The Bible has several passages which teach that a child of God can fall away. Probably the most well-known is Hebrews 3:12-13: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” In fact, the entire book of Hebrews is written for Christians who were in danger of falling away.
Other New Testament writers, such as Peter, also teach the possibility of apostasy (2 Peter 2:20-21). Paul felt as though he could have missed the mark and been disqualified, or fallen away (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Paul even used the language of falling away when he wrote in Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” He further admonished in Colossians 1:23, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel …”
Denominations which advocate the “once saved, always saved” doctrine point to passages like 1 Peter 1:3-5 which states that our inheritance is “incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.” However, from the scriptures, one can see that a Christian can commit apostasy. If not, why all of the warnings?
Kyle Campbell
