The unpardonable sin is the culmination of determined and conscious resistance to the convictions and entreaties of the Holy Spirit of God, until Gods efforts to save us cease.
The very thought of committing the unpardonable sin, sends cold chills down our spine, for when it occurs, it brings all hope of eternal life to an end, which then removes from us all the joys of living, knowing full well that we will be forever excluded from God’s presence.
However, a particular doctrine has emerged in modern Christianity, that has no foundation in scripture whatsoever, a doctrine which when espoused can potentially put millions of well meaning Christians at risk of eternal damnation.
This doctrine is popularly known as “Once saved, always saved”, and is regularly taught and advocated by many prominent ministers and televangelists across the land. The proponents of this doctrine basically declare that once a person, or individuals have been saved by God’s grace and power, then they are permanently retained in that saved state, which then makes it impossible for that person, or individuals to be lost.
However, it is important for us to base our beliefs on what the scriptures teach, and it is also necessary for us to use the correct, biblical method of interpretation, before we draw any conclusions. For this reason we are going to pose several direct and simple questions, and we are going to let the Bible answer for itself, so that any sincere and honest minded person may have a plain thus saith the Lord to base their faith upon.
Question (1) What does the Bible mean when it says that God saved a person or persons?
Answer: It means that God has given us a new lease on life through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ, which we accept by faith. It also means that the work of the Holy Spirit in renewing our minds has begun, and in cooperation with God, this work will continue until we die or until we are sealed. For instance, king Saul was given a new heart at the onset of his kingdom, and if he cooperated with God throughout his life, he would have been saved eternally. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured [it] upon his head, and kissed him, and said, [Is it] not because the LORD hath anointed thee [to be] captain over his inheritance? 10:6 And the spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 10:9 And it was [so], that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
And as it took place with Saul, just so it takes place with everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, God gives us another heart. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Hebrews 8:10 For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Question (2) Were the children of Israel saved by God, just like he saves you and me?
Answer: Yes, absolutely. They were saved, and we are saved. Let’s read:
Exodus 14:30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
14:31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
They were baptized, and we are baptized: Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.
They were given the Holy Spirit, and we are given the Holy spirit. Let’s read:
Nehemiah 9:20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
They were given God’s ten commandments, and we are given the ten commandments. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 4:11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
4:13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, [even] ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
Hebrews 8:10 For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Absolutely no change to the terms and conditions of being saved have been made. The sacrificial system pointing to the Lamb of God has been done away with, and circumcision has been discontinued, but the conditions and requirements for being saved remain exactly the same, with no new additions or subtractions whatsoever.
Question (3) Can a person who has been saved by God’s grace, and given a new heart, and given the Holy Spirit, be lost eternally?
Answer: Absolutely. Very many characters in the Bible were given the Holy Spirit, and were given another heart, and yet they will be lost. Let’s read:
Ist Samuel 3:12 In that day I will perform against Eli all [things] which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
3:14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
Matthew 10:1 And when he had called unto [him] his twelve disciples, he gave them power [against] unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
None of the apostles ever taught or believed that once a person is saved that they were always saved. Even Paul who dwells a great deal on love, knew that in order to be given immortality, he had to fight the good fight of faith to the end. He did not presume to think that just because he was an apostle, or because he wrote many epistles, that he was forever beyond all possibility of being lost. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
The Psalmist David also understood the sacred truth that we are the arbiters of our own destiny, and that having once received the Holy Spirit, was no guarantee that a person must be saved. Let’s read:
Psalms 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
As a matter of fact, it was when David in retrospect, understood his own vulnerabilities and weaknesses, that he trembled, and appealed to the tender mercies of God to keep him from committing the unpardonable sin. Let’s read:
Psalms19:12 Who can understand [his] errors? cleanse thou me from secret [faults].
19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Many Christians do not fully understand the nature of “Secret faults”, and so many of us live our lives, unaware that cherished, sinful thoughts will one day mature into outright sin. A true Christian never ever falls suddenly, but through a protracted process of allowing sinful desires to remain unchecked in our hearts, the magnetic force of our sinful nature causes these thoughts to take deep root, until a firm decision is made in our minds to put into action, what we’ve always been thinking about, whenever the right circumstances present themselves.
There are very many church folk who do good charitable work, who serve faithfully in various church offices, who sing in the church choir, and who, for all intents and purposes, are in good and regular standing in the eyes of fellow believers. Yet deep within the recesses of their minds, lurk latent propensities to evil, and sinful desires that are harbored and cherished, only awaiting an opportune moment for the sinful thought to become a reality. But whilst this process is going on, unknown to the outside world, regular church activities, and regular church attendance continue as a rule, without any interruption.
That’s why the false doctrine of “Once saved, always saved” is so dangerous, because it delivers the crown of victory before the battle is won.
