Can You Undo Salvation by Asking for It Again

Can you lose your salvation?

It was a question that haunted me. Tormented me. Sent me into an existential panic. Not just did I struggle to find balls of conservancy, but I was also terrified of losing my salvation.

And it didn't assistance that I grew upward in the ninety's evangelical world, where every youth conference contained at least one opportunity to "rededicate" your life to Christ. Behind this "opportunity" was the assumption that some people had, presumably, lost their salvation and needed to regain it.

Music would be playing softly and the speaker would be earnestly pleading with all the "backsliders", inviting them to exist on fire for Jesus once more (at that place was a lot of burn in the 90's). Tears would be shed, hands would exist raised, and kids would stream to the front for prayer (and usually some sort of group hug).

To top information technology all off, in answer to the question, "Can you lose your conservancy?" Hebrews half-dozen seems to say, "Yep."

What was I supposed to make of these spiritually terrifying words? Tin you lose your salvation? Would it skid from my grasp, like a gem covered in grease (I recall that analogy works)?

Maybe you tin relate to this. Maybe the question of, "Tin can you lose your salvation?" torments you. Or maybe you know someone who struggles like I did.

And then what does scripture really say? It there any biblical proof that you can lose your salvation, even if you're a genuine Christian?

Not If It's All From God
Not If God Will Preserve You
Not If God Will Terminate What He Began
What About The Warnings In Hebrews 6?
He Volition Hold Me Fast

Can You lot Lose Your Conservancy? Not If It'due south All From God

The Bible makes it clear that you lot can't lose your salvation becauseinformation technology's all from God. Nosotros are not saved considering of annihilation skilful in us. Rather, when we are dead in our transgressions and sins, God causes us to go live to him. God chooses us to exist saved even though nosotros would never choose him.

As Ephesians 2:4-five puts it:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great dearest with which he loved us, fifty-fifty when we were expressionless in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace yous accept been saved…

Being called in Christ and made alive together with Christ is the showtime link in the unbreakable chain of salvation. From offset to finish, salvation is ALL of God. It starts with him choosing us in Christ to be saved.

Can you lose your conservancy? Non if salvation is all from God.

Tin can You Lose Your Salvation? Not If God Volition Preserve You

lose your salvation

Again and again, God makes it very clear that he will keep and preserve every true believer. In John 6:39-40, Jesus speaks these sweet words of comfort:

And this is the volition of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, merely heighten it upward on the last day. For this is the will of my Begetter, that anybody who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I volition heighten him up on the last day.

God has given believers to Jesus. I vest to him, he owns me, and he is very possessive of me. He doesn't play fast and loose with his people.

Jesus himself has promised that on that final twenty-four hours, when he returns in staggering celebrity, I volition exist raised up to eternal life. Cipher can cease Jesus from fulfilling that promise. If Jesus has said that he will hold me fast until his render, I tin can be absolutely certain that he will.

In other words, I won't lose my salvation.

Notice that this passage is all about what God volition do. It's not near my ability to persevere or hold fast to Jesus. Information technology'due south not almost my ability to make it through intense suffering.

It'due south not like a spiritual Hunger Games, with Jesus saying, "Only the potent will brand it to the terminate."

The reason you can't lose your conservancy is that Jesus himself is property you lot fast and has promised to go along you till the end.

R.C. Sproul helpfully puts it this way:

[Christians] persevere not because they are so diligent in making utilize of the mercies of God. The only reason nosotros can give why whatever of us go on on in the faith is because nosotros have been preserved…My confidence in my preservation is non in my power to persevere. My confidence rests in the power of Christ to sustain me with His grace and by the power of His intercession. He is going to bring united states safely home.

In other words, Jesus volition hold me fast in his invincible, unbreakable, unstoppable grip until the terminal day. I won't lose my salvation because Jesus is holding on to me.

And then can you lose your salvation? Not if God is the i who is preserving you.

Can You Lose Your Salvation? Non If God Will Finish What He Began

can you lose your salvation yes

In Philippians 1:vi, Paul says, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a expert piece of work in you will bring information technology to completion at the twenty-four hours of Jesus Christ."

There was more than dysfunction in Paul's churches than most reality television receiver shows. The Corinthians were getting pasted at the Lord's Supper, the Galatians were on the verge of abandoning the gospel, the Colossians were tempted to worship angels, and 2 women were duking information technology out in the Philippian church.

And yet, Paul could confidently say that God would terminate the good piece of work he started in them. They would not lose their conservancy or fall away from God. God would continue working in them and go on them every bit his children.

How could Paul be confident that any of these people would persevere until Christ's return?

Because God was the i who started the piece of work of salvation and God would be the one who would consummate it.

Can you lose your salvation? No, considering God himself is the i in charge of completing what he began.

