Preservation of Scripture, Preservation of the Sanctified.

Psalm 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

I recently received a comment from a reader who stated in so many words that modern Bibles have done a lot of damage, but that the “Once Saved Always Saved” (OSAS) eternal security “heresy” has done as much or more.

Let me start with this: if you are saved, and are trusting that your position in Christ has secured you a place in heaven (Eph 2:6) and that you will be preserved in Jesus Christ, but you don’t think God could preserve his words, you have a problem. God has magnified his word above his own name (Psalm 138:2). If he can’t take care of his word like he promised, something that has always been pure (Pro 30:5), then why is he going to preserve you?

But here’s the flip side: if you are one of those people who claim to hold to the preserved word of God in the King James Bible, but think that your salvation is something that can be forfeit and lost, then you don’t understand preservation either! Look at Jude 1:1. God the Father is the great preserver — of both his own word, and those in his own Son.

Because I have had to field comments on this issue more times than I care to say, from folks who think they are Bible Believers, I have obtained permission to reproduce David F. Regan’s excellent booklet: So… you want to lose your salvation. If you have any questions about this issue — ever had any doubts as to whether or not something you have done (or not done) could cost you your place in Christ, please read it.  Reagan presents the answer to this question as 14 steps you would have to take to lose your salvation. And of course, none of them are possible.

Why is this so important? Because if you truly believe you can lose your salvation, then it follows that you must also believe you have a part in cleansing yourself. You are robbing Christ of his own glory in doing this. Only Christ’s blood can clean your filthy soul (1Jo 1:7) — you certainly possess no faculty capable of affecting any of that washing. And do you really expect me to believe that I need Christ’s blood to cleanse me of my sin, but that after that has happened, I need to do something to keep it clean?

And please, if you think your salvation is contingent on your willingness to keep certain laws or avoid committing certain sins, don’t pretend to be a Bible Believer, because you certainly don’t know what it means for God to preserve something.

Sadly, those who believe they have to keep their own salvation don’t know what it means to be “Kept by the power of God” (1Pe 1:5) and should probably review this gospel tract to see if they have ever truly placed their full faith in Christ in the first place.

Finally, before posting an angry comment or your favorite proof-text, read the booklet.

For the rest of you: isn’t it amazing that the very same God who has preserved his word has also promised to preserve you? Amen!

54 thoughts on “Preservation of Scripture, Preservation of the Sanctified.”

    1. Thank you so much, Brother. I’m taking my time going through each of the blogs. There is certainly enough Biblical evidence of the preservation of the saints.
      Glen Converse

    2. When Paul says we are saved by grace (Eph.2 )the word saved in Greek is a participle which in Greek means a PAST COMPLETED ACT having PRESENT permanent results.

  1. Amen to that brother. You could never lose your salvation once you have put your faith on the death burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Too many bible verses in the King James that proves salvation is eternal. John 10 28 and 29 and first John chapter 5 verse 13. God bless and thanks for the Post.

  2. How in the name of heaven can one lose what never belonged to them? What do some Christians not understand by the words “Salvation Is Of The Lord” Jonah 2: 9

    What some Christians DO NOT understand is this: If you DO NOT believe that the Scriptures are PERFECT, you are in fact calling God a liar.

  3. Amen also to you Brother. Put your faith in God and his pure word and he is with us forever amen. He’ll never leave you or forsake you. We’re secure in Jesus Christ our Lord. We have his word on it.

  4. There is eternal security in Jesus Christ. Only God knows whether a person is generously saved or not. If you say the sinners prayer or how ever you received Christ into your life, if you continue to keep living in sin with out a conscious or not being convicted of what you do, than your salvation might be questionable. Either your saved or not saved. Like Judas who was hand picked by Jesus and also betrayed Him, Judas was never saved from the get go. He was only in it for what he can get out of it. Like many church folks today. They might believe they are saved but , a lot of people play church. “work out your own salvation with fear and treamling” .-Phil 2:12

  5. Titus 2:11-15 would be a good start to understanding His Marvellous Care, Provision and Preservation for us the unworthy sinners.

    1. When we confess Christ we are saved. There’s nothing we can ever do to earn our salvation. Many times,the mind decieved by the enemy or listening to others as to salvation. Man can make it so hard. Many spiritual minds have been distorted by leaders trying to interpret God for someone else. Believe!

  6. John 15:4 (KJV) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

    Hebrews 3:12-15 (KJV) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

    Hebrews 6:4-8 (KJV) 4 For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned.

    Hebrews 10:38-39 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. 

    1. Always find it interesting when someone tries to use Hebrews 3 to prove loss of salvation, but then those same people seem to think we can “get it back” if we repent hard enough (or something) — flying in the face of Hebrews 6, which says it would be impossible to get it back.

