It’s wrong of us to construe from the John 3:16 verse, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (NLT),” the meaning ‘once saved, always saved.’ 

An examination of the original Greek language of the English translation reveals that the verbs, believes and have, are continuous present tense verbs… meaning: those who ‘go-on’ believing will ‘go-on’ having eternal life. Viewed in the negative: If a person stops believing, they will stop having eternal life! Bible translations are not always adequate in conveying the intended meaning. That’s why it’s important to compare what other related Bible verses say. 

Salvation is a gift of God –  It is appropriated through believing in Jesus, and is retained through continuing to believe in Jesus. In his first letter, the Apostle John wrote, “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe [continue to believe] in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have [go-on having] eternal life” (5:11-12).

Friends, the essential requirement of believing for spiritual life (salvation) is the same as the essential requirement of breathing for physical life, or that of loving to keep a marriage alive. The continuous present tense verb is the same! If either member of a marriage relationship stops loving their spouse, their marriage is dead. Similarly, if any person stops breathing, they are dead.

The New Testament contains approximately eighty verses of Scripture that underscore the truth that salvation is a life-long process; beginning in an instant through justification (was saved) … continuing life-long through sanctification (being saved), and completed in an instant through glorification (have been saved). This third phase of salvation happens when believers have been raptured, judged, and welcomed into Heaven.

At this very moment in time, I am glad to proclaim to you with confidence that I am being saved. As I continue to believe in Jesus I can continue to look forward to the day when I will be able to declare, “Hallelujah, I have been saved!”

Best wishes,
Bill Joukhadar