Can a true born again believer in Christ ever lose their salvation? While there are some in evangelical circles that believe we can lose our salvation I contend that those who seem to walk away from the Lord were never saved in the first place. Just as the Scriptures are clear that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, I believe that our justification in Christ happens the moment we accept Christ into our lives and it is a one time permanent justification. I like to share with people, that if not committing sin were the standard for maintaining my salvation, then I would lose it the day after I got saved since I still sin each day.
I choose to stand with (Romans 8:38-39) and thank God for keeping me secure in Him. These wonderful two verses read: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Sadly, we live in a world where millions say they believe in Jesus, but their behavior clearly calls into question just what Jesus they believe in. I believe that many people know about Jesus but don’t “know” Jesus in an intimate personal way. For a true believer in Christ will show manifestations of a changed and transformed life. I know for myself that if I thought I could lose my salvation life would be miserable because I would always be wondering if my sins for today could cause me to lose my standing with God.
Thankfully, the Holy Spirit lives inside of me and it is the Holy Spirit that gives me the strength and power to walk the Christian walk. If one is truly saved then the Holy Spirit sanctifies him or her positionally in Christ at the moment of conversion. And we as Christians spend the rest of our lives becoming more like Christ through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. And while it is true, as Christians, we can quench and grieve the Holy Spirit, on occasion, we can never cause the Spirit to leave us.
And if a true child of God gets involved in gross sins they, while not losing their salvation, stand to lose a great deal. For example, the sweet joy of Christian fellowship is lost, peace vanishes, their prayer life becomes ineffective, often their health, both physical and mental, will suffer greatly, and God may even choose to call them home earlier than they might wish.
I think that (1 John 2:19) gives us real insight into what is taking place in the lives of “so-called” believers who seem to fall away from the faith when it says: “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.”
I believe that once a person trusts Christ as their Savior they become His child forever. Not only does Christ save us but He also keeps us. If it depended on us to maintain our salvation we would quickly lose it. My friends God promises all true Christians eternal life and I concur with the great English hymn writer, Isaac Watts who once said: “I believe the promises of God enough to venture an eternity on them.”1