RE: Can a christian lose their salvation?
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?