CAN YOU LOSE YOUR SALVATION?

Yes -  I believe you can, if you want to.  And … I’m so thankful for it! 

My reason being is that God has given each of us free will.  God’s ultimate expression of love is to give every one of His created beings the gift of free will.  I believe that includes both angels and human beings. 

Many proponents of Once Saved Always Saved that I have read seem to minimize the gift of free will.  They focus in on scriptures that best helps them build their case for Once Saved Always Saved, and free will seems to take a secondary role in the matter.  The “sovereignty of God” seems to take the primary role, but in a way that I believe often times gets distorted from its correct understanding.  (More about this later). 

In my estimation, free will is central to everything regarding spiritual matters.  I am incapable of believing that God truly is a God of love while not giving His created beings the gift of free will.  The highest revelation I have been able to receive from the Holy Spirit is that love IS free will – love IS free choice.  Love’s highest expression is to give another the right to choose to do what they truly want to do, and believe what they truly want to believe -- no strings attached.

Are there consequences for having this gift of free choice from God?  There certainly is!  Yet the freedom to chose without being coerced in any way in what I decide to believe, or do, is the most priceless gift I could have ever been given by the Creator.        

Forcing someone to do something they truly don’t want to do is not love at all in my estimation.  Forcing someone to believe something they truly don’t want to believe is not love at all in my estimation either.  That is control.  That is duress.  That is what I would call, at best, conditional love -- certainly not unconditional love. 

I’ll have to admit to a weakness I have - I guess you might say - a character flaw.  I really don’t care to serve a God that wants to subtly force me to believe something I don’t truly want to believe.  I guess I would rather spend eternity in hell away from this God who keeps telling me He is not only a God of love … but literally IS love incarnate, as the Holy Bible states that He is …  then find out one day it was a lie.  To me, that God would be nothing more than two-faced.  That God would be a liar in fact.  If this God wants to have the right to lie, yet send me to hell because I lie … I’m not really interested in hanging around Him through eternity.  To me, He really can’t be trusted.  Furthermore, what little love and devotion I might have to give Him in return … He’s not worthy enough to get it.  

See – to me, it’s a matter of principle.  I don’t want to serve any God because I have to.  I want to serve that God because I want to.  What is it that makes me think that way?  I call it free choice – free will.  I spent the first 35 years of my life trying to figure out who God is … never really appreciating the fact that whoever this God is … this same God who gave me the right to believe what I wanted to believe was very kind; very generous; very loving.  I wasn’t really very thankful for it either, sadly. 

When I finally surrendered to this God, in due time, He gave me some precious revelation about His unconditional love.  I don’t believe He gave that to me because I’m anymore special to Him than anyone else either, because I’m not.  I believe He gave it to me because I needed it for spiritual growth, and so that I could write about it to help others seek Him to get better understanding about who He truly is, and just how much he loves them unconditionally as well.

He communicated the nature and quality of His love to me in a way that He didn’t have to, yet He still did.  Because He did this, I pledge my love and devotion back to Him.  I will serve Him, praise Him, trust Him, die for Him.  Not because I have to, but because He gives me unconditional freedom in my choosing to do so.  It is a privilege to get to.  Oh what a privilege it is to get to!

When I read in the Holy Bible that God is also wisdom, I now have a firmer understanding of why He deserves that attribute or title.  Pure, unadulterated wisdom does not force anyone to do what they truly don’t want to do.  I just laugh at anyone who tries to convince me that Satan and a third of the angels were manipulated in some way by God in choosing to rebel again Him.  Can they convince me that God already knew they ultimately would before He even created them, but in His wisdom, He went ahead and created them anyway, because throughout eternity, it would ultimately serve a very worthwhile purpose? You bet they can!

Likewise, anyone who tries to convince me that God sovereignly decided who would ultimately be saved while not choosing others who would ultimately be lost is not seeing God through the window of love I am blessed see Him through.  They may not realize it, but what they are doing is trying to subtly convince me that God is a God of conditional love – favorites – being partial rather than impartial.

