Can a Christian

Lose His Salvation?

By Chris R. Losey

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Thanks for your interest in

Can a Christian Lose His Salvation

I hope this information

will give you a clear

grasp of the subject

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About the Author

Chris Losey grew up in Calistoga,

California. He received his

Bachelor of Science degree from

the United States Military

Academy at West Point, New

York, in 1973. After serving for

five years as an infantry officer in

the Army, he resigned his commission and returned to school receiving

his Master of Divinity degree from Western Conservative Baptist

Seminary in Portland, Oregon in 1982. After graduation Chris returned

to the military where he served as a chaplain in the Air Force retiring in

1994.From 1994-2014 Chris served as Senior Pastor of Valley Baptist

Church in San Rafael, California. He retired in 2014 and now lives in

Elk Grove, California. Chris and Sharon have been married for 40 years

and have two children, Christine and Rob, and four grandchildren.

Copyright 2014 – Clear View Books

Bible Quotes - All Bible quotes unless otherwise noted are taken from the New American

Standard Bible (NASB), Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and

1995 by the Lockman Foundation. All underlines, boldfacing or highlighting of Bible verses is

done by the author for emphasis and is not contained in the original text.

Artwork - All clipart is from clipart.com and used by permission.

Acknowledgment – “God’s Chosen Fast” By Arthur Wallis, Copyright 1968, by Christian

Literature Crusade, Ft Washington, PA was a valuable resource to me in writing this booklet.

Questions or Ordering - If you have questions or want to order more booklets,

please call 415-250-9675.

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Dedicated to those who want to

understand what the Bible teaches about

the assurance of their salvation

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Can a Christian Lose His Salvation? Christians through the ages have asked questions like: "How can I know for sure that I am saved?" or "Once I am saved, is it possible to lose my salvation?" "What if I turn away from God? Will He reject me?" "If I commit some big sin and don't confess it, what happens then?" "What will God do if I sin and then accidentally die before confessing it?" "What are the consequences of willfully sinning even when I feel the Holy Spirit prompting me not to?" These are all legitimate questions that deserve answers. Let's begin by answering the question: Can a Christian know for sure that he is saved? The passage that answers this question most clearly is 1 John 5:11-13,

11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

. According to the above verses, a person can know that he is saved. He has eternal life if he has the Son of God, Jesus. He has Jesus if he has believed. It is really that simple! Perhaps the question is, "What does it mean to believe?" To believe is more than intellect. It involves commitment of ones heart. Believing is like crossing a rope bridge that spans a deep gorge. If, after look at the bridge, the person says that he believes the bridge will hold him, he has only believed intellectually. If he steps onto the bridge and crosses it, only then has he believed in his heart. Believing involves more than talking about the bridge, it involves stepping out in faith.

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Have you taken that step of faith? Do you believe in Christ with just your intellect, or have you stepped out in faith and put your whole trust in Him? That is what it takes to be saved. If you are wondering whether or not you are truly saved, the above information should answer that question. If you have believed in Christ with your head (intellect) and your heart (personal commitment) then you can know for sure that you are saved. Your assurance is not based on your own feelings but on God's Word, the Bible. He said that He would save you if you put your trust in Him. If you have not believed in Christ with more than your intellect, then you are not saved. God is waiting for you to make that wholehearted commitment. If you need to make that decision today, here is a prayer you can pray right now, Lord, I need you. I know that I am a sinner and deserve to be eternally separated from You. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for my sin. I ask Him to come into my life, to forgive my sin, and to make me the kind of person you want me to be. I believe in You with my head and my whole heart. I give myself to You. AMEN If you prayed that prayer and meant it with your whole heart and intend on following through with it, you are now a child of God. Congratulations! The question now becomes, Can a Christian lose his salvation? Many Christians fear the thought of losing their salvation. Here are nine biblical reasons why a person cannot lose his salvation once he truly has it.

