Can I lose my salvation?

“Once saved, always saved” is a divided opinion by many Christians.  You can argue about this and quote Scripture all day to try to prove your point.  I have studied and researched this and this is what I’ve come up with, but you have to decide for yourself.

There are many Scriptures that tell us we cannot lose our salvation.  In my Bible study today these verses got my attention.  “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall way, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” – Heb. 6:4-6.

These verses make it sound like Christians can fall away and lose their salvation.  The writer here is talking to those in the Hebrew church who appear to be saved, but their true colors come through.  He is telling them they had heard the good news of Jesus and knew of the work of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the Word of God, but now they are denying it.  They turned away from Jesus and cut themselves off from Him.  Their actions put Jesus to public shame as if they were killing Him all over again.  He is saying repentance becomes impossible when a person has been fully exposed to the blessings of God, but then falls away through deliberate unbelief and denial.

Many think this part of the Bible shows a believer can turn from or fall away from Jesus and lose their salvation.  I think these verses are not talking about a true believer.  To truly understand the Bible we need to look at all it teaches. 

A true believer is a changed person and has a new identity in Christ.  It is impossible for a Christian to go back to what he was before.  The Bible says we are sealed with the Holy Spirit at the moment we are saved and nothing can separate us from God.  “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Rom. 8:39.  Christ’s Spirit comes to live in us and will never depart from us.  Our salvation doesn’t depend on how good we are because we will never be perfect by God’s standards.

To fall away to me means you need to really look at the possibility your faith in Jesus is false.  Ask yourself if you truly repented and accepted Jesus as your Savior.  God uses warnings and threats along with promises to secure us in our salvation.  We are to be alert, stand firm, and not be deceived.  Yes, we do can doubt and sometimes be enticed by idols of this world, but we are not to be swayed.  We are to hold on to and believe God’s promises.  

Here are a few verses on Salvation:

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. “ – John 10:28 ESV

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” – Rom. 11:29 ESV

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” – John 6:37 ESV

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present not things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Rom. 8:38-39 ESV

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Heb. 13:5, Deut. 31:6 NIV

“I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” – John 11:25-26 NIV

“That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with our heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” – John 10:9-10 NIV

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” – John 3:36a NIV

Have you received God’s gift of eternal life?

Do you trust God will never leave you and will do what He says?

At the very moment you believe in Jesus you are saved.  You are born again.  You can’t unborn yourself.  God will not unborn your spirit and send you to hell after you’ve accepted Jesus as your personal Savior.  Satan wants us to believe otherwise.  I think if you believe you can lose your salvation, you are being deceived.  No one can take your salvation away!  It is a gift from God and God doesn’t take gifts away.  The Bible never teaches you can lose your salvation.  You must believe once you are saved you are always saved!

We are to live holy lives not sinful lives.  You will still sin, but sin won’t control you.  If you choose to walk away and start living after the flesh then you can lose your salvation – that is if you ever had it at all.  That’s of your own choosing, but God will never walk away from you.  If you backslide, you can be restored.  Example of that is the prodigal son.

If you are responsible for securing your own salvation, then you can be lost, but God is the one who secures you.  He’s the one who saved you!

Principle:  God’s gift of salvation is irrevocable.

Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

__________________________________________

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below. 

You can follow me by clicking the “Follow” button or you can "Subscribe by Email".  If you follow by email, you will receive an email every time there is a new post. 

Are You Saved or Deceived?

Are you sure where you will spend eternity?  Do you think you’re a good person and because you do good things you will get to heaven?  Just because you do good things and serve in the church doesn’t give you eternal salvation.  Being part of a certain denomination, holding a church title, or having perfect attendance in church will not help you have eternal life in heaven.

There are many people who are religious and think they are Christians, but are not truly saved.  Satan deceives people into believing the lie that they are saved when they are not saved at all.  “The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” – Rev. 12:9.

People can appear to be godly and still miss heaven.  They can be active in the church choir, teach a Sunday school class, be generous in giving money to the church and charities, and may look like a good person as they may well be.  They appear to have it all together, but God know the true condition of their heart.  An example is Judas who was a disciple and accepted Jesus, but later betrayed Him.

Jesus warns us in Matt. 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in haven.  Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!’”

You are not saved because you are a good person or have prayed the sinner’s prayer.  The Bible says you must repent and believe the gospel, stop sinning and obey God.  Then God may test your faith (Deut. 9:1, James 1:12, 1 Peter 1:7).  Remember even Jesus was tempted (Matt. 4:1-11).  If you withstand the faith you will be saved.  Jesus says, “Those who endure to the end will be saved.” – Matt. 10:22.

Ways unsaved people think they are saved:

I am a good person. – I’m not a murder, thief, adulterer or as bad others.   I know God is a God of love and would never send a good person to hell.

I have said the sinner’s prayer and accepted Jesus. – That is a very good thing, but there must be true repentance and a changed life.

I feel like I’m saved. – Singing praise music and lifting hands to God is not enough.  It’s not about feelings and emotions.  That is a deception from Satan.

I do good deeds. – Helping the needy and giving to charities is good, but you can’t earn your way to heaven.

I am religious. – Going to church and doing other religious things to please yourself and others under obligation is putting your confidence in people.  Doing things for show and not for God is not pleasing the Him.

I hold a title in the church. – I am a pastor, elder, or deacon.  Putting your trust in titles in life is pride.  God hates pride (Prov. 8:13).

I hold to my church’s traditions. – I am a Baptist, Catholic, etc.   We are not put our confidence in anyone but God.  Praying to Mary or Saints is against God’s Word.  There is only one God and one Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5, Ex. 20:3-5).

