The Possibility of Apostasy (1)

(Introduction)

Mike Johnson

Consider this question.  Can one who has been born again, i.e., one who has entered into a proper relationship with God, conduct himself in such a way to be eternally lost?  Many say one cannot.  They hold a doctrine known by such names as “Once Saved, Always Saved,” “The Impossibility of Apostasy,” or the “Perseverance of the Saints.”

This doctrine is stated clearly in H.A. Ironside’s book, The Eternal Security of the Believer.

When we speak of the eternal security of the believer, what do we mean?  We mean that once a poor sinner has been regenerated by the Word and the Spirit of God, once he has received a new life and a new nature, has been made partaker of the divine nature, once he has been justified from every charge before the throne of God, it is absolutely impossible that the man should ever again be a lost soul.

Many of the creed books and the teachings of countless people promote this view.  Although popular, this doctrine is not in the Word of God!

Various passages clearly show that a child of God can fall from grace, and we will examine several of them during the coming months.  However, before we do, I would like to explain two approaches often used by the typical “once saved, always saved” advocate.  First, with some passages, the proponent of this doctrine will respond by saying that the verses are not speaking of people who are actually Christians but only of those who profess to be Christians.  (With this approach, they admit that the verses are talking about a lost person.) Alternatively, they may say that other passages speak about a Christian, but the verses do not say the one under consideration is actually lost.  The person, they might say, has only missed the joy of his salvation!  Thus, it is necessary with any passage presented to show that a Christian is under consideration and that this Christian is lost.  In the articles which follow, we will examine passages that show that a child of God can fall from grace.  Also looked at will be arguments made by the proponents of this doctrine.