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REASON #1 - If eternal life could be taken away it would not be eternal - Jn 3:16 If God gave us eternal life then took it away at a later time, it would not have been eternal in the first place. The idea of losing ones salvation, clearly contradicts logic and Scripture. When we received eternal life, it was and is eternal not only in quality but also in quantity! REASON #2 - They are sealed by the Spirit - Eph 4:30 The Bible teaches that new believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. No one can break God's seal, not even ourselves. Also, the day of redemption speaks of when we will stand before God. Since God's seal cannot be broken and is good until redemption day, we cannot lose our salvation. REASON #3 - The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of their inheritance - Eph 1:13,14 Not only does the Holy Spirit seal believers, He also indwells them. He is a pledge of their inheritance. In other words, the Spirit is given by God as a down payment. He is God's earnest money to Christians and an assurance of their inheritance to come. God will not break His pledge and thus Christians cannot lose their salvation. REASON #4 - No one can snatch them out of God's hand - John 10:27-29 Jesus clearly taught that once we are His, no one can snatch us out of His hand or the Father's hand, not even ourselves. Our salvation is thus secure. REASON #5 - God will glorify those He foreknew - Romans 8:29,30 Scripture teaches that those whom God foreknew, He predestined, called, justified and glorified. This is what might be called the progression of salvation. We will be glorified when we receive new bodies in heaven. Notice the Bible does not say that, some of those

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God foreknew will eventually be glorified. The text indicates that the progression from foreknowing to glorification is unbroken for all believers. This is conclusive evidence that we cannot lose our salvation. REASON #6 - God will finish the work He began in them - Phil 1:6 Paul assured his readers that God would perfect His work in them until the day of Christ. The "DAY OF CHRIST" speaks of the day Christ comes back to receive His own unto Himself. The idea is that God will continue to work in believers until they stand before Him. This is further evidence that the salvation of true believers is secure. REASON #7 - True believers have passed from death unto life - Jn 5:24 Jesus makes it clear that those who truly believe on Him have eternal life, will not be judged for their sin and have passed from death into life. If this is true and indeed we have Christ's word on it, a Christian cannot lose His salvation. REASON #8 - Christ will not lose any of the ones the Father gives to Him - Jn 6:37-39 John quotes Jesus as saying that any people that come to Him will not be cast out and that all the people that the Father gives Him, He will lose none of them. This is a clear indication that believers cannot lose their salvation. REASON #9 - Nothing can separate Christians from God's love - Rm 8:35-39 The Bible teaches that nothing can separate us from God's love. Although this does not specifically guarantee salvation, it sheds light on God's motive for preventing us from losing our salvation. Once we become His children He loves us too much to allow that to happen.

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Objections To Eternal Security Even though the above verses and arguments make it quite clear that a person who is truly saved cannot lose his salvation, there are still those people who feel that Christians can lose their salvation Through the years these folks have raised various objections to the doctrine of eternal security. It is important to understand each one. The first objection deals with verses and passages in the Bible that seem to indicate that a person can lose his salvation. OBJECTION #1 - Aren't there verses in the Bible indicating that a person can lose his salvation? It is true, there are a number of Scriptures that seem to teach that a person can lose his salvation. We know Scripture does not contradict itself and God does not lie so there must be an explanation for this dilemma. There is. The answer is found in the right interpretation of those passages. Let's now look at a few of the more common passages that are wrongfully used to support the idea that a person can lose his salvation. LUKE 8:4-15 Some people say that the Parable of The Sower teaches that a person can lose his salvation. They use verses 6 and 13 to support this notion. Verse 6 says, "And other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture." Verse 13 says, "And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away." The question is, "Were those who received the Word with joy really saved in the first place?" Although it says, "They believed for a while," their belief was not a true heart belief, because the Scripture says, "And these have no firm root." In other words, although the Word of God sounded good to them and they believed it in their head, they did not make a commitment of their

