Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

The two views — and assurance of salvation

• The question posed (in the host's frame): one of the big debates in christianity is over whether a believer can lose their salvation. On one side, we have proponents of what is known as the doctrine of eternal security — or what's sometimes euphemistically referred to as: once saved, always saved. And on the other side, we have what's known as conditional security. What exactly do those terms mean, first of all? And on what side of the debate do oneness pentecostals fall? And maybe most importantly — or definitely most importantly — what's the bible have to say, about this question? The answer: well, let's talk about the views you've expressed. The idea of unconditional eternal security — or once saved, always saved — is: that once a person is saved, no matter what they do in their christian life, no matter what sins they commit — whether they repent of those sins or not — they're still going to be saved, in the end. I don't believe that's biblical. That is calvinist. And it's not what pentecostals believe, either. What I would like to describe is: we can have assurance of salvation. So it's conditional, in the sense that: if you — even after you're saved — if you repudiate god, if you walk away from god, if you denounce god, you break the relationship: no, you're not going to be saved. But if you continue to walk by faith — and even though you might sin, but immediately, as 1st john (the chapter as he gives it) talks about it: if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, the blood of jesus cleanses us, from all sins. First john (the chapter as he gives it): sin not. But if you do sin, we have an advocate with the father: jesus christ, the righteous. So if we live our daily life, we can live a holy life. If we do sin, we can immediately be convicted of that, and ask god to forgive us, and continue to walk by faith, and walk in holiness. So that we don't have to worry: well, am i saved today, or am i lost today? If i die today, am i going to be saved, or am i lost ('of my loss', as the letters run)? Or: i was saved this morning, but i'm lost this afternoon, and hopefully i'll be saved this evening. No: you don't have to have that uncertainty. You can have assurance. Which is described most eloquently ('most of eloquently', as heard) in romans (the chapter as he gives it): that absolutely nothing can separate us, from the love of god, which is in christ jesus our lord. Now, we ourselves can walk away, from the relationship. But no external force, no demonic force, no power, can separate us, from the love of god. And the same chapter — romans 8 (as he names it again) — says: there's no condemnation, to those who are in christ jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. So I would say: the biblical view — and our pentecostal view — is called assurance of salvation. So: we're saved. We can know we're saved. We can live a saved life. We can live in a relationship with god. If we do something that breaks that relationship, we can confess, repent, and continue in that relationship. But to say that someone can sin, and have no regard for their sin, and have no repentance, and no desire to it — and still they're going to be saved: that's simply false. That's contrary to scripture, in many ways.

Scriptures: 1 John 1; 1 John 2; Romans 8

Faith is a relationship — Romans 1, the Habakkuk saying, and Hebrews 12:14

• I would start with the positive affirmation of scripture. If you go to romans (the chapter as he gives it): it says, quoting from habakkuk: the just shall live by faith. So the righteous lives, by faith. In fact, the classic statement — romans (the verse as he gives it): for i am not ashamed of the gospel of christ, for it is the power of god unto salvation, to everyone that believeth. Believeth — the king james. That is, the present tense: believes. And in the greek, the present tense is continuous. You could literally say: is believing. And continue to say: they shall go, from faith to faith. And then — the next verse (as he gives it) — as i've already quoted: the just, or the righteous, shall live by faith. And that is originally in habakkuk. It's quoted in romans, galatians, and hebrews. So, four times in scripture, it's obviously quite significant. In other words: we're saved by faith. But faith is not just a point in time. Faith is a relationship. Faith is a way of life. So that implies — or that states: as long as we are in a relationship of faith, in jesus christ, as our lord and savior: then we are saved. And of course, that presupposes we're letting the holy spirit work, in our lives. That presupposes that, because the spirit is working in our lives, it issues forth in holiness. So hebrews (the verse as he gives it) says: to follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the lord. So there is this understanding: that when you're living by faith, you'll be in an ongoing pursuit of holiness. You'll be in right relationship with god. And you'll be in right relationship with people. Well, the flip side of that will be: what if you don't pursue holiness? What if you don't pursue a relationship with god? What if you're not living by faith? Well, then: no, you're not in a saving relationship. So i think it's essential to understand: the whole of scripture is speaking of salvation, is not just one point in time. Not just one verbal confession. Or even one new birth experience. But it's a relationship with god. It's a daily life of faith.

