Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?

Can a Christian lose his salvation? I get asked that question a lot, although often in some variation. Someone might say: "So and So is no longer a Christian." Or, one might ask: "If I die with unconfessed sin in my life, will I go to Heaven?"

It's clear that the Bible teaches that Christians can fall away. Peter denied Jesus. Moses fled to the desert for 40 years. Jonah fled to Tarshish. Throughout history, God worshipers have strugggled to maintain a faithful walk with God. So, it's normal to wonder what happens when someone moves into eternity not having finished well.

The good news is that the Bible clearly teaches that when I commit my life to God, he forever saves me. In Ephesians, chapter 1, and verses 13 and 14 tell us: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory."

These verses clearly state that those who have believed the Gospel have received God's spirit, which is a guarantee of our redemption. Folks, God never breaks His promises, and certainly, when he guarantees something, it happens.

So, what happens when someone who previously believed, either recants his or her salvation, or simply gets caught up in doing wrong and wanders away from God? Well, the best way to explain it is through the use of a parent/child relationship. When one of my children chooses to disobey my instructions, even saying "I'm no longer your child", that, in and of itself, does not mean he or she is no longer my child. Having been born into my family, the child will always be my child. But, our relationship is broken. He or she won't have much to do with me, and certainly won't receive the best that I have to offer until the child confesses the wrong, and apologizes. That's the way it is with a Christian. When we recant our salvation, or wander away from God, our relationship with Him is broken. He can't and won't bless us, or guide us at that point. The next prayer that God can hear from us is a prayer of confession. As long as we are walking in disobedience our prayers cannot be heard by God. The Psalmist, David, put it this way in Psalm 66:18: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear."

But, that has nothing to do with our eternal salvation. Some might say: "Well, then why should I live for God? As soon as I believe, I'm guaranteed eternal life, so I can just go on and live my life any way I choose. Right?" Well, technically that's true. But think about it for a moment. The Bible says that at the end of time, each person, Christian and non-Christian, must give an account of his life, to God. For the non-Christian, that accounting includes the eternal destination of Hell. But the Christian doesn't stand at that judgement. Romans 8:1 says: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Because Jesus paid the price for my wrongs with his death on the cross, it would be double jeoprady for me to have to pay for them at the judgment. No, the judgment that Believers will stand for is one where we get rewarded for the things we did in this life for God's glory, not our own. For the person who decides to recant of their faith, that will be an empty appointment. And, although enjoying eternal life with Jesus, they'll have nothing to show for their earthly existence, and this will be for all of eternity. So, does it make sense to do that? No!

I hope I've answered this question for you. If not, why not respond to this blog, and we'll strike up a conversaiton about it. I promise not to give you my opinion, just God's Word. Why not drop me a line?