There are times in every Christian’s life when they wonder if they’ve done something so wrong, so egregious, they fear they’ve lost their salvation. For some others, the realization of a wrongful act causes them to say, “Whew. I’m glad I can’t lose my salvation. I’d be in a world of hurt.” What does the Bible say about this important matter? Can you lose your salvation?
What Does the Bible Say about Salvation?
The theme of salvation is woven throughout Scripture, both in its issuance and absence. The words used in the Old Testament and New to indicate salvation include to save, help, redeem, rescue, and deliver, among others.
Salvation is spoken of as physical and spiritual (in the sense of confidence in God). In all uses of any words that mean salvation, the initiator is God. Suppose someone, like King David, was saved from enemies (spiritual, emotional, or physical). In that case, God is the One who sees to the salvation, albeit as a temporal condition, because one can be attacked again in this life (King David was attacked multiple times). Temporal salvation is seen in verses like Judges 15:18, 1 Samuel 11:9, and Psalm 14:7.
Eternal salvation is wholly a work of God, for no human can save himself. Eternal salvation is described in Isaiah 51:6 when the Lord God says through Isaiah, “My salvation will be forever.” Our most common understanding of salvation comes from John 3:16-17. It’s the heart of the Gospel; the passage tells us Jesus came to save us and to give us eternal life (cf. John 1:29).
Does the Bible Say Salvation Is Secure?
To be succinct, yes. Let’s see in the Bible where we go to discover this truth.
Romans 8:30 – God is the Initiator. Those whom He predestined He called. And those He calls He justifies. And one day, glory!
John 3:16 – Once again, we see God as the One who is the Author of our faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:2).
Hebrews 6:18-20 – Our hope in Him for eternal salvation is secure because God decrees it, and it is impossible for God to lie.
Hebrews 10:14 – Christ has perfected us for all time. What He has done cannot and will not be undone. Just as we did nothing but surrender to Him to gain salvation, there is nothing we can do to lose our salvation. It’s Christ’s efficacious work, not ours.
1 John 5:11-13 – God has given us eternal life in Jesus. God never lies nor goes back on a promise.
Ephesians 1:13 – “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” Steven Lawson says, “The Holy Spirit permanently seals in Christ all whom He draws to faith. Once born again, none can ever be unborn. Once a believer, none can ever become an unbeliever. Once saved, none will ever become unsaved. God will preserve them in faith forever, and they will persevere until the end.”
Romans 11:29 – God’s gifts and His calling are unchangeable!
An important point we must consider is this. If a person is a true Christian, they will never lose their salvation
What Does the Bible Say Proves We Have Salvation?
When Jesus met with Nicodemus, He explained that unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God because the flesh begets flesh and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Jesus repeated Nicodemus must be born again. A puzzled Nicodemus exclaimed, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:3-4). In our everyday vernacular, a baby cannot be unborn. So too when a person becomes a Christian, he cannot “go back” to what he once was (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This question about what the Bible says that proves our salvation was posed to Pastor Greg Laurie, who answered it this way:
“Can a Christian lose his or her salvation? Once you are saved, can you become unsaved? When I hear questions like these, my thought is, Why would you want to push the envelope? What concerns me is there are people who want to know how they can be saved and still live as though they are not. That is a dangerous proposition.
We are told in Titus 2:11-14, ‘For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.... He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.’
Is that a description of your life today as a follower of Jesus? Are you totally committed to doing what is right? If you really have been saved, then there will be results in your life. Jesus said, ‘Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions’ (Matthew 7:20). People should be able to see spiritual fruit, changes in your life that will indicate to them that you are a true follower of Jesus Christ.
Writing to the church of Laodicea, Jesus said, ‘I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!’ (Revelation 3:15-16).
Rather than trying to live in two worlds, it is far better to live as close to God as you possibly can.”
(Excerpted from "A Dangerous Proposition" from Harvest Ministries (used by permission).