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heart to follow it. When temptation came, "They fell away." The only logical conclusion is that they fell away because they were not true believers in the first place. They had an emotional experience but not a true conversion. It must be said that emotional experiences, short of true conversion, are common today. Perhaps a person hears a heart wrenching message or story or finds himself in a life threatening predicament where he makes an emotional decision for Christ. Unless he also makes a decision of the heart (will), his conversion may be phony. Only God and he know for sure. It is easy to fool others and even oneself for awhile. When the danger ends or the tough situation passes, if he quickly turns away from God, this is a good indication that his conversion was probably only emotional. A good example is a couple who came for counseling after the wife had caught her husband in adultery. He shared through his tears how sorry he was and how he did not want his wife to divorce him. He even prayed to receive Christ after I shared his need for God's forgiveness. Shortly after he became convinced that his wife was not going to leave him, he no longer wanted to come to counseling, go to church, read his Bible or talk with me. His was a classic case of an emotional decision that proved to be shallow when the danger passed. He did not lose his salvation at this point because he never had it in the first place. 1 John 2:19 is an apt description of this man and others who fall away after false conversions, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us." Not everyone who makes a foxhole decision is insincere. I have seen other people come to Christ at their point of need and continue with

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Him in a sincere walk. No hard-fast rules can be made regarding emotional decisions for Christ. Every situation is unique. The way for a person to be sure of his salvation is to continue to press on in the faith. This removes all doubt from his mind and the minds of others. James 2:17 states, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." Are you working the works of God? In other words, are you following His Word the best you know how? If so, you are undoubtedly saved! Works do not save a person but they are an indicator that a person is saved. On the other hand there are people who do lots of nice things in the world's eyes but who have never made a commitment to Christ. Just as faith without works is dead, so are works without faith. True faith works, but those who try to work their way to heaven but lack faith will fall drastically short. Ephesians 2:8,9 makes it clear that works do not save anyone. Another passage that some folks believe teaches that a person can lose his salvation is Hebrews 6:4-9. Let's now move our attention there. HEBREWS 6:4-9 At first glance Hebrews 6:4-9 seems to teach that Christians can lose their salvation. Listen to the text,

3 And this we will do, if God permits. 4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6

and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those

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for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. 9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

In these verses it appears that Paul is addressing Christians and saying if they fall away from the faith, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. This would mean that they would be lost. We already know from 1 John 1:9 that if a person confesses his sin, Christ is faithful and righteous to forgive his sin and to cleanse him from all unrighteousness. In the Old Testament David confessed his sin and was forgiven. In the New Testament, Peter confessed and was restored as well. Thus, the idea that a Christian could fall into sin and find it impossible to be renewed to repentance doesn't make any sense. The answer to this dilemma is discovered by understanding who Paul was addressing. In the book of Hebrews, as the name implies, Paul wrote to Jews. Although he was primarily targeting Jewish Christians, he knew that there would be many who read his letter who teetered on the fence between Christianity and Judaism. Some Jews already followed Christ. Some would decide to follow Him after reading this letter. Others would reject Christ and fall back into the Mosaic Law. And there were those in the early church who tried to mix Christianity and Judaism. Some said that true Christians needed to be circumcised and keep the Law. This salvation-by-works approach was foreign to Christianity. In Christ people are saved by faith, not works. Once they are saved they should work the works of God, but those works will not save them.

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Undoubtedly some Jewish homes had those who followed Christ and those who followed Moses. Certainly there were heated debates about which way was correct. The writer of Hebrews wrote the book not only to show the superiority of Christ to Old Testament Law, but also to warn Jewish Christians of the dangers of staying on the fence. If those on the fence developed hard hearts and rejected Christ, they would be lost. In order to better interpret Hebrews 6:4-9 it is important to go back to the end of Hebrews chapter five. In verses twelve through fourteen the author addresses Jewish Christians and says,

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

The author was telling these believers that they were still babes in Christ, in need of milk. But he did not want them to remain in that state. In Hebrews 6:1-3 the author urges them to go onto maturity,

1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits.

