CAN SALVATION BE LOST?
We have salvation through Jesus and only through Jesus. It comes through putting faith in Him. But after we have it, can we lose it? There are those who say we can’t be sure of our salvation because we can lose it if we stop believing or if we commit certain sins. Is that true? If so, we will be living in fear and insecurity. What we do for God will be motivated by fear, not love or appreciation. Does God want that?
God’s Word clearly tells us that God is faithful and will not turn from us even if we deny or are faithless to Him (2 Timothy 2:11-13). Even when we stumble and fall, He will not turn us away (Matthew 12:20; Psalm 37:24). When we confess our sin, God forgives us and never holds the sin against us (Romans 4:6-8). Nothing can separate us from God, not even we ourselves (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:37-39).
The word for “believe” in the original Greek language in which the New Testament was written refers to a one-time event with future results (John 5:24; 6:47; 3:15-16, 36; 6:40). God did not use a tense that referred to continually believing, because that would be something we would have to do to earn or keep our salvation, and that is impossible (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Bible also says that if we “believe,” we “have eternal life” now, already. Since it is eternal, we have it forever, but that starts now, not if we live a certain way until we die. In the Greek language “has” is in the continual tense, meaning when we believe at one point in time in the past, we continually have eternal life from then on. It doesn’t say we might or could have it, it says we do have it (John 6:47; 3:15-16, 36; 5:24).
The Bible also says if we “believe,” we “will be saved.” “Believe” refers to a one-time event in the past when we put our faith in Jesus. “Will be saved” is in the future tense. It is something we are guaranteed, promised for the future (Acts 16:31). No conditions or requirements are given.
God guarantees that those who come to Him for salvation will never ever die without salvation for they can never lose their salvation (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:37-39)
Those who believe in Jesus are “born again” (John 3:3), and no one can be “unborn.” Jesus is using physical birth as a way of teaching about spiritual birth, and when one is born, they can’t be unborn. Similarly, salvation is a free gift which cannot be given back, nor is there any requirement to meet to keep it (Ephesians 2:8-9). There is nothing we do for salvation except to simply receive it, so there is nothing we need to keep doing to keep it (Romans 3:28; John 3:16).
God wants us to know we cannot lose our salvation so that we live for Him out of a pure motive of love and devotion, not out of a selfish desire to earn or keep our salvation. Still, this is no excuse to sin, for taking advantage of such marvelous love like that hurts Him deeply.
To illustrate, a man who was a widower hired a woman to work for him. She took care of his home, clothing and meals, because at the end of the week he paid her for her work. After a while they fell in love and married. Then she continued to take care of his home, clothing and meals, but she did it for a much better, purer motive – love for the man. Which do you think Jesus would prefer from us?
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Do you struggle with doubts about your salvation?
Why might Satan put these thoughts in your mind?
What verses can you claim to counter these doubts?