With a Subtitle: Part 1 of 2… Biblically defending Eternal Security

A brief Excerpt: The author believes true salvation involves a heart change, not a fleeting moment, and is evidenced by a lifetime of service and faith.

The Author is: Jeff Hilles

Part 2 of this two-part series offers the counterargument that a saved believer can lose their salvation.

A Born-Again Christian cannot lose their salvation.

Though not part of our Biblical Christian core Statement of Faith, I do believe in once saved, always saved, though I certainly could be wrong. However, it is important to acknowledge that Americans are often shallow in their Christian worldview because accountability is weak, as there is little persecution or cost to truly accept Christ as our Lord and Savior (2 Timothy 3:12). This soft Christianity creates a misunderstanding between those who genuinely aspire to follow Christ (saved Christians) and those who merely follow along (carnal, unsaved Christians).

When someone deconstructs or falls away from an avid love of Christ after professing their faith (Romans 10:9), it becomes a question of whether the defection was a head change subsequent to a moment of passion, or a true heart change. If the former, then their seed simply fell on rocky ground (Matthew 13:20-21) and they were never saved in the first place. If the latter (a heart change), then sin has put them out of fellowship with God, but they remain in His hands (John 10:28-29).

In both cases, sin separates us from the Lord, but if truly saved, this separation is not eternal.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:6

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. - John 10:28-29

Who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. - 1 Peter 1:5

If man could truly reject God after the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the heart, it would imply God is not omnipotent (John 10:28). Further, when a born-again Christian believes they can lose their salvation, it creates insecurity (which is against God’s desire, 2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 5:1) but is not a license to continue in sin (Romans 6:1-2), as some in the free-will camp might suggest. It is unimaginable to me that someone who hosts the Holy Spirit in their heart (Mark 3:28-29) could possibly reject God at a later point in life. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), imperishable in our new state (1 Peter 1:18-19). Our continuing sin nature does not go without consequences (Ephesians 4:30), but the love of God toward His children is not rebuke but training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

It is crucial that we invite the Lord into our hearts (salvation) and nurture that relationship with Him (sanctification) until we transition from this life to the next, acknowledging that this relationship will experience ups and downs. As harsh and fearful as it may sound, if we reject Him and undermine our fundamental beliefs, it’s likely that the seed of the gospel message was thrown on rocky soil and never truly germinated. James calls for a lifetime of service, not a fleeting moment of emotions.

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. - James 2:17

Salvation …

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

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. - Romans 10:9