This gives me an incredible amount of peace. If my terminal conservancy were up to me, I wouldn't make it. I'1000 sure of that. I'm no spiritual Superman or hero (to paraphrase Dave Matthews). Without God holding me fast, I would be prone to wander and eventually fall away.

But God is the i who is working in me. He caused me to be built-in once more and he will continue to piece of work in me until that final 24-hour interval when I'm fully conformed to the image of Christ.

This is the glory of the new covenant in Christ. State of israel was unable to consistently follow God. They constantly wandered into idolatry and wickedness, fundamentally lacking the ability to proceed God's law. They could, and oft did, "lose" the conservancy God offered. Despite all their best efforts, Israel couldn't remain faithful to God.

And and so God promised to do something new and revolutionary: to write his law on the hearts of his people. In Jeremiah 31:33-34, the Lord speaks these scenic words:

For this is the covenant that I volition make with the firm of State of israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I volition write information technology on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each i teach his neighbor and each his brother, proverb, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will recall their sin no more than.

In answer to the question, "Can you lose your salvation?" this passage (and others like information technology) give me great peace. I of the fundamental promises of the New Covenant is that God writes his constabulary on my centre. He gives me both the want to obey and the power to do it. The reason I won't lose my salvation is considering he has burned his laws upon my heart and is giving the strength to obey.

God the Male parent ordained my salvation in eternity past.

God the Son purchased my salvation through his life, death, and resurrection.

And God the Spirit at present dwells within me, convicting me of sin and compelling me to follow Christ.

From beginning to end, my conservancy (and yours) is all of God.

can you lose your salvation scriptures

If you fearfulness losing your salvation, these passages are your peace. Your comfort. Your residue.

What Nigh The Warnings In Hebrews 6 Regarding Losing Your Salvation?

Of course, this does raise a rather sticky question: what about the passages of scripture that seem to warn against falling abroad?

For instance, Hebrews 6:iv-6 says:

For it is incommunicable, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who accept tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the discussion of God and the powers of the age to come, then have fallen abroad, to restore them again to repentance…

That certain makes it seems similar I can autumn away from Christ after being saved. It sounds like I tin lose my salvation. So what am I supposed to make of these passages?

Kickoff, I have to acknowledge that there is a real tension between these warnings and the promises noted above. I need to avoid the common mistake of rounding off the sharp edges of the passage and I demand to feel the full weight of its meaning.

So how am I to interpret these passages?

They are passages of severe warning meant to button me to persevere in Christ.

This is where the mystery of God'southward providence and my responsibleness collide. Does God promise that he will keep me to the end? Yeah. Does he assure me that nil can separate me from the love of God in Christ? Absolutely. Does he ease my fears when it comes to losing my salvation? Yes.

But also…

Does God also call me to put aside every sin and to run difficult after him? Aye. Does he warn me against the danger of rejecting Christ and embracing sin? Absolutely.

Do I accept to reconcile these things so that they fit perfectly together? Nope.

I like how Ardel Caneday says it:

The preacher [in Hebrews vi] expects usa to accept to eye both the urgent warning against a concluding departing from Christ (6:4–8) and the admonition to assured conviction in God'south hope (half-dozen:9–xx) without any whisper of contradiction. He doesn't chide usa to uncertainty the inheritance that God assures us by his sworn oath and promise. God regularly uses warnings and consolations or threats and promises together to secure us in the way of salvation.

In other words, I'm called to heed the alarm of Hebrews half-dozen without doubting that God volition also go on me to the end. I'thousand chosen to fight sin diligently, knowing that God himself is working in me.

Additionally, the alert passages themselves office as a ways of God helping me to persevere to the finish.

I don't have to somehow brand everything fit together. If I do that, I'll cease upwards minimizing either the promises of perseverance or the warnings against falling away. Instead, I demand to embrace both and let the tension be.

Paul lays out this tension beautifully in Philippians two:12-13:

Therefore, my beloved, as y'all have always obeyed, then now, non merely as in my presence but much more in my absence, piece of work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, thirteen for information technology is God who works in yous, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Yes, I am to work out my salvation, knowing that if I don't fight against my sin at that place will exist serious consequences. But I fight from a place of peace, knowing that God himself is working in me, making me similar Jesus.

He Will Hold Me Fast

Are we called to piece of work out our salvation with fear and trembling? Yes. But tin can you lot lose your conservancy? No.

That's such sweet news to me, because if I could lose it, I already would have.

Charles Spurgeon helpfully puts it this way:

I think few doctrines more vital than that of the perseverance of the saints, for if ever one child of God did perish, or if I knew it were possible that one could, I should conclude at once that I must, and I suppose each of yous would exercise the same. And then where is the joy and happiness of the gospel?

Salier Anguesse