Is it possible for Christians to lose their salvation? Theologians and believers have been debating this question for many years and are divided on it.

(1)  Some say Christians can lose their salvation and must be born again if they fall away.

(2) Another group contends that true believers cannot lose their salvation by sinning. Still, they can apostatize or walk away from their salvation.

(3)  Lastly, some believe salvation begins at conversion and continues for eternity. Simply put, salvation, once received, can never be lost. I personally hold to this third view and which is what we be contending for in this book.

The Bible gives no indication that a true believer can ever lose their salvation.

You won’t find a single statement in Scripture that supports the idea that salvation could be lost; on the contrary, the Scriptures speak of salvation as eternal / forever.

If the Bible wanted to convey that salvation is temporary, it would have said that salvation only lasts as long as the believer is able to hold onto it. However, the Bible says nothing of that sort; it simply states that salvation remains forever, accompanied by genuine repentance.

Let’s begin by looking at five biblical reasons why true believers can be confident about their salvation.

#1 True believers will remain

Consider the case of Judas Iscariot, who despite being part of Jesus’ inner circle for three years fell away. From all outward appearances, he seemed like a true follower of Christ. Yet, Jesus characterized Judas as “a devil” (John 6:70).

The book of Hebrews (Hebrews 6:4-6) also warns us that there were Jews who, like Judas, tasted God’s goodness but still turned from his grace. They acknowledged Christ with their lips, but their apostasy proved their faith was not genuine.

Many have tried to justify the second (2) category of salvation as being lost if a person leaves (apostatizes) the faith. However, scriptures speak of those cases as not being saved in the first place. See below quote from Apostle John.

1 John 2:19 (NKJV)

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

#2 Everlasting life means—life everlasting.

The Scriptures describe salvation as eternal. Our eternal life begins when we embrace the Savior who died in our place, not when we die. Just like our physical birth can never be undone, our spiritual birth (once saved) cannot be undone.

Christ said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7), not “You must be born again and again and again.”

Once believers are genuinely born again, they become a ‘new creation’ and are transformed from children of wrath to children of God.

#3 God guarantees to complete the work of salvation.

God is the author and finisher of our faith (Philippians 1:6) This truth was known to Paul and he was confident that God would complete the good work of salvation that (that He initiated).

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

#4 the vast majority of scriptures testify of our assurance.

The Scriptures are filled with numerous references to the believer’s security.

John 5:24, assures us that “he who believes . . . has eternal life”;

1 Corinthians 1:8, promises that Christ will “keep you strong to the end;”

Jude 24, guarantees that God “is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault.”

Ephesians 1:13-14, provides the assurance that believers are marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.

#5 The elective decree and promise of God

As Christians, we are also assured of our salvation because God has elected to save us from before the beginning of time (Ephesians 1:4).

Even Jesus affirmed the assurance of His flock when He said;

John 6:37-39 (NKJV)

37. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 

38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 

39. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

From Christ’s own words, we can see that the security of the believer is bound up with both the nature of eternal life and the elective decree of God.