Saved by Faith Alone? What Is Being Saved?

Question: The Bible says, “For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10: 10). We’ve been saved through our faith in Jesus Christ. Remember: Once saved, always saved. When He comes, we will enter the kingdom of heaven.

Answer: “Once saved, one is always saved and will enter the kingdom of heaven.” This is how we interpret God’s work. But it is totally against God’s word. Lord Jesus never said one can enter the kingdom of heaven after being saved by faith, but that only he who does the will of the heavenly Father will enter. Only the word of Lord Jesus is the authority and the truth. Man’s imagination is not the truth, not the standard of entering the kingdom of heaven. We say that we are “saved by faith.” But “being saved” only means our sins are forgiven; we won’t be condemned or put to death by the law.

It doesn’t mean that we can follow God’s way, break away from sin and be holy, nor that we can enter the kingdom of heaven. We are forgiven of our sins “by faith,” but the sinful nature still remains. We can still sin and resist God, living in a circle of sinning and confessing. How can such people enter the kingdom of heaven? The Bible says no man shall see the Lord without holiness. If a habitual sinner can enter the kingdom of heaven, it’s against the real situation in the kingdom of heaven. Do we dare say there are filthy and corrupt habitual sinners in the kingdom of heaven? Have we ever heard of a filthy evil person in the kingdom of heaven? The Lord is righteous and holy. Would He let a habitual sinner into the kingdom of heaven? Jesus once said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant stays not in the house for ever: but the Son stays ever” (John 8:34-35). Therefore, people bound by sin and who aren’t holy can’t enter the kingdom of heaven. If they can enter because they’re saved by faith, then why did the Lord Jesus say “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven”? Why did He say He would separate sheep from goats and tares from wheat? Therefore, “entering the kingdom of heaven after being saved by faith” is untenable. This point of view contradicts the word of the Lord Jesus!