I have talked to several different ones who do not believe that salvation is a one time event. They believe a person can be saved, lose it, be saved, lose it - over and over. I think the misunderstanding comes from not understand salvation in the first place. Too many think it is something we work for and achieve rather than realize it is a gift that we believe and receive. Lets look and see what the Bible says and see what examples the Lord used to illustrate salvation.

In John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now Jesus himself has chosen this phrase - born again. He is using birth as an illustration. How many times have you been born physically? I know for absolute sure the answer is ONCE. If you die will you be born again to your parents? I know the answer again and it is a resounding NO. You were born one time to your earthly parents and no matter what you have done over your lifetime you are still physically their son or daughter. 

So how are we born again spiritually? 1 Peter 1:23 says "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 1 Jo 5:1 says "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" and John 1:12-13 says "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." James 1:18 tells us "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his" creatures.

We see from these verses and others, the Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and convicts our heart of the truth. He shows us we are sinners that cannot save ourselves. He shows us that Jesus died for us on the cross and shed His blood to wash away our sin. He shows us that Jesus was buried 3 days and after that He arose from the dead - 100% alive - a physical body resurrection. We have a living Saviour. The Holy Spirit convicts us that Jesus is the ONLY way we can be saved, that Jesus died and arose again for us. He does this all through using the Word of God.  When we finally stop arguing with Him and surrender and believe the Word of God we are birthed into the family of God. We become God's child. Before that happened we were spiritually dead in trespasses and sin (see Eph 2:1) but when we are born again we are made spiritually alive.  Do you EVER in the Bible see where it talks about dying over and over again spiritually? or being born again and again and again? The answer is NO!  Just as a person is born once physically they are born again ONCE spiritually. These are not my words and illustrations, but the words and illustration that God chose. If it was something that happened over and over doesn't it seem He would have chosen a different illustration?

Another word or phrase the Lord chose is that the saved are the Bride of Christ. How many times are we to get married? Marriage according to the Bible is one man and one woman till death do us part. Since Christ is our Bridegroom that will be forever for He is eternal and gives us eternal life. Once again these are the phrases and illustrations the Lord chose. 

 Paul said in 2 Cor 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Revelation 19 talks of when the time has come for the marriage supper of the Lamb - Rev 19:7-8 "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." What righteousness is it that we are clothed with. Is it a righteousness of our own making? NO. Our righteousnesses are described in Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." That doesn't sound like what we are arrayed in for our marriage supper. No, the righteousness that we are dressed in is NOT a righteousness of our own making by our good works - it is the righteousness of Christ that is given to us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, "For he (God the Father)hath made him (Jesus)to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (Jesus) . It is the righteousness of Christ that we are arrayed in, not any righteousness of our own.  Way too many people are trying to get to Heaven dressed in their own righteousness and are not going to make it.  Romans 10:3-4 says, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."   We do not do works or keep the law (10 commandments) for our righteousness or salvation. It won't work. The only righteousness that will get us into Heaven is Christ's. We do good works because we want to please God, just a child wants to please their parent or a bride wants to please her husband - it is done out of love NOT to earn love.  We receive God's love, our salvation as a FREE gift that can NOT be worked for.

These are just two of the ways that God has illustrated that salvation is not something we achieve but is a free gift that we receive ONCE and for all! When we believe God and receive the Gift of eternal life that He offers us in Jesus Christ - it is ours forever.  Some other verses to illustrate these facts :

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.  - Notice it is present tense. If a person hears the words of God and believes they HAVE everlasting life. They are passed from death unto life. It is an accomplished fact - not to be undone. You don't read of ones dying and being born again, dying and being born again. It does't happen.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

If a person could be saved then lost verse 28 of this passage would be a lie. The gift is given and received ONCE.

Once we repent of our sin and trust Jesus Christ as our only way of salvation we are born into God's family. That is permenant. Now as any good Father though, He will chastise us if we disobey. NEVER ever think a Christian can sin and get away with it. It doesn't happen. Either they will get it right with God or He will whip the daylights out of them. Some have even been taken home early because of their sin.

Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Have you received the gift He bought with His blood for you? If not you have no hope of Heaven. He is the ONLY way. I urge you to not delay, but come to Him today! If you do know Jesus as your Saviour - rejoice and rest secure in Him!

Kerri, I only have a moment, but it seem that your Baptist blinders are still attached. You quote St. John, but negect to realize that that of which he speaks is our moral assurance of salvation, not absolute. Perhaps you forgot what St. Paul says on the issue (2 Tim:11-13). In Romans we are told that no one can snatch our salvation away, but, given free will (choice) from God, we CAN give the free gift of salvation back (1 John 5:16-17) through our thoughts, words, and deeds. Again in Rom. 11:2-22; Heb 10:26-31; 2 Peter 2:20-21. What of Matt. 18:21-35. Christ doesn't take His gift of salvation back, but we sure can toss it back at Him if we let Satan taint our paths. Free will, Kerri, free will. (And your analogy between our salvation and the bride of Christ -- which is the church, the pillar of truth -- is laughable. They are completely unrelated. And your poke, once again, at good works? Good grief! Salvation is free to get, but not free to keep. We must keep our faith alive and growing, not stale and dying. And faith without works is truly dead.

Pam, The verses you site don't relate to this discussions, at least the ones I checked out didn't. In fact the ones from 1 John further prove my point of eternal security. A saved person can commit a sin unto death - that is they don't repent and the Lord takes them home (see 1Cor 5:5).

You say we must keep our salvation through good works - but that is impossible. God says it is a free gift. If you have work for it - it is NOT a gift. I will take God's Word for it over yours.

There is nothing we can do to earn or to keep our salvation. JESUS did it ALL. He bought our salvation, gives it to us as a free gift and then HE KEEPS US!

Kerri, as beings with free will, we can give back the gift of salvation. How do that? Through sin. No one is guaranteed salvation and a sinful soul will never enter the perfection of heaven. Once we are in a state of grace (read=have salvation), we must produce "Good Works." If we are truly vines attached to Christ, we will produce good fruit. Those who don't will be cut off. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Salvation is an active thing, much like raising a garden. It takes more than planting a seed and believing it will grow. In otherwords, as Christians, we truly reap what we sow. (You know, Satan believes in Christ and in his sacrifice, but that does not mean that he will be ever reenter the gates of heaven.)

As you put it here, once we have the gift of salvation from Christ, we are prevented from choosing to give it back ... that our free will is revoked. This is wrong. WE can opt, at anytime, to negate our gift of eternal life and go down the sinful route.

From one former Baptist to a current one, I will continue to pray for you and for your blinders to be removed. It saddens me to see that the lies of Protestantism are being believed and passed on. Satan must surely be dancing a jig in hell because of it.

If you are going to use something as an example you should read it more carefully. Lets look at the verses in John on the Vine and branches. Italics are my comments.
Joh 15:1 ¶ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:notice these branches it says He taketh away it does NOT say they are burned that is because when a person sins who is saved they are chastise- sometimes even to death, but they do NOT lose their salvation and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. we can not even do good works without the Lord. He keeps us, we do not help Him by good works
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. NOW notice these are burned they were NOT attached to the vine, they were NEVER saved to begin with.

Pam, they ONLY way you can support the things the RCC teaches is to twist and misquote scripture. Salvation is a gift. JESUS DIED and ROSE again to purchase our salvation. HE GIVES us HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Our supposed righteousness isn't going to accomplish anything and it is an insult to the Lord to say well, you began saving me but I finished it with my works. NO - salvation is 100% from the Lord. We can only do good works to please Him and obey Him, not to keep us saved.

You say satan believes in Christ and that is true although what the Bible actually says is " devils also believe, and tremble." but just believing that Jesus is or God is doesn't save anybody. satan and his demons do NOT believe on Christ for salvation nor do they take HIM as their LORD. They do not trust Him. They are His enemy as are all those who supposed "believe in Him" but don't really trust HIM as their Lord and Saviour.