      1. It has always been my contention that spiritual common sense dictates that the only way you could possibly lose your Salvation is to go back 2000 yrs.; take Christ off the Cross and give the Devil the victory over Him ! Those who believe that one can lose their Salvation don’t understand what Salvation is !! Christ expounded this to Nicodemus; you can no more lose your Spiritual New Birth than you can climb back in the womb and undo your first birth !! Twice born is permanent; if in fact you have been twice born; PERIOD !!!!

        1. The whole context is the law. Hebrews 10:1. Read the very first verse of the chapter. What about verses Heb 10:26-27 makes you think this is about salvation of the soul for a believer who is not under the law?

          1. Because the writer directly addresses his ‘brethren’ in verse 19, and this part of the chapter is written in the first person, plural. So I assume the ‘we’ in verse 26 includes the writer himself!
            The beginning of the chapter uses the third person for those under law.
            By the by, I would prefer to be wrong about this, and for you to be right. I don’t want to lose my salvation!

          2. Sigh… if the writer was a Jew, of course his audience were brethren. The book is written to Hebrews. Go read Romans.

    2. Very true and Amen to that. Sometimes we as people become so much wise that we are able and are often times willing to ignore the core of scripture just to make our own point heard.

      Not caring that in the process of doing so, we lead many astray, at time it is not intentional but that does not mean the damage is not done.

      You have just answered with scripture and that closes the matter to the core.

  7. Good article.
    Thank God our salvation and preservation isn’t up to us to win or lose.
    We’re saved by grace alone, through the faith given to us by God.
    He is the LORD, He changes not.

  8. Well said my brother. Those who believe they can lose their salvation almost always promote a works oriented way to heaven. Sure, we are all concerned by so called “professing believers” who live ungodly, but that’s no reason to try to change the Gospel message to include amendments whereby various works are added to insure sincerity. The simple truth is that true faith in Christ alone saves, and saving faith always issues in changed lives.

    1. If we can lose our salvation why haven’t we all lost it; wouldn’t that make Satan more powerful than the Holy Spirit ?? You haven’t lost yours because the devil is such a nice guy or what ?? C”Mon people !

  9. Thank You for keeping Us all on our toes with another post. Thank You For Having Such a Great Website, the Over haul Looks Great, I use your Website a few times Each Week, Mostly looking at your “KJV Bible Dictionary” But I use “SwordSearcher” Each Day, It is the Best Bible Tool I have ever Found! King James Rocks! 🙂

  10. In just the same way that man can’t undo the first Adam’s sin, he can’t undo the second Adam’s salvation!! Also, how many times can a man be “born again” and again and again in one lifetime??

  11. Thank you for this excellent article and your website. I’m encouraged to read from other KJV believers! I thank God for preserving His Word in the KJV Bible and for saving my soul! (Both of which GOD did and I can trust Him to keep them!)

  12. Brandon
    Coudn’t agree more.
    If works cannot save you
    How can works keep you saved???
    If we are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph4:30 by the Holy Spirit how can we remove that seal???
    Fred