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Even though the author just told these Jews that they still needed milk, he now stressed that they must get past milk and press on to maturity. He encouraged them to go beyond the elementary teachings about the Christ which included repentance from dead works, instructions about washings and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. They needed to move forward not backward. If they moved on, it would prove that they were truly saved. If they did not move on, there might be the question about whether or not they really were saved. It is important to explain this laundry list of Christian basics. It is also crucial to understand that the new Jewish believers were to move on from but not away from the basics. Although this list may allude to teachings from the Old Testament, it focused on basic Christian doctrine. Dead works referred to the futility of trying to get saved by keeping the Mosaic law. Ephesians 2:8,9 makes it clear that works cannot save a person. Those who desire to be saved must have faith toward God! Washings may have contrasted the ceremonial washings in the Old Testament with the need for baptism in the New. Those who believed were to be baptized by immersion. The laying on of hands may have alluded to the Old Testament practice in which priests placed their hands on an animal's head before killing it, but this phrase certainly referred to the ministry of laying on hands in the New Testament (Acts 6:6, 8:17-19, 13:3, 19:6). Although there were times in the New Testament when believers received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, every believer now receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 12:13).

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Even though the Sadducees rejected the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead, this doctrine was basic to Christ's gospel. Those who believed on Him would be raised to eternal life. Those who rejected Him would be raised to eternal judgment. Although new Christians needed to understand the basics about works, faith, washings, the laying on of hands, resurrection and judgment, these teachings were not enough. These teachings only helped folks get in the door. New Christians now needed to understand how to live the victorious Christian life. In short, they needed to move on to maturity. Unfortunately there are many folks today who never get passed being babes in Christ. They seem to be stuck in the goo-goo stage of Christianity. They know the basics but never get beyond those elementary doctrines. The question is, are they simply babes who have never grown up, or are they really saved at all? I personally believe that there are many folks in the church today who think they are saved but really who are lost. Sometime in the past they made an emotional decision but it wasn't a true conversion. This now brings us to the crux of the text. Listen again to verses four through six:

4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

The question arises, "Is the authro addressing Christians or non-Christians in these verses?" I believe he is addressing non-Christians!

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Back in verse one Paul said, "...let us press on to maturity..." Here he is obviously addressing believers. But in verse four he says, "For in the case of those..." The author changes the focus from us to those. I believe he is referring to a different group here. He is referring to those who teeter on the fence, not to those who have crossed over to Christ. Those who teetered on the fence were still contemplating whether or not they wanted to become Christians or stay in Judaism. They were undecided. Notice how the author describes these people. They had been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the powers to come. Some would say that this is the perfect description of new Christians. Not necessarily. Many non-Christians through their association with Christians have been enlightened. They have heard the truth of God and it has touched their heart. A lightbulb has gone on in their minds, but they still have not made that final step to receive Christ. Many non-Christians have also tasted the things of God and known that they are divine. They have felt the tug of the Holy Spirit on their hearts. They have seen the truth of God's word and even seen the miraculous way he has changed others. In essence, they have been brought to a place of full revelation. They have seen it all, heard it all, felt it all, perceived it all and yet not taken that final step of faith. Some have not taken it because of peer pressure. Some have not taken it because they fear that God will demand too much of them. Whatever the reason, it is accurate to say that this passage easily describes non-Christians who come right to the brink of receiving Christ but still fall away. The warning for such folks is severe. Because they rejected Christ at the point of full revelation it is impossible for them to respond later. If they fail to respond at the point of full revelation, how will they ever

