for those who do not endure in their belief in Christ.
Catholic "Proof Text"
Hebrews 10:26-29, "If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries." In this passage, Paul states that people who continue to sin after receiving the knowledge (i.e. accepting Christ) will receive eternal punishment. This is very similar to the passage above in Corinthians were Paul warns the people of the dire consequences of rejecting the gospel in the future.
Fundamentalist Objection #1
Fundamentalists typically understand this passage to be directed to false Christians who have said they have accepted Christ, but in reality, have not.
Catholic Response
The context of the passage suggests that Paul was warning true believers in Christ. First of all, notice that Paul includes himself in this warning, "If WE deliberately keep on sinning after WE have received the knowledge of the truth." No Fundamentalist would claim that Paul never 'truly' believed in Christ. By including himself in this warning, it is clear that all believers should be careful of falling from grace to the point of eternal damnation. Furthermore, Paul states that his readers have, "received the knowledge of the truth." It is clear that this description is for people who have accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. The word for "knowledge" in the Greek literally means, "full knowledge." In addition, earlier in the letter to the Hebrews, Paul refers to his readers as "holy brothers, sharing in a heavenly calling" (ref Heb 3:1). These are hardly words one would use to describe false believers. To assert that the warning of losing one's salvation was directed only to "false believers" is a gross exegetical error.
Fundamentalist Objection # 2
The warning that Paul is giving is a warning of temporal punishment, not eternal punishment.
Catholic Response
This interpretation is based on a major misunderstanding of the passage. First of all, Paul says that there is no sacrifice for sin for those who deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth The sacrifice that Paul is referring to is the perfect sacrifice of Christ's death and resurrection. This sacrifice is what redeemed mankind and allows all who believe to have eternal life. Paul gives an account of what would happen if the death and resurrection of Christ were not true. 1 Cor 15:13 states, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty (too) is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. Then we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished." Paul makes it clear that the sacrifice of Christ is what opens eternal glory for God's people. This is something that Fundamentalists and Catholics both agree on. However, the understanding that the passage in Hebrews refers only to temporal punishment undermines this essential belief of Christ's perfect redeeming sacrifice. Since Paul relates deliberate sinning to a world which Christ sacrifice is not effective, it is clear from this passage that true believers can throw away their salvation. This is further supported by Paul elaborating on the consequences for those who do not endure in the faith, "but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries." Those who not endure in the faith are compared to the 'adversaries' of God who are condemned to ‘flaming fire.’ This is clearly a reference to eternal punishment as opposed to temporal consequences. The idea that this passage does not refer to Christians who will be condemned for eternity for not enduring is completely untenable.
Catholic "Proof Text"
2 Timothy 2:11-12, "This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us." In other words, if we do not persevere, we will not reign with Christ. This passage is clear that remaining faithful to the gospel is critical to our salvation. Paul is certainly not telling his readers that they have an absolute assurance of salvation.
Fundamentalist Object # 1
Paul is worried about people who have not really accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Since true believers are eternally secure, Paul concern is only for false believers.
Catholic Response
Paul mentions in the first part of verse 11 that the people he is speaking of have "died with him." To die with Christ is to share in his suffering, resurrection, and everlasting life.
Fundamentalist Objection #2
Verse 13 states that God will remain faithful, therefore Paul is not saying that Christians can lose their salvation but he is warning them against 'backsliding.'
Catholic Response
The fact the God always loves us and is always faithful to us is something Catholics fully agree with. In understanding the idea of "once saved, always saved" it is not a matter of God's faithfulness (which is perfect), it is the faithfulness of the believer. In this passage, Paul puts the responsibility on the individual who is free to disown God at any moment in the future. The phase, "If we disown him, he will also disown us" certainly shows it is the individual who is the cause of separation from God.
Catholic "Proof Text"
Romans 11:22, "See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God's kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off." In this passage, Paul gives the Romans another warning that they must endure in the faith to receive the inheritance of eternal life.
