Eternal salvation, as Ephesians 2:8 clearly reveals, is by grace through faith, having nothing to do with our works. Whatever we have done, whatever we are doing, and whatever we shall do cannot affect our salvation. It is absolutely a matter of God’s grace through our faith in the Lord Jesus.
Salvation is not of our works (Eph. 2:9; Rom. 11:6). It does not depend on what we do, on what we are, nor on the way we behave ourselves. As it is by grace through our faith, it is no longer of our works; otherwise, grace is no longer grace.
The saved one shall never perish. Do not pay any attention to the teaching which says that we can be saved and lost again and again. John 10:28 and 29 are a strong word of assurance that the saved one shall never perish. The Lord Jesus said, “I give to them eternal life, and they shall by no means perish forever, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father Who has given them to Me is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (Recovery Version). The life we have received is the eternal life which nothing can terminate. And we have two hands holding us, the Lord’s hand of power and the Father’s hand of love, out of which nothing can snatch us. Our salvation is eternally secured by the eternal life and by the two divine hands.
First Corinthians 3:15 reveals that a saved one may not receive a reward but “suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire” (Gk.). We need to pay close attention to this verse and its context. Verse 8 says, “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” This verse indicates that here it is not a matter of salvation but of reward. In verse 12 we see two categories of materials with which we may build: gold, silver, and precious stones—the produce of the law of life; wood, hay, and stubble—the produce of the flesh. Verses 13 and 14 continue, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” Once again, it is not a matter of salvation but of reward. If a man’s work is burned, he shall suffer loss, but he shall not suffer perdition. “He himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.” Paul was very careful in writing this verse. He said that we may suffer loss but still be saved. Lest we think that since we shall still be saved there can be no problem, Paul said that we “shall be saved, yet so as through fire.” There is no need for me to interpret this verse. Simply take it as it is. It certainly is not a good thing to be saved “as through fire.” I do not know what kind of fire that will be, but I do not want to pass through it.
What we have been saying here is the pure word of God. It is not, as some have falsely said, the Catholic doctrine of purgatory. That is devilish. What we are doing here is simply quoting the pure word of God. We should not pick and choose verses out of the Bible according to our taste. Everyone loves John 3:16 and many have it written on a scroll hanging on a wall in their home. But I have never seen a scroll with 1 Corinthians 3:15 on it. Chapter three of 1 Corinthians is on the building of the church. Today God has only one concern—the building of the church. If we are right with God in this matter, we shall receive a reward. If not, we shall suffer loss but be saved “yet so as through fire.”
Hebrews 10:35 uses the word “reward,” and 10:27 speaks of “fiery zeal.” Moreover, 12:29 says, “Our God is also a consuming fire.” This consuming fire deals not with the faithful ones, but with the unfaithful, and it is not for reward but for punishment. As we have seen, such punishment has nothing to do with eternal perdition. We must always discern between punishment and perdition, just as we discern between reward and salvation.