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respond at some lesser point. They won't! By rejecting Christ at this point, they have sealed their own fate. Verses seven and eight confirm the fact that verses four through six are written to non-Christians. Listen carefully, v7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; v8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned, These verses picture rain falling on the ground. Some ground brings forth fruit, some does not. The ground represents the lives of people and the rain represents the blessings of God. When His blessings in the form of His word, Spirit, and power rain on a human life, that person either comes to Christ producing fruit or rejects Him producing thorns and thistles. Those who are saved produce fruit. Those who are lost produce thorns. The Jewish Christians would produce fruit. Those teetering on the fence who fell away would produce thorns and thistles. The author confirms the fact that he believes the Jewish Christians would produce fruit in verse nine when he says, "But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way." Rather than speaking about Christians possibly losing their salvation, Hebrews 6:4-6 refers to non-Christians who come to the point of full revelation but then fall away. There is no hope for them.. Another passage often used to support the view that Christians can lose their salvation is Hebrews 10:37-39.

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HEBREWS 10:26-39 In Hebrew 6:4-9 it was shown that Paul specifically addressed non-Christians. It was possible for them to get to the point where could become so hardened that they would never receive Christ. In Hebrews 10:26-39 it is clear that the author addresses Christians. Although some folks say this passage supports the contention that Christians can lose their salvation, it will be shown that it really teaches that God may severely discipline those Christians who willfully keep on sinning. The specific verses that are used to support the contention that Christians can lose their salvation are verses 38 and 39 which state, v38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in Him. v39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. The argument for losing one's salvation goes like this. Christians are to live by faith. Those who don't live by faith but instead shrink back into sin, displease God. God will subsequently destroy their souls. Continued faith is the only thing that can preserve a person's soul and keep it from eternal destruction. To properly understand these verses they must be looked at in context. Let's begin by looking at verse 26 which verifies the: FACT OF WILLFUL SIN "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins." What does it mean to willfully sin? It means to know what is right and do the wrong anyway. It means to presume upon God's grace. Willful sin is

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premeditated sin. One example would be a Christian student who knows he shouldn't cheat in school but keeps cheating anyway. Another example would be a person who knows he shouldn't take drugs but does it anyway. Are there Christians who willfully sin? Unfortunately, yes. Although all of us should strive to be holy, there will be times when we will fall into sin because of our sin nature. Paul is not warning Christians who occasionally slip up. He is addressing those who willfully presume upon God's grace and keep sinning over and over even when they know better. Presuming upon God's grace is equivalent to putting God to the test. Jesus warns against such behavior in Luke 4:11. When a Christian presumes upon God's mercy and grace he is saying, "God I'm going to do this sin and I dare You to do anything about it." Those who put God to the test need to beware. His patience is not forever. God may overlook an occasional sin but if a person willfully sins with no regard for God's discipline, that person may find himself in dire straights. In Psalms 19:13 David said, "Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression." It amazes me that Christians would sin like this considering all that God has done for them. If they truly understood the pain he went through on the cross and His incredible love for His children I believe that people would think twice before willfully sinning. The fact of willful sin is proof of the power of the sin nature that dwells within each one of us. Notice in verse 26 that it states that there no longer remains a sacrifice for those who willfully sin. When a person in the Old Testament brought a sacrifice for his sin, it was understood that he was truly sorry for his sin. Those who willfully and blatantly sin against God even when

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they know better are obviously not sorry for what they do otherwise they wouldn't keep doing it. Let's move now from the FACT of willful sin to the: FALLOUT FROM WILLFUL SIN Are there consequences for willfully sinning as a Christian? Yes there are! The fallout is frightening. Listen to verse 26 through 29, v26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, v27 but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. v28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Those who willfully sin can expect what is talked about in verse 27, "certain terrifying judgment, and the fury of fire which will consume the adversaries." Although God's fire will bring eternal judgment upon the adversaries (those who don't know Him), it will also bring temporal judgment to those who know Him but willfully continue to sin. In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul talks about a Christian in the Corinthian church who willfully sinned. In verses one and two Paul states, It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. v2 And you have become arrogant, and have not mourned instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst. . Not only had the one committing this sin become arrogant and not mourned, but the Corinthians had become arrogant by allowing him to get away with it! Paul goes on to say in verse five, "I have decided to