Fundamentalist Objection #1
The warning is once again given to people who have only a shallow knowledge of Christ. Those who have fully accepted Christ have no worry of being "cut off."
Catholic Response
The letter to the Romans was clearly written for 'true' believers not to 'false' believers. This can be confirmed by reading Paul's introduction to the letter. In Romans 1:8 Paul says, "First, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is heralded throughout the world." In other words, the faith of the Romans must have been very solid for Paul to claim that their faith was "heralded throughout the world." This is something that would not be said to people who simply had a superficial faith. Furthermore, Paul encourages his readers to ‘remain’ in the kindness of God. To ‘remain’ in something implies that the ‘something’ was genuine, otherwise Paul would not encourage them to remain in it. So why would Paul give this warning if a Christian could not lose their salvation? The answer is that Paul knew that salvation is only obtainable through endurance.
Fundamentalist Objection #2
The description of being "cut off" does not refer to eternal damnation since the believer can never be separated from God.
Catholic Response
There is no reason to believe the Paul is talking about anything else but eternal separation from God. The context of Romans points to the fact that Paul is warning the people of falling away to spiritual death. Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The "death" that Paul is speaking of is obviously not physical death, because there are many people 'alive' today who are living in continual sin. The "death" spoken of here is spiritual death. Therefore, Paul is warning true believers not to sin continuously for fear of spiritual death and separation from God. Compare Romans 11:22 to John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned." The same concept of endurance and the same analogy of being cut off and thrown out is present in this passage from the Gospel of John.
Catholic "Proof Text"
2 Peter 2:20, "For if they, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of (our) Lord and savior Jesus Christ, again become entangled and overcome by them, their last condition is worse than their first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them. What is expressed in the true proverb has happened to them, ‘The dog returns to its own vomit,’ and ‘A bathed sow returns to wallowing in the mire.’ There is probably no verse that refutes the "once saved always saved" belief better than this one. The individuals spoken of in this passage were true believers at one point and later denied the faith.
Fundamentalist Objection #1
The people referred to in this passage never truly believed in the first place. They had a "said faith" and not a "saving faith." If these people were true believers, they would have never turned their back on the faith
Catholic Response
Only a preconceived idea of eternal security would produce an interpretation such as this. There is nothing in the text that suggests these believers were not true believers. In fact, the text indicates other wise. The believers are said to have "escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior." This 'escaping' can only be accomplished through a deep knowledge of Christ. Furthermore, the Greek word for "knowledge" actually means, "full knowledge." This full knowledge indicates that the believers had a true, convicting knowledge of Christ.
Verses Used by Fundamentalist to Prove the "Once Saved, Always Saved" Belief
Although there are numerous passages that warn true believers against losing their salvation, Fundamentalists who hold to the "once saved always saved" position have a handful of biblical texts that they suppose support their belief. In addition to the fact that these interpretations contradict many other biblical passages, the interpretations themselves have many errors. These passages will now be analyzed in view of the Catholic position.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." In Fundamentalist theology, this verse is often used to support the idea of eternal security. The passage clearly says that all Christians have to do to be saved is believe. This momentary belief in Christ is all that needed to guarantee eternal life for the individual.
Catholic Objection
It is correct that the verse says that Christians who believe in Christ will be saved. However, a close analysis of the verse reveals that it uses present tense for the word 'believe.' This present tense signifies a continual, current belief in Christ. The Fundamentalist assumes that the passage says, " For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who BELIEVED (one point in time, past event) in him might not perish but might have eternal life." This is not what the verse says or means. Looking at the verse again, it can be found that the requirement for eternal life is based on an ongoing belief. " For God so loved (past tense) the world that he gave (past tense) his only Son, so that everyone who believes (ongoing, present tense) in him might not perish but might have (present tense) eternal life." It is interesting that the Gospel writer uses the present tense for the word 'believe' in a passage that includes so many past tense verbs. Therefore, this verse simply means that anyone who currently believes in Christ will have eternal life. This is completely consistent with Catholic theology. The passage does not say anything about the salvation of those who stop believing in Christ. Therefore, the use of this verse to support "once saved always saved" is completely untenable.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
1 John 5:13, "I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God." Fundamentalists often teach that this verse proves that believing in Christ is all that is needed to guarantee salvation for the Christian. The words "you many know" are interpreted to mean "absolute assurance."
