SAVED IN CHRIST, KEPT BY FAITH
There is a dangerous comfort in the doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” It whispers to the soul that once we have prayed a prayer, said a creed, or walked an aisle, our salvation is guaranteed no matter the path we tread afterward. Yet the Scriptures tell a different story, a story of a Savior who calls His children to ongoing faith, obedience, and repentance.
The psalmist cries, “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works” (Psalm 73:28). Notice, it is the ongoing act of drawing near and trusting that matters. Faith is not a static moment; it is a living relationship. Grace is not a one-time gift to be banked, but a continual outflow of God’s life into our souls.
Consider the warning of our Lord: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). There is a temporal aspect here, a calling to perseverance. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says plainly, “Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Faith is not a label; it is a life marked by fruit, obedience, and endurance.
There is a false security that lulls the believer into complacency. Christ’s sheep hear His voice and follow Him, and the true sheep are kept by the Shepherd, not by their own fleeting promises. This is not salvation earned by works, but salvation lived in Christ, a faith that moves, perseveres, and clings to Him.
The believer is not merely saved at a point in time but is being saved, kept in the fellowship and life of Christ. The apostle Peter writes, “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:10). Here is the paradox: we are saved by grace, yet we are called to vigilance, diligence, and holiness. Grace secures, but faith must respond continually.
The Bible overflows with this tension. Hebrews 3:12 warns, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” Revelation 2 and 3 are letters to churches, calling them to repent or face the risk of losing their reward. True salvation bears continuity, not mere profession.
Logic, too, confirms what Scripture teaches. If salvation required only a single moment of faith, there would be no need for exhortations, warnings, or commands. God would not urge perseverance, holiness, or obedience if His grace once applied could never be forfeited. The very existence of warnings implies that salvation can be resisted, neglected, or abandoned. The gospel invites a living trust, a faith that continues in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Beloved, do not rest in a false security. Our hope is not in the fleeting assurance of a past prayer, but in the present, abiding relationship with Christ. He is our Shepherd, and we are His sheep; we are kept, yes, but kept as we follow, trust, obey, and remain in Him. The life of Christ within us is not dormant. It grows, it calls, it sanctifies. It bears fruit that lasts.
So let us take courage. Let us take up the call of vigilance, the pursuit of holiness, the daily reliance on grace. Let us not deceive ourselves with a cheap security, but rejoice in the profound truth that Christ keeps those who abide in Him—and that abiding is a continual, faithful turning of the heart toward our Savior.
BDD
