Pastor Stephen Safo Nsiah, the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Travelling Secretary for the Mampong Sector of The Church of Pentecost, has asserted that once saved is not forever saved as some theologians argue.
He called on Christians to expunge this false doctrine that is deceiving many and leading them out of the kingdom of God.
Pastor Nsiah made this call on Friday, June 10, 2022, at the Mamprobi Central Assembly command centre during the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Teens and Pre-Tertiary Conference, dubbed “Shekinah PENSA Conference.”
Delivering a presentation on the topic, “Basic Christian Doctrines and Contemporary Fallacies – One Saved, Forever Saved,” using 2 Corinthians 11:14 and Romans 11:19-23 as scriptural references, Pastor Nsiah cautioned Christians about mistaking the devil as Christ since he (devil) portrays himself as the angel of light.
He compared the journey of the Israelites to the church, which showed how God cherished and loved them. He, however, noted that due to their disobedience and unbelief, God cut them off.
“As believers, we have become part of the branch (people of God) because of our belief in Christ,” he said.
Throwing more light on doctrines and fallacies, he stated that doctrines are the codifications of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of the teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system. He also defined fallacies as deceptive or false appearance; deceitfulness, which misleads the eye or the mind.
The PENSA Travelling Secretary further stated that Christian doctrines cover the Christian faith and are based on scriptures. He also revealed that doctrines were formulated in the early church to deal with heresies or false doctrines.
“In The Church of Pentecost, our doctrines are the Tenets of the church,” he explained, adding that Christian doctrines are in two forms, that is, true and false ones.
Pastor Nsiah, therefore, urged the youth to believe and hold fast to the Word of God, which is the truth, rather than listening to soothing messages of speakers who neglect the truth of the scriptures for their personal gains.
Expounding on the doctrine of “once saved forever saved” among other false theories on salvation, the PENSA Travelling Secretary said that some religious groups or sects assert that it is impossible for one to lose their salvation after believing in Jesus. Another school of thought, according to him, argue that ‘eternal life’ cannot be lost, or else it is never eternal. (John 3:15)
“According to them, salvation is not by works but purely by grace. So, there is no need for works after salvation,” he said.
Pastor Safo Nsiah expressed concern that some people continue to hold onto such fallacies because they have been taught to believe it as true, and are, therefore, not ready to let go.
Another reason why some people hold on to this falsehood is perhaps because they may be living in sin or they know a loved one living in sin and are afraid of the thought of them ending up in hell, he stated.
Setting the record straight, Pastor highlighted the three phases of salvation, which he mentioned as Justification (We are saved); Sanctification (We are being saved) and Glorification (We will be saved).
He further explained that although salvation leads to eternal life, accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour whilst still on earth does not mean unconditional eternal security, rather, the believer, for as long as they remain on earth, must keep working on their salvation by leading a life of righteousness until the Lord’s return.
He, therefore, posited that the unbeliever is saved by grace, but the new believer is to live as an expression of God’s grace by saying “NO” to sin.
“Living in un-repented sin can be disastrous for Christian salvation,” he admonished.
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