Blessed Assurance

Can a Christian lose their salvation?

The way I like to answer that question is with another question...

Was the person saved to begin with?

Remember the parable of the Seed and Sower - the Rocky ground?

Matthew 13:20 NKJV

20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

Matthew 13:21 NKJV

21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

John tells us in 1 John 2:19 that even if someone is with you doesn't mean they are not of you

1 John 2:19 NKJV

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

So I think it is very important to define what being a christian means.

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).

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

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).

1 Peter 1:18–19 NKJV

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

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).

Romans 5:1 NKJV

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

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).

John 3:16 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

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).

Ephesians 1:13–14 NKJV

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

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).

Romans 8:30 NKJV

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

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.

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).

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I want us to take just a few moments from 1 John to look at four test that will help you understand whether we are saved or not.

Now 1 John is a wonderful source to read to help you and I who may struggle from time to time about whether we are saved or not.

1 John 5:13 NKJV

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

You will confess that Jesus is Lord

1 John 4:15 NKJV

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

Confessing Jesus is important...

Romans 10:9 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:10 NKJV

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

You will obey the commands of Christ

1 John 5:3 NKJV

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

You will be miserable while sinning

1 John 3:9 NKJV

9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

You will love other Christians

1 John 5:1 NKJV

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.