by Terry Wane Benton<\/p>\n
Of course, those words are never seen in the Bible. They are not stated, and they are not even implied. In fact, to believe such a doctrine, you would have to work against many clear verses, either outright denying them or outright ignoring them. Not only does the Bible say you can “fall from grace<\/em>” (you cannot fall from something you were never in) (Galatians 5:1-4), but “the sow that was washed has returned to her wallowing in the mire<\/em>” (II Peter 2:20f).<\/p>\n Peter does not describe an unsaved person. He says\u00a0he is describing someone who\u00a0escaped<\/em> the world’s pollution. How did they escape? He says they escaped “through the knowledge of Jesus Christ<\/em>.” That is how one escapes, if they escape at all. So, Peter is definitely describing a saved person who escaped the world’s pollution. He further illustrated that this person is like a “sow that was<\/strong> washed<\/em>.” You cannot be washed and escape the world’s pollution through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and at the same time not be saved. The description is of a washed, clean individual. No person “escapes<\/em>” and is “washed<\/em>” clean without being saved.<\/p>\n A person who actually escaped<\/em> the pollution of the world and was “washed clean<\/em>” (thus saved) is “again entangled<\/em>” in the things that made him condemned before his escape and washing. Peter did not agree with the doctrine of “once saved, always saved”. He said he is now worse off after this saved person is\u00a0again<\/em> entangled. “The latter end is worse than the first<\/em>.” He was condemned at first, then escaped condemnation, and now he is condemned again. He is worse<\/em> off now because he turned<\/em> from the things that could have kept him saved. He chose to reject the salvation he had experienced in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n The illustration Peter gives is disgusting. A dog vomits out what is making him sick. Thus, the dog is now unpolluted and saved from the sickness. He is rid of what made him sick but then devours what he expelled. That is disgusting, but no more disgusting than a person who got rid of sin through Jesus and then chooses to return to sin and condemnation. But “it has <\/b>happened<\/em>.” Therefore, it can <\/b>happen, which proves beyond all doubt that “once saved, always saved” is a doctrine of demons.<\/p>\n The doctrine is nowhere stated, implied, and outright denied by many clear scriptures. Even Paul admitted that he could, after preaching to others, become “disqualified for the prize<\/em>” if he did not run the race according to the rules (I Corinthians 9:24f). With such clear teaching, we must let God be true, and let the doctrines of men be counted as false, giving false assurance that is actually dangerous to be spreading to unsuspecting people. Beware lest confidence is based on misguided information and twisted scriptures.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Terry Wane Benton Of course, those words are never seen in the Bible. They are not stated, and they are not even implied. In fact, to believe such a doctrine, you would have to work against many clear verses, either outright denying them or outright ignoring them. Not only does the Bible say you…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[427,58],"class_list":["post-83204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-eternal-security","tag-once-saved-always-saved"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16603,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-does-paul-say-take-heed-lest-you-fall-and-peter-says-you-shall-never-fall\/","url_meta":{"origin":83204,"position":0},"title":"Why does Paul say, “take heed lest you fall” and Peter says “you shall never fall?”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 13, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In I Corinthians 10:12 Paul states: \"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.\" Then in II Peter 1:10 \"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.\" Can you explain\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92347,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/once-saved-always-saved-refuted-can-a-christian-fall-away\/","url_meta":{"origin":83204,"position":1},"title":"\u201cOnce Saved, Always Saved\u201d Refuted: Can a Christian Fall Away?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Christians (those truly \"saved to begin with\") can: Depart from the faith (I Timothy 4:1) Wander away from the faith (I Timothy 6:10) Swerve from the faith (I Timothy 6:21) Abandon our faith (I Timothy 5:12) Make a shipwreck of our faith (I Timothy 1:19) Fall\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19263,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-once-saved-always-saved-a-bible-doctrine\/","url_meta":{"origin":83204,"position":2},"title":"Is “Once Saved — Always Saved” a Bible Doctrine?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 29, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant One of the more popular doctrines of certain denominations is that of \u201conce saved\u2014always saved.\u201d The idea is that once you have accepted Christ and had your sins taken away, you can never be lost, no matter what you do. The\u00a0Standard Manual for Baptist Churches states,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17456,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/eternal-security\/","url_meta":{"origin":83204,"position":3},"title":"Eternal Security (Walker)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 29, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne S. Walker via\u00a0Truth Magazine\u00a0XXI: 2, pp. 28-29, January 13, 1977 One of the tenets of Reformed theology that John Calvin adopted and propagated was that of \"the perseverance of the saints.\" Often, it is referred to as the doctrine of \"once in grace, always in grace.\" Or stated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":522,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-i-lose-my-way-to-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":83204,"position":4},"title":"Can I lose my way to heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 14, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Can I lose my way to heaven? Answer: Obviously, Paul thought that it was possible. \u201cNot that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":85757,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/were-the-apostles-in-full-agreement-on-all-doctrine\/","url_meta":{"origin":83204,"position":5},"title":"Were the apostles in full agreement on all doctrine?\u00a0","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Were the apostles in full agreement on all doctrines?\u00a0 Answer: \"Doctrine\" means teachings. Jesus told his apostles, \"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak;\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83204\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}