Laurie may not answer the question directly, but he reminds readers of the larger picture: the Bible says our salvation will show spiritual fruit, good works, etc. The better question for us is, “If my life isn’t showing spiritual fruit, do I need to reexamine my life to consider whether I got saved in the first place?” This requires a strong, spiritual examination as one goes before the Lord with a contrite and lowly heart seeking His answers and will. When faced with the great acts of biblical persons, fellow believers, and others whose works for the Lord seem to outshine what we do, we need to look to God, not them. For only God knows men’s hearts (Luke 16:15).
Ask the Lord to reveal any sins, including the sin of a false confession of faith. Confess and repent and thank God for His grace and mercy. Make sure you understand the Gospel, acknowledge His sacrifice, and surrender to Jesus. Then lead your new life with joy and assurance.
Does Backsliding Mean I’ve Lost My Salvation?
An important distinction for us to keep in mind as we look at backsliding is the role and authority of the Holy Spirit in the lives of covenant keepers in the Old Testament vs. New Covenant believers, who are filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, God initiated the covenants with His people, namely the Israelites. Their station with Him depended upon their obedience to His commands. Time and again, they backslid; they turned away from Almighty God to follow other gods.
The prophets used the word backsliding to describe their unfaithfulness and to turn away from God. God is forever faithful in everything He is and in everything He decrees. The people, however, chose to disobey Him. As Isaiah 57:15-17 says, God will bring spiritual healing to those who were lowly and contrite of heart. As he recounted the nation’s unfaithfulness, He detailed their acts of idolatry.
The term backsliding is not used in the New Testament, perhaps because its root meaning is a turning away from God. But we still use this term to describe those believers whose lives don’t measure up to what a Christian’s life should be. As believers, we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and our salvation is assured at the moment we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ as Lord. Sin is no longer able to control us, yet until glory, we are able to sin (1 John 1:7-9). We may sin by commission or omission, but because we belong to Christ, He ultimately controls our lives.
But what of a Christian who continually treats his freedom in Christ as a free ticket to act according to his own will and not that of the Holy Spirit? God’s grace saves us from hell, and it also saves us from the power of sin, so we have the power to not sin (Romans 6). If we have a sin that controls us, we must ask if God’s saving grace is indeed a reality in our life. We may find other factors are causing our struggle with sin. For example, substance addictions usually involve a complicated mix of causes. Still, we shouldn’t be afraid to ask if God’s saving grace is present because we know God is loving, and it’s never too late to turn to him.
The Apostle Paul himself wrestled with sin (Romans 7:15). We cannot discount nor take God’s sovereignty or providence for granted. We must always remember that we are sinners saved by grace (Ephesians 2:5) and are a work in progress. God employs His amazing sanctification process according to each believer’s character and history. He knows everything, so a Christian who sins is not surprising to Him. But God will use even our sins to mold and shape us more into the image of Christ as we confess, ask for forgiveness, and grow in His grace and knowledge. It’s a supernatural process only Almighty God can orchestrate and oversee.
Regarding Hebrews 10:26, which people use as a proof text to say we can lose our salvation, look at the passage. It addresses a mere taste of the Gospel and not a surrender. Focus on the Family addresses this. “If someone is determined to live an unchristian life even after “receiving the knowledge of the truth” (Hebrews 10:26), we might assume that they never really accepted Christ in the first place. If they willfully commit the same sin over and over again without remorse and without showing any evidence of genuine desire to change, we would have every reason to doubt the sincerity of their faith.”
Every wise pastor never assumes every member of his congregation is saved. Many people feign salvation (ignorantly or willfully). What makes it scary is, in many ways, they are indistinguishable from a non-believer. Pastors, as well as all other Christians, need to be witnesses and continue to share the Gospel, so there is no mistaking what it is.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Salvation
Almighty Father. I thank You that I never need to doubt Your calling. I am unworthy, Lord, and that thought caused me to question my salvation. Forgive me. You are faithful and true, and those You call will never be lost. I trust You, Lord, and I joyfully call myself Yours now and forever because of Jesus. Amen.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/FMNG
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