God knows the beginning from the end.  God knows all.  God knew from the beginning those who would humble themselves and follow after Him and grieve deeply when they sinned against Him.  God knew who was going to hunger after truth (New Covenant Truth), and those who would settle for a lie by rejecting it.  God the Father and God the Holy Spirit knew who would obey the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ and those who wouldn’t.  Before He created one person, He already knew what that person would end up believing and doing during there lifetime, and even after their time on earth is over.  He knew that about you before you were ever born.  He knew the same about me.  Just because He knew no way implies that He somehow coerced us to believe the way we believe or act.  What an insult to God to think that He shows partially to one over another with our free choice being violated!  

God knew that He would have to destroy all of the human race at some time in the future, save Noah and his family, (eight people total) because of such wickedness that would permeate the human race, yet that didn’t deter Him from allowing it to go ahead and happen.  In His wisdom, He saw a greater good that would come from it, ultimately.  Had there been no greater good that would come from it, He would never have allowed it to happen in the first place, I believe.  You would not have either had you been Him, I suspect.  Wisdom would have stopped you from doing so.  Wisdom does not do stupid things.  Wisdom isn’t wisdom if it doesn’t make wise decisions.  Wisdom isn’t wisdom unless it does wise things.

I’ll say it again: I’m not interested in serving a God who decides to somehow force me to believe something I don’t want to believe.  I’ll be selfish and greedy and stubborn enough to serve a God of unconditional love – an impartial Judge.  If a God of unconditional love does not grant me total free choice -- total, unrestrained free will -- that is a God I refuse to put my trust in and give my devotion to, let alone my praise and adoration.  Matter settled … for me.

The apostle Paul didn’t figure out from his own intellect when he penned 1 Corinthians 13 – the love chapter.  It came by revelation from the Holy Spirit.  I am firmly persuaded that to grasp the full meaning of what God wants us to understand about love; to receive full appreciation of what God is getting at in 1 Corinthians 13 requires total revelation to you and I from the Holy Spirit as well.  The way it is broken down to me is that if I don’t have unconditional love as the very core of my essence … if I don’t have unconditional love at the very center of my being … I have absolutely no solid foundation in which to build my spirituality on.  Anything less than unconditional love at the core of my heart will be building on a foundation that is only going to crumble into worthless dust at some future time

If that be so, then what is good for the goose is good for the gander.  God has absolutely no firm foundation to build anything on if He is not building it on a foundation of unconditional love either.  If God’s love is conditional, His plans will ultimately crumble as well.  Whatever God’s master plan might be that stretches out through eternity for His created beings … it will ultimately crumble if it is founded on conditional love.  Conversely, the only way it will stand is because it is being built on unconditional love.  I don’t say this in any prideful or know-it-all manner -- I just state it as a matter that is settled deep in my heart.  It’s the revelation of love that He has imparted to me that I’m sitting here attempting to put into words to pass along to others, and receive something valuable from it, if He so wills of course for that to happen.

If you chose to believe that a person cannot lose their salvation, for whatever reasons you might care to give, I truly respect your right to do so.  Now why do I do that?  Because it is allowing you to exercise the very free gift I’m speaking of:  The gift of free will.  If you were God, would you grant that very same gift to me?  I sure hope you would.

