Can a Believer "Lose" His Salvation?

Question

Or Stated More Accurately, Can He Forfeit It?

"Has God indeed said...Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away."? (Luke 8:13)

Hebrews 6:4-6, [4] "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, [5] and have tasted the good scripture and the powers of the age to come, [6] and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame.

If this is not a description of a saved person, I dunno what is, And no,,I do not believe it is a reference to a "moderate Christian" That is an Oxy-Moron, Rev 3:15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,* I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Answer 1

Of Course he/she can. YOU CAN TURN YOUR BACK ON THE LORD AND YOU CAN BE LED ASTRAY BY FALSE DOCTRINE.

God saved Israel, but they perished in the wilderness. Christians can be saved from sin but then lost eternally. These two statements are not only parallel; they are true. Ahithophel was David's trusted advisor--until he turned against him. Would anyone argue that he fell out of favor with David when he decided to counsel Absalom? Judas was numbered among the twelve apostles of the Lord, but Jesus said it would have been better for him never to have been born (Matt. 26:24). Why? The greater punishment presumes that he was an actual apostle of the Lord's--one who fell; otherwise, he would be no worse off than anyone else that rejected Jesus.

Yet despite the obvious and oft-repeated fact that saved people can be lost, a few Calvinists still try to maintain their old doctrine: "once saved, always saved." There is scarcely any false doctrine easier to refute, yet they cling to it. Most people recognize the error of it just because it violates common sense. We know from our own experience that one positive action is never sufficient to maintain a relationship. Do a man and woman say "I love you" only one time? When they say, "I do," is no further effort required to maintain that relationship?

Why does Jesus warn His disciples against the doctrine (leaven) of the Sadducees and the Pharisees (Matt. 16:11-12)? Why does Paul say to mark those who teach things contrary to the doctrine they had learned (Rom. 16:17-18)? If Christians are saved to the degree that they cannot possibly be lost no matter what, then it makes no difference what a person believes any more than it matters what he does. He may believe any false teaching and engage in any immorality he desires.

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12). This verse can have no meaning, if it is impossible for a "Christian" to fall. And how can a Christian be a stumbling block? Yet Paul affirms that a weak brother might perish (8:11).

Paul admonishes brethren in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to examine themselves to see whether they are in the faith. Can Christians depart from the faith and still be saved? Paul said even of himself that he disciplined his body to bring it unto subjection, lest after preaching to others, he himself might become disqualified (1 Cor. 9:27).

The book of Galatians is addressed to Christians in the churches of that region. They had been troubled by the Judaizing teachers who insisted that Christians keep the law of Moses. Paul writes: "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4). Can someone fall from grace? Not only is it possible; Paul said it had already occurred. One cannot fall from a height to which he had never attained in the first place. One cannot lose salvation unless he once possessed it. They were Christians, but they were now giving heed to another gospel (Gal. 1:6-9), which resulted in their falling from grace--losing what they had.



God bless you

Answer 2

Ok for those who say that some Christians are quoting scripture and then putting spin on it, let me quote a scripture. I won't tell you what I believe it means but I am sure a child who has no pre conceived bias would be able to very easily understand it's meaning. It's when we allow our personal bias to interfere that we misinterpret scripture.

Ok. Here it is. In Galations chapter 5 verse 4 Paul is speaking to Jews who had become Christians and had later returned to the Old Law and their Judaistic beliefs. He says, "Those of you who try to be put right with God by obeying the Law have cut yourselves off from Christ. You are outside God's grace."

This is from the Good News Bible today's English Version.

So let any 1st grader read this and then ask them what it means. There's your answer. Don't get mad at me if what they say contradicts your belief. Change your belief!

Remember, I didn't tell you what I think this means.

Someone just put a thumbs down on my messge. How could that be possible. I didn't take any stand whatsoever. It sounds like you interpreted the scripture as it was written and didn't like what you read.

Answer 3

I totally believe that you can fall away. Rev. 3:16 scares me to death. I don't think they teach it in the churches though. Everywhere I turn you hear the opposite. Jesus said there would be false teachers everywhere distorting the Word of God. We are to test the spirits. To check everything with the Word to make sure it all matches up.
:)

Answer 4

Yes. The illustration was given to me:
"You are in the palm of my hand, and no demon in hell can steal you away. Just don't walk out on your own, you stupid little sheep!"

Such an endearing term, don't you think?

Eternal security is a sham.

Also, from the parable of the servant who was forgiven a great debt he couldn't pay (salvation?):
Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?'
Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.
"That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart."

So the forgiveness WAS conditional after the fact....

Answer 5

There are things to watch out for such as polytheism and faith apart from charity and good works.

"All who acknowledge and worship any other God than the Lord the Savior, Jesus Christ, who is Jehovah God Himself in human form, sin against this first commandment. Those also sin against it who persuade themselves of the actual existence of three Divine persons from eternity. For as they confirm themselves in that error, they become more and more natural and corporeal, and at length are unable to comprehend interiorly any Divine truth; and if they listen to it and accept it, they still defile it and cover it up with fallacies.

Answer 6

The Bible says that the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved--not that you can be saved at all before the end of your life or the end of this system whichever comes first.

Answer 7

No. God is not a covenant breaker and he is not a liar. Those that say that a Christian can lose his salvation and quote Scripture to try to prove it are quoting Scripture out of context or are putting their own twist to it.

Answer 8

a minister can help more than me if you ask
We can still be forgiven each time at Holy Communion. I dont know any who are willingly walking away from their beliefs..

Answer 9

yes u can, by turning your back on Jesus