Catholic Objection
There are many fundamental problems with this interpretation.
1. The Fundamentalist commits a big error with this interpretation. He assumes that the word believe is a ‘one time’ past event. The present tense word ‘believe’ signifies that it is an acting, continual belief not just a past act of faith. In other words, believing at one time in the past is not sufficient for eternal life. This is most clearly seen in the parable of the sower in Luke 8:13, "they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial." This passage assumes that a person may believe at one time in the past and still lose their salvation. Therefore, we cannot assume this passage is speaking of a ‘one time’ past event. In reality, this passage only says that if we currently believe in Christ, we are saved. This statement is in complete harmony with Catholic teaching.
2. The Fundamentalist is quick to point out the words in this passage, "you may know." They suggest that the verse does not say, "you kind of know" or "you might know" but it says, "you may know." To the Fundamentalist, this means that we have an absolute knowledge of our salvation. However, the phrase, "you my know" can be used in more than one way and does not necessarily mean an absolute knowledge of something. It can imply an absolute certainty of something, but it can also imply confidence in something. For example, if a person was having a party at their house and sent maps to everybody invited and wrote at the top of the map, "This map is written so that you may know how to get to our house." Does this mean that there is an absolute certainty that everyone who has the map will make it to the house? No, people could misread the map or simply decide not the use the instructions on the map and get lost. In this case the words, "you may know" means that the host of the party has confidence that his friends will be able to get to the house. How do we know that the phrase, "you may know" can have this interpretation. Well, in the very next verse John uses the same phrase but does not use it to imply an absolute certainty. 1 John 5: 14-15, "And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours." Does this mean that we have absolute certainty we will receive whatever we ask for when we ask for specific things in prayer? Of course not. We accept God as Lord of our lives and we have confidence that He will answer our prayers in the way that is best for us. Sometimes, however, God answers our prayers and requests in different ways than we asked for. In fact, sometimes prayers go unanswered because it is best for us. Therefore, the phrase, "you may know" in 1 John 13-15 does not mean an absolute certainty, rather it more correctly means confidence in God.
3. The passage says, "I write these things......so that you may know that you have eternal life." John clearly links eternal life to the things he has written. What has he written? The text written up to this point includes the following commands.
a. We must confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 states, "If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing."
b. We must obey God’s commands. "Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4.
c. We must not be obsessed with material possessions. 1 John 2:15, "Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
d. We must love one another. 1 John 3:14 states, "Whoever does not love remains in death." In addition, we must love through our actions. "Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth" 1 John 3:18.
It is clear by reading 1 John 5:13 in context that John was instructing his readers that they must love and obey God to inherit eternal life. Just like in the example mentioned earlier. The host of the party wrote the map so that his friends would follow the instructions. The map does no good if the people do not follow the instructions. John writes with this same intention. He is authoritatively giving instructions to his readers. Fundamentalists focus so much on the part of the passage about salvation that they ignore John’s instructions. That is, we have to live obedient, godly lives to share in our inheritance of eternal life. Obviously, the things mentioned above (confessing sin, loving one another, etc.) are not ‘one-time’ past events, but are ongoing commitments. Nobody says, "I am only going to confess my sins once or I am only going to love other people just at one point in my life." These things are on going processes. Clearly 1 John 5:13 does not prove the "once saved always saved" doctrine. This passage demonstrates the necessity of continuing to obey God and loving one another. With this in mind, look at the passage again. "I write these things (confess our sins, obey God, avoid material obsession, and love one another through our actions) to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so the you may know that you have eternal life." This passage, understood in context, does not teach that a true believer can not fall from grace. In fact, it strongly teaches against the idea.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
Fundamentalists often support their belief based on several passages that refer to salvation as a past event. For instance, Ephesians 2:5 says, "even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." In addition, Acts 2:21, "and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.'' These are clearly past tense words signifying something that has already taken place in the believer. Fundamentalists understand this past tense use of salvation as scriptural support for their belief in eternal security.
