Can a christian lose their salvation?
Hello my steemian brothers and welcome to another Bible Q&A,
Can a Christian lose their salvation? That debate has been going on for centuries. Many think that a Christian can abandon his faith and fall from Grace, while the others think a true Christian can never deny his believes and will eventually be saved, no matter what.
The following verse of the Bible seems to support the first idea. Hebrew 6:4 says:
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss, they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”
That verse sounds a lot like a description of someone losing his salvation.
Much people say that verse proves someone can be saved and get away from God, but it describes people in the time of Jesus that were “enlightened”, have been partakers of, tasted the goodness of God, fallen away and cannot be renewed again to repentance.
If it means you can lose your salvation, it also teaches that you can never get it back. Of course, That´s not what it teaches.
The verse doesn’t really use any word connected to salvation. It never mentions words like born again, justified, regenerated or sanctified. It is talking about people that had all the revelation that could be given them and they rejected it.
On the other hand, there are many verses that support you can never lose your salvation, like Romans 8:30 for instance:
“And the ones who he predestined, he called, and the ones he called, he justified, and the ones who he justified, he glorified.”
What do you believe? Can we lose our salvation or not? Please comment.
Another Bible Q&A here:
https://steemit.com/christianity/@paquetedecuba/in-what-consist-the-true-spiritual-battle
A Christian is saved, but you can fall away from Christ. If this were not true, a multitude of Bible tests would not make sense. Scripture includes many passages that warn believers about falling away. Here two examples from Galatians where Paul is talking to Christians.
Galatians 6:7, 8 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction."
Galatians 5: 19-21 "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Simply put - Christians have a relationship with God. Like all relationships they can be ignored to the point where you indeed, no longer have a relationship. We are free moral agents - God gives us a choice to continue our walk with Him or to leave the relationship (choose another master).
It is true that God encourages us to persevere. He also says if we sin he can forgive us again, but that does not mean every time we sin we lose our salvation. A son once is a son cannot be otherwise. The verses you quoted are not speaking about Christians, but unconverted people.
Agreed, we are children of God - very secure in our salvation - just as a child is in the family. However, God gives us the freedom to choose if we want to leave the family. And these are letters to the Christian church in Galatia. He is speaking to Christians, warning them about the possible results of choosing a sinful lifestyle.
A true Christian will never choose a sinful life nor deny Christ. "Christians" who deny God were never true Christian, they only tested the goodness of God but were not sons (they were among us, but were not of us) like the Bible says.
"Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" 2cor 1:21-22
We have the Spirit, It is impossible we fall from grace.
Ah the ol' No True Scotsman Fallacy.
Even if true that someone who ends up in hell was no true Christian to begin with, it's no comfort to the believer because every Christian who ends up in hell thought he was a Christian. What keeps any of us from believing the same thing, that we are true Christians, and end up being the ones cast into outer darkness? I call this Eternal Insecurity, one of the products of Calvinism - for those who can see it.
Hi again! God invites us to be assured of our salvation and gives strong promises to us. We rest only in Christ to be saved, and cannot trust anything else. John 10:28-29
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand."
What about people who either don't trust in Christ or haven't heard of him? What happens to them after they die?
and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand John 10:28
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25
"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". John 10:29
If a person is born-again, they are sealed by the Holy Spirit to the day of redemption.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Who keeps us blameless at the coming of the Lord? God, himself!
Thank you! great coment.
Dear @paquetedecuba,
I greatly appreciate your thought provoking questions concerning God's Holy Word.
I recently posted using the following question, "Are there Biblical Evidences for the Trinity?"
If you would like to see how I answered this question, use the following link:
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/are-there-biblical-evidences-for-the-trinity
Keep fighting the good fight of faith!
We're sealed by the Holy Spirit once we're saved. It's impossible for someone who's truly saved to lose their salvation.
(Ephesians 4:30 NIV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
It's also clear that those who abandon the faith were never saved in the first place.
(1 John 2:19 NIV) They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
Not exactly a salvation scripture relevant for all people considering John's talking about antichrists who denied that Jesus came in the flesh (Gnostics, IOW).
Thanks, It is like that indeed. Even in my own life, I have experienced, I cannot run away from him. I know I belong to him.
a Christian can loose his salvation. The bible talks about Apostacy 2 Thelsalonians 2:2. A state where a believer who has tasted and handled the Word of Truth but yet fell away. The bible specifically said it would be difficult to restore such a person back. 1 Tim 4:1 also gives an important point to this effect. so yes, a Christiancan loose his salvation
Hey! 2 The 2:2 doesn't talk about losing or not salvation. I think you are referring Hebrew 6:4, the main text of the post. And 1 Tim 4:1 is talking about people that were among Christians that were not believers, that is confirmed in 1 John 19 - "They were among us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us: they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us"
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