Thread: Can a Christian Lose His,or Her Salvation?
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Can a Christian Lose His,or Her Salvation?
Posted : 28 Dec, 2011 03:22 PM
Can a Christian Lose His or Her Salvation?
by Greg Johnson
One major debate within Christian circles is the question of whether or not a Christian can lose his or her salvation. Arminians argue that true believers can sin so much that they lose their faith and perish. Some Christians respond by arguing that once a person professes faith in Jesus, he is eternally secure in his salvation and�even if he commits complete apostasy ("falls away") and vocally rejects Jesus Christ�will still go to heaven, for "once saved, always saved." In light of the biblical doctrine of predestination, how should we understand the security we have under God's care? There have been three main approaches to the question:
1. Classic Arminianism
� One must persevere in faith to be saved.
� True believers can lose their faith.
� Those dying without faith in Christ are condemned.
"The believer who loses his faith is damned."
2. Antinomianism
� One need not persevere in faith to be saved.
� True believers can lose their faith.
� Those who lose their faith are saved, since they once believed.
"The believer who loses his faith is saved."
3. Classic Calvinism
� One must persevere in faith to be saved.
� True believers cannot lose their faith, since it's God's gift.
� Those dying without faith in Christ are condemned.
� Those who "lose" their faith never had it to begin with.
� God will preserve true believers and they will be saved.
"The 'believer' who loses his faith never really had it�or at least it wasn't in Jesus."
Proponents of the first two approaches quote biblical references, but each must strain to explain away the other group's biblical data. How can an Arminian read Romans 8, then tell true believers that they may screw up and go to hell??? Then again, how can Charles Stanley read Hebrews 6 and 10 and tell unbelievers who once professed faith not to worry, that they will be saved??? Any true biblical teaching must "fit" with ALL the biblical data, without pitting one text against another and without having to explain away a single "jot or tittle" of God's inerrant Word. I believe that only the classical Calvinist model takes into account all of the biblical data.
Arminians are right when they say the Bible teaches that only those who persevere will be saved, and they're right in accusing Antinomians of easy-believism and cheap grace. Antinomians (they wouldn't use the term) are right in telling committed believers that they are secure in Christ and "once saved, always saved." But both of these views are wrong is assuming that a true believer can lose his faith and fall away from Christ. Faith is "a gift of God�not by works, lest any man boast." Paul was confident that, since Christ had begun a good work in believers, He would continue that work until completion (Phil. 1). John said that those who fell away were never really true Christians, since true believers don't leave the faith (1 John 2:19).
Scripture teaches that believers must persevere until the end, but also that believers will persevere until the end by God's grace. As the Westminster Assembly concluded, Christians might temporarily yield to Satan's temptations, even to excess, but like Peter when he denied Christ three times, God will still restore and preserve the faith of the Christian, a faith which God gave in the first place! Peter went on to be chief among the apostles! Two biblical principles must be held side-by-side:
1. You Must Persevere until the End: God's Requirement of His People
God does not merely command us to begin to believe for a time, and then fall away. He requires us to continue to believe until the end, living lives of repentance and covenant faithfulness. Granted, He does not ask for a perfect faith, but He does ask for a real faith, one that produces real, lasting change.
� Colossians 1:21-23
� 1 John 1:5-10; 3:3-6
� Hebrews 10:26-31
� Hebrews 12:1
2. You Will Persevere Until the End: God's Preservation of His People
We will persevere because God preserves us. God will keep us from falling�not one will be lost of all those who belong to the Son. True believers are not able to leave Christ, for Christ is at work within them.
� John 6:38-40
� John 10:28-29
� Romans 8:28-39
� Philippians 1:4-6
� Philippians 2:12-13
� 1 John 2:19
This first set of texts cannot be used to refute the second (Arminianism); nor can the second set of texts be used to refute the first (cheap grace). The point that makes the two compatible is the biblical teaching that faith (while commanded of everyone) is a gift from God to His elect. If faith is simply a human action of a free will, then it can be lost. But if saving faith is God's gift, then it cannot be lost. Can professing Christians fall away? Yes, and they will perish. Can true Christians fall away? No, for they are kept by the invincible power of God in Christ. The Bible teaches us that professing Christians who leave the faith were never truly believers (1 John 2:19; and notice the qualification even in Hebrews 10:39).