Catholic Response
The problem is that this interpretation is based on a ‘limited selection’ of scripture. The Fundamentalist is trying to base an entire belief by looking at a few passages while ignoring the rest of the Bible. It is correct that salvation is in one sense a completed act, but this is only one aspect of salvation. Often overlooked by Fundamentalists are several passages that refer to salvation as a present and future event. The ongoing and future aspects of salvation are also mentioned in scripture. In 1 Peter 1:9 salvation is stated as a present tense event, "as you attain the goal of (your) faith, the salvation of your souls." Also 1 Corinthians 1:18 states, "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Both of these passages refer to salvation as a present event. If someone were to use only these passages to base a belief on, then they would think that salvation would never be complete because of the present tense treatment of salvation. In reality, we know that salvation will be complete someday. Salvation is also taught as a future event. In Romans 13:11 it states, "For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed" and in Matthew 10:22, "but whoever endures to the end will be saved." Therefore, based on these examples salvation is clearly a continuous process spoken of in past, present, and future language. This is exactly the Catholic position.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
Fundamentalists often site John 10:27-29 to defend the "once saved, always saved" doctrine. This verse says, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand."
Catholic Response
At first glance, this verse seems to support the belief of absolute assurance of salvation. However, if you study the passage closely, you will see that Jesus uses present tense words in his statement. "My sheep hear (present tense) my voice; I know (present tense) them, and they follow (present tense) me." This statement is very true and harmonious with Catholic teaching. Unfortunately, the Fundamentalist understands this verse to say, " My sheep heard my voice; I knew them, and they followed me. I gave them eternal life." This verse is better understood as, "If we are presently hearing Jesus and presently following Him, we have security in God’s promise of salvation." The flaw in the Fundamentalist interpretation of this passage is the idea that the words ‘hear’ and ‘follow’ are ‘one-time’ past events. In reality, the Bible clearly speaks of these words as on-going events. For example, following Christ is described as a daily process in Luke 9:23. This verse states, "Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’" Therefore, all that John 10:27-29 proves is that we have security as long as we continually listen and follow Jesus. If we do this, than nobody can take us from God. This is precisely what the Catholic Church teaches. The verse does not say, as Fundamentalist suppose, that we will never lose our salvation if we decide to stop following Jesus in the future.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
Romans 10:9, "for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Catholic Response
The only way to accept this verse as proof for the "once saved always saved" doctrine is to understand the word believe to be a ‘one-time’ event in the life of the believer. In other words, a Christian can say, "I believed on such-and-such day and was saved." With this understanding of ‘believe’ one can certainly use the above texts to support an absolute assurance of salvation. The question is, "Is this how Christians are supposed to interpret the word, believe?" The Catholic Church does not think so. For the Catholic, the term ‘believe’ is considered to be an on-going act, not a one-time event. The Bible often uses the term ‘believe’ as an ongoing act in the life of the believer, not a one time past event. For instance, Luke 8:13 states, "they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial." This passage from Luke shows how one can believe at one time in the past, but yet fail to believe in the future. In summary, all Romans 10:9 proves is that those who are current believers in Jesus are saved. This verse does not address those who believed at one time and fall away in the future.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
Another reason Fundamentalists hold to the "once saved always saved" belief is the "book of life" metaphor used in the Bible. The Fundamentalist thinks that after he accepts Jesus, his name is eternally written in the book of life and therefore, he is saved no matter what.
