IS SALVATION ETERNAL:
CAN I LOSE MY SALVATION
- MANY WILL ANSWER NO
- This question has been debated by many people over the years. In this day in which we live, I have no doubt that the majority of people you meet will say that salvation is not, and the main reason being: they believe that once one is saved, they themselves can lose their own personal salvation.
- If we are to get the correct answer to this question, however, it is of utmost importance that we consult with the One Who has made salvation available. We need, therefore, to search the Scriptures to get the answer to our question.
- WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY CONCERNING THIS MATTER?
- Jesus gives us a simple answer as to how one is saved (Jn. 1:1-3,14; 14:6; Romans 3:23; 10:9-10, 13), just to name a few to lead one in the correct direction. However, our question is posed in reality to those who are saved. We will answer this question, not by man’s wisdom, but by searching the Scriptures for God’s answer.
- One of the first places I want to have us look at is the most familiar passage of Scripture in all the Bible, that being John 3:16. If you watch football, especially professional, it isn’t unusual for someone in the stands to have a shirt that says John 3:16. Here is what it says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now let’s look at this verse and determine if it gives us an answer to our question. First of all, it tells of the greatest love ever shown, God the Father sending His Son. Then we are given three awesome promises. (1) If we believe in Jesus—this does not merely believe Jesus to be God’s Son, for in James 2:19 we read that the devils believe, and tremble. Therefore, it means more than to just believe that Jesus existed. Now look at Romans 10:9-10, and you will see that you must confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” To believe means to first confess Jesus to be Lord, meaning that He has the right to take your life and live His through you, that you will be obedient to His Word. According to the next verse that belief is to be in your heart. That means that head knowledge isn’t enough, you must have heart belief. Let’s say you have heard of Jesus, but that is pretty much it. If you believe Jesus to be Whom He said He was in your heart, and if you are now willing to accept Him as the sole authority for your life, then you believe. However, you also must believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Simply put, you must confess Jesus to be God manifested (revealed to us) in the flesh. Now carefully read verse 13, because it’s a promise from God. Here is the promise, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” God will always honor His Word by always keeping it. Now let us return to John 3:16, the last portion of the verse so that we see it promises.
- “should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Here we have two awesome promises from God. First, we who believe and are adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:15), will not perish, which means that we cannot ever die a living death in the fires of hell. Secondly, we see that we have been given eternal life by God. Now please listen to this statement, and honestly consider it, If God, Who cannot lie tells us that we cannot perish (Tits 1:2, Hebrews 6:18) and that He has granted to us eternal life, then how can one lose their salvation?
- One last Scripture we need to see, that being in John 10: 27-30. To put what it says in a very simple way, Once saved we are first sealed by God’s Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30), then we are placed in the hands of Jesus, then finally in the hands of God the Father. Jesus tells us that “no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” You, therefore, answer this question, “How can even an individual become greater than God and pluck themselves out of the hands of God?” I say that it is an impossibility. There are many more places we could go to in proving this point, but suffice it to say that we have said enough that it should erase any doubts as to the fact that our salvation is eternal.