  13. I appreciate your article and find them though provoking; the once saved always save issue does raise a lot of discussion; while it seems I am on both sides of the doctrine: being I mostly disagree with how it’s the doctrine is preached in that a person never know if he is saved for sure or not.
    I had to disagree with the very first premise where grace was defined as unmerited favor, I can see if that is how the argument is structure with words being describe in a matter wherein they able to create a position to build their case.
    As I see the thread is carried on to the next position and if the first premise was erroneous and folds into this next premise I am not sure what we can expect. Because faith now seem to be redefine, but I see there is some proper association to being the faith of Christ instead of faith in Christ; however the faith one is accused of finding faulty, it the faith that actually is destroy OSAS faulty preaching, so I can only assume there is a faulty definition for faith also.
    So strike TWO I hope I can see some serious wavering from the truth so far.
    Righteousness of Christ certainly cannot be diminished in a method of canceling Jesus’ fulfilling the law or does it excuse the redemption or justification we find in the faith of God: what I found that there is a true disconnect to the subject, and a vague sort of way there a suppose action we could make a ridiculous demand for Christ to deny himself, impossible, so not applicable. Maybe a pass ball wide and outside, ball one.
    Step 4 was a right on and I couldn’t agree more, all our sins are forgiven and nothing can deny that, it’s the faith we believe, it’s our justification for our redemption. Let us not reject that!
    Step 5 I just find this odd, as if we are safekeeping our salvation almost seems mocking of the argument. Anyway maybe not taking the mark of the beast would be a good safeguard? Oh no, that must mean if you do take the mark you never were saved to begin with, but there we go, the doctrine will make people wonder if they ever were saved. Just an odd scene, looks like the pitching coach is coming out to the mount.
    Step 6 Again a misrepresentative of the scriptures, maybe if we are going to make a point we should be more accurate. We are seal by the holy Spirit of promise and being a King James Only promoter that should be more of a priority, I am a bit surprise. So not to go off on that anymore it think there is no need to go off on a whole different subject, I will skip this step see it mess up to begin with.
    Step 7 That’s rich changing meanings, really? I hear this and wonder if it’s really changing the meaning is the point? Everlasting is eternal life and why would we ever let it go? Also these two verses do give question to the argument, Philippians 3:12-13….. now we can go on but the points made.
    Step 8 I guess you could tell this unbirth thing to the Jews of old….. know we are grafted into the vine and the Jews are broken off, also if he spared not the natural branches we should take note. Very weak analysis at best.
    Step 9 A redundant step and answered in step 8 for further reference see Romans 11:17-24; I am surprised that this is so ignored but the reason I am thinking it must be some kind of dispensation thing.
    Step 10 Again wresting the truth in some separation of God’s love, I might think on John 3:16 that God so loved the world.
    Step 11 I remember some that were remove from the wedding feast. Very speculative at best not sure how strong this position.
    Step 12 Losing heavenly rewards, wow that it? I will have to not overtly comment on that, but salvation is more than a reward. Maybe changing the meaning of salvation might explain this step.
    Step 13 Again a reconstruction of the Holy Spirit; this goes into a whole other subject, will not go there right now it is off subject.
    Step 14 God loves his own; neither would he expect us to be disown as would he forsake us regardless of our faults. Psalms 94:14 Which bring us to the conclusions that once we are saved we can never be more saved than we are; Jesus will spend every minute of the day with us our whole life, minister to us with his angel, move heaven and earth, we are without excuse and there is neither anything or anyone can take that from us, if we continue in his word and not reject or neglect this great of salvation. We should lay hold and draw near for he is a very present God, we are without excuse as your 14 steps are laid out, but we should never take Jesus Christ for granted but honor him Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

    1. From the beginning of your comment you show confusion.

      “I had to disagree with the very first premise where grace was defined as unmerited favor,”

      So you are beginning from a position where you don’t understand what the Bible says about God’s grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly shows us what God’s grace is in relation to salvation. “not of yourselves… not of works.” What about that is so hard to accept?

      1. I think I not the one confuse, it a errorous declaration the grace is unmerited favor
        But if that’s your premise you can build a false doctrine on it.
        Grace definitely can be the word of God and the subtlety of twisting it’t definition to unmerited favor demininsh the word, sorry but I don’t find it hard to understand what’s happening in the 14 steps which I address every one of those steps.
        The doctrine is a pathway to ecumenicalism.

        1. You are very confused. The vast majority of religions on earth teach a form of works salvation, as you are teaching. The idea that eternal security is a pathway to ecumenicalism is therefore ludicrous.

    2. The once saved always saved doctrine is the doorway to ecumenical acceptance, the pathway to another gospel.
      Neither could there be any way to walk in the error of false teachings and heresy except you are saved so you can lead as many to hell without conscequenses. I can’t see how this doctrine help the gospel except give a false hope of ease in Zion!

  14. If a person continues to willingly “backslide”; walks hand in hand with the devil every other week, and continues in sin and disobedience, though he says he is a believer, how can he or she be saved forever just because he or she walked down an aisle at church and professed a hope in Christ? Here’s what God Himself says:
    “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
    “But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.”
    Only the pure in heart shall see God. And what each of us must do is ask God to cleanse our hearts, purify our souls and fill us with the Holy Ghost and fire that our hearts are filled with truth. That we are able to stand against the wiles of Satan and live a truly godly and holy life according to the will of God, and not according to doctrines of churches.

  15. Once you come to understand the truth of election it will be settled forever in your soul. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Eph. 1:4. We were so hopelessly lost, dead in our trespasses and sins, if you are one that believes you can loose your salvation there is no way you can have settled peace. Romans 5:1″ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Justified is much more than forgiveness, being justified before God means all that was once against us has been removed. Our faith itself is a gift from God. Eph.2.

  16. I have always believed you can lose salvation by denying Christ. That can happen any time in life, have seen and read it done.

