Once you accept Christ, can you loose your salvation?

Question

I have heard both sides...

Once you've accepted Christ you can't loose that gift.

AND

You can turn away from God by choosing NOT TO FOLLOW HIM.

I'm confused!! =[ Does anyone have an answer or reference to the Bible that would help me not be confused? (Bad grammar, I know, I'm sorry!!)

Ok, Ted Haggard is a good man, he just made some very poor choices. I am a Christian-but once we become Christians we do not have ALL of the answers.

Answer 1

Salvation is a gift, but we must hold onto it and persevere in our faith, not just pray a prayer one time and then live any way we want. I hope the first link below will be helpful for you. Feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail] if I can help.

Answer 2

Time and again Paul likens the Christian’s course to a “race” that must be run to the finish. “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” he urged the Hebrews. (12:1, AV) To enter the race, sinners must take the steps necessary for salvation: hearing and accepting the Word of God, believing in Jesus Christ and his ransom sacrifice, repenting of their sins and being baptized. In this way, they get saved “from this crooked generation,” as Peter exhorted those gathered at Pentecost. Unbelievers are outside the race, having failed to enter by getting “saved.”Acts 2:37-40.

Once entered in the race by being “saved,” a Christian takes “hold of the life which is life indeed.” But is it possible to lose that grip on life? Paul answers with this question: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize?” In the Christian race, Paul indicates the “one” who receives the prize is anyone who finishes the race. Therefore, Paul urges, “So run that you may obtain it.” Then, using himself as an example to make the point of his illustration, he continues: “I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Tim. 6:19.

Evidently the apostle, who surely was a “saved” Christian, believed that even he could be “disqualified” from the race. Yet as long as he continued to ‘run that he might obtain’ the prize, thus remaining in the race, salvation was assured. This is why Christians who remain in the race can be said to ‘have everlasting life.’ But if they should ever quit the race, they are “disqualified,” losing their hold on everlasting life.

Answer 3

Once a person is truly born of God, person cannot become unborn of God. How could Jesus say, "I never knew you.".

Ever lasting life is a gift and not of works. So once we have put on Christ righteousness (Covered by His redeeming Blood), we cannot become more or less righteous. God looks at us and sees the righteousness of Christ.

Yes, you can fall away, but God disciplines. And it isn't fun. Some people go to heaven early.

Also, I believe that to be ready for Jesus rapture, one needs to have the oil in their lamp full (Holy Spirit Anointing) or else will be left behind & have to go through great tribulation and get killed for not bowing down to the beast.

I don't believe that Ted Haggard (hypocrite) was truly born of God, because of the sin He fell into. I believe he is a sinner needing a Savior.

A person born of God cannot abide in sin (make it a comfortable habit) because of the Holy Seed within.

Who are they who overcome? Those who are born of God. What is their victory? Their faith.

Answer 4

The apostle Paul said, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (or "disqualified" for the prize or eternal reward). 1 Cor 9:27 Paul had the possibility that he could be lost if he gave into fleshly lusts.

Some say, since salvation is "eternal", then once you are saved, you are always saved.

If “eternal” in “eternal salvation” means “once saved, always saved”, then “once lost, always lost” is also valid.

A person who is lost is “eternally lost”

All who are “eternally saved” were in a state of being “eternally lost” before they were saved.

If either “eternal” state can be altered, then both can.

A lost person can become “eternally saved”.

It is accurate to refer to a saved person as an “eternally saved” person. It is just as accurate to call a lost person an “eternally lost” person.

We need not stoop to changing the scope of the word “eternal” to fit our own desires.

A person who is “eternally lost” has the OPTION to become “eternally saved”. (Mark 16:15-16, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel, He that… shall be saved.”) (Revelation 22:17 “Whosoever will…”) (2 Peter 3:9 God does not wish for any to perish… all come to repentance)

A person who is “eternally saved” must, therefore, have the OPTION to change his mind also. Otherwise why all of the verses that warn Christians:

About growing weary (Hebrews 12:1-5)
Being deceived (1 John 2:26)
Influence of bad company (1 Corinthians 15:33)
About deceiving yourself (1 John 1:8, 1 Corinthians 3:18)
About growing faint (Luke 18:1, Gal. 6:9)
About wolves that enter the flock to draw away disciples (Acts 20:28-30)
About being “spoil(ed)” by false philosophy (Col. 2:8)
About being “puffed up with pride” (1 Tim. 3:6)

If this is not true:
An unsaved person has free will (the option to come to Christ), but a saved person does not have free will (the option to change his mind). How can this be?

Both the saved and unsaved states are eternal in destination, but we can determine which “eternal” path we travel as long as we live on earth (and as long as we have the mental ability to make choices).

We are on one of only two possible paths. (Matt 7:13-14) Each “way” has an everlasting destination when we travel that way to its end. One path "leads to life" and the other "leads to distruction".

We must chose whom we will serve (Josh 24:15). Those who are faithful to God unto death will receive a crown of life (Rev 2:10).

