Question: "Can a Christian lose salvation?" From Gotquestions.org

Answer: Before this question is answered, the term “Christian� must be
defined. A “Christian� is not a person who has said a prayer, or walked down
an aisle, or been raised in a Christian family. While each of these things
can be a part of the Christian experience, they are not what “makes� a
Christian. A Christian is a person who has, by faith, received and fully
trusted in Jesus Christ as the only Savior (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians
2:8-9).

So, with this definition in mind, can a Christian lose
salvation? Perhaps the best way to answer this crucially important question
is to examine what the Bible says occurs at salvation, and to study what
losing salvation would therefore entail. Here are a few examples:

A Christian is a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!� (2
Corinthians 5:17). This verse speaks of a person becoming an entirely new
creature as a result of being “in Christ.� For a Christian to lose
salvation, the new creation would have to be canceled and reversed.

A Christian is redeemed. “For you know that it was not with
perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the
empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the
precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect� (1 Peter
1:18-19). The word “redeemed� refers to a purchase being made, a price being
paid. For a Christian to lose salvation, God Himself would have to revoke
His purchase that He paid for with the precious blood of Christ.

A Christian is justified. “Therefore, since we have been
justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ� (Romans 5:1). To “justify� means to “declare righteous.� All those
who receive Jesus as Savior are “declared righteous� by God. For a Christian
to lose salvation, God would have to go back on His Word and undeclare what
He had previously declared.

A Christian is promised eternal life. “For God so loved the
world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish but have eternal life� (John 3:16). Eternal life is a promise of
eternity (forever) in Heaven with God. God promises, “believe and you will
have eternal life.� For a Christian to lose salvation, eternal life would
have to be taken away. If a Christian is promised to live forever, how then
can God break this promise by taking away eternal life?

A Christian is guaranteed glorification. “And those He
predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He
justified, He also glorified� (Romans 8:30). As we learned in Romans 5:1,
justification is declared at the moment of faith. According to Romans 8:30,
glorification is guaranteed for all those whom God justifies. Glorification
refers to a Christian receiving a perfect resurrection body in Heaven. If a
Christian can lose salvation, Romans 8:30 is in error, because God could not
guarantee glorification for all those whom He predestines, calls, and
justifies.

Many more illustrations of what occurs at salvation could be
shared. Even these few, though, make it abundantly clear that a Christian
cannot lose salvation. Most, if not all, of what the Bible says occurs to a
person when he/she receives Jesus Christ as Savior would be invalidated if
salvation could be lost. Salvation cannot be reversed. A Christian cannot be
un-newly created. Redemption cannot be undone. Eternal life cannot be lost
and still be considered eternal. If a Christian can lose salvation, God
would have to go back on His Word and change His mind - two things that
Scripture tells us God never does.

The most frequent objections to the belief that a Christian
cannot lose salvation are: (1) what about those who are Christians and
continually live an immoral lifestyle? â€" and â€" (2) what about those who are
Christians but later reject the faith and deny Christ? The problem with
these two objections is the assumption “are Christians.� (1) The Bible
declares that a true Christian will not live a continually immoral lifestyle
(1 John 3:6). (2) The Bible declares that anyone who departs the faith is
demonstrating that he/she never truly was a Christian (1 John 2:19).

No, a Christian cannot lose salvation. Nothing can separate a
Christian from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can remove a Christian
from God’s hand (John 10:28-29). God is both willing and able to guarantee
and maintain the salvation He has given us. Jude 24-25, “To Him who is able
to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence
without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory,
majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all
ages, now and forevermore! Amen.�

Recommended Resource: Eternal Security by Charles Stanley

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