Ezekiel 18:24 Doesn't Teach You Can Lose Salvation

Ezekiel 18:24, “But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.”

Let me say right away that salvation CANNOT be lost, forfeited nor ever jeopardized in any way once you possess it. Eternal life is the free gift of God but faith alone. This passage of Scripture is often used by Arminians to claim that salvation can be lost. An “Arminian” is a person who follows the teachings of a man named Jacob Arminius (1560-1609). Jacob's popular counterpart in theology is John Calvin (1509-1564). I thank God that I follow neither of these theologically imperfect men. Both Arminius and Calvin had bugs in their theology. I disagree with all five tenets of Calvin's theology. I agree more with Arminius, but he was wrong to teach that salvation can be lost. The Bible teaches once saved always saved!

The best way to interpret the Bible is with the Bible! I've read so much heresy surrounding Ezekiel 18:24. As an example, the Congregational Holiness Church, the Wesleyan Holiness Movement, and the Charismatic Movement all misinterpret Ezekiel 18:24 to teach that a Christian can lose their salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Oral Roberts and his family came from the Holiness Movement out of Oklahoma. He was a product that came from the Latter Rain Pentecostal Movement of the late 1940’s, and was a well known demonic faith healer. Taken by itself out of context, Ezekiel 18:24 does appear to support the doctrine that a man can fall away from salvation. However, as you will see from other Scriptures in Ezekiel, this is NOT the case at all. The following passage of Scripture is critically important to understand the context of Ezekiel 18:24...

Ezekiel 33:12-13, “Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it."

Did you read that? The Bible says: “If he trust in his OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS.” This is the heart of the matter here. God is simply condemning self-righteousness. Matthew 7:21-23 is the New Testament equivalent of this passage:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Please don't miss those words, “LORD, LORD.” There's your Lordship Salvation crowd in the Bible, who foolishly teach that to be saved a person must “turn from your sins.” The New Testament states in Romans 10:3-4:

“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.”

This is what Ezekiel 18:24 means. To claim that a person who commits sin can lose their salvation is to totally ignore such powerful Scriptures as Genesis 15:6 concerning Abraham, “And he [Abraham] believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” The Apostle Paul plainly stated in Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” These Scriptures clearly eliminate “works” as a necessity to one's eternal salvation. 

The damnable heresy which falsely teaches that a believer can lose salvation is nothing less than a form of Lordship Salvation. If you're not saved forever, you're not saved my friend.

 

The Gospel Defined in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4

The Gospel saves us, by faith. The Bible defines 'The Gospel' in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as the DEATH, BURIAL and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ. If a person comes to God as a needy sinner, receiving Jesus' death, burial and resurrection as payment for their sins, they are saved. Jesus paid it all! Simply receiving God's gift of eternal life by faith. 

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

This does not give the believer God's permission to sin, which is clearly evident in Romans 3:28,31, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law ... Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Just because we are saved by faith without works does not give us a license to sin. 

A False Understanding Of Ezekiel 18:24

Bishop Tom Brown is a Charismatic false prophet who pastors in El Paso, Texas. Here is a quote from one of his writings, which will allow you to see firsthand how such sinister ministers misinterpret Ezekiel 18:24,

God was the first to ask whether or not people could lose their salvation. We find God asking this question in Ezekiel 18:24, "'But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sins and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live?'" God is asking, "Will he live, if he departs from his righteous ways?" And what was the answer? "'None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will DIE.'"

SOURCE: Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?

In Lieu of Ezekiel 33:12-13, it is clear that Ezekiel's warnings were to the unsaved self-righteous, not true believers: "When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered..." Anyone who trusts in "his own righteousness" was never saved to begin with!!! Carefully notice that the Bible says a man's righteousness won't be remembered if he trusts in his OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS. This is why Romans 10:3 warns people about trying to establish their OWN righteousness. 

In contrast, a man who trusts in the Lord for his salvation, even if he become backslidden—his good works will NOT be forgotten. Proof of this doctrine is in Hebrews 11:32 which lists king David as a great man of faith. Yet, it was David who impregnated Bathsheba in an adulterous affair and then murdered her husband, Uriah, in an attempt to hide his sin. David was a righteous man, not because of his own works; but because he trusted upon the Lord's imputed righteousness. Abraham BELIEVED GOD in Genesis 15:6, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 

What a wonderful God, who has made salvation free and simple! Are you trusting in your own self-righteousness? If you believe that you can lose your salvation, then you are indeed self-righteous my friend. Salvation is of God; not man. Please read, The Simplicity of Salvation by Dr. Jack Hyles. 

Mr. Brown is misguided and wrong to teach that believers can lose their salvation. In sharp contrast, the Word of God teaches that once a lost sinner is saved, they're always saved ... "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise ... And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). 

The moment a person trust Christ as Savior, that person is SEALED with the Holy Spirit (i.e., the Holy Spirit, God Almighty, comes to live inside that believer forever). The new birth in Christ is as irreversible as is our physical birth. 2nd Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." To claim that a believer can lose salvation is to say that one who is a new creature (i.e., born again) in Christ can become an old creature again. There is NO such teaching in the Scriptures. "Once saved, always saved" is biblically correct. The whole matter is put to rest by Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."