There are multiple ways, throughout both the old and new testaments alike, to disprove the teaching of “once saved, always saved” or “OSAS”. In this post, I’ll begin by examining one of the teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded in one of his parables.
I’ve deliberately chosen the words of Jesus because if anybody knows whether or not “once saved, always saved” is true, then it is most certainly the Savior himself who knows the same. As we’re about to begin to see, Jesus never taught “once saved, always saved” as a doctrine, but, instead, he regularly taught the polar opposite or that people who were “once saved” could later be lost.
We read:
Mark chapter 4
[1] And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
[2] And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
[3] Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
[4] And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
[5] And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
[6] But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
[7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
[8] And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
[9] And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
[10] And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
[11] And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
[12] That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
[13] And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
[14] The sower soweth the word.
[15] And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
[16] And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
[17] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
[18] And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
[19] And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
[20] And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
The first thing that we need to notice is Jesus’ question to his disciples:
“Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” (vs. 13)
Here, Jesus was informing his disciples that they would not be able to properly understand all of his other parables without first properly understanding this particular parable.
With such being the case, what did Jesus teach in regard to salvation in this parable?
Did he teach “once saved, always saved”, or did he, in reality, teach the polar opposite of the same?
In this parable, Jesus spoke of four different types of soil or four different conditions of the human heart with which the seed of God’s word makes contact.
In relation to the seed which “fell by the way side” (vs. 4), Jesus said:
“And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.” (vs. 15)
This first group of hearers, sad to say, is never “saved” to begin with in that Satan immediately takes away the word that is sown in their hearts. As such, “once saved, always saved” has no real relevance here.
In relation to the seed which “fell upon stony ground” (vs. 5), Jesus said:
“And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.” (vss. 16-17)
This group of hearers “when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness” and “endure but for a time”. Yes, as Jesus said in vs. 5, “immediately it sprang up” or immediately the word which was received had results in regard to salvation.
In the parallel account of this parable in Matthew’s gospel, this group of hearers “dureth for a while” (Matt. 13:21), and in the parallel account in Luke’s gospel, this group of hearers “for a while believe” (Luke 8:13). With such being the case, these hearers are “once saved”, but, sad to say, they are not “always saved” in that “when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended” or, as Luke’s account puts it, these hearers are those who “in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13). One simply cannot “fall away” from something of which he or she was never a part to begin with, so Jesus was definitely NOT teaching “once saved, always saved” here.
In relation to the seed which “fell among thorns” (vs. 7), Jesus said:
“And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (vss. 18-19)
This group of hearers initially receive the word and bear fruit until the time comes that “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful”. Something cannot “become unfruitful” unless it was first fruitful.
In fact, in the parallel account in Luke’s gospel, this group of hearers “bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14). Again, there was some initial growth in relation to “fruit”, but, sad to say, such got choked and it became unfruitful. No “once saved, always saved” here, either.
In relation to the seed which “fell on good ground” (vs. 8), Jesus said:
“And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” (vs. 20)
Here’s what Jesus said about this group of hearers in Luke’s parallel account:
“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15)
It’s not enough to initially receive the word which is sown within our hearts, but we must “keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience”. In other words, as Jesus said elsewhere, it is only “he that endureth to the end” who “shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22, 24:13).
This same principle is found throughout other parables which Jesus taught as well.
