SALVATION - CAN A PERSON EVER LOSE THEIR SALVATION?

Before we move on any further in our study of salvation we first need to look at the question, "Can a person lose their salvation?" There is a lot of controversial teaching on this topic so I want to straighten a few things out before we move on.

Unfortunately, the way many churches teach salvation is that once a person is saved they can also lose their salvation. That it is more of a holy relationship instead of a spiritual birth. This is why many people today believe they can lose their salvation. If the new birth is nothing more than a relationship then certainly a relationship could be lost. Some folks even look at the phrase of being born again as being nothing more than a figure of speech. Their whole view of regeneration is too shallow.

Instead, we need to be looking at the spiritual birth the way the Bible teaches us; that if spiritual birth, being born again, means God has planted a new spiritual life within you, if it means God made you a new creation, then to lose your salvation would have major consequences. This would mean, if you were to lose your salvation, the whole process of regeneration would have to be reversed. If we look at it from a physical view point, is it possible for a person to be unborn once they have been born? The obvious answer to this question is no. Therefore, if regeneration is an actual spiritual birth, which changes a man at the center of his being, then it cannot be reversed any more than a physical birth could be reversed.

So we must then ask the question Richard Belcher asks in his book on salvation. He says, "Does the new birth affect you externally through a relationship with God and then eventually internally, or does the new birth affect you drastically, internally by the implantation of a new principle of life and then affect you externally in your everyday life because of that internal change?"

When we are saved, the Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." 2Cor. 5:17-18

When we are saved, we are dramatically changed on the inside. We are spiritually reborn. And this spiritual birth is a work of God not man. So do we think we are capable of undoing God's work? By saying "I'm saved," and then turning around some time later and stating that I've lost my salvation is basically saying I've undone what God has done. I have power over God because I was able to reverse my spiritual birth. This is pretty bold.

Don't forget what Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30

NOTE: Did you notice that last part, "I and the Father are one." Here Jesus is claiming He is God. Don't ever let anyone tell you Jesus was just a great teacher. He was much more than that. In fact He is much more than that - He is God. The Jews knew exactly what He meant because the very next verse tells us they picked up stones to stone Him.

So its not that a person can be saved and then lose their salvation. Instead, a person who claims they are saved and then continues living a sinful life, I believe was never saved in the first place. They may have had some "spiritual experience" but if they show no remorse over their sin or claim that God loves them anyway because He created them that way, and they go on sinning, these are folks who were never saved to begin with.

Scripture tells us in 2Pet 1:10a "...be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure..." We need to check our lives and make sure we are living a holy life, that is pleasing to God by obeying His word. And when we do sin, we should be able to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit upon us. We should desire to repent and seek forgiveness and be cleansed.

If you're going through life thinking you're a Christian, thinking you're saved and yet your life looks no different from the world. You better take another look at your Christian walk. Do you feel remorse for your sin? Do you know what it is that displeases God. Do you desire to repent when you sin?

A person who is truly saved can never lose their salvation. But, what we must ask is, "Are we really saved?" Just double check yourself and "Make your calling and election sure."

God bless

Rob