Answer 5

Some people who truly repent of their sin and receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord fall into sin and then feel that they must be saved all over again. This is not the case. The Bible says, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1). "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Christian conversion is the transformation which we experience when we are born of God. Since one is not born over and over again, we must think of Christian development in two phases: birth and growth. A child, for example, is born once. True, he falls down many times, but when he falls he doesn't need to be born again. His falls, his bumps and bruises are all part of growing. So it is in the Christian life. Birth is sudden, once and for all, but development is the work of an entire lifetime. We can be converted in a moment: the precise moment that we accept Christ. But it takes a lot of prayer, Bible reading, church-going, and Christian service to make a mature Christian.

Answer 6

I believe the answer is based on whether you were ever truly saved to begin with. That's totally up to God... but if you truly were saved, then I believe that it isn't possible to lose your salvation. (Those whom the Father has given Me I will in no wise cast out, or something like that.) If you're worried that you're not showing the fruit of the Spirit, remember that it's a lifetime process. Not following Christ is a choice we make each day. There has to be a balance... your behavior has to show that you're striving to follow Christ, and remember that we're human and it's normal to slip up. If you're truly a Christian, His promise is to continue His work in you. If you fall away, your ultimate fate depends on His mercy. Only hiindsight will be able to tell whether His grace is operating or not. If you feel yourself slipping away, your reaction to that will tell you whether you're truly saved or not. Sorry I don't have a Bible right off hand, but read the sayings of Christ, especially the parables.

Answer 7

Yes, it is possible to lose your salvation. 2 Peter says that it would have been better for someone to have never known the truth than to know the truth and walk away.

2Pe 2:20 For if they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the full knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and are again entangled, they have been overcome by these, their last things are worse than the first.2Pe 2:21 For it would have been better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than fully knowing it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 2Pe 2:22 But the word of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog turning to his own vomit; and, The washed sow to wallowing in the mire.

Answer 8

Yes, you can.
Very Few do it.
It is called the Unpardonable Sin--it is the Act of Rejecting Jesus and all that HE Stands for.
If you are Worried about your Salvation, "you haven't Committed it."
People (very few) who Commit this Sin don't Even want to Talk or Hear anything about Jesus after that.
Sad.

Baby Christians CANNOT COMMIT this Sin.
Regular Sins (getting Drunk, Adultery, Murder, being Gay, Fornication, Lying, Stealing etc.) is not the Act of Rejecting Jesus for Good (the Unpardonable Sin).
There are Five Things you have to Accomplish in your Spiritual Growth in Order to Even be Able to Commit it.
Getting Born-Again and getting Filled with the Holy Spirit are the First Two.
You have to go up High Enough in the Spiritual Realm so that if you Jump Off of the Mountain of Truth, the Fall Kills you, Spiritually. (messes up your Spirit Again, and you are Lost BIG TIME) no Redemption after that.
Jesus can only Die ONCE for Us, but HE would come back and Die again for Those who have Committed This Sin---that is How Much The Creator (Jesus) Loves Us.
Hope this helps and may GOD Bless.
Ditto.............................................!

Answer 9

Once you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, No, you CAN NOT, I repeat CAN NOT Lose your Salvation.

That's saying that the Almighty God is not capable enough to save nor keep you saved.

Jesus said in John chapter 10: 28 thru 30:
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.

The Bible also says in Ephesians chapter 1, verse 13:
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of you salvation. Having believed,, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inhertiance until the redemption of those who are God's possession; to the praise of his glory.

It also says in Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4:
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

You can't turn away from God if you were never for him truly in your heart, just as Judas was never for Jesus. Judas only interest was money and selfish motives. He had no real interest in the purpose that Christ came to this earth for.

First of all these verse show that nothing in all creation will be able to seperate a born again believer from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38 - 39).

These verses makes it clear that our sins are not more powerful than the work that Christ did on the cross. It plainly explains that if we could lose our salvation, that it would be impossible to get it back because you CAN NOT, put Jesus on the cross again, for each and everytime that you sin or turn away from righteous living.

You are just saying that you are more powerful than God/Jesus
and no matter what the bible says that God is capable of doing, you think somehow that any wrong you do can over power the grace and mercy of God's love for us and his precious gift to us.

1Peter 3:18 says: For Christ died for sins ONCE for ALL the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to GOD.
He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.

So you see, God, keeps us saved basically because he is Almighty and nothing in all creation is able to take us from him.

Second thing is, God sealed each believer with the Holy Spirit.
No one can break that seal but God Amighty.
The seal is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.

As far as I know God is not a man that he should lie, so you can know without a doubt that God is going to keep all those who have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Unless you're not truly saved in the first place then I can say, you don't have any salvation to lose, for real now... because you can't lose what you never had.

Please stop making God out to be some wimp that can be ruled and pushed around by anything in all that He (the Amighty God) created. Believe me nothing is above his power, nothing on this earth nor nothing in Heaven.

I"ll leave you with my most trusted motto to live and die by:
I've been using it alot lately;

God said it.....I read it......I believe it...........and that settles it!!!!

Answer 10

Consider Moses, who couldn't enter the Promise land because of just one sin. The question is whether it was what he did, or that he thought that because of all the good he had did, that one sin wouldn't count?

Once you accept Christ, do you presume that you know what he or his Father will think of something you did or didn't do, there after? Do you presume that once saved always save, or do you continue to strive to do what is good and proper? Are you willing to gamble your future on what you may think is or is not acceptable to God?