"They, whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved." �Westminster Confession of Faith 17.1, drafted by the Westminster Assembly at the request of the British Parliament 1643-47
*** NO !!!...a Born Again Christian CAN NOT lose Salvation...and a person that is NOT Born Again...well...they CANT LOSE SOMETHING THEY AINT GOT...except their Soul...and the Arminian part in the Article ???...:zzzz:...
Mat 13
Mark 4
Luke 8
I believe ALL denominations are part of this Parable...even Calvinists...:winksmile:...xo
Knowing salvation is secure is one of the greatest truths taught in the Bible. It was the reason the apostle John wrote his first epistle: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of G-d so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13) You can know you have eternal life when you believe the Word of G-d. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned." (John 5:24).
The relationship G-d the Father has with His children is an eternal relationship. It is similar to the unchanging relationship we have with our physical parents. To all who have received the Messiah, "to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of G-d -- children not born of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of G-d." (John 1:12,13)
Most people go through life hoping they will go to heaven when they die. They hope, after living a good enough life, they will receive favor from G-d and a place in His Kingdom. Many church goers believe they receive salvation through water baptism, but they can lose it by committing sins, backsliding or falling away from the faith. the believers, on the other hand, are not governed by reason, but by revelation -- the revelation of G-d's Word. Those who depend on their personal character, performing good works, or adhering to a religious system, realize the assurance of salvation is impossible. They will never know if they have ever done enough. It seems absurd to put your faith in what you can do instead of what G-d has done. When salvation depends on G-d there is no chance for failure. To propose that one could lose his salvation would attack the very nature and character of G-d, His glorious works, and His infallible Word. Those who believe G-d's word know that "salvation by grace" means everything depends upon the source of grace -- Y-shua the Messiah.
Believers are often accused of being self-righteous and boastful because they know for sure they are going to heaven. The accusers fail to understand it is not what man does for G-d that qualifies him for heaven, but what G-d has done for man. G-d made His holy and perfect Son become sin for us, so we could become the righteousness of G-d in the Messiah. "We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Y-shua the Messiah, once for all... by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Hebrews 10:10,14) Y-shua made the decision He would rather go to hell for us than to go to heaven without us.
Can serious sin cause someone to lose their eternal life? We know that all sin is serious enough to separate us from G-d but believers have an advocate who has paid the price for all past and future sins. The apostle John encouraged believers not to sin, "but if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Y-shua the Messiah, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 2:1-2) This comforting truth is also revealed in Hebrews 7:25: "He (Y-shua) is able to save completely those who come to G-d through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them."
Is it possible to turn your back on G-d and lose your salvation? Y-shua said no one has the power to do so. "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish...My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:28-29) The Father indeed has the power to assure the life Y-shua gives is everlasting, not temporal or perishable.
Can a repentant sinner simply believe the Gospel and be assured of eternal life? The Apostle Paul makes it very clear: "You also were included in the Messiah when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
The gift of salvation is secured forever by the faithfulness of G-d. He promises never to take back the gifts He has given. "G-d's gifts and His call are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29) His "promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed" to those who have the faith. (Romans 4:16) "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works, if it were, grace would no longer be grace" (Romans 11:6). Paul is making it crystal clear that salvation can only be assured when a repentant sinner receives it as a gift of G-d's grace. Anyone who believes salvation can be earned nullifies G-d's grace and His promises that come with it. Whenever man is involved in attaining and preserving salvation there can be no assurance.
To understand our eternal security in the Messiah it is essential to correctly understand salvation itself. Eternal Life is a free gift. We did not earn it by our merit; we cannot lose it by demerit.
