You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble!
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

This is taken from one of my favorite books in the Bible. The book of James, Chapter 2, Verses 19-24. Those that tell us that to believe in Jesus is enough should read this carefully! For by grace and grace only, through our Lord are we saved. I do not contend otherwise.

However, you cannot claim to love your Lord and Saviour and not notice that we call Him Lord and Saviour . So many people want Him as Saviour without making Him Lord of their life. But, is it really their fault? The have been handed a deceptive lie that if you accept Christ, you are saved and are always saved no matter what you do.(referred to hereafter as “once saved, always saved”). Where did they get this lie? From the Father of lies, that is why even the demons believe! This same lying serpent that quoted scripture to Christ in the desert. The Adversary. How deep does this lie run? Rev 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world;

Inspired by a post at Doug McHone’s Site, I want to explore what Romans 11 has to say about, “once saved, always saved”. All readings are NKJV unless otherwise noted.

Let’s examine verse 1 and 2:
Ro 11:1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,

This establishes that we are talking about the physical nation of Israel.

Verses 17 and 18 are telling the Gentiles that they were grafted in; because they accepted Christ. They were [once] saved:
Ro 11:17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,
18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Verse 19 continues the olive tree idiom, stating that some branches were broken off:
Ro 11:19You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.”
20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.

That they(the Gentiles) might be grafted in. Who were the branches that were broken off? Backslidden Jews.

Verse 21 and 22 warns the non-Jews that He may not spare them either:
Ro 11:21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

V21 speaks of natural branches. These, again, are the Jews that were “broken off” in V17. V. 22 says to “continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off”. The word continue here is obviously implying that they are saved. If they were not, why would Paul tell them to continue or risk being cut off?

What we see here is that the Gentiles that were grafted in(once saved) can be cut off! Conversely, a backslidden Jew that may have just been cut off in V17 can be grafted back in again, V24:

Ro 11:24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

This chapter is addressing division between Jew and Gentile at that time. However, I believe we can also view this as a message to “continue in His goodness”. It is a message to all Christians that we may be cut-off if we do not continue in His goodness. When we take on the name of Christ as a Christian, we should not take that name in vain. We can come to accept Jesus and allow the cares of the world to separate us from Him. (See also Matthew 13 and the parable of the sower)

I think we can see that our actions speak louder than our words. Or let us allow the same chapter 2(V17-18) in the book of James put it like this:
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

In conclusion, I think most Christians could agree that if you truly love Christ and make Him Lord of your life, there will be a change in your walk through life. I personally can testify to the tremendous transforming power of Jesus. There is one throne in your life and room for only one person. I pray that anyone that may have themselves on that throne might instead invite Jesus to reign there.