Can We Lose Our Salvation??
The answer is simply “YES!”
I don’t want to trick you by saying empty words. I am not here to keep your spirit up in the air by telling a lie. Yes, we will lose our salvation if we consider it worthless. If we don’t guard it as something that is the most precious thing, we ever received from someone, even better than life itself, we will end up selling it to the devil with the cheep price. That is what Esau did with his birth right, the right to be the first born. He sold it for a bowl of soup. That is how much his birth right worth to him.
In a similar story, the Spirit of God abandoned Saul since Saul consistently disobeyed God's instruction and leadership. It comes to the point that God regretted to make Saul a king of Israel. Saul was later tormented by evil spirits as a result of his sins, disobedience and unfaithfulness to the Lord.
Moreover, we have another similar story with Samson. Samson got to the point he was deceived by the prostitute women whom he failed in love with and give up his secret to his supernatural source of power and strength.
He was then taken captive as a slave by his enemies and was tortured brutally till the point his eyes was taken out while he is still alive. He was hamulated in front of his enemies to the point he later committed suicide. What brings all of these things to him? Because he didn't take his greatest God given gift seriously and he traded it with pleasure of this world just like Esau.
The Bible teaches us, there is a sin that deserves eternal death.
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. - 1 John 5:16
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 away, 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.” Hebrew 6:4
The above scripture shows one can possibly lose his/her salvation. Salvation comes through believing Jesus, but it is not a one-time act. It governs and defines how we should behave and act the rest of our lives. One can argue it is possible that a person might not be saved in the first place instead of saying he lost his salvation. In other words, it is easier to conclude that one salvation cannot be lost. It is easy to put the issue at the beginning of the foundation of one's Christianity that is one’s salvation rather than the type of lifestyle one leads.
I do believe that the day of our salvation has nothing to do with what kind of life we may lead after that. I think the lifestyle we follow every day is based on our choice to love or to hate. To listen to the word of God or not. Just like the day of our salvation we choose to obey God and give our lives to him.
There is always a time we will be tempted to revolt against God and to disobey his commandments. Even if Holy Spirit is always with us to comfort us in times of failures and moment of disbelief, the choice is still ours to follow the path of righteousness or not.
As Paul mentioned in this place, it is always difficult to correct someone who knows all these facts but chooses to deny Christ. I don't know why someone would want to do that, but the end is worse than the person didn’t know the truth in the first place.
In addition to this passage, we have several similar warnings and advices about such issues in the Bible.
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” - Hebrew 7-12
Here it shows that, we should fight sin and the deceitfulness of sin every day to be confident and blameless. Jesus Christ has finished all the work that needs to be done for you and me to be saved. There is nothing left that we must do to finish the work. This means if we believe in him and die right away, we will inherit the kingdom of God.
But as long as we live in this flesh, we need to keep the good work that our Lord has started in us and be faithful to him all the time. In times of trouble and sin, we should always come
to him by faith with true repentance.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 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 heaven. 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!'” - Matthew 7:19-23
Here Jesus warns anyone who thinks he can get into the kingdom of God without first experiencing the kind of relationship God wants through his Son, Jesus Christ.
It is possible that one can prophesize or cast out demons but not know Jesus Christ personally or do it with the wrong motive. Now a days, this is not far from the truth. We see many do all manner of bad things in the name of Jesus, but it is far from what Jesus would want or do if He were in their place. It is seriously advised here that anyone who thinks is standing should watch his steps since falling can happen any time.
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. - 1 Corinthians 10:11
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” - Matthew 24:9-13
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” - Hebrews 10:26-31
Here it touches the main point of abusing the grace of God by living sinful life repeatedly and not willing to surrender the sinfulness of the heart to the Lord.
It is understandable that one can go through an addictive way of life that is sinful and brings disgrace to the Lord. This behavior is like a bird in cage or a fish inside a fishing net which always enslaves one to the same sinful behavior again and again.
One may also ask that there is no way a believer can be addicted to sin. I would say that this is not true. As long as we are living in this flesh, we are tempted and often time defeated by the will of the flesh.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is in living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. -Romans 7:14
Paul mentioned in this place that the spirit and the flesh are always at war. The flesh wants to do what it pleases without thinking about the consequences since it is pleasing to it. The Spirit wants to please God and to do what is good and honorable and stay away from all forms of immorality.
There is always this battle between the spirit and the flesh and occasionally one defeats the other and this is all because we are human beings. Moreover, there is nothing we can do to overcome this issue except throw ourselves under the mercy of God with humility and broken heart.
One may ask if we are always under the umbrella of sin and grace, how can one lose his salvation?
I will leave the answer to this question to God as He knows the hearts of men. I don't even know about me. Only he knows the beginning and the end. I just want to present the truth about the characteristics of our salvation according to the Bible. It is not my intention to judge anyone here. We all are going under different circumstances and it is very clear to me that flesh always wants contrary to what the Lord wants for our lives
Moreover, I want to emphasize that our salvation doesn't come freely so we shouldn't take it for granted. Jesus Christ paid his life for us so we should never abuse the blood that redeemed us the wrath of God.
In conclusion, the concept of losing one’s salvation is directly related to the nature of relationship with our father in heaven through the fellowship of Holy Spirit. This relationship must be worked out the way we establish and maintain a good relationship with our family and friends. It must be taken very seriously. It must be nourished.
It is also important to rely on the grace of God without abusing it. Those who intentionally abuse the blood of Jesus and displease the Spirit of God in whom we are destined for eternity, there is no forgiveness of sin! It is all lost! Salvation is Lost!
For such a person, it is much better that s/he were never born if s/he intentionally abused the grace of God repeatedly since the grace of God doesn't give any license to sin.
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. - Hebrews 3:12
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them. - Ephesians 5:3
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God - Galatians 5:19-21
Paul’s warning to Timothy make it evident that unless we watch our steps closely, we may slip and fall away from grace.
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16
But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die. Ezekiel 18:24
Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God. That sort of talk is like a sore that won't heal. And Hymenaeus and Philetus have been talking this way by teaching that the dead have already been raised to life. This is far from the truth, and it is destroying the faith of some people. 2 Timothy 2:16
But my righteous one shall live by faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:38
And those on the rock are they who, when they have heard, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. Luke 8:13
Jesus: “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Math 24:13