Once a son, always a son.

Those who become God's children by faith never lose their sonship. 

We see the Father's tender and merciful heart in the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son. Even when he was lost, penniless because he had squandered his inheritance, and working among pigs—animals deemed unclean according to their law—the son was still a son. 

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)

Being born as God's child came not of blood (describing your first birth, when you came through your mama, John 3:3-7); it doesn't come through your own will or effort, but by the will of God. You can't make yourself His son, and you can't unmake yourself His son. 

We often describe eternal security as "once saved, always saved," and it's true. Once you are saved by faith, you are always saved. Once you are sealed by the Holy Spirit, you are always sealed. Once you are spiritually circumcised, you are always spiritually circumcised (Col. 2:10-13).

These are ways Scripture illustrates becoming born again. Once you are a son, you are always a son, just as my own son will always be mine. There is nothing he can do to change that. He was carried in my womb and birthed from my body, an irrefutable fact that literally NOTHING in the universe can change. It is truth. Likewise, those who have become God's children cannot undo their own sonship, and God (who cannot lie) has promised never to cast out or reject. 

Once God is your father, He is always your father.

You may be a wayward son.

You may be a disobedient son.

You may be a foolish son.

You may decide, like the prodigal in the parable, that you are not worthy to be a son and instead, just a servant. You may try to abandon your sonship. But that doesn't change the truth:

"And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." (Luke 15)

FOR THIS MY SON WAS DEAD.

Once a son, always a son.

"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" (Heb. 12:5-7)

The parable tells us that the prodigal had wasted his father's inheritance with "riotous living" and "harlots." Yet even when he was dead and lost, he was still his father's son. "For this my son was dead, and is alive again." 

God will chasten you. He will rebuke and scourge you. But He will not cast you out. Instead, like the father in the parable, He is watching for you. He will see you coming afar off and run to kiss you and gather you close with compassion and great joy. 

You may be a dead son.

You are still your father's son.

Come home.

---

Additional resources:

I first heard the term "once a son, always a son" from Onorato Diamante, an excellent minister of the gospel. I highly recommend the following messages:

• You can NEVER Lose Salvation: Once a son, always a son
• Spiritual circumcision PROVES eternal security
• Chastened & scourged but STILL saved | Absolute proof of eternal security
• The Book of Life PROVES eternal security | Once Saved Always Saved