Who will end up spending eternity in heaven and in hell?  God alone knows.  Yet this I’m firmly persuaded of, because I believe the Holy Spirit has imparted it to me:  I do not believe there will be one person who spends eternity in hell who will ever be able to build a convincing case to motivate God to reverse His decision once they have been judged to spend eternity there.  Furthermore, there will not be any person who has been sentenced to spend eternity in hell because they never clearly heard the message of the Cross … being – Jesus Christ took the wrath of God the Father for our sins, so we could be saved from God’s wrath for our sins on the Judgment Day.  There are people who have died at an early age in this life and never had the chance to clearly hear the message of the Cross, but that in no way assumes that God never let them hear it in the spirit realm.  There will not be one native in some remote portion of the world who dies and will spend eternity in hell because God never sent them a missionary to share with them the clear message of the Cross.  God could never be an all merciful God if He sentenced people to hell without ever hearing clearly – somehow - someway … the clear message of the Cross.  Nope – I’m firmly persuaded that each of us, sometime - someway - whether in this life or in the next -- God will make certain that we will each have ample opportunity to hear the Truth of the message of the Cross … giving us ample time to decide whether we want to embrace that Truth, or, wad it up so to speak and throw it in the garbage like a worthless piece of trash.     

The primary sin I am firmly convinced that will send us to hell is the sin of unbelief.  Steadfastly refusing to believe that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ paid full penalty for all of our sins – all of my sins – all of your sins … is the primary sin that will keep us from spending eternity with God in heaven.  This is what God is referring to in Hebrews 10:26-27:

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 

This above scripture must not be taken out of context.  The entire chapter is warning those who were once under the Old Covenant Law – believing that keeping the 10 commandments and the sacrificing of animals to have their sins covered would save them – and have now come to believe that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for their sins is the correct way to be saved … and then choose to renounce that belief and go back to believing the way they believed previously – which was observance of the Old Testament Law … this scripture passage of Hebrews 10:26-27 is addressing that issue.

Now - here is a sobering warning.  I have to believe that refusing to forgive others who have hurt us can also be legal grounds for a person to end up in hell.  Jesus couldn’t have said it any plainer as is recorded in Matthew 6:15:  “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.   People who want absolute assurance they will go to heaven needs to conclude quickly that forgiveness is not optional.

Beyond that, I chose to believe that God alone is the only one who knows who will ultimately end up in heaven, and who will spend eternity in hell.  If you care to know my reasoning, I encourage you to read this writing completely through:  PLAYING WITH DEATH. 

I realize there are a number of Bible passages that lend strong support to the possibility that one need not worry about losing their salvation, and thank God for those passages.  I also realize that there are Bible passages that lend strong support that none of us can be so arrogantly confident that we never need to concern ourselves with having our name blotted out of the Book of Life.  Revelation 3:5 is probably tops on the list:

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” 

Some people who are trusting Jesus Christ as their Savior, yet seem to trivialize on-going sin in their life … I think need to get alone with God and do some serious soul-searching if they are wise.  Too many scriptures point to the fact that although sin is forgivable, as 1 John 1:9 assures us it is, those who truly belong to Jesus Christ admit to themselves and to God that sin is sin as defined in the Bible … not redefined by mankind to try to imply in any way that it isn’t.  Romans 8:13-14 provides clear direction and strong warning that God is highly interested in those who belong to Him to dig in with Him and put to death areas of sin in their life:

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

1 John 3:8-9 is probably the most difficult passage of scripture for new Christians to deal with: 

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  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.

This passage of scripture must be connected with 1 John 1:9 and Romans 8:1 to be accurately understood.  Taken literally at face value, it would seem to imply that no Christian should ever sin again.  If that were the case, not one Christian would ever stay saved!   However, it does dovetail, I believe, with Romans 8:13-14 in that those who truly belong to Jesus Christ does not take sin as a light matter at all.  There is still enough Holy Spirit in them to convict their conscience that sin is in fact sin according to what the Bible states is sin, and it bothers their conscience when they commit sin.  They are quick to confess their wrongdoing to God, asking and receiving His forgiveness, with determination to dig in with Him to do everything they can to stop committing that same sin/s in the future. 

Yet the thief on the cross offers so much hope for grieving loved ones who are left behind when someone they were close to dies – wondering if they were truly saved or not, and whether they’ll spend eternity in heaven or in hell.  Again - God can supernaturally impart to those grieving loved ones where that deceased person will end up, if He chooses.  Yet to me, it all comes back to this:  God alone is the Judge, and God alone knows those who He wants spending eternity with Him, and who He doesn’t.  You will not stand before God for my salvation, nor will I stand before God for your salvation.  We each will stand alone and give an account to the Judge why we chose to believe what we believed, and did what we did here on earth.  Aren’t you thankful He gives us that privilege?  What greater expression of love could He give us?

