Does Galatians 6:7-8 Mean Eternal Security, Once Saved Always Saved, is WRONG? – Once Saved.org
 
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Does Galatians 6:7-8 Mean Eternal Security, Once Saved Always Saved, is WRONG?

February 5, 2023
| Gary
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In this video, we’re going to look at Galatians 6:7-8, where Paul has a stern warning for us not to be deceived, saying that whoever sows to the flesh will reap corruption. Someone wrote to me about these verses, asking what they mean, especially as it relates to eternal security and Once Saved, Always Saved. I’ve also seen these verses used a number of times by people who don’t believe in eternal security to supposedly prove that a saved believer can lose their salvation. How about it? Is this the death of Once Saved, Always Saved? Is this saying that a saved believer can lose salvation if they sow to the flesh? Nope. That’s not even close to what these verses are saying. You want proof? Let’s look into it. 

Here are the verses from Galatians 6 that present a stern warning from Paul. Paul wrote:

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8 KJV)

Those who say you can lose your salvation often point to this as a stern warning to believers, beginning with the words, “Be not deceived,” which means it’s possible for a believer in Christ to be deceived. They say this verse is clearly teaching that if a saved believer chooses to live for the pleasures of this world instead of living for Christ and obeying Christ’s commandments, then that believer will only reap corruption, spending an eternity in hell, instead of experiencing life everlasting. So, you had better obey and not seek the things of the flesh, or your salvation could be lost.
 
Well, it should not take long to disprove this flawed and erroneous teaching. Because, once again, the error in this teaching comes about by looking at the verses in isolation, taking them out of context, not connecting them to the verses before and after, and not even being consistent with the topic the author is talking about.
 
Galatians 6:7-8 do not disprove eternal security or Once Saved, Always Saved. In these verses, Paul is not talking about eternal security or the topic of salvation at all. These verses have nothing to do with eternal security. And to take them out of context and apply them to salvation only inflicts fear among believers and leads people astray into false teaching.
 
To understand these verses, we have to look at them in context, how they support the point Paul is making both before and after the verses. 
 
What is the topic or theme of these verses? Let’s begin by putting these verses in context.
 
Paul ended chapter 5 by saying: 
 
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25 KJV)
 
That’s the topic Paul introduced at the end of chapter 5. If we have placed our faith in Christ, then God’s Holy Spirit lives in us. We live in the Spirit. In fact, Paul goes further in Romans to say that we are no longer in the flesh at all.
 
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” (Romans 8:9 KJV)
 
A saved Christian is no longer in the flesh. Paul confirms this also in 2 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.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV)
 
A saved Christian does not have two natures: a sin nature, also called the flesh, plus a new nature in the Spirit. We’re not divided beings, having two natures. ALL THINGS have become new. That old nature is gone. It’s been made new. That doesn’t mean we no longer commit any sins of the flesh, for our minds have to be trained to follow Christ. But that old sinful nature of who we were before Christ is gone.
 
That’s why Paul says in Romans that if you have the Spirit of God in you, in other words, if you are saved, then you “are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” As saved believers, we are no longer in the flesh. We live in the Spirit.
 
So, if we are saved and live in the Sprit, what are we to do? 
 
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25 KJV). 
 
All saved believers live in the Spirit. Paul is encouraging believers to now also walk in the Spirit. In other words, live it out in your daily lives. We are to live our daily lives by walking in the Spirit. That’s the topic Paul is talking about. That’s how he ends chapter 5.
 
Now, in chapter 6, Paul continues that same theme by giving us three examples of what it means to walk in the Spirit. First, he says someone who is walking in the Spirit will give of himself by helping to restore others who have fallen into sin.  
 
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1-2 KJV) 
 
Second, to walk in the Spirit means we are to think rightly about ourselves, walking in humility before God, not pridefully thinking we are better than others by comparing ourselves with others, but properly valuing ourselves based on the work we ourselves do for Christ. 
 
“For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.” (Galatians 6:3-5 KJV)
 
The third example of walking in the Spirit is that of sharing material blessings, specifically money. 
 
“Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.” (Galatians 6:6 KJV)  
 
The word, “communicate” is the Greek word “koinōneō,” which means “to come into communion or fellowship with, to become a sharer.” Those who receive spiritual blessings by being taught the Word of God should share material blessings (money) with those who teach. 
 
