Can a Christian lose their salvation?

[Vine Abider]

On 9/21/2024 at 7:13 PM, katburnell said:

Honestly, the reason I am asking this question is because I am fearful of it happening to me. I fully believe in what Jesus did on the cross for me and for everyone, but I am just very afraid, because some people have different answers to how you get saved or keep being saved. 

I have backslid before, and I am back to God again, but now I am having a lot of fears. I do not want to be separated from God, and I am scared that He is not here with me anymore. 

Great question!  And I think about all the answers various ones gave here are spot on! Our salvation in Christ is so full and multifaceted . . . books can be written (and have) on the subject.

But it's also simple, and as @AdHoc stated: "The forgiveness you have is based on Christ's payment in full and the life you receive at rebirth is Eternal. Nobody in the universe can alter that."  There is the legal part that Christ took care of when dying for us, and then there's the resurrection aspect of putting His very life into us!  That life is what constitutes believers as His actual children, just as much as a parent gives their life biological to their children.  It's a DNA thing that can't be reversed.

Consider this verse:

"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son

into your hearts crying, 'Abba!  Father!'" 

(Galatians 4:6)

But as AdHoc also pointed out, even though the life and identity we've been given at our rebirth is forever, there are still repercussions for God's children if we misbehave.  (This is where some get tripped-up, because they think our Father disciplining us when we go into left field and our possible forfeiture of rewards, equates to the loss of being His child - this loss of salvation cannot be true as per 1st Corinthians 3:15 and numerous other places.)

[missmuffet]

First of all the word "Christian" has to be defined. A true Christian is someone who has fully trusted in Jesus Christ as their only Savior and therefore possesses the Holy Spirit. So a true born again Christian can't lose their salvation.

[Tristen]

On 9/22/2024 at 12:13 PM, katburnell said:

Honestly, the reason I am asking this question is because I am fearful of it happening to me. I fully believe in what Jesus did on the cross for me and for everyone, but I am just very afraid, because some people have different answers to how you get saved or keep being saved. 

I have backslid before, and I am back to God again, but now I am having a lot of fears. I do not want to be separated from God, and I am scared that He is not here with me anymore. 

Hi Kat,

I think you are fixated on the wrong question. It is true that Christians debate whether or not salvation can be lost.

However, you can decide for yourself right now that, 'no matter what', it's you and Jesus till the end. If you sin, which we all do, you will immediately turn back to God "that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). If ever you feel down, or estranged from God, you will not trust in your feelings, but in His Word and in His love for you.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 18:9
that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

Romans 8:37-39
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:9
Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead

Whether or not Christians can lose their salvation, you can determine right now within yourself, "Jesus, I'm holding on to you forever".

 

[AdHoc]

The Chapter and verse markings in our Bible are not part of the original. They appeared in about 1560. If you take a pencil or finger and cover the word Chapter 16 in Luke and read Chapter 15 into 16 you will immediately notice that Chapter 16 is a continuation of Chapter 15. Chapter 16 starts with a "But" ("de" - lit Gk). "But" is a conjunction joining contrasting ideas. Added to this, the grammar detailing what the Prodigal son did and what the Unfaithful Steward did is the same. Both "wasted the Master's goods". The unfaithful steward IS the prodigal son. Chapter and verse markings are a great help, but here they did not help. Bible students everywhere make them two different narratives. But the proof is there. The"inheritance" of the prodigal son was not his yet because his father had not yet died. They both wasted their Master's Goods.

Luke 15 shows the joy that is evident in heaven and the Church (the Father's Household) when a sinner repents and returns to the Father and His House. But Chapter 16 shows that there are consequences when it comes to the time of INHERITANCE and the time when the STEWARD will manage his Father's goods. These issues are decided at the Bema.

I'll pass on an analysis of the faithful son's psyche, for this is not my point. But note the different endings to the brothers. The faithful (but grumpy) brother will "get ALL that is mine" from the father. The unfaithful brother, who is also the unfaithful steward, "may NO LONGER manage his father's goods". And this leads to his poverty and homelessness. His only option, which the Lord praises, is to further cheat the Master and make friends in the world. The moral of this ending is that if you want to be slothful and unfaithful, at least be as clever as the people of the world who look to their future. But hidden is the implication that if you care about the future, make it sure in the Lord rather.

Did the prodigal son stop being a son? No! The Father would not allow it
Did the prodigal do the right thing. Yes.He repented and was restored as a son
Did he get another INHERITANCE to manage? No! His sonship is secure but his STEWARDSHIP is lost
The moral of the narrative? Look to your future. Be clever. And if so, then your future is better with the Lord and Master

In the parable of the evil servant of Matthew 24 his future had active chastisement - cut asunder
In the parable of the Virgins the Wedding Feast is gained or lost
In the parable of the Talents the "JOY" of the ord is won or lost. The opposite of joy? Weeping!
In the parable of the pounds you may be king of cities or not

In every case the Kingdom of Heaven is the theme - the Father's goods
In NO case was the servanthood removed. They were called "servants" even after the crime

You cannot lose your status SONSHIP/SERVANTHOOD. You can, and will, lose your joy, fame, reward and wellbeing.

