Can you lose salvation?

Can you lose salvation?

Salvation is a gift that is meant to be permanent and eternal.

The apostle Paul writes about Christians that, “Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

It is therefore impossible to lose your salvation – however, the New Testament makes mention of the unlikely possibility that someone who is genuinely saved would throw away his or her own salvation by permanently rejecting the Holy Spirit, by turning his or her back on Christ permanently, or by turning his back on the gospel in favor of Old Testament law. Hebrews 6:4-6 reveals the possibility of this rare exception.

While we do not focus on this exception, and while we certainly do not pass judgment on those who have “backslidden,” we do take very seriously the Scriptural mandates to “Stand firm to the end,” “not put out the Spirit’s fire,” and “bring back those who have wandered from the truth.” (Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:13, 1Thessalonians 5:19, James 5: 19-20).