I am blessed with prosperity. – God is blessing me with financial security.  This is false assurance.  You are being deceived by Satan.

I honor God and I know His laws. - They honor God with their lips, but not their hearts. – (Matt. 15:7-9, Psalm 50:16-22).

Often it’s hard to tell a true Christian from a counterfeit one.  They often don’t even know they are not saved, because they have been so deceived.  Eventually the truth will come out.  There is only one way to salvation and it’s through Jesus.  “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Eph. 2:8-9.

A true believer is:

Born again (John 3:3).

Has a new identity in Christ (Rom. 6:6-11, 2 Cor. 5:17-21).

Has a changed heart (Jer. 32:39).

Obeys God’s word (1 John 2:3-6).

Lives a Godly life (2 Peter 3:11).

Pursues holiness (Heb. 12:14).

Fears God (Luke 12:5).

Stops habitually sinning (1 John 3:6-10).

Does not compromise with the world (Rom 12:2).

Overcomes Satan’s temptations and only believes God’s Word (1 John 5:3-5).

Has a servant’s heart (Matt. 23:11).

Denies self and follows Jesus (Luke 9:23-26).

Surrenders all to Jesus (Gal. 2:20).

Ready for His return (Luke 12:35-38).

Produces good fruit (John 15:8).

Does all things for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31).

Doesn’t believe anything contrary to God’s Word (1 John 2:27).

Has eternal life and will not experience God’s wrath (John 3:36).

So examine and test yourself.  “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?” – 2 Cor. 13:5.

Test yourself by asking yourself these questions.  Do I love God and seek to obey His Word?  When I sin, do I feel sorry and turn away from my sin?  Am I growing to be more like Jesus with love, joy, patience, kindness, and self-control? 

If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you’re showing signs that God has made you a Christian and will never let you lose your salvation.  “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” – John 10:28.  “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord.” – Rom. 8:38-39.  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – Rom. 8:1.

If you answered ‘no’ to these questions, you can find out how to become a Christian by believing in the Lord Jesus.  Steps for doing that are found at the bottom of this page, “How to be saved”.

If you’re a true believer, you’ll keep turning from sin and trusting Jesus to help you overcome sin.  You will want to obey Him and His Word.  You will still sin, but sin no longer has to control you.

Join me next time for more studies.  Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

__________________________________________

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below. 

You can follow me by clicking the “Follow” button or you can "Subscribe by Email".  If you follow by email, you will receive an email every time there is a new post

Is the devil real?

Are the devil and demons real?  Whether you believe it or not, they are real!  The devil is a powerful, evil spiritual being.  In Genesis he is the serpent or snake.  In Revelation he is referred to as the dragon.  Other names for him are Lucifer and Satan.  He is also called the destroyer, the enemy, evil spirit, the deceiver, the tempter, the accuser, the morning star, the angel of light, Beelzebub, the father of lies, the prince of darkness, and the prince of this world.

Satan was created by God, but is not equal to God. (Prov. 16:4)  We learn about him in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14.  Lucifer was God’s chief cherub angel which is the highest ranking angel.  He had beauty, wisdom and talent.  God gave him a certain amount of power and authority, but he perverted that power.  He was filled with jealousy and pride and rebelled against God.  He wanted to be greater than God.  He sinned against God and was cast out of the presence of the Lord for eternity.  In Revelation 12:4, 9 we learn that 1/3 of all the angels were cast out with him.  Lucifer became Satan and the fallen angels became demons.  His fallen angels are called demons, evil spirits, and angels of the devil. 

Satan is a spirit and evil spirits serve and follow him.  He is out to deceive and devour everyone.  God gave him limited power.  He can only be at one place at a time.  He is not omnipresent like God.  He will never die and there is nothing you can do to destroy him.  Only God can and will destroy him when Jesus returns.  He is not sovereign like God.  He only rules over demons.  He is not omniscient.  He doesn’t know everything (1 Peter 1:12)

Satan is an imitator and always wanted to be worshiped like God.  He can mask himself as a messenger of God.  He is a liar.  John 8:44 tell us that he is the father of lies.  He should never be trusted or believed.  He lied to Eve to get her to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Satan is a murderer.  He is a sinner which is his nature.  He is a tempter.  He tempted Christ in the wilderness in Matthew 4.  He will try to tempt you.  His goal is to tempt every believer and pull them away from God.  He does this by causing the believer to doubt God.  He cause them to commit idolatry, to be prideful, self-righteous, and disobedient toward God.

He is a liar, a murder and a thief.  He has no authority unless it is given to him by God.  He is a hypocrite.  He is the enemy of humanity.  He despises the truth and tries to hide the actual truth about God.  He twists Scripture of his purposes. (Gen. 3:4-5)  He is out to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)  He tries to destroy our hope and need for God.

He causes division, destruction, deprivation and doubt.  He tries to discourages, disrupt and damage Christians.  He tries to make you feel like a failure.  He wants you to feel guilty of past sins even though God has forgiven you.  Don’t listen to him!  Stay in prayer.  Stay in God’s Word.  Stay in fellowship with other believers.  Don’t give in to temptations.  Stand firm and be alert as you wait for Christ’s return. 

“Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8.

 

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Mark 14:38.

I hope this post has not been too depressing, but we need to know what we are up against.  No matter the troubles in this life.  No matter how much the devil deceives and spreads evil in this world, he will be defeated.  When Christ returns, He will throw the devil and all his followers into eternal destruction forever. (Rev. 20)  So take hope and be encouraged by this.  Evil will be defeated and Jesus Christ will reign forever.

Praises be to God!

Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

__________________________________________

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below. 

You can follow me by clicking the “Follow” button or you can "Subscribe by Email".  If you follow by email, you will receive an email every time there is a new post.