Paul is introducing the topic of sowing and reaping, how we use what God has given us to either benefit ourselves or others. That’s the context for Galatians 6:7-8. He’s not talking about salvation at all. He’s talking about money, how we use our earthly possessions to sow into the Kingdom of God so that we reap eternal blessings. How we use our money shows whether we are walking in the Spirit. That’s where Paul then gives us this warning: 
 
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8 KJV)
 
Paul is not talking about salvation in these verses. He’s talking about sowing, using what we have here on earth to either to build into God’s Kingdom or instead spend it on ourselves. And he’s talking about reaping, either spiritual rewards that will last forever or earthly rewards that will perish.  “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption” – If our priority is to spend what we have on ourselves, then what do we reap? Or what reward will we get? Corruption – that which perishes, that which will not last for eternity. 
 
Even if you took this verse out of context to be talking about eternal salvation, it still fails the test. For it says, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall OF THE FLESH reap corruption.” It doesn’t say, “OF THE SOUL reap corruption,” meaning his soul would perish in hell. At best you could say he would physically die – his flesh would reap corruption.
 
But that’s not what Paul is talking about at all. Paul is talking about sharing material blessings with others and, in particular, with those who teach the Word of God. That is an example of someone walking in the Spirit. Paul is not merely saying that we should give so that others will have their physical needs met. He’s saying that the one who gives or sows into God’s Kingdom will reap the greater blessing, eternal blessings from what he has sown. “he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” 
 
Warren Wiersbe, a really sound Bible teacher and published author, wrote concerning this verse: “Money sown to the Spirit will produce life…and in that harvest will be seeds that can be planted again for another harvest, and on and on into eternity.” When we sow into the work of God by giving money, what we reap is eternal rewards that we will get by producing a harvest of souls that will be saved, leading others to eternal life. The “life everlasting” in verse 8 is not just talking about YOUR everlasting life. Paul is talking about reaping a harvest of everlasting life that will be produced when we invest in a ministry that leads many to Christ. Winning souls to Christ is reaping life everlasting. We sow by investing our money in ministries. What we reap from that is that, for all eternity, there are souls who will be saved.
 
We can see that this is the correct meaning by examining the very next verses, where Paul is STILL talking about sharing material blessings with others, especially those who serve in the church. That’s the consistent theme, for Paul continues by writing: 
 
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10 KJV)
 
We are to demonstrate that we are walking in the Spirit by sharing material blessings, such as money, with those in need, “especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
 
Chapter 6:7-8 are not even talking about salvation, let alone how you could lose your salvation. That is a butchering of the Word of God by taking these verses completely out of context and trying to apply them where they don’t belong. That’s what people who say that you can lose your salvation do all the time. They take verses out of context to support their erroneous beliefs. 
 
But aren’t we supposed to obey God’s Word. Yes, absolutely, every Word of it. But that’s Discipleship – What happens AFTER we are saved. Our obedience doesn’t save us, and it doesn’t keep us saved.
 
We are saved only by God’s grace through faith in Christ.  Ephesians 2:
 
“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.
 
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)
 
The word “grace” means, “unmerited favor.” Nothing we do earns our salvation. Nothing we do causes God to let us keep our salvation. We are saved “unto good works.” The good works don’t save us or keep us saved. The good works follow salvation and give us evidence that we are saved. That’s discipleship. Salvation and discipleship are not the same.
 
 
The Bottom Line Is this: Always look at a verse in context, what comes before and after. Never try to interpret a verse in isolation. Also, God’s Word will NEVER contradict itself. There are many, many verses on eternal security that are very clear. You can’t disregard all of them and say, “Yes, but over here it says differently.” No. God’s Word never contradicts itself. If there’s a conflict, then at least one of the interpretations is wrong. Always look for harmony.
 
 
So, for example, in 1 Peter 1, Peter writes a very clear statement about our eternal security:
 
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance INCORRUPTIBLE, and UNDEFILED, and that FADETH NOT AWAY, RESERVED in heaven for you, Who are KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5 KJV)
 
Look at all those words of eternal security:
  • INCORRUPTIBLE – Our salvation cannot be corrupted by you or anyone else.
  • UNDEFILED – Your sin cannot defile it.
  • FADETH NOT AWAY – It can never be lost, taken from you, or forfeited.
  • RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU – It’s protected in heaven for you and it’s not going anywhere.
  • KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD – It is God Who keeps us saved.
If you could never save yourself to begin with, why would you think that it’s now up to you and your obedience to keep yourself saved. God keeps us saved. It says it right here. That’s why He gave us His indwelling Holy Spirit, so that that if we drift toward apostasy, or sin, toward becoming lost, the Holy Spirit is right there in us to lead us back to truth.
 
