Posted on 05/31/2017 1:41:09 PM PDT by ealgeone
Question: "Can a Christian lose salvation?"
Answer: First, the term Christian must be defined. A “Christian” is not a person who has said a prayer or walked down an aisle or been raised in a Christian family. While each of these things can be a part of the Christian experience, they are not what makes a Christian. A Christian is a person who has fully trusted in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and therefore possesses the Holy Spirit (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8–9).
So, with this definition in mind, can a Christian lose salvation? It’s a crucially important question. Perhaps the best way to answer it is to examine what the Bible says occurs at salvation and to study what losing salvation would entail:
A Christian is a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). A Christian is not simply an “improved” version of a person; a Christian is an entirely new creature. He is “in Christ.” For a Christian to lose salvation, the new creation would have to be destroyed.
A Christian is redeemed. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18–19). The word redeemed refers to a purchase being made, a price being paid. We were purchased at the cost of Christ’s death. For a Christian to lose salvation, God Himself would have to revoke His purchase of the individual for whom He paid with the precious blood of Christ.
A Christian is justified. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). To justify is to declare righteous. All those who receive Jesus as Savior are “declared righteous” by God. For a Christian to lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and “un-declare” what He had previously declared. Those absolved of guilt would have to be tried again and found guilty. God would have to reverse the sentence handed down from the divine bench.
A Christian is promised eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Eternal life is the promise of spending forever in heaven with God. God promises, “Believe and you will have eternal life.” For a Christian to lose salvation, eternal life would have to be redefined. The Christian is promised to live forever. Does eternal not mean “eternal”?
A Christian is marked by God and sealed by the Spirit. “You also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14). At the moment of faith, the new Christian is marked and sealed with the Spirit, who was promised to act as a deposit to guarantee the heavenly inheritance. The end result is that God’s glory is praised. For a Christian to lose salvation, God would have to erase the mark, withdraw the Spirit, cancel the deposit, break His promise, revoke the guarantee, keep the inheritance, forego the praise, and lessen His glory.
A Christian is guaranteed glorification. “Those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:30). According to Romans 5:1, justification is ours at the moment of faith. According to Romans 8:30, glorification comes with justification. All those whom God justifies are promised to be glorified. This promise will be fulfilled when Christians receive their perfect resurrection bodies in heaven. If a Christian can lose salvation, then Romans 8:30 is in error, because God could not guarantee glorification for all those whom He predestines, calls, and justifies.
A Christian cannot lose salvation. Most, if not all, of what the Bible says happens to us when we receive Christ would be invalidated if salvation could be lost. Salvation is the gift of God, and God’s gifts are “irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). A Christian cannot be un-newly created. The redeemed cannot be unpurchased. Eternal life cannot be temporary. God cannot renege on His Word. Scripture says that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
Two common objections to the belief that a Christian cannot lose salvation concern these experiential issues: 1) What about Christians who live in a sinful, unrepentant lifestyle? 2) What about Christians who reject the faith and deny Christ? The problem with these objections is the assumption that everyone who calls himself a “Christian” has actually been born again. The Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a state of continual, unrepentant sin (1 John 3:6). The Bible also says that anyone who departs the faith is demonstrating that he was never truly a Christian (1 John 2:19). He may have been religious, he may have put on a good show, but he was never born again by the power of God. “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). The redeemed of God belong “to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4).
Nothing can separate a child of God from the Father’s love (Romans 8:38–39). Nothing can remove a Christian from God’s hand (John 10:28–29). God guarantees eternal life and maintains the salvation He has given us. The Good Shepherd searches for the lost sheep, and, “when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home” (Luke 15:5–6). The lamb is found, and the Shepherd gladly bears the burden; our Lord takes full responsibility for bringing the lost one safely home.
Jude 24–25 further emphasizes the goodness and faithfulness of our Savior: “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
Would you agree the verse cited in Hebrews also says if you can lose salvation you can never get it back?
Is it possible to be saved without the call of the Father?
Nope.
Jesus Himself stated that. No man comes to Him unless the Father draws him. John 6:44
That inability to come to God without the drawing precludes free will.
So perhaps some hear the Gospel from a preacher, though not yet called by the Father. They accept what they hear by man, but not yet from the Call nor by common or efficacious grace.
If they then should fall away, they might have never been saved, but at the proper time and place, by God’s Plan, they might receive both the taste of the Spirit and the call of the Father, and if they receive Him through faith in Christ, would then be reborn in the spirit.
Just remember that Jesus founded His Catholic Church until the end of the age. Rejection of the Catholic Church is a rejection of Jesus.
I do hope you lose your anti-catholic hatred and bias before you die.
That works.
It would explain at least one type of person in the parable of the sower. Or seeds, or whatever it is called.
You remain proudly clueless.
He founded the ekklesia....the body of believers in Him.
Not a denomination.
That is true whether in either instance. If one can lose their salvation then one never knows whether they will end up losing it until one reaches the end. Yet, the book of Ephesians tells us that once saved our salvation is secure. The presence of the Holy Spirit is a "seal" of our salvation and a "guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it..." (Eph 1.11-14)
Mark 9:38-41 (NASB)
John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.”
But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.
For he who is not against us is for us.
For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”
Regarding James 5, it’s discussing a physical death and not salvation, the Greek word translated “soul” also means “life” and “person”. The book of James was about getting believers back on the straight path and to walk the walk.
Not a denomination.
Haven't you said that about 8 million times, and works based religionists still don't get it? I guess the ideas are spiritually discerned, and unregenerate man can't understand spiritually discerned truth. John 10:1, I think, describes works based religionists to a T. Look what Jesus called them. 😀
Do you know why hundreds of millions of bible believing Christians, past and present know that is not true??? Because they read it in the 'church epistles' written by Paul, to the churches...Do you know where Paul got his information??? Directly from the risen Jesus Christ...
Your take on the issue comes from the Catholic religion...It is not the bible position...It comes from a lack of spiritual insight and the proclivity to reject the scriptures...
And there won't be a member of God's church in the bunch...When Jesus comes back, he will bring the church with him, from heaven...
Nonsense.
The Catholic church is not equivalent to Jesus.
The Catholic church does not save anyone, did not die for anyone, cannot give the Holy spirit to anyone, or in any other way provide what is needed for spiritual growth.
Jesus never said He was FOUNDING a church.
He said He would BUILD His church.
There’s a difference.
And there’s no proof from Scripture that the Catholic church is what He was referring to when He made that statement.
Thank you.
In light of what Paul said to the Corinthian church about many who die prematurely, that makes a lot of sense.
Since we know that Scripture cannot contradict itself, then any apparent contradictions must be a matter of interpretation. In that case, it needs to be investigated until the matter is resolved.
1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Not a word in there about someone losing their salvation or going to hell...Here's another example:
1Co_5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
This person was delivered to Satan and died for his sin but he was still saved...
Pretty close!
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