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.”
“You need to check out 2Peter! Therein he explains what ensues when you willfully turn away, and his words are clearly not theoretical in nature.”
Already been there. In 2nd Peter, Peter is addressing saved believers and warning them of the consequences of turning away from God. Quoting the opening verse in chapter one:
“2 Peter 1:1 -
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:”
I could have said it better. This was not about the Church teachings.
It was about the history of the Church that has been well documented by both Catholics and non Catholics.
I don’t have the posting in front of me, but I do not agree when someone disputes the actual history. We do not need revisionist history.
It was not meant for all, only those that disputed actual history.
Do you suppose this worship or veneration of Mary, whatever they want to call it, is part of the paganism that was added, to attract pagans to the church? Is it related to Diana of the Ephesians? Doesn't all this paganism originate with the worship of Nimrod and his wife? Didn't the queen of Heaven thing originate with her, and after Nimrod's death, didn't she claim to give birth to a reincarnation of Nimrod? I believe this is paganism with a capital P, and was possibly brought into the church, to make pagans feel welcome. 😀
Please show us ONE place in Scripture where we are told, commanded, taught, or encouraged to pray to ANYONE but God.
Show us where we are told to pray to angels, Mary, those who are named saints by the Catholic church.
I could show you where the Catechism shows these things, but you would have to believe the following for it to be of any value.
97 “Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God” in which, as in a mirror, the pilgrim Church contemplates God, the source of all her riches.
Yes he did. Eve was deceived, Adam was not. But, even though Eve was deceived, she still sinned, which leads me to believe, that no matter how sincere people are, they can be deceived, and fall for false religions.
Ultimately, all false, works based religions, are from Satan, and I think the first works based, false religious act, was when Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin, by sewing leaves together. I am pretty sure that they repented, and came to saving faith, but here is something I wonder about. They lived for maybe more than 900 years. Somewhere along the line, in those 900 years, I wonder if they ever had some private, late night pillow talk, and told each other, that they sure wish they hadn't eaten the fruit. 😀
I KNOW the CCC teaches those things.
I want to know where GOD teaches those things.
That I expect to find in Scripture and I don’t.
Those teachings of God that you don’t find in Sacred Scripture can be found in Sacred Tradition.
“Do you suppose this worship or veneration of Mary, whatever they want to call it, is part of the paganism that was added, to attract pagans to the church?”
Absolutely. Pagans were folded into the 200-400 ad church and pagan customs and beliefs were also instituted into that church.
Catholics today are practicing a form of syncretic paganism when they pray to Mary, make idols, idolize departed saints, etc. They are completely unaware and trusting of their church.
“The good news and the most excellent news is that you are still a Catholic through your Baptism”
Not a single verse in Scripture teaches that there is any kind of Catholic Mark on the soul as a result of baptism.
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Yeshua held sola scriptura as foundational.
Paul held sola scriptura too.
Can you find any apostle that denied it?
There is not one shred in scripture that supports your ideas.
The Bereans were not Jews, they were the lost sheep of the house of Israel. People that had been removed from the land by Shalmanesser because their ancestors were idolaters.
Where do you get the idea that they denied Yeshua?
They were ministered to by Paul, the expert on the scriptures.
No apostle believed that Yeshua fulfilled anything but the spring feasts. Your ideas are far outside what is revealed by scripture. Paul taught that Yeshua could not return to gather his bride, nor as Messiach until after a moral falling away and the man of sin had risen to power.
There are no “Jewish” predictions at all. Prophecy was given before the house of Judah was taken to Babylon.
“Jewish” apostasy (Phariseeism) came about during the second temple period. The prophetic appointed times were already ancient by that time, and nothing about them is in any way “Jewish.”
The fact that Jews practice a twisted version of the feasts in no way renders the prophetic message of the feasts to be Jewish.
Almost the entirety of the gospel of Matthew is a denouncement of Phariseeism by Yeshua.
We have no need for the stereotypes that your posts promote. They lead people astray.
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“Those teachings of God that you don’t find in Sacred Scripture can be found in Sacred Tradition.”
This is an assertion without evidence. It is a black box that allows paganism to be freely mixed with Christianity under the banner of tradition.
If that’s what you want to believe ...
I believe otherwise.
I believe otherwise.
Yes, as is your right and preference.
But it is based on what?
I do not argue with posters.
My comment to you stands as posted.
I suggest you take it to heart.
Since I am a former catholic, I understand that. The first few months of being a born again believer, were an eye opener for me, as the false doctrines that I had so willingly accepted previously, just melted away.
Since I had been a deceived catholic, and NEVER had any assurance of salvation, it took me a couple of months to fully understand the concept of eternal security, but I eventually figured it out. 😀
It is based on the history of Christianity going back to the earliest Christians. Admittedly, much of that history has been lost, but there remains sufficient extant material to form a foundation of belief. Several evangelicals have come to believe the truth of Catholic teaching. On the other hand, there are several Catholics, including family members of mine, who could not accept the teachings of the Church. My family focuses on those beliefs that we hold in common. And they are many.
As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13, we know in part. We all believe what makes the best sense to us.
“It is based on the history of Christianity going back to the earliest Christians. Admittedly, much of that history has been lost, but there remains sufficient extant material to form a foundation of belief.”
It is an honest answer, which I appreciate.
I do point out that most of the things that define modern catholicism are absent from Scripture, not taught by any Apostle, and not found anywhere in before 100ad.
“Several evangelicals have come to believe the truth of Catholic teaching.”
True. And tens of millions who have left Catholicism in South America alone.
“On the other hand, there are several Catholics, including family members of mine, who could not accept the teachings of the Church.”
“My family focuses on those beliefs that we hold in common. And they are many.”
What else can you do? Family remains important. There is much Christians of any denomination hold in common.
Thank You editor-surveyor, though as I would like to place confidence in your rebuttal, your position obviously expresses nothing in your testimony is faithful, until judged at the final seat. I hope you endure without any lapse of any sin until your physical death.
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