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deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." The destruction of his flesh might well mean his physical death. Even though he would be judged in this way, his spirit would still be saved. 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 provides another example of the fallout of willful sin. In Corinth there were Christians who were not examining themselves carefully before taking the Lord's supper and using that time to satisfy their own appetites. In essence they were living in rebellion and being terrible witnesses. God caused some of them to be sick and others to die. Listen to the passage, v27 Therefore whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. v28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. v29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. v30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. It must be understood that not all sickness or death or even most of it can be attributed to this kind of judgment. Most sickness and death is a result of living in a sinful world where things like colds, flu, cancer and the aging process will remain until God ushers in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Most Christians are also familiar with the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. They willfully sinned by lying about some property that they sold. They conspired together and lied to the congregation of believers as well as to the Holy Spirit. God struck them dead. In Hebrews 10:28 the author further warns that those in the Old Testament who willfully sinned against the Law of Moses were put to

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death on the testimony of two or three witnesses. It must be noted that it doesn't take human witnesses to bring God's judgment on blatant sinners. A person may hide his sin from human witnesses but he certainly cannot hide it from God. The FALLOUT from willful sin can be severe. Don't presume upon God's grace, you may not live to regret it. Next Paul address: THE FOLLY OF WILLFUL SIN Listen to verses 29 through 31, v29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? v30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge His people." v31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Why is it such folly to willfully sin? Because of what willful sin does. In verse 29 it says it tramples underfoot the Son of God. Who would be foolish enough to try that? When a person becomes a Christian he acknowledges Christ as Lord and falls at His feet to worship Him. Blatant willful sin seeks to put a person above Christ and trample Him in the dirt. How foolish! Not only does willful sin trample Christ but it also regards His blood as unclean. Scripture tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. It is Christ's blood that cleanses us. By willfully sinning a person is totally disregarding the purity and power of Christ's blood. This wanton arrogance will bring God's judgment. In addition, willful sin insults the Holy Spirit by daring Him to do anything about it. It is the Spirit who prompts us not to sin. When we disregard His

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promptings we are insulting Him to His face. Woe to the person who could be so foolish. God's judgment will eventually fall! In these verses it is important to see that Paul is addressing Christians. This is made clear in verse 29 which states that the person being addressed was regarding as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified. To be sanctified means to be set apart for God. Christians are set apart for God, therefore Paul is addressing those who have been set apart, i.e. Christians. The author further drives his point home in verses 30 and 31 when he says, v30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge His people." v31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Unfortunately willful sin is a FACT. It brings terrifying FALLOUT. Anyone who continues to willfully sin is a FOOL. Next the authro seeks to encourage the Jews by speaking about: THEIR FORMER RIGHTEOUS LIVING Listen to his words in Hebrews 10:32-36. He reminded them how much they already had endured: v32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, v33 partly, by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. v34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one. v35 Therefore, do not throw away

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your confidence, which has a great reward. v36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. v37 For yet a very little while, he who is coming will come, and will not delay. It was vital that the Jews keep on keeping on. Rather than falling into willful sin they needed to remember that God had brought them this far by faith. They had endured great conflict and suffering. They had put up with reproaches and tribulations. They had showed sympathy to prisoners. They had accepted joyfully the seizure of their property. Paul encouraged them not to throw away their confidence but to endure because there was a time when Christ would return and they would receive their just reward. Often willful sin comes when a person thinks that God is not there or doesn't care about his needs. The person then feels he must take his life into his own hands. Perhaps he has not found a spouse so decides to get involved in premarital sex. Perhaps he has not made it financially so decides to steal. Perhaps he has great stress in his life which he feels that God is not helping him with, so he turns to alcohol. Don't be fooled, God is with us even in the times we don't sense His presence. Rather than turning away from God, remember the many times He helped you in the past and keep on trusting. Paul then moves from to his: The AUTHOR’S FINAL COMMENTS Listen to verses 38 and 39, v38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in Him. v39 But we are not of those who shrink