1.On the cross, Y-shua the Messiah died and paid for all of our sins; past, present and future. (Isaiah 53:4-6, Isaiah 53:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; John 19:30)
2.Eternal life is just that --- eternal. It can never cease or be interrupted in any way. (John 3:16 ; Hebrews 5:9; 1 John 5:11,13)
3.At the moment of salvation, we are imputed with the Righteousness of Y-shua the Messiah. That is His Righteousness is eternally deposited to our account with G-d. (Romans 4:3, Romans 4:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30)
4.At the same time, all sins were blotted out and forgotten. This is called Expiation in theolgy. (Colossians 2:13, Colossians 2:14; Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 103:3; Hebrews 10:17)
5.When one believes in the Messiah as Savior, he is born from above, and created as a new spiritual creature. (John 3:6) 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5)
6.In the instant of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and seals him as the eternal possession of G-d. (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 4:30)
7.The believer is transferred out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of Y-shua the Messiah. (Colossians 1:13,14)
8.G-d sees every believer as already resurrected, glorified and seated with Y-shua the Messiah in heaven. (Ephesians 2:4-7; Colossians 2:8-13, Colossians 3:1-4; Romans 8:28-30)
9.Y-shua the Messiah personally guarantees the eternal security of the believer, holding us by His power. (John 10:28, 29; 1 Peter 1:5)
10.All sin in the life of the believer results in broken fellowship with G-d, (1 John 1:6,7) Divine discipline, (Hebrews 12:5-11) and loss of eternal reward (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) but not loss of salvation. We are restored to fellowship by confession and correction.
(1 John 1:7-9)
11. If a believer sins persistently, discipline will intensify to the point of death, but his salvation is secure. (1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 1 John 5:16)
this subject is very complex, as i stated before, God knows the end from the begining so if your saved your whole life and then fall away from the faith right before you die, the faith you had your whole life didnt matter becasue you didnt endure till the end and those who endure till the end are the only one who will be saved! therfor you arent gonna be saved until the end!
Joh 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for you think in them you have everlasting life. And they are the ones witnessing concerning Me.
Joh 5:40 And you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
Joh 6:36 But I said to you that you also have seen Me and did not believe.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives to Me shall come to Me, and the one coming to Me I will in no way cast out.
Joh 6:38 For I have come down out of Heaven, not that I should do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Joh 6:39 And this is the will of the Father sending Me, that of all that He has given Me, I shall not lose any of it, but shall raise it up in the last day.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of the One sending Me, that everyone seeing the Son and believing into Him should have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3;16-17
THIS BEING TRUE, CONSIDER THE INSPIRED WORDS OF GOD SPOKEN BY JESUS, HIS HOLY PROPHETS, AND APOSTLES AND THEIR GOD INSPIRED HARMONY:
JESUS SAID:
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Matt. 12:31-32
Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of
men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never
forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. MARK 3:28-29
THE REASON HE SAID IT:
Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. MARK 3:30
DESPISING AND INSULTING THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD WILL CAUSE ANYONE TO LOSE
THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST FOREVER. FOR IT IS AN EVIL THOUGHT THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE HEART AND DEFILES THE MAN OR WOMAN PERMANENTLY.
THESE ARE THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE MATTER
And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them,
Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can
defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they
that defile the man.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
And when he was entered into the house from the people, his
disciples asked him concerning the parable.
And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the
man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil
eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. MATT 7:14-23
NOW CONSIDER THE LORD TO THE PROPHET EZEKIEL:
Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin,
and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
Ezekiel 3: 20-21
NOW CONSIDER THE APOSTLES OF JESUS CHRIST:
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. Hebrews 6:4-9
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses� law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:26-31
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
2 Peter 2: 20-22
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:19
For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. LUKE 8:17-18
******NOTE, THEY ALL ECHO THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST*****
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief, in departing from the living God
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of
our confidence stedfast unto the end; HEBREWS 3:12-14
