by Matthew A. C. Newsome © 2002

The following comes from a conversation I had with a Baptist friend when discussing whether or not, and in what way, we can be assured of our salvation.  His statements are indented and in italics.

One of the tenants of certain Protestant sects, especially among the Baptists, is that once you are saved you are always saved, period.  This theology comes as a result of the Protestant doctrine of sola fide, or salvation by faith alone, which the Catholic Church has always condemned as a heresy, since Luther's time when it was first espoused.

Catholics disagree with this teaching, asserting that we, even as Christians, can lose our salvation through our own faults and actions.  A lot of the confusion comes from the different ways in which we speak of "salvation."  To most Protestants, salvation is a one time event, usually referred to in terms of being "born again," after which they consider themselves "saved."  By this, they mean that they are confidant that Jesus has redeemed them and that they are guaranteed entry into heaven when they die -- regardless of any sin committed later in their lives.

You will actually find some confusion among Protestants about this issue.  Some will claim that a person who gravely sins after he is "saved" was never really saved to begin with.  Others devoutly believe that a saved person can go and shoot up a bus of school children and still be guaranteed a place in heaven because of his past act of faith.

The Catholic position has always been that salvation, rather then being a one time, once and for all event, is a process that begins with our baptism and ends with our death and final judgement.  Every thing we do in between should be a build up in our own sanctification, our own relationship with Christ, and every thing that we do matters in this regard.  Just as we can (and should) grow closer to Christ, we can (and should avoid) grow farther apart, even to the extent in which we fall from a state of grace by committing mortal sin (1 Jn 5:16-17).  If we depart this world without God's grace, our souls are in jeopardy.  But we do not fear for God has given us the sacrament of reconciliation (Confession) as a means by which we are to repent and to remain in a state of grace.

Many Protestant I know also think of our salvation in this way (without the necessary Sacrament of Confession), though their churches may not teach it in these terms. The following text comes largely from a conversation that I had with a Baptist friend over these differences.  His comments are in italics.

Can a person fall away from the faith?  Unfortunately, yes.  We are forgiven, not perfect.  Does this imperil our salvation?  No, because, salvation is not dependant on our works, but God's grace. We accept this grace on faith alone.

This is a very good summary of Baptist belief in our assurance of salvation (from what I know of Baptist belief).  However, the New Testament teaches something different (see below).

Salvation must be final at the moment of belief.  Otherwise, it cannot be a gift.  A gift cannot be taken back after it has been given.

But it can be thrown away.  We can break it or misuse it.  We can refuse to use that gift altogether.  Or we can never claim it as our own to begin with.

Adam and Eve were given God's grace abundantly -- more so than we know it.  And just as unearned.  They certainly lost it.

Catholics believe that we can be assured of our salvation in that God loves us, God wants us to be with Him, and God has given us the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  As long as we follow this Way, we can be assured of our salvation.  But God always leaves us with that option to abandon the Way.  He never takes away our freedom to choose against Him.

Faith is cited over 200 times in the New Testament as the sole requirement for salvation.

No. I don't believe faith is ever mentioned in the Bible as the sole requirement for salvation.  It is mentioned often as a requirement for salvation.  I haven't counted myself but I can accept the 200 number mentioned above.  But it is not once mentioned as the sole requirement, which is why the Catholic Church has never adopted Luther's theory of sole fide, and why it has been condemned as a heresy.

Point of fact: the only time that "faith" and "alone" appear together in all of Sacred Scripture it is in James 2:24 where we are told, "man is justified by works and not by faith alone."

I'm not attempting to argue denominational lines here, just saying what Scripture says.  And in that vein, let's forget about Baptist/Catholic teachings on the assurance of salvation and just have a look at the New Testament. This is something, after all, that we both can agree on.  The Bible is the infallible Word of God, and is authoritative for our faith.

Christ Himself tells us, "they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.  And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:9-13).

These false prophets will surely claim to teach in Christ's name.  They may very well believe sincerely what they are preaching.  And those who follow them will also believe sincerely.  If a simple act of faith in Christ is all that is necessary for salvation, and that cannot be lost, then these souls are in no danger.  Likewise the men whose love grows cold must have had a burning love to begin with.  Was that one time faith enough to save them?  No.  Christ here tells us that "he who endures to the end will be saved."

In Matthew 25:31-46 Christ describes for us what our final judgment will be like.  Nowhere in this description is a single act of salvific faith even mentioned.

In Romans 11:17-24, Paul tells us of branches that have "been broken off because of their unbelief, so you stand fast only through faith.  So do not become proud, but stand in awe.  For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.  Note then the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off" (Romans 11:20-22).

Paul also wrote, "For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.  A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified . . .?" (Hebrews 10:26-29).

The man mentioned here has been sanctified by the blood of the covenant.  In other words, he has been "saved."  Yet he is being punished for spurning Christ.  He has lost his "salvation."

In 2 Peter 2:20-21 it says, "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 in them and overpowered, 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."

Harsh language, but it comes to us from St. Peter, who is in total agreement with St. Paul, and with Christ Himself, as we have seen above.  It is better to never know the saving truth of the Gospel than to know it, and afterwards turn away from the "holy commandment" (to command is to call to action) that we have known.

As much as we can be assured of our salvation if we follow in God's ways, we should equally have a respectful fear for what might happen if we abandon God's path.

We can't lose our salvation accidentally.  Sin that brings death to our soul (what St. Paul calls "mortal sin") requires an act of free will, a conscious choice to do what we know is contrary to God's will.  No one can take our salvation from us.  But we can willingly relinquish it for earthly gain.  And Christ, Paul, and Peter all warn us against that path.  They want the best for us.  They want us to "persist to the end," so that we can fully realize our salvation when we enter God's heaven as His faithful children.