The once-saved-always-saved concept seems particularly popular among many Christians.  Maybe this philosophy is what causes so many so called Christians to have a laissez-faire attitude where they seem to lapse into a lifestyle mostly occupied with this world's capitalism while their involvement in doing God's will is on the back-burner, if not completely off the stove?

The important question is whether such an attitude is condoned by the scriptural teaching in regard to salvation ?

So what does the Bible say about this?

First it must be emphatically stated that a person needs to become a baptized Christian in order to be in line for salvation. The person must be old enough to make a personal choice that is binding for all eternity, and the baptism must be by immersion, not by water poured on the head. Thus if a child gets baptized, the child must be of an age that permits a promise everlasting in all seriousness.

1 Peter 3:21, "Which water in manner corresponding, doth, now, save, you also—even immersion,—not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the request unto God, for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (Rotherham)

1 Pet 3:21, "which figure also now saves you, even baptism, not a putting away of the filth of flesh, but the demand as before God of a good conscience, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (Darby)

The above emphasizes that minor children unable to make adult decisions shouldn't be baptized, it is only proper for God to consider such sanctified while they are minors through their parent/s baptism. In this way, if the End of this system of things were to occur during such time, the children would be saved by being under this umbrella.

1 Corinthians 7:14, "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy. " (DRC)

During the Israelite 40 year sojourn the children below 20 were not punished when God judged the nation and condemned many to die in the desert. Only the ones 20 and above were held responsible. This gives our young an idea about when they need to make up their mind to get baptized or not.

Numbers 14:29, "In this wilderness shall your carcases fall; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number from twenty years old and upwards, who have murmured against me." (Darby)

The inspired word is easy to understand and quite self-explanatory. Please read:

1 Corinthians 9:27, "but I chastise my body, and bring it into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others--I myself may become disapproved." (YLT)

Matthew 24:13, "but he who did endure to the end, he shall be saved." (YLT)
Philippians 2:12, "So that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out." (YLT)

These next scriptures show how salvation is dependent upon not sinning, upon endurance in fine works, the teaching of the gospel, and from repentance and the readjustment, the not sinning by willful practice while simultaneously chastising oneself – This is the way to salvation.

Jesus himself told his followers that anyone not producing fruit would be destroyed; his parable about the two building houses, one on sand and one on rock foundation, was punctuated by Jesus saying the the one building on sand is the one not doing what he is told. This fruit bearing consists in Christian Good Works.

John 15:1,2,6 I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the farmer. 2Every branch in me not bearing fruit, he removes it. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it, so that it may bear more fruit. 6 If any man does not dwell in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and are burned.

II Corinthians 4:13 And having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore we speak. (ACV)

1 Timothy 4:16, "Give heed to thyself and to the teaching; continue in them; for, doing this, thou shalt save both thyself and those that hear thee." (Darby)

That Christians who stray from the narrow path leading to life may perish is made abundantly clear in the Bible.

1 John 5:16-17 He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death, let him ask, and life shall be given to him, who sinneth not to death. There is a sin unto death: for that I say not that any man ask. (DRC)

James 5:19-20, "My brethren, if any of you err from the truth, and one convert him: 20He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins." (DRC)

Here salvation is connected to the truth and to the love of truth. Thus it becomes paramount that each individual Christian does what he can to abandon sectarian teachings and accept the simple Bible truths as they appear once the number of scriptures affecting a particular doctrine all have been combined and puzzled out.

Hebrews 10:26-27 For where we sin wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains any sacrifice for sins, 27but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and heat of fire about to devour the adversaries. (Darby)

(ASV) Hebrews 4:6-11, "Seeing therefore it remaineth that some should enter thereinto, and they to whom the good tidings were before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience, 7he again defineth a certain day, To-day, saying in David so long a time afterward (even as hath been said before), To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts. 8For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. 9There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. 11Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience."

This one final scripture here, but not the final one of this subject, shows how obedience to the commanded word is a must; it leads to salvation. Disobedience leads to death.