If Christians can lose their salvation how can they ever really know for sure they have it?

Question

Thanks

Who do you feel God is referring to when He says names will be blotted out of the Book of life if Salvation can not be taken away?

Answer 1

A person can be standing in faith and possess eternal life (it is something you have-everlasting life means the life YOU HAVE is everlasting not you have life forever, everlasting is an adjective to what type of life God gives you) and then give it up. So know one loses it in the sense of lost but they can lose possesion of it. The bible makes it very clear, jesus parable and the letters are always exhorting believers to remain firm and not be decieved. Eg the parable of the sower has 3 types recieveing the gospel- those who BELIEVE for a short while but it doesn't bring about their salvation because they forsake it when tribulation comes (also see revelation & the repeated 'those who endure to the end' it doesn't mean works but enduring IN the FAITH so it is in no way justification by works) these profit nothing. then those who are choked by the worries of this world (riches etc) they also profited nothing but both these believe. Then there si the one that believes and comes unto perfection.
also the parable of the good and bad fish, the gospel will catch many(who believe and accept it). Some will call Lord Lord and he'll say depart from me... also jude warns about it, just read the letter and the comparison he gives and look at who is represented by what in his comparison with the church he was writing to. also paul warns if he spared not the natural branch....he is not talking about fruits as the tree is representing righteousness with God. Also see 2 Peter how he talks about a dog returning to his vomit & how he is worse than before. Read it he is talking about those who knew the truth. Last of all notice the IF in verse 23. this again is talking about the last day where we recieve the fullness of the promise (as the holy spirit is the down payment) when we are resurrected onto eternal life (as opposed to judgement).

Col 1:21
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Col 1:22
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Col 1:23
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;


Salvation is not of works but it is of faith. If you leave the faith you have forsaken salvation(not lost as such). If you trust in muhammed and works for example you can't trust in Jesus as the only way at the same time....you are on the path to destruction whether you once believed or not. When they did believe and trust Jesus they were saved. It is such a denial of reality to say if you leave you were never saved. see :
2:20
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.
2:21
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.

Answer 2

Good point - that's one of the main reasons a lot of theologians like Martin Luther decided that salvation is a once and for all event.

What is clear is that you can't "loose" it - like "oh I wonder where that went"
It's not based on doing good works so it would have to be a deliberate choice not to have God in our lives as opposed to doing bad stuff because it feels too hard to continue as a Christian.

I'm really not convinced that we ever can loose it - if it's God that works it (and God who will complete it Phil 1) and God is seccure how can it be based on our inseccure transience?

And how can the Holy Spirit come and live within a person then move out?

Nope I think the only option is once saved always saved.

Answer 3

What about the Christians who have completely abandoned their faith?" Well, judging by what we're told in Scripture we can only conclude that they were never saved from the start. You see, while "once saved, always saved" is true from God's perspective, man only looks at the outward appearance and thus cannot always accurately assess who is really saved in the first place. The question therefore is not whether someone lost their salvation, but whether they had ever had it at all. As Romans chapter eight says, "there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 38-29). He is the very source of our salvation.

And remember, eternal life that comes to the believer through faith in Christ is not life for two weeks, two months, or even two years; eternal life is everlasting life. It begins at the moment of conversion and stretches on through the eons of time.

Answer 4

The Holy Ghost can be your constant companion. He can let you know what your standing is with God. If you have done something that separates you from the presence of the Holy Ghost, that lets you know that you need to correct yourself.

Answer 5

Christians will know wheater or not they have salvation on Judgement Day, like everyone else!!

Answer 6

God gives us part of his spirit while we're still here, and it grows inside us throughout our lives. Those who have experienced it can tell you that you'll know when it's gone.

Answer 7

One must have faith and hope, in the promises of Jesus Christ and his church.

No one will know their eternal destiny until Jesus Christ personally judges them.

Let's all pray that his mercy exceeds his justice.

Answer 8

*yawn*