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back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. God desires that His people live by faith. If they don't He is not pleased with them. They are not to be like those who shrink back to destruction but they are to continue in faith. These verses must be understood in the context of the entire passage. It has already been seen that God will judge willful sin but not with eternal destruction but with temporal destruction or what might be called severe discipline. The word for destruction in the verse can refer either to eternal or temporal destruction. In this case it refers to the later. Also, the word faith in this context does not refer to conversion but to following the directives of God on a day to day basis. Also, the word soul should be understood in the Hebraic sense of the person himself and not just his spirit. It is thus clear that the writer of Hebrews is not speaking of eternal destruction of a person's spirit, but the destruction of a person's life if he neglects the things of God. If a Christian does not live by faith but willfully sins he is in danger of meeting with calamities. On the other hand, if he lives by faith he will find that his physical life will be preserved. Even though a person cannot lose his salvation, Hebrews 10:26-39 is a dire warning for anyone who thinks that God only exercises His mercy. God loves His children, but He will discipline them (Hebrews 12:6-11)and sometimes severely if they tread recklessly upon His grace. Another controversial verse is Revelation 3:5. In speaking to the church at Sardis in the book of Revelation, Jesus referred to them as a dead church. There were however individual believers in the church who were trying to live pure lives and follow

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Christ. To them Jesus says in verse 5, "He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels." Some people say that because Jesus said that He would not erase their names from the book of life, this implies that having ones name erased from the book is a possibility. On the contrary, it only affirms the fact that their names will not be erased. In John's other writings he makes it clear that a truly regenerate person remains saved (John 5:24, 6:35-37,39; 10:28,29). This verse does not provide a solid argument that a person can lose his salvation. Every verse in Scripture that seems to indicate a person can lose his salvation, is either taken out of context or improperly interpreted. The clear teaching of Scripture is that once a person is truly saved, he cannot lose his salvation. OBJECTION #2 - What about the person who walks with God for a long time and then falls away? Can he lose his salvation? Again it must be stated that no Christian lives a perfect life. Although perfection should be our goal (Mt 5:48), none of us will achieve it this side of heaven. All of us fall away for short periods of time as we get entangled in sin. Sometimes Satan blind-sides us and we are caught in a sin before we know it (Gal 6:1,2). Other times we may willfully sin. In any case, when we disobey God, we must come back through repentance. At times God disciplines us (Hebrews 12:6-13). At other times the consequence of our sin may be the natural results. Either way, it proves God's love for us. He does not want us to continue in sin but to come back to Him. It cannot be denied, however, that some people walk with God for years, then fall away seeming never to return. What about them? Do they lose their salvation? I have seen people turn from God when they

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lose a loved one. I have also seen it happen when they get involved in things like adultery or financial difficulty. Sometimes they get right with God after a short time but other times it seems like they never come back. If these people were true believers in the first place, I do not believe they lose their salvation. Instead God deals with them in other ways. He may choose to discipline them severely, make them sick, or take them home. A friend shared a story that further brought this point home. He knew a young man who loved God but unfortunately got involved in a severe drug habit. Others tried to help him but he was unwilling. Eventually he died from a strange disease that caused his veins to deteriorate. His witness had become so bad that God chose to take him home. His work for God had become nil. He was perhaps an example of 1 Corinthians 3:15 which reads, "If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire." All the latter works of that young man's life were burned up but His spirit was saved anyway because He had once truly come to Christ. OBJECTION #3 - If God assures us of salvation, doesn't that mean a Christian can sin-it-up and still be saved? Wouldn't it make more sense for God to keep Christians in line by making it clear that they could lose their salvation if they fell away? Technically speaking a Christian can sin-it-up and still be saved but most Christians have no desire to do so. For one, they risk God's discipline. Second, just as a loving husband or wife wants to please his or her spouse, so a person who loves God wants to serve Him and not go on sinning. Paul addressed this point in Romans 6. Apparently some of the Roman believers were under the impression that the more they sinned, the greater opportunity it gave God to pour out His bountiful grace. It thus made sense to sin. The more sin, the more grace. Paul