Scriptures: Romans 1; Habakkuk (book-only); Romans 1:16; Romans 1:17; Hebrews 12:14

Choice remains — the son who walks away, and the warning examples

• And as long as we maintain that relationship: yes, we're saved. But just as we had a choice, by god's grace — we had a choice to accept salvation, or not — we still have that choice, after we're born again. Our choice is not obliterated. We still have the ability to choose. And if we consciously, deliberately, intentionally, decidedly walk away, from that relationship with god: well, then we're no longer in the saving relationship. And somebody says: well, once the son, always son. That's true. But a son can be disowned. So: i have three children. They will always be my children ('they will always leave my children', as heard). No matter what they do. I will always love them, no matter what they do. But if one of my adult children comes to me, and says: i don't want to have anything to do with you. I'm never coming home for christmas. I'm never going to have a relation with you. I want nothing to do with you. Well, even though they're my son, they're no longer going to enjoy the benefits of a relationship. They're no longer going to have fellowship. And i can disinherit them from my will ('disinherit them for my will', as heard). And so they will not inherit, or enjoy — in this life, or later — they will not enjoy any of the benefits of that relationship, because of their choice. So even though we, as a christian, can't be unborn — if we were baptized in jesus name, filled with the holy ghost: that's a permanent reality, that happened. That can never be done away with. But we could walk away, from our present relationship with god. And so we won't enjoy the benefits of what happened, when we're born again. Because we forfeit them. We've denounced them. Now, scripture is full of examples. And i can just give you a few. First corinthians (the chapter as he gives it) talks about the gospel. And paul says: here is the gospel. Here's the good news, that saves you. If you keep in memory what i preached you — unless you believe in vain. So it's possible to believe — to start out in faith — but eventually it becomes in vain, because you do not continue. Romans (the chapter as he gives it) talks about how israel lost their position with god. And talks about how the gentiles — the church — has been grafted in. But the same chapter goes on to say: be careful, that you don't fall into unbelief, as the majority of the jews did. And because if god didn't spare the original branches, but cut them off ('if god didn't save and he uses the analogy of the tree didn't save the original branches but cut them off', as the sentence's letters run) — well, be careful. Because god could cut you off. And: behold, the goodness and severity of god. So: if you have faith in god, you experience his grace. But if you reject god, you can be cut off. Now, romans 11 (as he names it again) is not written to sinners ('is not writing written to sinners', as heard). It's written to christians. It's saying: be careful. If you fall into unbelief, then you, too, will be cut off ('then you too be will be cut off', as heard). You will experience the severity of god. Second peter — the whole book, really, but especially (the chapter as he gives it) — talks about people who've known the truth, experienced the truth, enjoyed the grace of god. And then walk away from them. It says: it would have been better for them, not to have known the truth, than to know the truth, and then walk away from it ('it would be have been better', as heard). And it uses the proverb: it's like a pig wallowing in the mire. A dog going back to its vomit. And so: it had been better for them, not to have known the truth, than to know the truth, and walk away from it. James (the chapter as he gives it) similarly talks about: if there's a brother who sins, and you can restore that brother: you've saved someone from death. You've saved them from judgment. So: there's just a few quick examples, that come to mind. But you could easily come up with 20 or 30 passages of scripture, that talk about a warning: if you were to fall away, that judgment will come. And so — certainly, it's not any limitation on god's grace. But god doesn't take away our freedom of choice. You know: love requires choice, or it's not love. So god wants us to love him. Which means he wants us to choose him, freely. But it is possible, for a person to be born again. But in the future, decide: no, they really don't want a relationship with god. And they fall away from god. God respects that choice. But that choice has —

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15; Romans 11; 2 Peter 2; James 5

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Scripture index: 1 John 1; 1 John 2; Romans 8; Romans 1; Habakkuk (book-only); Romans 1:16; Romans 1:17; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Corinthians 15; Romans 11; 2 Peter 2; James 5.