A Christian can fall from grace, so the doctrine of Once Saved, Always Saved is deceptive, however appealing it is. Salvation comes by what God freely gives, but it can be lost when a person refuses those gifts. Israel's experience in the wilderness is the warning. Many who were redeemed from Egypt never reached the Promised Land because they would not believe God along the way (Hebrews 3:19; 4:1-3). The gospel did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith. The same danger faces the called today. Paul pleads that we not receive God's grace in vain (II Corinthians 6:1), and Peter warns believers to beware lest they fall from their steadfastness, led away by error (II Peter 3:17). Those who have been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, and shared in the Holy Spirit, yet fall away, cannot be renewed again to repentance (Hebrews 6:4-6). If we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins remains, only a fearful expectation of judgment (Hebrews 10:26-27). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the denial, by the witness of one's life, that he was forgiven and received God's Spirit, when he then fails to live by faith and returns to a life of sin. Because grace is unmerited and God owes us nothing, there are no automatic entitlements. The called must live by faith, submitting to God, and His grace will supply their needs all the way to the end.

God's grace is a vital force in our lives, constantly flowing to us, without which we would never succeed. Yet, it is possible to fall from this grace, a serious reality we must confront. One falls from grace by accepting the blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, becoming a servant of Christ, and then turning away in disloyalty, trampling Him underfoot. This act of turning away can lead to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is rejecting the very Spirit given by God to discern truth and grow in faith. Such a rejection results in an unforgivable state, where one loses faith entirely. Without faith, it becomes impossible to please God or be part of His Kingdom, as salvation is by grace through faith. God's purpose is not for us to fall, but He warns us of this possibility, urging us to remain loyal and to value the grace extended to us.

Salvation is by grace through faith, yet it is entirely possible to fall short of God's grace, which at its worst means losing out on salvation. Hebrews 12:12-16 warns believers to look diligently so that no one fails of the grace of God. The remedy is effort: change one's attitude, make straight paths for one's feet, pursue peace and holiness, repent, and refuse to drift. This refutes the teaching of once saved, always saved. Human nature pulls toward swerving, so faith and will must be exercised to stay on the path, and God has already set that path in His law, which Psalm 119 and Proverbs 3:1-2 describe as the way to follow. II Corinthians 6:1 says the same, urging believers not to receive grace in vain, but to cooperate with God, be reconciled through repentance, and cleanse their conduct by putting off the works of the flesh and putting on judgment, mercy, and faith. Grace does not excuse law-keeping; it puts the law in right perspective. Law-keeping cannot justify or earn salvation, since the penalty has already been incurred and only Christ's sacrifice satisfies it. Still, Romans 2:13 says the doers of the law are justified, because obedience shows faithfulness in preparing for the Kingdom. Not every sin forfeits grace, however. The Bible distinguishes sins of ignorance from presumptuous sins and sins unto death from lesser failures. Persistent, willful, self-directed transgression, culminating in rejecting Christ's sacrifice, is what ultimately causes one to fall short. God expects honest striving toward perfection, and the determining factor is the attitude and motive behind one's conduct.