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quickly pointed out the nonsensical nature of this argument. In Romans 6:1-4 he said, v1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue to sin that grace might increase? v2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? v3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? v4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." In verses 11-13 Paul summarizes his thoughts, v11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. v12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, v13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. CONCLUSION The Bible clearly teaches that true Christians cannot lose their salvation. If a person who is a Christian sins and dies before having the opportunity to confess it, he will not lose his salvation. If a true Christian willfully sins he may incur God's discipline but he will not be lost. By the same token, emotional decisions for Christ are not true decisions. A person is not a true believer until he genuinely commits himself to Christ as a deliberate act of his will in a wholehearted way. Christ does not come as SAVIOR only. He comes always as LORD and SAVIOR. Romans 10:9 states, "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Notice that it does not say, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Savior." People must confess Him as LORD. If

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Jesus is a person's LORD, He will also his SAVIOR. But if a person only wants Christ as SAVIOR, he may only be looking for cheap fire insurance. Christ is not in the business of providing SALVATION without LORDSHIP. If Christ is not LORD, He is not SAVIOR. This does not mean a person will not sin once he is saved. He will sin because His sin nature will occasionally win out. Even the great Apostle Paul said in Romans 7:19, "For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish." Even though a Christian will occasionally fall, the general pattern of his life should be one of increasing maturity. It may be a roller coaster but the maturity trend should be upward. As time passes he will become more like Christ; he will sin less, and have a greater impact for God. In essence he will move from glory unto glory; from one level of maturity to the next (2 Cor 3:18). In this maturation process a Christian should not worry about losing his salvation. The very fact that he worries about it may be evidence that he loves God and desires to do His will. True Christians are and will always be saved. With that promise let us heed Paul's directive in Ephesians 4:1-3, v1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, v2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, v3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Knowing that our salvation is sure should not make us sit back and relax but spur us on to work all-the-more to please the One, who has reserved and secured our place in heaven.

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ACTIVITY SHEET The verses below address the subject of salvation. After reading each verse/s on the left, find the statement on the right that best summarizes its meaning. Write the letter of the statement next to the appropriate verse/s in the space provided. John 3:16 _____________ a. When we believed, we were sealed by the Spirit 1 John 5:11-13 _________ b. If we believe, we shall be saved Ephesians 1:13,14 ______ c. Those whom God foreknew he also glorified Romans 8:35-39 _______ d. He who has the Son of God has eternal life Romans 8:29-30 _______ e. God will finish the good work He began in us John 10:27-29 _________ f. Whoever believes on Christ shall not perish Ephesians 4:30 ________ g. Nothing can separate believers from God's love Romans 10:9-11 _______ h. The Holy Spirit sealed us for redemption day Philippians 1:6 _________ i. No one can snatch us out of God's hand John 5:24 ____________ j. Christ loses none that the Father gives to Him John 6:37-39 __________ k. Those who believe will not come under judgment From the above verses it is clear that PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN CHRIST HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. Eternal life is not based on feelings but instead on God's promise. God does not lie, His Word is true. Jesus said He would save those who believe in Him. John assures us that those who HAVE the Son of God HAVE ETERNAL LIFE (1 Jn 5:11-13). Even if a person

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doesn't feel saved, he is if he has believed on Christ by confessing his sins, turning from them and asking Christ to take control of his life as Lord and Savior.