There are a few passages of scripture that I dare not leave out of this writing before moving onward.  It is Luke 15:4-10 (NKJV): 

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”

“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’”

“Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

I have three points to make regarding these above passage: 

First – I’m one of those lost sheep that Jesus went after.  I’m that one lost sheep that was so steeped in rebellion and pride and unbelief that if I would have been God … I wouldn’t have wasted my time.  See, I found absolutely nothing good in me that I would find worth saving when God rescued me from hell.  Zip, zero, nada! 

Secondly, because God has done so much to find (save) me, when I was so spiritually and emotionally lost, I must not misrepresent God nor Holy Scriptures when it comes to such a serious matter as that of eternal Salvation.  My prayer is that God would wipe me off the face of the earth and make certain that every way I may have misrepresented Him would be blotted out by Him, rather than lead people astray by knowingly or unknowingly deceiving them in any way.  Being spiritually blinded is one thing; going out of one’s way to pass that spiritual blindness on to others with no fear of one day coming under God’s judgment in some manner is a very sobering realization.

Thirdly, any person who thinks they are of the “ninety-nine” who need no repentance before God (changing the way you think and act in accordance with the New Testament Bible) … I have some sobering news for you.  When you name comes to mind in heaven, there will be no angels rejoicing with God.  Humble people seek to obey the commands of the New Testament Bible.  Proud people seek to either try to redefine the New Testament Bible, or outright refuse to even have a New Testament Bible in their house. 

If I’ve learned anything about God, He has tons of grace … tons of mercy and forgiveness for Christians whose consciences are bothered when they sin.  What upsets God the most are those who are not only deceived, but seem driven to try to persuade others of their deception.  These are the ones who stand in great danger when they stand before the Judge and give an account for their actions.  Especially teachers (expositors) of spiritual things, as James 3:1 warns:

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.      

Now then, I feel greatly impressed of the Holy Spirit to address a few other crucial matters before ending this writing.  Satan is constantly trying to find opportunity to put fear into true Christians, especially when it comes to this matter of “losing one’s salvation.”  Satan will twist scripture out of context, or outright lie to them, subtly so of course … trying to get believers to believe lies that the Holy Spirit never intended for them to believe.  God wants true followers of Jesus Christ to have confident assurance of their eternal salvation.  Satan wants just the opposite. 

Here is another tactic Satan employs.  He ever seeks to get people believing that sin does not matter in a person’s life, and as long as he can either keep deceiving them that the sin (disobedience to God) they are committing is not really sin at all … they don’t have to be concerned one bit that they might lose their salvation.  Thank God He has made provision for such deception.  God promises in His word that He chastises (disciplines) those He loves (Those who are true believers).  As much as God wants us to be confident about the assurance of our salvation, He also wants us to be confident that pain is eventually going to be coming our way to some degree if we do not deal with sin in our life prior to dying.

I’m also of the belief that Satan does not want Christian believers to remind themselves often that God is going to reward through eternity those who have overcome sin in this life.  At the Judgment seat of Christ, believers will receive incredible rewards from God for conquering areas of sin in this life.  Overcoming sin pays huge dividends, dear reader, and Satan does not want you reminding yourself of it.  Satan would rather you sin and keep asking forgiveness for that sin as you keep repeating that sin over and over.  Satan knows odds are extremely good that you will miss out on a full reward in the future for putting that sin to death once and for all.  

