Can You Lose Your Salvation?
One of the basic principles that must be used in biblical interpretation is Analogia Scriptura; also known as – the analogy of Scripture. Simply stated, we must compare Scripture with Scripture to ensure a proper interpretation of any text. It is a crucial and non-negotiable step to understand what the Word of God says – with accuracy. Since the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, any specific interpretation of a scriptural passage that opposes the teachings of any other part of the Bible is to be flat-out rejected. All Scripture must harmonize perfectly – from cover to cover. “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35b)…praise God! This verse in John is the Word of God undeniably telling mankind we must enforce and ensure Analogia Scriptura to any interpretation of a Biblical text.
Based on this, aren’t these NT Scriptures crystal clear that a person can never lose the salvation that God has given to him or her as a free gift (Eph 2:8-9)?
John 10:27-28
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Phil 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Eph 1:13-14
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Eph 4:30
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Hebrews 13:5b
He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
Etc, etc., etc.…
Hence any other Scripture, even if it “seems” to say that a person could lose their salvation, cannot be really saying that. It is impossible! Why do I say that? Because of Analogia Scriptura. All the Scripture above and its clear teaching would have to be broken if a true Christ-follower could lose their salvation. And that is an absolute impossibility according to the Lord and His nature. His Word is PERFECT! There is no contradiction or error contained within it.
Truthfully, the few passages that people “claim” that someone could lose their salvation, quite frankly do not even compare to the amount of Biblical teaching that says it is impossible to do so. Each text that someone points to, specifically those who assert you can lose your salvation, can easily and rightly be refuted in every case. All biblical text can be interpreted in a way that harmonizes perfectly with the rest of the clear teaching of the Bible. You see, the full canon of Scripture plainly says you could never lose your salvation. You just need to, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).
Let me give you an example in Scripture to illustrate this further. Look at the Parable of the Sower and the Seed (Matt 13:1-23). There are 4 scenarios contained within that parable. With simple observation, it can be determined that three out of the four scenarios represent people that are NOT saved. Why? Because of Analogia Scriptura. Scenarios 1-3 all end in death; not an attribute of a true Christ-follower who has eternal life (Matt 25:46; John 3:16, 3:36, 5:24, 6:51; Rom 2:6-7, 6:23; Gal 6:8; etc.). We must use Scripture to interpret Scripture. In this parable, whether the seed is snatched away and never took root, or it takes root for a short time and fell away and died, or took root for some length of time but eventually becomes unfruitful and dies; all three of these scenarios lead to death. Only the last scenario is a saved individual – a true child of God that has eternal life and bears fruit. Scenario 4 ends in life (Deut 30:6). And this is the evidence of true life – obedience to the Lord’s commands (Deut 30:8; John 8:31,51, 14:15,21,23; Jas 2:17,26; 1 John 2:3, 3:6,9,24, 5:3; etc.). This path leads to true fruitfulness. The Bible, from cover to cover, says the true follower of God will be obedient, repenting upon failure. The indwelling Holy Spirit who lives in all true Christ-followers’ ensures this.
One of the intentions of the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, which was spoken by Christ, was to foretell what would happen in the drastic shift from the Triumphal Entry to the Crucifixion. The people literally went from “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” to “Crucify Him!”…this in just five days. Talk about false belief exposed. On Palm Sunday, it seemed like there were many fruitful people. These same people were exposed as spiritually dead on Friday. Will someone claim these fickle people (approximately 2,000 years ago) lost their salvation between Sunday and Friday? That would be absurd. Those who erroneously teach scenario 2 or 3 in this parable are people who are truly saved and then backslide and lose it; those teachers are simply in error and proliferate an illogical conclusion that violates Analogia Scriptura. Look at the context. In the Bible, people who “fall away,” whose “hearts are hardened,” or are ultimately “unfruitful” are always unbelievers; people who never really were saved in the first place.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1-5)
In much of the apostle John’s writing he makes this strong point…if a person is truly saved, he or she will endure until the end. It is the definitive evidence of a true Christ-follower in which the Spirit of God lives in. Read the short book of 1 John for more evidence of this.
There are so many other major issues that arise if the false claim of a person losing their salvation was actually true. I will not elaborate on these, except to mention some of the complexities of supporting this faulty belief. Think about this if a person could lose their salvation… (1) Wouldn’t the maintenance of keeping your salvation then be works based? (2) If you lose your salvation, what is the process for getting it back? (3) What sin(s) is/are the ones that tips the scales of justice? (4) Can a person be re-saved? If yes, does a re-saved person have to get re-baptized, and what would that process look like (is it different than an original baptism)? The Bible clearly speaks to none of these things – because they’re not applicable. It is impossible to lose your salvation – a free gift from God, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29).
Lastly, could someone legitimately contend God lost someone He saved? Hogwash! That would negate the attribute that God is all-powerful (omnipotent). The Lord could not lose someone He wishes to save because a person does not want to be saved, or because they don’t endure to the end. That would mean the person has more power than God to do what he or she pleases. The Lord’s desire would not matter if a person could choose this or her own fate. Scripture testifies that this is definitely NOT the case, “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand.” (Dan 4:35a)
Take a look at these passages…
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Eph 1:3-6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
If God predestined someone to be saved before the creation of the world, which Scripture clearly states He does, could a person change his or her course to invalidate the Lord’s pre-Creation selection? This would negate God’s attributes of being all-seeing (omnipresent) and all knowing (omniscient). Heaven forbid the Lord is not omniscient (1 John 3:20), omnipotent (Job 42:2), or omnipresent (Isa 57:15). God is all these things, plus a whole lot more…praise Him! To deny this, you would be breaking the principle of Analogia Scriptura.
A true Christ-follower cannot lose their salvation. And remember, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord” (Rev 1:8). The Lord is “I AM” (Exod 3:14; John 8:58), “who is, and who was, and who is to come. “ It is only at the end of one’s life that matters ultimately as far as salvation is concerned. And an all-knowing God knows at the end if a person is saved. There is absolutely no doubt about it!
My prayer is that anyone reading this will be saved, as I similarly desire what God wants…
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance“ (2 Pet 3:9).
If you are not currently assured of the Lord’s salvation, please consider clicking on the following link and learn how you could receive God’s free, irrevocable gift….
http://crustore.org/fourlawsflash.htm