Articles
What Must I Do To Remain Saved?
The Bible does not teach the doctrine of once saved always saved. In fact, it teaches the exact opposite (2 Peter 2:8-10; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 10:26). As result, the question must be raised then – after having accepted Christ’s terms for salvation, what must we do to remain saved?
If we want to remain in a covenant relationship with God, we must grow. When we first become Christians, we are considered babes in Christ (1 Peter 2:2). Yet, just as babies grow up to be adults, we too are expected to grow. For Christians, we are to grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Growth is necessary to faithfulness. Without growth, we are at risk of drifting away. As result, we must take earnest heed to the things we have heard and continue to grow into mature, complete Christians (Heb. 2:1-3; 2 Thess. 1:3). If we want to remain saved, we must not remain as babes, but instead grow in all things into Him who is the head and our perfect example – Christ (Eph. 4:14).
If we want to maintain our salvation, we also must regularly worship God (Heb. 10:24-25). It is a very serious matter to willfully forsake the worship services. In fact, the Bible tells us that one who forsakes assembling with the saints causes Jesus’ sacrifice to become null and void, tramples Him underfoot, and profanes His shed blood (Heb. 10:23-31). As such, faithfully attending the worship services is vital for maintaining a proper relationship with God.
To remain saved, we also must strive to be like Jesus, busy about our Father’s work and fully devoted to serving Him day-by-day (Acts 2:42; Acts 2:46-47). This includes teaching others as we have opportunity (Acts 8:4; Gal. 6:6; 2 Tim. 2:2), practicing benevolence towards those in need (James 1:27-29; Gal. 6:6-10), showing love, compassion, and grace on our fellow man (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12; Gal. 6:2; 1 Peter 3:8), and living according to our heavenly calling (Eph. 4:1-3; 1 John 2:6; Col. 1:10; Phil. 1:27; 1 Thess. 4:1).
Lastly, we must – as the saying goes – “keep on keeping on.” Life is difficult, no doubt about it. We all face sickness, death, discouragement, doubt, and war against the flesh. Satan is busy throwing temptations at us daily (1 Peter 5:8). Yet, in spite of life’s difficulties and in spite of temptations, we must remain obedient to God. After all, our salvation is dependent upon our obedience to God’s Word (Rev. 22:14; 1 John 2:3-5; Luke 6:46).
If you are a Christian or desire to become one and would like to work together and have fellowship with a group of Christians striving to maintain their salvation, we encourage you to visit us. You will find a group of men and women striving to grow in grace and knowledge, worshipping God, endeavoring to walk as Jesus walked, and attempting to be obedient to God and His Word in all matters. We hope to see you!