A man by the name of Jean Claude became embroiled in a life of drugs, crime, and promiscuity in the city of Chicago. On several different occasions
he tried to reform his ways, but met with abject failure time and time again. His illicit lifestyle continued for several years, until early one morning there was a loud banging on his front door. As he looked out through his window, he saw three armed men in face masks, obviously bent on his destruction. In his desperation, he fell on his knees and prayed as he had never prayed before, and he then promised that if he were delivered, he would from that time forward become a Christian.
And so said so done, for when he arose from praying, the three armed men had disappeared without a trace. He then followed through with his pledge, was baptized and started attending the local evangelical church on a regular basis. This new life in Christ continued well for several months, although from time to time Jean Claude found that he had to deny himself of the former lusts and habits, he once indulged. But by prayer and the grace of God, he was able to keep his balance.
However, in one of the Bible studies being done by the local evangelist, the doctrine of “Once saved, always saved” was presented, in which it was confirmed that any person who had been saved by the Lord Jesus, remained in that saved state and therefore could never be lost. This teaching was new to Jean Claude’s ears, so he raised his hand and asked the evangelist the following question: “Sir, are you saying that I absolutely cannot be lost, regardless of what I do, just because Christ has saved me? The evangelist then answered an emphatic yes, and went on to explain that because the Holy Spirit has been promised to all believers from the time of their baptism and onward, they are rendered eternally secure, with no possibility of them being lost. Jean Claude scratched his head, but then left the meeting with renewed energy and assurance, believing that his eternal destiny was signed, sealed, and delivered.
That very same night, one of his former girlfriends showed up at his doorstep, dressed provocatively, and with some crystal methamphetamine in her purse, invited him out for a night on the town. A terrible struggle ensued in his mind, knowing that he had not long ago been saved from that very same lifestyle, but the guarantee of eternal security that was given him by the evangelist, kept ringing in his ears, until finally he yielded to the enticements before him, and went clubbing with his former girlfriend.
It was not long before he had returned to all of his former drug habits and sexual promiscuity, but with one big difference now. He continues to attend church regularly, he sings in the choir, and he is now confidently looking forward to Jesus’ second coming, with the full assurance that he will be saved.
The doctrine of once saved always saved is much more deadly than the doctrine of purgatory, for it purports to secure for the sinner who has been given a new start by God, a place in His kingdom without the necessary, continuing requirements of self denial and overcoming sin, as is plainly stated in the Bible. Let’s read:
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Another deadly result of the doctrine of “Once saved, always saved” is that it implies the use of force or coercion on God’s part, by removing our freedom to choose, once we have accepted Christ. Nothing can be further from the truth, for to every person who surrenders to the Lord Jesus, the freedom to choose is always left intact, so that if one desires to turn back at any time, they are free to do so. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
11:16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
John 6:66 From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Many Christians have given up in despair, refusing to fight any longer against the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes that keep tugging at our heart strings. And very many others have called a truce with sin, deciding to harbor ungodly desires only in their minds, but not overtly, and so they have reached a comfort zone with evil so that their tolerance level to sinful desires has been raised significantly, and they let pass by, unrebuked and unrepented, secret sins that are gradually striving for the mastery. Many televangelists and many lay people, who otherwise seem to be righteous an holy are indulging and cultivating secret sins and desires, that will someday burst forth in an unprecedented manner, when the opportune moment and circumstances arise. That’s why we are admonished in the following verses not to negotiate or cultivate secret sins on any level, for if we do, it’s only a matter of time before they gain full control of our minds. Let’s read:
Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
The word “Mortify” means to slay sin in our lives by the sword of the Spirit and the power of the Holy Ghost, until sin is completely dead, nevermore to arise in our hearts.
And so, in order for us to avoid the unpardonable sin, it is necessary that we observe carefully, the following important points:
(1) We must acknowledge our weaknesses and sins before God, but we should not dwell upon them to the point where they become all-absorbing. Let’s read:
1st John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Phillipians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
(2) We should focus our attention on Christ and His righteousness, for he has already made the sacrifice for our sins, and if we continue in Him, we are accepted in the Beloved. Let’s read:
Isaiah 53:5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
3:16 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.
3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.
(3) When the voice of the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts, bidding us to turn from our sins, let us not harden our minds by objecting or delaying, but let us rather hasten to obey the dictates of an enlightened conscience. Let’s read:
Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
(4) Let us not harbor any cherished sins or sinful desires in our hearts, but let us be open and up front with God about the dormant sins that harass us from time to time. Let’s read:
Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear [me]:
66:19 [But] verily God hath heard [me]; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
66:20 Blessed [be] God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Psalms 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
51:17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
51:19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
If by the grace of God we be faithful in following these instructions found in God’s word, we will never be barren or unfruitful in the experience of salvation, and the dreaded unpardonable sin will not be ours. May we so live and do as those whom God has called to virtue and righteousness. God bless!