You know RDM, I tend to believe that a Christian can not lose his salvation, but it is an honest debate, and honest people can debate the subject. What I have not seen anyone say or ask, is if one can lose their salvation, after getting it, is it possible to regain it the second time, then lose it and regain it numerous times? Or, do they think once they have lost it, that they can never regain it again?
This certainly seems to be the catholic position as regarding their view on "mortal sins"....in terms of losing it, getting it back, losing it getting it back, etc. That must be a horrible way to live not knowing for sure if you've done something (as if possible) to lose your salvation.
But if that is the case, and if Hebrews 6 is called into play, then the answer is no.....once you've lost salvation there is no getting it back.
Our catholic friends somehow ignore that aspect of Hebrews.
However, those verses in Hebrews 6 are not aimed at the believer. They are aimed at those Jews who had not fully embraced Christianity so they do not come into play for the believer.
The security of the believer is throughout the NT....Ephesians 1:13-14 being one of the strongest positions of security for the believer.
We also have the two writings by John where he indicates he has written these things so we can know if we believe in Jesus we have eternal life.
He forgave Abraham, David, Moses and many, many, many others as attested to in Hebrews 11.
God loves us so much He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Hasn't Hebrews 6:4-6 been mentioned a LOT of times in this thread already?
This is mentioned in Hebrews 6:4-6, but regarding only the primary target audience for this epistle, which was the Jews of the Diaspora, some of whom had recognized that the Old/First Covenant/Testament/Will of The Law had been obliterated (regarding a means into the Holiest Of All) by the establishment of the New/Second/Final Covenant/Testament/Will (by which The Lord Jesus Christ is the Way into the Holiest of All); and of which class of Hebrews some did not recognize and believe in (Heb. 10:1-9).
Under the Law, all Hebrews were chosen and set aside, and experienced the Presence of Jehovah as in Heb. 6:4-5, and could have sins covered by repentance and ongoing sacrifices under the Law. And such were baptized unto repentance by John Baptist.
But when the New Covenant under the Blood of the One-Time Sacrifice of Jesus, some repented to circumcision of the heart and some did not and fell away. The word "IF" put in the AV translation is not in the Greek. The phrase should be ". . ., and after falling away, . . ." which means the old system of repetitive sacrifices was no longer applicable. Jesus died once for all and for all time (ephapax, a strengthened form of hapax).
All the necessary New Testament doctrine is expressed in my "old geezer" story, Post 139. However, one cannot formulate a strong doctrinal statement on a passage whose key is the nonexistent word "IF" as this Hebrews passage was translated.
No, when Jesus/The Father saves something, it is never "lost" again.
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no
man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (Jn. 10:28,29 AV).
What part of Jesus' absolutely "no, never, neither" do you not seem to understand, Mk? This "no (hu)man" includes the one who has sold him/her self out to The Lord and Absolute King, Jesus The Messiah. This is non-optional to the one whom Jesus has bought for His Own. That person no longer has the right, power, or desire to dispose of him/her self: he/she is the unshared, totally owned, blood-purchased, Spirit-directed, eternal possession and bond-slave of The Son of The God.
You are not, not, not "saved" for the purpose of determining what your future is going to be, nor to set yourself up as an independent proprietor of or bargaining with God and Christ for your further allegiance. You are not saved from Satan's clutches just to be an independent contractor of your service, but have given over your options to Him.
You are saved by grace, on the basis of relying on the faithfulness of Jesus--but you are saved for His determined purposes, will, discipline, and disposal--His alone.
Capisce? Understand?
Try playing out of bounds and see what happens, eh?
"But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons" (Heb. 12:8 AV, my emphases).
This is someone who claims to be saved, but who is not; one who is is incorrigibly oppositional and defiant to God's ways, word, and work; and lives on in a lifestyle of sinning until true sorrowful repentance, or without efficacious repentance until physical death. He/she is a liar, no matter how "religious," as long as habitual practice of sinning is one's style of life.
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 Jn. 2:4 AV).
Justification by faith, the pronouncement of "not guilty" by God The Judge, is based on the imputation of Jesus' righteousness to the individual believer, and is instantaneous, permanent, and irreversible; whereas the wrongly informed Catholic subscribing to the Catechism believes it is a process, and therefore is not "saved" because he/she does not utterly trust in Christ.
This is what the confusion is all about, and why anyone would ever propose the idiotic question of "losing one's salvation."