Catholic Response
This is partially true. Scripture does speak of a book which is kept in heaven that has the names of all the righteous people in it. Everyone whose name appears in the book on the last day will be saved. "But nothing unclean will enter it, nor any (one) who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Revelation 21:27). Eternal punishment results if your name is not written in the book of life. "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the pool of fire"(Rev 20:15). Fundamentalists often refer to the 'book of life' passages to support the belief in eternal security. The question that a Fundamentalist needs to ask himself is, "Does the fact that one’s name is written in the book of life when one accepted Jesus mean that one’s name will remain in the book until the very end?" The answer to this question, according to the Bible, is no. As seen in the previous paragraphs, one can lose his salvation in the future. Ironically, the loss of salvation is taught by using the same ‘Book of life’ metaphor. In Revelation 3:5 it says, "The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and of his angels." The assumption in this passage is that Jesus can remove or erase names from the book of life. Therefore, one can not assume that he is absolutely assured by the ‘Book of life’ example. Once again, the Fundamentalist belief originates from a select number of passages without looking at the entire Bible.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
John 6:37, "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me" For the Fundamentalist this verse means that we can never be rejected by the Father, and therefore, never lose our salvation.
Catholic Response
While it is true that God will never reject us if we approach him with faith, it is not true that because of this we have an absolute assurance of salvation. This verse does not address the fate of a Christian who abandons his beliefs and turns away from God. This verse says that if you come to Jesus, he will not cast you out. The Catholic Church fully indorses this belief. If anyone calls on the name of the Lord, the Lord will listen. However, the topic in question does not concern someone who repents and comes back to God, it concerns someone who decided to deny God. These are two separate sets of people. John 6:37 deals only with the first group and only proves that the merciful Father accepts all that come to him. It does not say that a believer can not choose to leave.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
John 6:39, "And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it (on) the last day." If Jesus says that he will not lose anyone, then it must imply that we can never lose our salvation.
Catholic Response
The Catholic Church realizes that it is the Father's will that nobody loses his or her inheritance of eternal life. However, it is also the will of the Father that nobody commits adultery or steal. The truth is that many people do commit these crimes and turn their back on God. The fact that it is the Father's will not to lose anyone does not necessarily mean that they can not be lost. Proof of this is found in the example of Judas, who was chosen by Jesus but still left him. This is seen in John 17:12, "When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled." In summary, this passage affirms the teaching of the Catholic Church that God wants all men to be saved, but he also allows some, like Judas, to walk away.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
1 John 2:19, "They went out from us, but they were not really of our number; if they had been, they would have remained with us. Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number." This verse is believed by Fundamentalists to mean that if a person ever abandons his faith, he never truly believed in Christ in the first place.
Catholic Response
It is important to recall that the topic under discussion is if a person who truly believes in Christ can lose their salvation. Fundamentalists use this verse to show that only those who never believed initially will walk away. However, a quick look at the context surrounding this passage reveals that the deserters that John is speaking of are not people who actually believed in Christ originally, but rather the deserters are referred to as anti-christs. The verse immediately before this passage says, "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour" (1 John 2:18). John is not referring to the average Christian who abandoned their faith, rather he is referring to people who completely deny and reject Christ. In other words, the 'they' referred to in this verse are 'anti-christs.' This verse shows a specific case where people who were never really justified initially (i.e. false Christians) fell away. The Catholic Church fully confirms the fact that there are 'false Christians' who never really embraced the gospel. The difference is that the Fundamentalist takes a specific situation regarding some people and applies it to anyone who falls away. This would be like saying that since Judas betrayed Christ because of money, then all who betray Christ do it for money. However, we know that this is not true. We know that some people who already have money betray Christ for other things such as power and lust. Finally, it is important to look at this verse in light of the whole message that the apostle John is teaching. Just a few verses after verse 19, John says in verse 24, "Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father" (1 John 2:24). The if/then clause that John uses demonstrates that there is an alternative to remaining in the Son and in the Father. This alternative is clearly possible based on John's words. Furthermore, John says in verse 28, "And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming" (1 John 2:28). This warning is delivered to true believers (see verse 20-21), yet John is clearly warning his readers to abide in Jesus. This warning would be useless if John was saying in verse 19 that it is impossible for a true believer to lose his salvation. In summary, this verse does not imply that a true believer can not fall from grace, but only that some people who leave were never true believers.