So, you can’t ignore verses like this that teach eternal security and then say, “Yes, but over in Hebrews 10, it says you can lose salvation by willful sin.” No, it doesn’t say that all. That would contradict the teaching of 1 Peter 1 as well as many other verses. God’s Word can never contradict itself. There’s always harmony and consistency in the Word of God. So, if you come across a verse like in Hebrews 10 that seems to say you could lose salvation, that means your interpretation of at least one of these verses is wrong. There can never be a conflict in the Word of God. You resolve that difference by looking at the verses in context, what’s said before and after the verses, and what the topic is that the author is writing about, such as in Galatians 6, where the topic is not even about salvation but about finances, about how you use your money to reap and sow and thereby walk in the Spirit.
 
For those who believe you can lose your salvation, the real core problem is that you don’t believe the Gospel. You don’t really believe that Christ saved you, and that’s a dangerous position to be in. Yes, you believe the truth about Christ, how He died on the cross to pay for your sins and rose from the dead, but for you, that’s only part of salvation. You’ve got to live a holy life and prove your worthiness and obedience, or you won’t be saved. So, ultimately, your salvation depends on you, not on Christ. That’s blasphemy. That’s not the Gospel.
 
That’s what Paul referred to in Galatians 1:6 as “another gospel:”
 
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:” (Galatians 1:6 KJV)
 
False teachers were coming into the Galatian church saying, “Yes, Christ died for your sins, but you also have to obey to keep yourself saved.” They were telling the Galatian believers that they had to obey feast days and other commandments, or they could lose their salvation, to which Paul replied:
 
“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3 KJV)
 
God saved you out of His grace, His unmerited favor. Is it now up to you to keep yourself saved?
 
I ask you: Who keeps you saved? Is it you and your obedience? Or is it God and His Power?
 
From the Psalms:
 
“For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Psalm 56:13 KJV)
 
Or from Jude:
 
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25 KJV)
 
It is God Who saves us. It is God Who keeps us from falling after we are saved. There will not be even one saved Christian who will lose their salvation, because it is God Who keeps us saved. God keeps us from falling. That’s why we have an indwelling Holy Spirit in us.
 
In Jesus’ own Words:
 
“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of ALL which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that EVERY ONE which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40 KJV)
 
There is not even one example in the New Testament of a saved Christian losing salvation. It will never happen because God saves us and then keeps us from falling. Believe the Gospel. If you have falling into this false teaching that it’s possible to lose your salvation, repent of that. You have believed a lie. Believe the Gospel that Christ saves us and keeps us saved. We can therefore enter into His rest and rest in Him.
 
But maybe you are unsure whether you are saved at all. What do you do then? The same thing: Believe the Gospel. Believe the Gospel that Christ is God in the flesh Who loves you and died on the cross to pay for your sins, was buried and then rose again the third day. He paid your debt of sin for you to satisfy God’s perfect holy standard.

If you ARE NOT a Christian or if you are UNSURE of your salvation:

CHOOSE TODAY to believe in Christ to save you, believing that He died on the cross to pay for all your sins and rose from the dead to give you eternal life, and that He will not only save you but will keep you saved forever. 

Whatever you do, and no matter how badly you may have blown it in the past, don’t think for a second that God has given up on you.  

The Lord’s Desire is to Save You!
He is For You, Not Against You.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV)

Did you get that? It is not the Lord’s desire that even one person should perish. It is not too late. If you think that, that’s just the enemy talking, trying to get you to give up on God. Don’t give in to that negative thought. God is for you, not against you, and He desires you with an everlasting love. He longs to pour out blessings upon you. Let Him.

So, if you are not 100% sure of your salvation, my closing wish for you is this:

Make Sure You Are Saved Right Now! Don’t put it off.

Jesus said:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47 KJV)

Salvation = God’s Grace Alone Through Faith Alone In Christ Alone

Believing the Gospel means placing your entire trust in Christ for your salvation, believing that He:

  1. Died for your sins
  2. Was buried 
  3. Rose from the dead

As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

Nothing more. Nothing less. There are no other requirements to be saved than to believe in Jesus. Once you place your faith in Christ for your salvation, you are born again, and you are forever a child of God. Our Father is a good Father Who will never abandon you but will preserve you in the faith and never let you go. 

If you are not certain about your salvation, time is getting very late. Don’t take the chance of missing out on God. 

Making Sure You Are Saved Is As Easy As ABC

Admit to God that you have sinned.

Believe that Jesus, God’s Son, died to pay for
your sins 100%, was buried and rose from the dead.

Call upon Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you.

If you make that decision to call upon Him, God gives you this assurance:

“For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13 KJV)

Thank you for watching.

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