Once Saved, Always Saved? – Understanding the Security of Salvation in Christ
Description
This seminar will focus on helping students think biblically and carefully about the doctrine often called “Once Saved, Always Saved” or “the perseverance of the saints.” Together we will examine key passages that affirm God’s preserving grace, passages that warn believers to persevere, and case studies of people who fall away. We will consider how Scripture holds these realities together and how Christians can navigate doubts—either their own or those of friends and family—wisely and pastorally.
Course Objectives
- * Encourage students to read and interpret relevant biblical texts faithfully and in context.
- * Equip students to understand both the comfort of God’s secure grip on His people and the seriousness of the biblical warnings.
- * Help students develop discernment when evaluating claims of deconstruction, apostasy, and spiritual backsliding.
- * Provide practical resources for those wrestling with doubts or seeking to encourage others toward perseverance in the faith.
Required Texts and Materials
- * Recommended books:
- https://www.amazon.com/Kept-Jesus-Testament-Assurance-Salvation/dp/1433542021 Kept for Jesus by Sam Storms
- * Online resources:
Course Evaluation
NA
Language
English
Course Schedule
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Week 1 - Jan 10
09:00 AMTopic“Once Saved, Always Saved?”
NotesOutline of the Workshop
1. Introduction & Framing the Question (5 minutes)
What do people mean by “Once Saved, Always Saved?”
Why this topic matters: assurance, doubt, and discipleship.
2. God’s Preserving Grace: Texts of Comfort (20 minutes)
John 10:27–30 — The Good Shepherd and the security of His sheep.
Romans 8:29–39 — The unbreakable chain of God’s saving purpose.
1 John 2:19 — Why some leave the faith and what that reveals.
3. The Biblical Warnings: Texts that Call for Perseverance (20 minutes)
Hebrews 2, 3, 6, 10 — What the warning passages are (and are not) saying.
How warnings function as a means of perseverance.
Case study: Judas — Appeared to belong; ultimately did not.
4. Putting It Together: How Assurance and Perseverance Fit (15 minutes)
“The Lord knows those who are His.”
Visible fruit and endurance as evidence, not the basis, of salvation.
The church’s role in helping believers finish well.
5. Pastoral Application: Deconstruction, Doubt & Discernment (20 minutes)
What to do if you struggle with assurance.
Clarifying the “unpardonable sin” and why those who fear committing it haven’t done so
How to walk with friends or family who seem to be falling away.
Useful apologetics and discipleship resources for stabilizing faith.
6. Q&A (20 minutes)
Instructor
Shepherd Ben West
Applied / Capacity