Fundamentalist "Proof Text"
Fundamentalists often use Romans 8:35 to support the "once saved, always saved" belief, "What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Fundamentalists reason that if nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, then the believer will always be saved.
Catholic Response
First of all, this verse demonstrates only the faithfulness of God. This faithfulness is true and everlasting. The verse does not deal with what is in question, that is, the faithfulness of the believer. Remember, the Catholic understanding does not say that God 'pulls' salvation out from us, but that we choose not to abide in Christ and drive him out of our lives. God remains faithful to us all the time and is eager to accept us back should we fall. In Paul's second letter to Timothy he states, "If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself" (2 Tim 2:13). This verse as well as Romans 8:38 proves that God's love is always reaching for us, even in difficult times. Secondly, notice that Paul's list includes only external things to the believer to which he has no control over (angels, demons, death, life, etc.). The list excludes the things that the Christian himself can do to separate himself from Christ. Things such as adultery, murder, or idol worship are excluded from this list. Therefore, nowhere in this passage does Paul teach that the believer can not chose to deny Christ in the future. In fact, many other writings of Paul point to the fact that a believer can lose his salvation because of sinning. Once example is found just two chapters prior to this passage. In Romans 6:23, Paul warns the Christians that the "wages of sin is death." This warning would be unreasonable if Paul was teaching that believers are immune to sinning serious enough to lose their salvation.
Conclusion
A major misconception arises when a Catholic teaches the "salvation through endurance" belief. A Fundamentalist is quick to say, "Christ has done it all, there is nothing you can do to gain heaven. To deny an absolute assurance of salvation would be to deny Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross." This is a major confusion of theology. The Fundamentalists in this example has confused salvation with redemption. We are all redeemed because of Christ’s sacrifice, but our salvation is conditional. God does not force us to do anything. It is a free will decision on our part to accept Christ. Additionally, it is a free will decision if we are going to continue to serve God. Of course we can not do anything to merit eternal life and of course Christ’s sacrifice was all sufficient. Catholics firmly believe that the redemptive work of Christ is all sufficient and complete. By his death and resurrection, Jesus redeemed everyone. He paid the price for all our sins and made it possible for everyone to be saved. However, all Christians believe that not everyone is saved automatically. We know that people can fail to be saved by refusing to repent and come to God. The Catholic position is that although the redemptive work of Christ is all sufficient, the merits of his redemption must be applied by all Christians to be saved. Catholic teaching is not denying the all-sufficient work of Christ’s redemption it is simply applying it!
The topic of eternal security is often a debated between Catholics and Fundamentalist. The Fundamentalist position is that once a person is saved, he is always saved regardless of how he lives his life. For the Catholic, salvation depends on a continual belief in Christ. The New Testament reveals in a multitude of places that the salvation of an individual is dependent upon how that individual responds to God's grace. To support the "once saved, always saved" belief, Fundamentalists try to use passages from the Bible that show either God's faithfulness or man's security while he believes in Christ. Neither of these approaches proves the once saved, always saved belief. These verses only prove that God is faithful and if we currently believe in God, then we will be saved. The Catholic Church fully supports these two beliefs.
The key word in this issue is 'continue.' We must continue in the grace of God. We can lose our inheritance of eternal life if we walk away from God in the future. This is evident in many Bible passages. To accept the Fundamentalist theory of "once saved always saved" is to deny biblical teaching! The point is that salvation is not only a past event or only a future event. It is a past, present, and future event. To be overconfident is to be unbiblical. As Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians, "Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). If anyone should have had an absolute assurance of salvation, it was Paul. However, in talking about his own life, Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians, "No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." (1 Cor 9:27) The Bible makes it clear in several passages that we can lose our salvation. We must strive to obey God’s commands until the very end of our lives. After all, he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22).