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, AdHoc said:

In the parable of the Talents the "JOY" of the Lord is won or lost. The opposite of joy? Weeping!

You cannot lose your status SONSHIP/SERVANTHOOD. You can, and will, lose your joy, fame, reward and wellbeing.

Thanks!  I was asked to present the parable of talents to my group and what you stated here is so simple - the ones faithful in a few things keep the joy of the Lord, but the one not faithful in a few things doesn't keep that joy!

[missmuffet]

On 9/21/2024 at 7:13 PM, katburnell said:

Honestly, the reason I am asking this question is because I am fearful of it happening to me. I fully believe in what Jesus did on the cross for me and for everyone, but I am just very afraid, because some people have different answers to how you get saved or keep being saved. 

I have backslid before, and I am back to God again, but now I am having a lot of fears. I do not want to be separated from God, and I am scared that He is not here with me anymore. 

You are having a lot of fears? If you have genuinely come back to God to stay Satan is not very happy about that. His goal is that everyone goes to hell. He lost a non believer. I suggest that you pray to God about your fears.

[AdHoc]

3 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Thanks!  I was asked to present the parable of talents to my group and what you stated here is so simple - the ones faithful in a few things keep the joy of the Lord, but the one not faithful in a few things doesn't keep that joy!

Correct. According to Matthew 10:28 Gehenna is the death of body and soul. This is not physical death because only the living go to Gehenna. It is the Second Death which is used interchangeably with "perdition". "Perdition" in the Greek means "exquisite lack of well-being". The opposite of "perdition" is joy. Psalm 16:11 says that the highest joy is at the right hand of Christ. The right hand of a king is a position of honor and power. Hebrews 12:2 says that our Lord Jesus accounted the Kingship and right hand of God as the "joy" set before Him. That is, "joy" in synonymous with the Kingship with Christ. To be cast out from the presence of Jesus for a Christian is "perdition".

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost (Rom.14:17).

 

[Cntrysner]

Hey, @Vine Abider

How do you define “Spirit” and “perfect” in these verses and are they allegorical or literal ?

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Spirit G4151 pneuma…  From G4154; a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy spirit: - ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare G5590.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Col 1:28...  that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

1Co 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 
1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:  

perfect G5046 teleios… From G5056; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with G3588) completeness: - of full age, man, perfect.

On 9/22/2024 at 5:03 PM, Vine Abider said:

There is the legal part that Christ took care of when dying for us, and then there's the resurrection aspect of putting His very life into us!  That life is what constitutes believers as His actual children, just as much as a parent gives their life biological to their children.  It's a DNA thing that can't be reversed.

The resurrection “aspect” you speak of, please clarify the meaning to help my understanding. It reads like you are saying the resurrected Jesus is biologically in us via His DNA.
 

[Christine]

On 9/22/2024 at 3:13 AM, katburnell said:

Honestly, the reason I am asking this question is because I am fearful of it happening to me. I fully believe in what Jesus did on the cross for me and for everyone, but I am just very afraid, because some people have different answers to how you get saved or keep being saved. 

I have backslid before, and I am back to God again, but now I am having a lot of fears. I do not want to be separated from God, and I am scared that He is not here with me anymore. 

'Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; 
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, 
and He shall direct thy paths.
(Pro 3:5-6) 

Hello @katburnell,

You are God's workmanship, He is working in you to will and to do of His good pleasure.  Read the word of God, and be thankful, praise God in all things, and live looking for His appearing.  He has identified you will His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has placed you 'in' Him.  You are secure there. He has given you the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, which will not be taken away from you.  Keep your eyes stayed upon Christ, where He is at God's right hand, and know that you are in Him where He is, having, in God's eyes died with Christ, been buried, quickened into life and raised with Him, and are now ascended with Christ to God's right hand, and all that is left is His appearing, when you too, will appear with Him in glory.

That is the hope of every member of the Church which is the Body of Christ (see Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon) for these letters were written by Paul as the Lord's Prisoner at Rome. He had been given a revelation from the risen Christ concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ, and it is contained within those epistles.

Read and digest what is written within them, and just praise God moment by moment for all that He has achieved in Christ.  For He was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, and that includes you.

 Praise His Holy Name!
In Christ Jesus
Chris

[Annisissy]

 

Ask Dr. Stanley: The Truth About Backsliding

Are you still saved if you walk away from God?

Charles F. Stanley March 22, 2023

https://www.intouch.org/read/articles/ask-dr-stanley-the-truth-about-backsliding#:~:text=Yes. But it is a very expensive trip. You lose

 

My belief is once we are saved, we lose the desire more and more every day to sin. Oh, we still sin because we are sinners. I believe that before we are saved and we sin, we just go on about our day, not even giving our sin a second thought, but after we are saved and we sin, we feel terrible, and ask God for forgiveness, and repent (turn away from that sin) We will sin until the day we die....We are sinners saved by GRACE (Gods Riches At Christ's Expense) I believe that we will still sin, just not as often, and when we do, we will ask God for forgiveness, and repent. I hope and pray that this helps Have a WONDERFUL day God bless you.