Can Salvation Be Lost?

The Bible’s answer to this question comes across as highly controversial in today’s mainstream Christian society. The answer does not conform to what is commonly taught in many churches. It does not conform to tradition. The answer is yes – once a person is saved, that person can lose their salvation.

God will never turn His back on you, but that is not the issue we are dealing with here. The issue is whether or not you would turn your back on God, and if you do, how might that effect your salvation?

How secure is secure? Is salvation permanent? Once achieved, are there any circumstances by which a person can give it up?

God’s plan of salvation is a miracle, and available to us all. When trying to understand any biblical position, however, all scriptures must be considered. A person cannot select a few pet scriptures and ignore others that contradict their point of view.

The question is not about salvation, nor about the security a person should have in their salvation. The question is about unconditional eternal salvation. In other words, once a person is saved, will that person always be saved no matter what? Or is a person’s salvation conditional? If the Bible points to the position of eternal-no-matter-what security, then we would not expect any scriptures to conflict with this teaching.

The following scriptures do, in fact, conflict with the teaching of eternal security. Please read these scriptures and explanation prayerfully and with a pure heart.

II Timothy 4:10: In Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul writes about a man named Demas, who has forsaken him having loved this present world. Who is Demas? We read of him in two other places. In both Philemon 24 and Colossians 4:14 we read that he is a fellow laborer – one of the brethren. But in II Timothy 4:10 we see that Demas has left Paul because he has a love for the world. Unfortunately for Demas, I John 2:15 teaches us that “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” This concept is consistently reflected in Paul’s writings as well. Can a person go to heaven if the love of the Father is not in him? There is no doubt Demas, Paul’s brother in the Lord, once had salvation. II Timothy 4:10 tells us he lost it.

II Peter 2:20-22: Peter explains in this passage that it would be better for a person to have never known God than to have known Him and then turn away. He likened it to Proverbs 26:11: “The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

This fairly graphic analogy does not appear to describe a person who makes it to heaven! Verse 20 specifically states, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” Truly, this is an ugly scenario. He writes in verse 21, “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” According to Peter, a person loses his salvation if he turns his back on God.

Again, for a person to know the way of righteousness and then to turn from it is like a dog returning to his own vomit or a just-bathed pig wallowing in the muck. Strong language, indeed, but he was trying to make a point.

Hebrews 6:4-6: This passage explains that a person who experiences salvation is enlightened and has tasted the heavenly gift which is the Holy Spirit of God. It tells us that the saved person has tasted the Word of God and the powers of the world to come. The rest of this passage goes on to say, however, that such a person can fall away! Is it possible for a person to fall away, yet still go to heaven? How wide are the gates? There are many who would say that such a person as is described here – a person who falls away – was never saved to begin with. This point of view assumes that a person cannot fall away once they have tasted salvation. However, Hebrews 6:4-6 clearly contradicts this by teaching that a person who has experienced salvation can, in fact, fall away.

Romans 11:21: The setting for this scripture takes us back to the end of Chapter 9. This is where we learn that the Israel of Paul’s day was in a general state of unbelief. It was, however, the desire and prayer of Paul’s heart for his fellow Jewish brothers to be saved. As we move into Chapter 11 we find Paul comparing Jews with Gentiles, and that it was the fall of Israel that made way for Gentiles to come to the saving knowledge of God through His son Jesus Christ.

In verse 16 we see Paul start to draw an analogy for us. There is a tree. It has a root and branches. The root is holy. Only God is holy. The original, natural branches of this tree are the Jewish people – Israel. But we see that God has broken off some of these natural branches due to unbelief. These Jewish people who once believed, and were the natural branches in the tree of life, had a change of heart. When they ceased to believe they were cut out of the tree and lost their salvation.

Fortunately for the Gentiles, however, the fall of the Jews paved the way for their salvation. Paul issues a warning to the Gentiles who have been grafted into this tree – don’t boast nor be highminded, he says. God didn’t spare the natural branches, and He won’t spare you either. Verse 22: “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”

Take careful note, it is entirely possible to be cut off from the tree of life. Once you are grafted in upon receiving salvation, you can be just as easily grafted out. Do “grafted out” people go to heaven?

Revelation 22:18-19: John offers a warning to every person who reads the book of Revelation. “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and,” he adds for reinforcement in verse 19, “if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life.”

It is possible to have your name written in the book of life and then be blotted out. This concept is echoed in Psalm 69:28. David speaks of people whose names had been written in the book of life, but because of their iniquity their names were erased (blotted out). Can a person whose name was blotted out of the Lamb’s book of life make it to heaven?

Revelation 3:5: John also spoke of names being blotted out in his message to the church in Sardis: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.” The saved person, therefore, who does not overcome can have his name removed from the book of life.

