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.”
There is no greater issue man has to deal with than death.
To know one's eternal destination is very, very, important.
It may not be to you, but there are a lot of people who read these threads who do not comment on them. This article is for them.
“Do you realize, it’s been 47 years since my last confession. I have done just fine since then. I think I will continue to avoid it”
If you’re like me, you confess things all day long!
And risk his everlastin' SOUL?
IF what you say is true...will you accept this challenge?
Throw away your "statues" of Mary.
Throw away your rosary.
Throw away your scapular and/or miraculous medal.
Pray only to God...not Mary...not the saints. Only to God. Do not cite the rosary or any other marian prayer.
Will you accept the challenge? It's a simple yes or no answer.
No, He doesn't.
Jesus died on a cross, not an altar.
Roman soldiers crucified Him when He gave His life.
No priest offered Him to God on our behalf as if He were an animal sacrifice.
These folks have NOT thanked you Catholics for preserving the words of the early church like we prots do.
Too bad they are NOT sufficient for the church of today.
I don't even remember when my last Catholic church confession was.
However, my last confession to GOD was probably within the last hour, since I do it many times a day, like every time I find my self sinning again.
It can't be because the CCC says it's a unbloody sacrifice.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P41.HTM
1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different." "In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner."188
“, but as a practicing Catholic we do not worship them or any other idols. “
And of course, you have no idea what every single Catholic thinks as she bows down to idols or idolizes Mary.
I am glad to see you recognize the statues as idols. It’s a start.
AD Is the Lord going to drink his blood in heaven? I don’t think so. This scriptures show he kept his word, with no mention of him drinking wine when eating with his disciples after his resurrection.”
But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matt. 26:27-29
AD: Why would Jesus need to participate (eat or drink)in the Eucharist? That was His gift to His Church for our salvation. Your magic trick denies scientific evidence that was performed and presented over many different places and times and you presume that God would allow this trick.
The Roman Catholic claims it is His blood and flesh but cannot with 100% certainty say so. We don't have His DNA.
Why don’t you go check out the flesh and blood of Christ at the St Francis Church in Italy that has been there for over 1200 years?
What is claimed to be would be more accurate.
There is no definitive way to prove it is actually His flesh and blood. We don't have His DNA.
Yes, to God, but not a catholic priest. They have no authority to forgive anybody of anything. I would suspect some of them were worse sinners than me. 😀😆😄
What’s the phrase...poorly catechised?
“The teachings of the Catholic Church all came from Jesus and the Apostles.” THAT is a bold lie and demonstrably a purposed lie. Catholiciism’s Mary-ology proves it is a lie. But that is not surprising, do to well learned Catholic Magic Thinking you probably do not even discern the lie.
It's an insult to pray to someone other than God.
Or accept a challenge from the devil.
The catholic does this when they put on the scapular or the miraculous medal or believes the 15 promises of the rosary.
I am actually starting to believe that you work for the devil.
No, sir.
I find no way that praying to the Father is of the devil.
That the Catholic cannot/will not accept the call to throw away their idols, miraculous medals, will not pray only to God tells me who they are siding with. And it is not God.
Amen Brother! Well and truly cited.
So you admit it then, worshipping Mary is so vital to YOUR salvation that to stop worshipping Mary is to ‘APOSTAtIZE’! LOL
That would be me sir. It means I was not paying attention during catechism class, and didn't learn much about the OTC. Now, I am glad I didn't pay attention. 😀😆😄
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