Can A Christian Lose Their Salvation?

Sorry for the length of this post, but this is really important. Please take your time to go through all the Scriptures listed. Don't listen to me! Listen to the Word of God! 

 

I know I've posted on this topic many times, and I really didn't intend to do so again, but a friend on my blog asked me the question because she needed the information to help a friend. When a good pastor of mine was asked the same question... what verses in the Bible say we can lose our salvation, he said, the entire Bible!  It's true if you step back and look at the whole picture. God's salvation is, indeed, a free gift. We can do nothing to earn salvation. Nothing. But once we receive that gift, God expects our devotion to Him. It's not about "works", it's about a relationship and obedience. Think of it as a marriage proposal. The person accepts and the couple get engaged. The bride to be has to change her lifestyle, doesn't she? She can't continue dating and seeing other men. Not only that, but she must focus her attentions now on her upcoming marriage and on getting ready for the wedding AND for her new life with her husband. If she doesn't do that, but instead continues dating other men and doesn't plan at all for her wedding, no dress, no reception.. her thoughts are elsewhere, then the groom can come to the conclusion that she wasn't serious about getting married in the first place. 

 

 Before I list dozens of Scriptures from the Bible, let me address a few that the Once Saved Always Saved Crowd use

 

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

 

They say that we are sealed unto or until the day of redemption and someone who is sealed cannot be unsealed. First of all, there's no Scripture that says you cannot be unsealed. In fact, there are several that say you can be, but I want to focus on the word unto which they use to say that the sealing is permanent. It is the Greek word 

eis which translates into, unto, to, towards, for, among  and denotes a future action. The Person is sealed FOR the Day of Redemption, meaning that they will be permanently sealed When and If they make it. The "Sealing" is like an engagement ring.

Here's another one they use

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. John 10:29

Yes, no one is able to snatch you out of God's hands. But you can jump!

 

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

 

They say that "eternal" means eternal. I agree! But we haven't received our gift yet. Unless you are already in heaven, your gift is a future gift. 

 

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:23

 

True. But we haven't received the gift yet AND....

 

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:16

 

Being called by God doesn't mean you will be chosen!

 

 And here's a new heresy I've recently learned. It is being said now that Repentance or to Repent doesn't mean to turn from your sins, but rather to turn to Jesus and receive His Grace, to change your mind about Jesus and to trust in Him alone.  Some pastors are saying that Repenting from sins is following the Law! Nothing irks me more than hearing this heresy!

Repent in the New Testament is metanoeō and it means to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins, involves a turning with contrition from sin to God; the repentant sinner is in the proper condition to accept the divine forgiveness. (From Strongs Concordance)

Here's some Scriptures to prove my point

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, Matthew 3:7-8

 

Fruits worthy of repentance? Hmm. What could those be? If Repentance merely means receiving Jesus's free gift of salvation (which wasn't possible yet as John spoke these words), what are the fruits of that? 

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: Matthew 11:20

Jesus had not yet died and risen again, so what could he possibly mean by repent here?

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. Matthew 12:41

 

If repentance means to turn to jesus and trust Him for your salvation, how could the people of Nineveh repent before Jesus was even born?

 

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:4

And there it is... repentance is for the remission of sins. It is a turning away from a prior lifestyle of sin, changing your mind about your sinful lifestyle. It is the first step toward salvation...the next step is to believe in Jesus and trust Him for your salvation. 

 

And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. Luke 17:4

 

In the above, this person, who did something wrong to you, is coming to you and saying "I repent".  Is he saying he is changing his mind about Jesus? Or is he saying I'm sorry for what I did to you?

Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. Acts 8:22

No need to comment on that one.

A simple read through of Jesus's own letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3 will crush this heresy. Jesus was speaking to the churches, to Christians and each letter He issues a call to repent. If repentance simply means to change your mind about Jesus and trust in Him for salvation, then that makes no sense because obviously these churches had already done that!

 

Okay, now that I've disproved the verses used by OSAS, let me list the Scriptures that say you can actually lose your salvation.  Let me preface this by saying that I don't think it's easy to lose one's salvation. I think it would take a purposeful act of denying Jesus and walking away from the faith. Also, someone who once trusted in Jesus for their salvation but they walked away, not by their words of denial, but by their actions in which they lead a purposeful sinful life and have no relationship with Jesus at all. Were they ever saved? Perhaps most of them who do this weren't. Yet, you'll see from the Scriptures below, that there are some who really do walk away and who can lose their salvation.  

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’  Matthew 7:21-23

 

Some may say, well, that person was never saved then. Perhaps, but they sure thought they were!

 

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 ESV 

 

This sounds like Christians can, indeed, "Fall away" and yet only those who endure to the end will be saved. 

 

 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:37 ESV

 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  Mark 8:34

 

Hmm. Sounds like Jesus requires something out of us, after all.  

 

 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,  1 Timothy 4:1 

 

If you depart from the faith, then you must have been in the faith to begin with. Just saying....

 

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26 ESV

 

Wow, Harsh words from our Savior. He doesn't mean we should hate our family, only that He must be first in our lives. Whoops sounds like Lordship salvation.

 

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.  What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:20-22 ESV 

 

Really, that says it all, doesn't it? This is the person who got saved but went back into the world and stopped following Jesus 

 

And my personal favorite which can't be denied

 

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV

 

You cannot say that this person was not saved to begin with. Not unless you twist Scripture to your own interpretation 

 

And the ones (seed) on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing (temptation) fall away. Luke 8:13 ESV 

 

These people have received the Word... received Jesus, but when troubles come, they fall away.

 

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.  Revelation 3:5

 

Hmm Apparently someone's name can be blotted out of the book of life.

 

 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 10:26-29

 

I really can't add anything to the above Scripture and neither should these false teachers.

 

 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27

 

Paul, disqualified? Wow  If he can be disqualified.. well...

 I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:2

Sounds like we have to hold fast to our faith, to our salvation, to the Gospel or we would have believed in vain 

 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Hebrews 3:6

 

Check out the use of the word IF.  That indicates that something is required of us to keep our salvation.

 

Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3 

Honestly, I could go on and on with Scriptures. I'm not giving you my opinion. This all comes directly from the Word of God. Believe me, I wish with all my heart that salvation could not be lost because that would mean that my entire family, all of whom at one time said the prayer of salvation, would still be saved. But I cannot go against Scripture. I just can't.  Yes, Salvation is FREE but we have an obligation to keep it. God didn't remove our Free Will when we got saved. If we choose to walk away from God, we can. 

We all sin, but it's a matter of the heart. Are we repenting (oh no, there's that nasty word again) Are we walking daily with Jesus? Do we want to change and follow Him? That's all He requires. As long as we are trying and we have a continual relationship with Him!  Thank God for His Grace and Mercy!