Can a Christian Lose His Salvation?
A Christian can certainly lose his salvation and fall out of favor with God. The Bible doesn’t teach that once a believer is saved he is always saved and that his responsibility ends when he becomes a Christian. People can certainly chose to lose their salvation. The Bible teaches,
“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:20-22).
Therefore, the Lord exhorts the believers saying, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering … For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:23, 24, 26).
A Christian should not take Christ’s love (1 John 4:8), the power of His saving blood (1 Peter 1:18-19), or the promise of spiritual safety (Romans 8:35-39) as a license for disobedience (Romans 6:1). The Bible nowhere teaches that a Christian who, for example, loses his first love is still in favor with God.
To the Christians in Ephesus who had lost their first love, Jesus said, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5).
Christians who become lukewarm cannot remain in favor with God and expect to receive “the crown of righteous” on Judgment Day. Lukewarm Christians must “repent,” or, Jesus said, “I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:19, 15-16).
Repentance
Unlike imperfect, yet saved, Christians who are striving to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:5-10), Christians living in sin lose their salvation and favor with God and must repent to regain their salvation. A Christian can’t claim eternal life if he does not remain faithful to Christ. Jesus taught: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
Profession alone is worthless. He who pretends to know God and yet disobeys His commandments “is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). Faith in God must produce fruits of obedience to God’s Law. It is true that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17), but it is equally true that works unaccompanied by a sincere and living faith are also “dead” (Hebrews 11:6). But the good news is that God does the good works in our lives of His children when they submit to Him (Philippians 2:13).
Forgiveness
There are certain things a Christian must have to obtain God’s favor, for example, a Christian must forgive others to be forgiven. Jesus said: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mathew 6:14-15).
What happened to the servant who was previously forgiven an enormous debt, but later failed to forgive the small debt of another? “His master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers” (Matthew 18:34). “So,” Jesus said, “My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (18:35).
When a person receives the gift of salvation (through confessed faith, repentance, and immersion in water—Acts 2:38; 8:26-40; 16:30-34; 22:16) and becomes a Christian, God forgives him of his debt. If he, however, becomes hardened and unforgiving, God will punish him (Matthew 18:34; 25:31-46).
Conclusion
Is it possible for a Christian to lose his salvation and fall out of grace by willfully becoming disobedient to Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
