Not Always Saved

"Once saved, always saved."

"You can't lose salvation."

"Will you go to Heaven when you die?"

"I know I'm saved. Are you?"

Living in the Bible Belt, you hear these statements quite frequently. Before becoming a Christian, I never thought twice about it. I assumed that the Bible told you who was saved and who wasn't. After reading the Bible, I now know that it's much more complicated than that. I also think that, as Christians, we hold ourselves back and do more damage than good by thinking in such a way.

By believing that salvation is permanent and has nothing to do with you, you stop trying. I understand that the Bible says that all you need is faith in Christ in order to be saved, but it also tells us what faith is. We're supposed to live by faith. As Christians, we're so focused on the part about how salvation isn't based on our works that we forget that when you have faith in Christ your works reflect that. If you say that you believe in Christ and have faith but don't show it, then you're lying to yourself and to God.

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding Him up to contempt. - Hebrews 6:4-6

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is i heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' - Matthew 7:21-23

But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. - Ezekiel 18:24-26

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire." - 2 James: 2:20-22

Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him out to walk in the same way in which he walked. - 1 John 2:4-6

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us. - 2 Timothy 2:11-12

It seems as though each small town in the Bible Belt has the same unspoken rules. If you attend a certain church, you must be friendly with a certain crowd. If you didn't grow up in said small town, then you'd better pick a church in that town so that you don't become an outsider. Things like not knowing someone's name or what cigarettes they order at a local gas station gets you yelled at and insulted. In what way is that Christ like?

The title "Christian" is supposed to be representative of God. Those that call themselves Christian are supposed to hold themselves to a higher standard. Salvation and following Christ takes more than just verbally claiming that you're saved.