Can a Christian lose their salvation?

Question

Just a discussion my boyfriend and I were having :) He says yes, I say no...

Actually can someone clarify....

Praying to God to be saved and declaring that you believe Jesus died for your sins and you believe He is God; you receive salvation...deliverance from your sins if you like, which is eternal life? But if stray, you lose that? God changes his mind?

Answer 1

Great question. I've put a lot of thought into this. Here's the deal. Due to free will, yes it must be hypothetically possible for man to "lose his salvation" or to not desire to be a part of God anymore. It must be hypothetically possible? Does it happen? Not sure.

Now, on the other hand, God states over and over again that no one can touch one of his little children. He will go crazy over them if anyone tries to mess with them. So if we try to run away from God, he somehow gives us freedom to run, but will not let us go and do everything short of destroying us to bring us back. How can we, once we are adopted as a son, become "not a son again"? So there is a tension here that must be. There is not one answer to this question, but the answer is that there is a tension between the two sides. Great question. In Christianity there's a lot of tension between two answers. Unfortunately we have to get used to living in that mystery.

Answer 2

YES
Heb. 9:12 - Christ's sacrifice secured our redemption, but redemption is not the same thing as salvation. We participate in and hope for salvation. Our hope in salvation is a guarantee if we are faithful to Christ to the end. But if we lose hope and fail to persevere, we can lose our salvation. Thus, by our own choosing (not by God's doing), salvation is not a certainty. While many Protestant churches believe in the theology of "once saved, always saved," such a novel theory is not found in Scripture and has never been taught by the Church.

Rom. 5:2 - we rejoice in the "hope" (not the presumptuous certainty) of sharing the glory of God. If salvation is absolutely assured after accepting Jesus as Savior, why would Paul hope?

Rom. 5:5 - this "hope" does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Our hope is assured if we persevere to the end.

Rom. 8:24 - this "hope" of salvation that Paul writes about is unnecessary if salvation is guaranteed. If salvation is assured, then why hope?

Answer 3

I believe that once a person exercises saving faith in Jesus Christ, he or she is forever in the family of God. God never kicks anyone our of his forever family. A number of Scripture passages support this view. For example, in 1 Corinthians 12:13 we are told that at the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit places us in the body of Christ. Once we are infused into the body of Christ, we are never excised from the body. In fact, Ephesians 1:12 and 4:30 indicate that at the moment of believing in Jesus Christ for salvation, we are permanently "sealed" by the Holy Spirit. At that point, we are God's everlasting property. That seal guarantees that we'll make it to heaven.
Moreover, we read in John 10:28-30 that it is the Father's purpose to keep us secure despite anything that might happen once we have trusted in Christ. Nothing can snatch us out of His hands. God's plans cannot be thwarted (Isaiah 14:24). Further, Romans 8:29-30 portrays an unbroken chain that spans from the predestination of believers to their glorification in heaven.
Another fact we need to keep in mind is that Christ regularly prays for each Christian (Hewbews 7:25). With Jesus interceding for us, we are sucure. (His prayers are always answered!)
Of course, the fact that a believer is secure in his salvation does not mean he is free to sin. If the Christian sins and remains in that sin, Scripture says that God will discipline him or her just as a father disciplines his children (see Hebrews 12:7-11).
Source(s):
The Complete Book of Bible Answers by Ron Rhodes

Answer 4

Yes you can lose your salvation. Its somewhere in Romans I believe. Salvation is a gift and God I suppose could be likened to and Indian giver, and will take salvation back. If you screw up and sin, I don't think that you lose it, but you have to ask for forgivness or you will. This is my opinon.

Answer 5

No you cannot. I once believed that and now I know the truth. The Bible says, "No man shall pluck you from My hand." That's stating that no matter what you do, if you're saved, you're still saved. So, girl, you're right in this discussion. Salvation is for eternity. You can't lose it. :-)

Answer 6

Yes. Matthew 6:15 says " But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

By failing to forgive others, you will not be forgiven. If you are not forgiven by God, you are not saved.

Also, if you denounce your belief in God and Jesus, you lose. 2Timothy 2:12 says "If we deny that we know him, he will deny that he knows us."

These are just 2 examples I could think of.

Answer 7

They cannot lose it, but I think they can throw it away. It must be intentional. Only problem is, if they do throw it away, they can NEVER get it back. The Bible says that if you give up your salvation, Christ would have to come and die on the cross again for you to gain it again. He won't do that, so guard it carefully.

Answer 8

Nope u can't...if u can lose ur salvation then are u saying that ur sins are Greater then Jesus' death on the cross?

Answer 9

Yes, frequently. Repent because the day of the lord is at hand. Put all before God that He may judge.

Answer 10

I think 'Gods child' answered it for me
Believing (faith) in Jesus Christ and the One who sent him is necessary for obtaining salvation and the Sermon on the Mount.