    1. You can believe whatever you want, I guess, but I’ll stick to Scripture. Some people get confused by verses like this:

      2 Timothy 2:12 (KJV) If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

      They focus on the second half of the sentence without reading the first half of it. Deny us what? The context of the denial is not salvation. Hint: we shall also…

  17. Hello Brother,
    I’ve believed in OSAS ( Christ died once, we believed once, therefore we are eternally saved); however, recently I’ve been talking to other people who believe one can lose their salvation if they “fall away” or become apostates. Do you believe that those who have believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ and then walked away from the faith (apostasy) to live an ungodly life can still be saved? Please let me know your thoughts regarding this dear brother. Thanks

      1. I already read this and I can’t seem to find anything on apostasy in the article. I don’t think God ever takes our free will away once we’re saved, so if one turns himself away from Christ, thus “falls away” then is it an act of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (unbelief)? I’m wondering because recently many have been coming against my OSAS position and I would like to know how to confront this. Thanks again brother

        1. It is not an issue if “free will” after you are saved. It is an issue of God’s preservation. Regarding blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, I do not even think that is something possible to do today, as we do not have the Lord doing miracles in an earthly ministry. And with regard to apostasy, someone who is genuinely saved cannot lose his salvation, period. That is the point of the article I showed you. If someone “disbelieves” after having “believed” they would still have to manage to accomplish the 14 steps outlined in order to somehow forfeit their salvation. Of course, the question should really be, were those people ever really saved? Did they only have some kind of head knowledge and no heart belief?

  18. I understand. Thank you so much for your response, I really appreciate it. Also, Thank you for your ministry here, this website has been a real blessing. God bless you brother!

  19. I believe that if one has saving faith, he has no fear of anything, anyone removing his eternal salvation. However, the danger in that teaching is then one has to assume if one acts like those listed that will not enter in, then they never were saved. I also wonder why Paul would address Timothy ” Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” (I suppose the argument might be that Paul means the potentially elect….isn’t that Universalism?)

    Also in Colossians, “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
    8
    Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” A simple thing to ponder, he was addressing Christians, and was warning them. You can abandon your faith (the very thing that saves us), and therefore ‘shipwreck’ it. I once embraced the Calvinist view, but Sola Scriptura won out.

    1. Thomas, the reference Paul was making to “the elect” was nation Israel. In fact, usually that is what is meant by elect. In fact this verse is a plain rebuke against Calvinism since Paul refers to people without salvation as “the elect.”

      1. Hi Brandon – your website has been a great help to me and my family – thank you for taking the time to earnestly contend for the faith and the precious Word of God.
        On another matter, based on your submission to scripture, I am hopeful that I could entreat you to consider that calling certain doctrines “Calvinism” is a subtle method the devil has popularized in order to attribute certain of God’s truths to a man, thus resulting in a perception that they are fallible. (I suppose another issue is that there can be many different nuances implied when using the term “Calvinism.”) However, after having viewed the gospel tract linked on this website previously, concern for you has been on my mind. I should’ve shared my concerns before and I’m sorry I didn’t – I didn’t truly love you as a brother as I should have – please forgive me. After reading the comments above regarding election, the burden increased. Believe me that in one sense, the easier thing for me to do is say nothing and pretend everything is ok. But as the LORD says through Jeremiah, what a man should glory in is that he understands and knows the true and living God. Therefore, my sentiment is as Elihu when he began to speak to Job and his friends – a belly as wine with no vent.
        It is clear you are familiar with the scriptures, so I ought not be naive to think I can post a few scriptures and just expect you haven’t considered them before. I would therefore simply plead with you to consider that it is possible you may have erred in certain areas which are critical to the nature and character of the God of scripture. I understand at first reading you may want to say the same thing to me, and that you believe God’s word is your foundation also. So, let it suffice for the present moment that I will simply stand as a witness before the LORD, that I am greatly concerned regarding some of the doctrines implied in the gospel tract on av1611, and also regarding the comments above dismissing Calvinism in the context of election – ultimately, I am writing because I am concerned about you.
        As you well know, there are true and false witnesses in this world – may the LORD God, through your diligent searching of the scriptures, reveal to you which of those two categories I fall under. May God bless you and reveal his truth to both of us – thank you again for your ministry.

  20. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
    ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:3-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

    Apostasy is a heart issue. The insecure salvation heresy is no exception. Paul didn’t say “after their own knowledge” or “after their own understanding”. All apostasy is an issue of being enticed by lusts.

    Our flesh lusts to glorify ourselves. We want to look at a brother struggling with sin and feel that something makes us better than them because we’re trying really hard. We’d love it if they went to hell so our good works can be magnified… at the expense of the finished work of Christ of course.

    Many of those looking forward to hearing “Well, my faithful servant” will instead hear “I never knew thee.”

    If you think you can lose your salvation, lose the teachers you’ve heaped for your itching ears, forget about how you feel or think about it, open up your Bible, and submit in prayer to what God thinks.

    “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
    ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:8-9‬ ‭KJV

    And ask the Lord why he would put this passage after 7 verses of grace grace and grace.

  21. Bro. Brandon,
    Thank you for the common sense you have given. This is the 1st time I have gone into the website but thank God that I found out a few years back that our God doesn’t tease His children. He left us His Comforter & His true words to guide & direct us so there would not be any second guessing. And our salvation will last as long as our High Priest is alive…and that is forever!

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