Going in a little different direction … giving a “confession of faith” and/or praying “the sinner’s prayer” can be very self-deluding if one does not work diligently at obeying God after that in accordance with New Testament scripture.  Salvation starts by confession, but as to whether or not it is truly a genuine salvation, one’s actions will be the final proof.  You shall know them by their fruits.  (Matthew 7:16)

Here is another tactic Satan employs that we tend to conveniently overlook, if we’re not careful and wise.  God absolutely abhors “religious” people.  “Religious” people hung God on the cross.  There are different kinds of “religious” people today that do all they can to project the image that they are devout followers of God and Jesus Christ, even seeking to convey to the masses that they follow the Holy Bible.  They call themselves “Christians,” (or people of “faith”), when in fact they are spiritual snakes and vipers to God – deceived and trying to deceive others with their deception.  The Bible places them under the category of “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and “false prophets.”  The Bible warns that we will have to deal with people like this right up until the time Jesus Christ returns to earth a second time and establishes His Kingdom down here.   In fact, from what I see in God’s Word, deception as to who is a true believer and who isn’t will not diminish nor with it plateau.  It is only going to increase.  In fact, I think the real challenge most of us will face right up until the return of Jesus Christ is not so much whether a person can lose their salvation or not: the real challenge will be to discern who really is a true Christian in the first place.  And because I believe that will be so, then the saying becomes most relevant:  “How can you lose a true salvation you never really had in the first place?”

Anyone who vehemently believes and teaches that Jesus Christ was not fully God – fully One of the three persons of the eternal Godhead before coming to earth and will always remain so forever -  is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” and fully needs to fear that they will spend eternity in hell.  They may believe they are saved, and not fear they will lose their salvation, but they need to. 

Anyone who vehemently believes and dogmatically teaches that one can attain salvation any other way than through the finished sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the cross needs to fear spending eternity in hell. 

Another warning must be given to those who keep coming up with “new” translations of the Holy Bible.  We seriously need to ask ourselves … how many more translations of the Bible do we need?  Are we trying to tell the Holy Spirit we don’t need Him anymore in giving us revelation (understanding) of Holy Scripture from existing trustworthy translations of the Bible?  One would certainly think so at times!   I believe the Holy Spirit is saying … be very careful of not violating Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV):

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:  If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Also contained in this warning are people who write additional writings (or give messages) and/or pass along these writings (or messages) that are not in agreement with the established Protestant mainline doctrines of New Covenant Holy Scripture.  Cults and border-line cults are first to come to mind. 

I believe there is mercy and forgiveness for those who have believed lies about spiritual matters and are willing to be corrected.  Like many, their have been doctrinal issues I was taught as a new believer in Christ that I changed my view on over time.  God has no problem with people who are willing to admit to themselves and others that what they believe may one day prove to be an unacceptable belief. 

So in conclusion - if you believe I’m deceived on this topic, or any other topic I’ve written about on the website, please feel free to let me know about it.  (If I'm still alive when you read this).  None of us speaking of spiritual matters are above correction, not if we’re wise anyway, in my opinion.  Nevertheless, I feel no obligation to spend precious time arguing about doctrinal issues that I feel serves no worthwhile purpose either, so if you do “correct” me for something I have said, don’t necessarily expect to hear back from me, especially on this topic we’re addressing in this writing.  I’m fully aware that there is little else in Christian circles that generates anger like this topic of eternal security.  Satan no doubt will make certain of it, I’m fully persuaded.

Thanks for hearing me out, and I pray that if you are struggling right now as to whether you are one of God’s “elect” or not – one who is truly saved – seek God diligently by mediating on the promises He gives us in the following scripture passages:

Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.  (Romans 8:33)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  (Romans 8:35)

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:38-39)    

Dear Reader - are you at peace with God?  If not, you can be.  Do you know what awaits you when you die?  You can have the assurance from the Holy Spirit that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain.  Either Jesus Christ died for yours sins, or He didn't (He did!).  Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with Him?  We plead with you ... please don't make such a tragic mistake.

To be at peace with God; to have your sins forgiven; to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity; to make certain that you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click here to help understand the importance of being reconciled to God.  What you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one.  Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever make in this life.