The question of “once saved always saved” comes up often. While there is great security in salvation, there are also texts that give us pause–the strongest text found in Hebrews 6. But there are other texts as well that give us a reason to pause.
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor 15:1-2).
There’s a little two letter word in these verses that changes the tone. It is the word “if.”
The Corinthians had the gospel preached to them. They received it. They are standing in it. It is saving them. But it is based on a condition: “if you hold to the word I preached to you.”
This is not something casual. They are not to let go of the message of salvation, nor are they to get sloppy with their care. They must “hold fast.” It is a word of strength.
Interestingly, it is also used in the opposite way. Just as one can “hold fast” to something good, a person can also persistently “hold fast” to suppress the good.
“who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Rom 1:18).
We can hold tightly to that which is righteous, or we can suppress persistently that which was is unrighteous. In this context, Paul is saying for us to hold fast to the gospel.
What are the core things we are to hold onto? He is going to get to those. But first, there is a warning:
If you do not hold fast for the duration, then your believing was in vain. It served no point.
This gospel is the only point of rescue that can save us. If we let go, then our efforts to be saved are in vain. There’s nothing else going to save us. There is no other rescue. If we grab on to our salvation and then let go, any time or effort or energy we spent holding fast was in vain.
If you get lazy, sloppy, or simply let go of the salvation offered in Christ, nothing else is going to save you.