Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 6/6/2011

Question
QUESTION: Baptists believe in perseverance of the saints or "once saved always saved."  Often the question is asked, "If a person is saved and then commits a sin such as murder, will that person still go to heaven?" The Baptist reply is, "Well, that person was probably never REALLY saved to begin with."  YET Baptists also profess not to believe in degrees of sin!  Wouldn't that mean that commission of ANY sin after you are "saved", even a white lie or lust in your heart, mean that you were never REALLY saved?  If that's so, then how can anyone be saved? I know the bible says, "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." (I John 3:6) Aren't we all doomed according to this?  I don't know ANYone at ANY time in his life who can claim to be completely sinless.  It seems to me that you can't believe in "once saved always saved" unless you also believe in degrees of sin!

ANSWER: The only sin that sends you to Hell is the sin of unbelief or not being saved by the work of Christ.  David was a man after God's own heart and yet committed the two unpardonable sins of the Old Testament, murder and adultery.  There was no sacrifice for those sins, yet God spared him.  

Even in the New Covenant there is the opportunity to commit even heinous sins and still be saved because salvation happens in an instant and God knows the person's whole life before he was saved. God did not buy a pig in a poke.

We sin less as we grow in grace and if we walk in the Spirit for any length of time we will be sinless for that time, but we can still respond to temptation and therefore sin which is why we have 1 John 1:9.  Anyone who lives in a continual lifestyle of sin with no conviction or struggling with the issues is most likely not saved.  If they leave a true church and leave for a false one that preaches another Jesus they are not saved for His sheep hear His voice and will not follow another. That does not mean a person cannot have a sin that easily besets them and they are seeking victory over it.  There are many reasons why a Christian may struggle with a sin.  They are not necessarily hypocrites or not truly saved.  There is a sin unto death and the person will go home early and lose rewards as it says in 1 Cor 3, but they will be saved so yet as by fire.

We see degrees of sin, but it took only one sin to lose the Garden. Satan only committed one sin and lost everything.  Neither of those sins involved murder.  One time we respond to the offer of grace and reconciliation to save our souls, but we may have to repent of sins many times before we gain victory or die.  Christ died to solve the sin problem.  Sins are leaves and fruit on the tree of sin and Christ took care of the tree.

Heb 10:14-19

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified .
15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, KJV

We are sanctified once and forever, but we grow in grace and knowledge.  Only God knows the heart of a person and no matter what sin is committed there are consequences here and there, but if we are saved we are always saved.  

Blessings to you as you seek His will and His Word!






---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: It still doesn't make sense to me, and I tend to agree that this interpretation is what has been called "easy believism."  I know you disagree and honestly I wish I did, too, because it seems a lot easier. Do you think it is necessary, then, to continue to ask for forgiveness when you sin after you've been saved? I just am trying to understand the different interpretations.

Answer
Our sins are forgiven judicially at the Cross in that we will not go to Hell.  Confessing them as we go, so to speak, is for fellowship and blessings/rewards.   It is somewhat easy believeism because what kind of work is trust?  Who did the work on the Cross, you or Christ?  IF you add anything to His work you are saying that He is not sufficient and He needs your help.  Is it life eternal that He promises to those who call upon Him or probation?

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.  KJV

John says those that believe have eternal life and that is that for salvation.

Eph 2:8-10

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.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. KJV

We are saved without works and as He works in us making us HIS workmanship good works will come, but there is not set time frame or even quantity because even the good ground in the parable had different levels of harvest.

Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. KJV

HE perfected FOREVER those who are sanctified by HIS work not sanctified until we mess up or maybe sanctified if we hold out.  

Heb 6:4-6

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. KJV

To the best of my knowledge every group that holds to losing your salvation also believes you can be saved again if you repent, but this passage says no way.  If Christ's blood was not enough the first time then it is a shame unto Him for He would have to be re-crucified for you to allow you to be saved again.  That is why transubstantiation is such a heresy for those who practice it are crucifying Him over and over again making Him shed His blood to bring salvation or sacrament to the people that partake of His literal body and blood.

If it is not only by faith and OSAS then I can safely say that no will enter the gates.  It is so easy to justify sin, deny it or be deceived and not even notice it thus you can never know if all of your sins are forgiven and what would happen if you stay fessed up until one day someone gets you riled up enough that in the anger you died instantly of a massive MI and cannot repent since you were in the midst of the sin.  How many unforgiven sins does it take to wipe out your record of forgiven ones?  You could never have assurance and yet John says that he wrote that YOU MAY KNOW that you have eternal life and Paul said in Ephesians that you are SEALED by the Holy Ghost until the day of redemption.  If you could break that seal by sin then again no one will make it.  We are lost and deceived for as Paul said there is no good thing in our flesh and obviously saved people need 1 John 1:9 whereas lost people need Romans 10:9,10.  If I have anything to do with my keeping my salvation then I am damned a hundred times over and have no hope whatsoever.  

Ephesians 1 shows that is all about being in Christ tying in with Titus where it says not by works of righteousness that we have done but according to His mercy He has saved us.  The Galatians tried to add the Law/works in order to be perfected and Paul said that cannot happen. We either receive the GIFT of eternal life or the wages of sin not the wages of eternal life.  

May God grant you wisdom and discernment as well as peace in Him and His work.