by Dave Brown
Ye often hear it said ...
Once saved, always saved ...
but Paul told some Christians (Galatians 5:4):
"You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be
justified by law; you have fallen from grace."
Lest some think that this has no relevance to us, since few Christians today attempt to impose circumcision, note that the sin under consideration is not the issue. If someone can fall from grace for committing one particular sin, why cannot one fall from grace for committing any sin which is not forgiven? Those who teach "once saved always saved" must answer this question in order to explain away Galatians 5:4. Some argue: "they were never saved;" but you cannot fall from something that you were never on; and you cannot be severed from something that you were never a part of.
Galatians 5:4 is just one of hundreds of scriptures that deal with this issue. I challenge you to prayerfully read any three pages in succession from the New Testament letters written to Christians (Romans through Jude). See for yourself the great concern that Paul, John, Peter and the other writers had for their fellow Christians falling from their saved state. The following are particularly convincing: 1 Cor. 9:23-10:21; Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-31; 2 Peter 20:20-22.2