Can you lose your salvation?
Have you ever wondered can a saved person lose their salvation? Is ‘once saved, always saved’ biblical? Is our salvation eternally secure? If a person is a Christian but falls into sin and dies before repenting, will they go to hell?
am i going to heaven after i die?
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
John was a disciple of Jesus, an original follower, and one of his closest friends. Later in life, when he was in his eighties he wrote a letter to his friends, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” He is basically writing his friends to offer hope so they aren’t constantly sweating it out wondering whether or not they are going to heaven. Do you have that kind of assurance today? If you don’t, here are three truths you need to know:
3 truths you need to hear
1
Jesus is the only path towards salvation. Jesus is God the Son and in John 10 Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice, I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of my father’s hand.”
2
Salvation is sealed by the Holy Spirit. Thanks to this you have a real salvation, true and authentic. The promised Holy Spirit is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.
3
You are saved by grace, not works. When we doubt our salvation, what we’re really doubting is our ability to be a good person, or “good enough”. But remember you are not saved by based on you being just good enough. It is grace that saved you and so it is grace that will keep you. Ephesians 2:8 reminds us, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves, it’s a gift. It’s the gift of God. Not by works so that no one can boast.”
you don't know what i've done...
Sometimes people worry thinking you don’t know what I’ve done, the sins I’ve committed or how horribly I’ve hurt the people in my life. Maybe its hard to believe God could ever forgive somebody. Listen very carefully, you’ve never committed a sin God cannot forgive. The Bible says in the book of Romans where sin increases, grace increases all the more.
Now, here is an even more important question to ask! The question to ask isn’t can you lose your salvation but are you saved? Has this gift of salvation changed me in any way, if it hasn’t, has it ever really saved me? Not that you’re perfect but over time there ought to be something different in our lives. There ought to be some fruit, some positive progress. Salvation is not a one-time decision, but an ongoing process of transformation. If a person claims to be saved but their life shows no evidence of this transformation or fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), it may be worth questioning whether they have truly experienced salvation.
These truths will remind us that our salvation is based on the grace of God, the sacrifice of Jesus, and is sealed and secured by the Holy Spirit. There is nothing we can do that is beyond the grace of God because if you’re not saved by your good works then you can’t lose it by your bad works.
Our team has compiled some of the most challenging, difficult, controversial, frequently asked questions we get about faith and Christianity as it relates to life, morality, current events, the end of the world, sexuality, and more. Week by week we’ll unpack seven of these questions in ways that I think you’ll find fascinating and informative. These questions are often the roadblocks for people when it comes to faith and Christianity. We’ve even titled the final week of the series, the subject you thought we would skip and not have the courage to address. You can read out Eastside’s Got Questions Blog and check out the series You Asked For It.
Author: Gene Appel
Eastside Christian Church
Anaheim, CA
THIS IS FOR EVERYONE!
This gift of salvation is for everyone.
Where ever you are on your spiritual journey we’d love to welcome you to visit us at eastside.
want to learn more?
watch a sermon
Want to learn more? You can watch a message on demand. Eastside Christian Church’s weekly message are available to watch at your convenience.
prayer
We'd love to pray for you today. Let us know how we can be praying for you. Just fill out this form and let us know your needs.
ready?
This is for everyone! And we really mean it. Before you come check us out on a weekend you can learn more about us and what to expect.