Can a Christian lose his salvation?

This is an important question and what you believe will shape your view about the love of God and the nature of salvation itself. There are quite a number of Christians who believe from the depth of their hearts that salvation is not eternal, for them it can be lost. But is it true that salvation can be lost as many people out there affirm?

Other brethren also are of the opinion that a born again christian cannot lose his or her salvation. For them they believe, if you are in Christ Jesus, God will not suffer you to be ever separated from his love. Is their belief about the eternalness of salvation in unison with what God's word teaches? The best and only way we can find out the answer to this question is simply to look into the scriptures. 

Salvation is eternal 

It is clear from the scriptures that salvation is eternal: And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation-- Hebrews 5; 9 

If salvation in itself is eternal, then how can it be lost? If it can be lost, then it is truly not eternal as the bible describes it to be. Eternal means something which cannot be lost, it means something which endures forever. 

The author of Hebrews wrote this: Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them-- Hebrews 7; 25 

The author is simply saying that Jesus is able to save forever all those who come to God through him, because he always lives to make intercession for them. Jesus is able to save forever, which means if Jesus saves you, he saves you forever, never to lose you, because he always lives to intercede for you, and it is his intercession which secures your salvation. 

The bible describes the Christian as a new creation: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come--- 2 Corinthians 5; 17. For salvation to be lost, it means that God will have to exert his power to cause the person to go back to his unregenerate state. But this of course is not possible. 

We also know that salvation itself is a gratuitous gift of God to us. And we know that if God gives you a gift, there is no way he will take it back, for it is written: For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. The Greek word for "repentance" is "ametamelētos" and it means "irrevocable". This tells us that salvation being a gift of God to us is irrevocable. How is it possible to lose this gift of salvation which is without repentance?

Apostle Paul wrote by the Spirit: However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him-- Romans 8; 9. If you are destitute of the Holy Spirit you do not belong to Christ. In the book of Galatians it is written: Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"-- Galatians 4; 6.

The holy Spirit in us is enough evidence that we are children of God. The Holy Spirit is said to dwell with and in us forever, see (John 14; 16-17). If the Spirit will dwell in us forever, then how is it possible to lose our status as God's children? If the the holy Spirit can leave a believer, then truly a person can lose his salvation, but according to God's word, the holy Spirit will abide in us forever.

Jesus said: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one"-- John 10:27-30.

From the passage, Jesus highlights the fact that none of his sheep (believers) shall perish, for both him and his father are equally involved in the security of our salvation. How then can a Christian lose his salvation?

The author of Hebrews wrote this: "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more"-- (Hebrews 8; 12). It is highly preposterous for anyone to use sin as a yardstick to say that a Christian in whom the holy Spirit dwells can lose his salvation. Jesus Christ has borne all the sins we have committed and will commit, and has dealt with it on the cross. Sin cannot stand in competition with God's grace. The sins of our entire lives are forgiven and eternally forgotten by God. How then can sin be the reason for a Christian to lose his salvation?

God does not want to leave us in the dark respecting our eternal destiny, for which reason he has given us unambiguous scriptures to comfort, and to give us the full assurance we need to know that we are indeed saved once and for all time. I love what apostle John wrote in his epistle: These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life-- 1 John 5; 13.

I am not ignorant of certain passages which seems to mean that salvation can be lost, but those passages carefully read in context will reveal the otherwise. God bless you 

A thought to ponder 🤔 

  Eternal means something which cannot be lost, it means something which endures forever. 

We defend and exposit the truth of the gospel

Comments

  1. shadman's MusingsSeptember 15, 2025 at 9:24 AM

    As always, you nail it with Scripture after Scripture, showing what God says to His people about our being secure in Christ. Why would the God the Holy Spirit inhabit those that would turn their backs on Christ, or those that were not redeemed at all? Makes zero sense. God draws us to Himself because we are incapable of responding to Him. We are dead in our sins and dead people cannot respond to anything! Sorry, your blogs inspire me. Never stop! Thank you, brother!

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  2. AMBOY CHAMBLISSeptember 15, 2025 at 9:32 PM

    We have many portions in the Word that a person cannot loose there salvation;
    1) The outward proof-the proof by the the Bible without: Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." This word was spoken by the Lord Jesus Himself.
    2). " For whoever call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). This is a sure word by the apostle Paul.
    -The two statements above prove that once a person believes and is baptized, calling on the name of the Lord, he is immediately saved. This fact should be recognized and acknowledged immediately without dependance on human feelings.
    3) "He who hears my words and believes Him [the heavenly Father] who sent me has eternal life, and will not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life" (John 5:24). The Lord Jesus said this to us with full assurance.
    4) "He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. I write these things to you that you may know that you have eternal life, to you who believe into the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:12-13) This is a word testified by the Apostle John.
    5) John 1:12-13 This is also a word testified by the Apostle John, indicating that the Lord Jesus gives to those who receive Him by faith, that is, to those who believe into the Lord Jesus to be born of God, regenerated by God to become children of God. This is also proven by the words of the Bible and not determined by human feelings.
    6) The Inward Proof- The Proof by the Holy Spirit in our spirit.
    7) " The Spirit Himself [the Holy Spirit of God] witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God." When we believe in the Lord Jesus, receive Him as our Savior, God give His Holy Spirit to us, putting His Spirit into our spirit (Ezek. 36:27). This Holy Spirit is in us to be with us eternally (John 14:17).
    8) The Proof of Love-The Proof by the Experience of Life.
    9) "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God, and everyone who loves Him who begets, loves Him who has been begottenof Him" (1 John 5:1). Once we believe that Jesus is the Christ, we are born of God. God is love(1 John 4:16), and the life of God is also the life of love. Therefore, everyone who is begotten of God loves God and loves him who has been begotten of God, him who is a brother in the Lord.
    10) "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers" ( 1 John 3:14). This word states that, as believers, our love for the brothers in the Lord is a proof that we have God's eternal life. Loving the brothers in the Lord is an experience in the eternal life of God after we have believed in the Lord.
    -Therefore, whether it is by the definite word of the Bible, by the witnessing of the Holy Spirit in our spirit, or by our experience of love in life, we may know assuredly that we are saved. Furthermore, the Salvation that we have received is an eternal salvation (Heb. 5:9). Once we have received this salvation, we shall by no means perish forever, and no one can snatch us out of the Lord's and the heavenly Father's hand (John 10:28-29).
    "Behold, God is my salvation...and my song...Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation" (Isa. 12:2-3). AMEN!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 19, 2025 at 10:50 AM

    Amen brother Donaldson! Grace be with you, the Lord Jesus be with your spirit...

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousSeptember 19, 2025 at 10:52 AM

    May we have more fellowship in the universal Body of Christ!

    ReplyDelete

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