II Peter 1:4-10: In this passage Peter explains that if we are to be partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world, then there are certain things we must do. He says we must diligently add to our faith. What must we add? First, we must add virtue. To virtue we must then add knowledge. Then to knowledge, add temperance, then patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. After listing these things, Peter goes on to make an extraordinary promise. He says that if a person does these things he will never fall. This is a wonderful promise, but remember the flip side: if you don’t do these things you may fall.

Do you see? According to Peter, it is possible to fall. If you don’t add these things to your faith you may not escape the corruption that is in the world. In other words, it is possible to have it, then lose it.

How does this scripture fit with the concept of eternal security?

II Thessalonians 2:3: This is another passage on falling. Paul explains to us that before the Lord comes and the saints are gathered, there will first come a falling away. What does this mean? To fall from what? To fall, especially in light of II Peter 1:10, means to have salvation and then to fall from it.

I Corinthians 9:27: Paul brings his body (his flesh) under subjection. Why? “Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Paul has salvation, and yet he is concerned that if he is not careful and does not do certain things, even he himself might become a castaway. In other words, not even Paul felt he had eternal security.

Revelation 16:15: This verse is God’s last minute warning immediately prior to the Battle of Armageddon. He says, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Notice, Jesus is urging people whose garments are spotless to keep them that way. If a person could not change the purity of their spotless garments, then why did the Lord give this word of caution?

Matthew 25:1-13: In Jesus’ parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins, we read in verse 8 that the foolish virgins once had oil in their lamps, but the oil had gone out. At the time of the midnight cry they were not ready to meet the bridegroom.

In this parable the oil represents God’s Holy Spirit. The bridegroom is Jesus. The midnight cry is the rapture of the saints. It is apparent that at one point in their lives, all ten virgins had the Holy Ghost. After all, that is why they are called virgins. But five lost their Spirit. This conflicts with the doctrine of once a person is saved, that person can never lose their salvation.

You will also notice in this parable that contrary to popular belief, verses 10-12 teach that there are no second chances for those who are left behind.

Hebrews 3:12-14: This passage directly addresses the issue of turning your back on God. It speaks of those who have an evil heart full of unbelief who turn from God. Verse 12 reads, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” The following analysis may come across as terribly basic, but please bear with me. The passage talks about unbelief and departing from God. Unbelief is the opposite of belief. To depart from God means you were once with God. To repent means to turn toward God; to turn from God is the opposite of repentance. To depart from God is to lose your repentance. Without repentance and belief, there is no heaven.

Here is the rest of the passage—verses 13-14. Notice once again that by the word “if” salvation is conditional: “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” We are made partakers of Christ IF…

Summary:

1. In II Timothy 4:10 we learn it is possible to fall after having believed.
2. II Peter 2:20-22 declares that it is better to have never known God than to turn away from Him.
3. In Hebrews 6:4-6, we learn that it is possible for those who have tasted the Holy Spirit of God and His Word to fall away.
4. Romans 11:21 teaches that a person can lose their salvation because of unbelief.
5. Revelation 22:18-19 explains how a person can have their name, which was once written into the book of life, blotted out.
6. Revelation 3:5 gives a picture of God holding the pencil upside down with the eraser pointed at the names of those who are saved, but somewhere along the line miss the mark.
7. II Peter 1:4-10 clearly teaches that unless we add to our faith, we may fall.
8. II Thessalonians 2:3 prophesies many will fall.
9. Paul, in I Corinthians 9:27, teaches against guaranteed-no-matter-what-you-do eternal security; even his own.
10. Jesus warns of a last-minute fall in Revelation 16:15.
11. And the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 illustrates that people who have God’s saving Spirit can lose it.
12. It is possible to depart from God; to turn belief into unbelief; to undo repentance. Hebrews 3:12-14.

According to these scriptures, salvation is conditional. It is possible to lose it. Salvation depends upon keeping the faith and being obedient. It is when we do these things that our salvation is, indeed, secure.

Jude 1:4 says, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [sin], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Yes, there are those who have found a way to turn the grace of God into a license to sin. Think of a few examples where this happens. Do you know any “Christians” who tell willful lies? “Christian” adulterers, thieves or drunks? Gay “Christians”? They have turned the grace of God into a license to sin. Paul writes in I Corinthians 6:11, “such were some of you.” Notice he uses the past tense. A true Christian will no longer lie, steal, or commit fornication of any type.

King David wrote in Psalm 51:11, “Take not thy holy spirit from me.”

Please consider these questions:

• What is obedience? What is the difference between obedience and faithless, dead works? What does it mean “to believe?”
• Define for yourself these biblical terms: To fall; falling way; castaway; departing from God.
• What is repentant sin? What is unrepentant sin? What is willful sin?
• Is it possible to turn your back on God?
• Do actions produce consequences?
• In I Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul says that the gospel saves you IF you keep certain things in memory. Is Paul teaching that salvation is, in fact, conditional?