Many of us, possibly through our own experience, have observed people who had seemed to fervently believe in God fall away or even reject this belief. Even for those who remain in faith, there are peaks and valleys; times when we know God is present and guiding us and times when He feels like He is a universe away. Ecclesiastes reminds us that the physical universe runs in cycles. Some of us hold on in the seeming lean times, others let go.
When people let go, it makes Christians wonder what will happen if those that fall away die without reconciling with God. It is a popular Christian teaching in some churches that once saved a person is always saved. When I apply my own belief perspective to this issue, I do agree to some extent.
However, I do not agree that the recitation of a prayer accepting Jesus into your life constitutes being “saved”. At this point you would have found the pearl, but you still need to buy the field. You have been given a lit candle, but you still need to take it out into the darkness. A seed has been planted, but it must grow and bear fruit. And, a talent of gold has been placed in your care, but you must make it increase.
The pearl, candle, seed and talent of gold are all metaphors for the Gospel. The Gospel is part of the Word of God. As explained in the opening of the Gospel of John, Jesus is the Word of God, and was with God in the beginning and was God. (A blog on Trinity is forthcoming.) We are told in the Gospels that we will not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God. Thus, we see Jesus offer himself as bread and wine at the Last Supper so that we remember to partake of and share the Word of God. So, if the seed we receive is Word of God, then the fruit we are to bear is the fruit of the Word of God. That fruit edifies the spiritual body of Christ, with Jesus, the Word of God, as its head, and becomes part of it. The good we do and say in love is the fruit that becomes part of the body of the Word and in that sense it is forever saved and stored for us in heaven.
So, if someone truly believes and truly bears fruit brought forth from the Word of God, then yes, they are always saved. All else may pass, but the Word of God will live.
This next thought is purely theoretical, but perhaps there is a chance for someone to lose this salvation. Maybe, if someone who was once saved, for some reason, turns anti-Christian and actively tries to turn people away from the Word of God, thus producing “anti-fruit”, perhaps their fruit is eliminated or excreted from the body of the Word of God. Science has the concept of anti-matter and, long before that, Christianity had the concept of Anti-Christ, so anti-fruit may not be too much of a stretch. Just a thought.
Anyway, in conclusion, it would appear that if someone has borne fruit of the Word of God, then, even if he or she falls away, they are saved.
Treasure In Heaven 