TCH MINI-STUDY 8
CAN THE CHRISTIAN LOSE FAITH AND SALVATION?
Biblical scholars have considerable disagreement as to
whether the saint can lose his or her faith and/or salvation. The holy scriptures are not completely clear on the concept of unconditional
eternal security [the once saved, always saved belief] and, as a result, many in the Christian church are confused about the assurance
of their salvation. Some bible verses are listed below which appear to support each side of the issue. YOU DECIDE FOR YOURSELF!
Verses
which appear to support the idea that the believer in Christ cannot lose his or her salvation:
My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (John 6:37).
Being confident
of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
And
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby
they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me (Jeremiah 33:6-8).
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that
hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may
know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:12-13).
What shall we then say
to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).
According as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will (Ephesians 1:4-5).
That
we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest
of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:12-14).
That by
two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that
within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec(Hebrews 6:18-20).
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said,I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls
of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked (Psalms 97:10).
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, wherebyye are sealed unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which
he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, thatevery one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:39-40).
The
LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn
thee (Jeremiah 31:3).
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).
Verses
which appear to support the idea that the believer in Christ can lose his or her salvation are listed velow:
And thou, Solomon
my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts,
and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will
cast thee off for ever (1 Chronicles 28:9).
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable
for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell (Mat 5:30).
Now the parable
is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out
of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy;
and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they,
which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection (Luke
8:11-14).
And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes,
they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and
Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it [the
gospel message] from you, and judge [determine] yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:44-46).
Confirming
the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the
kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).
I marvel that ye are so soon removed [transferred, exchanged, turn, change sides] from him that
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8).
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law;ye are fallen from grace [rejected the grace of Christ and returned to dependence on keeping the Jewish law for salvation] (Galatians
5:4).
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest
war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom
is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme (1 Tim 1:18-20).
Boast not
against the [Jewish] branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches [Jews] were
broken off, that I [a gentile] might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be
not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the
goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee [Gentiles], goodness, if thou continue in his goodness:
otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee,
goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off (Rom 11:18-22).
Now these things were our examples,
to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written,
The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell
in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither
murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples:
and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take
heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:6-12).
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yetnow hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If
ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister (Colossians 1:21-23).
Having damnation, because
they have cast off their first faith [in Jesus Christ] (1 Tim 5:12).
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable
in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard,
and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister (Col 1:21-23).
To the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made
perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if
we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven (Heb 12:23-25).
Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have
wrought, but that we receive a full reward (2 John 1:8).
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to
turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned
to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire (2 Peter 2:20-22).
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing
ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness (2
Peter 3:17).
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let
them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;How shall we [believers in Christ] escape [judgment and damnation], if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to
be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him (Heb 2:1-3).
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any
of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest
any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-13).
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest
any man fall after the same example of unbelief (Hebrews 4:11).
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
(for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Forif we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without
mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot
the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto
the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The
Lord shall judge his people” (Hebrews 10:23-30).
Brethren, if any of you [brethren, fellow believers] do err from the truth,
and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and
shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20).
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that
the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of
the great day” (Jude 1:5-6).
Unconditional eternal security is a difficult doctrine to understand. Through study of the scriptures,
and prayer, you must make up your own mind about the truth of this idea!!!