Saved Once, Saved Forever
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, out from God has been born and as a result is his child" (1 John 5:1). We became Christians because of a birth. The Lord Jesus suffered the pain of the cross to give us a new life (birth). In other words, we did not do anything to change our state, but He did everything for us. In as much the same way, we can not do anything to lose it.
We, Christians, may fall into sin occasionally, but that does not mean we can lose our salvation. We are God's children and we belong to His family by birth. This kind of birth is comparable to our earthly birth in terms of the fact that we did not do anything to be born into this world through our mother and we can not do anything to lose it. I was born in the Robichaud family, whatever I do, even if for example I end up in jail for being the worst criminal and my parents disown me, I am and will still be a Robichaud. Nothing will change that, because I was born as such. Being born from God is the same. We can not undo it. Even if we commit sin occasionally, we are still members of God's family. However, of course, like earthly fathers, God disciplines His children who commit sin (See 1 Corinthians 11:30-31).
For those who believe that they can lose salvation, I ask these silly questions often to them: How many Christians, who are born-ones of God, are in hell? Have you ever encountered a Christian saved twice? The answer is NONE. The Spirit of Christ lives in every believer (See Romans 8: 9-11) how can the Spirit of Christ end up in hell?
Could you imagine being a Christian for ten years and decide to live for sinful pleasure and die and end up in hell because you lost your salvation? If that could be true, grace would not be enough because we have to depend on ourselves, on how we behave on earth, to continue to be saved. It would be conditional and not positional. It would not be by birth, but by how good one follows. If I follow Jesus, I should be alright but not completely sure. All my life, I will be doubting if I did enough to remain saved. But thank God it is not the case! Because we carry the sinful nature, we have the tendency to go off track. But because salvation is by birth, we are 100% sure that we are going to heaven regardless of our weakness and the sinful nature we carry. Salvation does not depend on what we do. It depends on what Christ has done for us on the cross.
The scroll of 1 John is teaching us the words "HABITUALLY SINNING" which means constantly living in sin. An unsaved person keeps on sinning because he is living in it, like a pig always rolling in the mud. By reading this scroll, we will see the difference between saved and unsaved people. The following are some of the verses that differentiates believers from unbelievers.
SAVED
"My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ,..." --1 John 2:1 (NLT)
"Everyone who in him is constantly abiding is not habitually sinning." -- 1 John 3:6a (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)
"Everyone who has been born out of God with the present result that he is a born-one of God does not habitually commit sin." --1 John 3:9 (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation) (See also John 3:3)
"We know absolutely that everyone who has been born of God and as a result is a regenerated individual does not keep on habitually sinning." 1 John 5: 18
UNSAVED
"Everyone who is constantly sinning has not with discernment seen him, nor has he known him. " -- 1 John 3: 6b (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)
"Everyone who is not habitually doing righteousness is not of God..." --1 John 3: 10 (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)
SAVED
"My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ,..." --1 John 2:1 (NLT)
"Everyone who in him is constantly abiding is not habitually sinning." -- 1 John 3:6a (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)
"Everyone who has been born out of God with the present result that he is a born-one of God does not habitually commit sin." --1 John 3:9 (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation) (See also John 3:3)
"We know absolutely that everyone who has been born of God and as a result is a regenerated individual does not keep on habitually sinning." 1 John 5: 18
UNSAVED
"Everyone who is constantly sinning has not with discernment seen him, nor has he known him. " -- 1 John 3: 6b (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)
"Everyone who is not habitually doing righteousness is not of God..." --1 John 3: 10 (Kenneth Wuest Expanded Translation)
In order to receive the birth (John 3:3) and be one of God's children, God is asking us to repent from our sins and by faith trust the Lord Jesus for our salvation. That's the only thing we can ever do. Everything else is in the hands of God.