This question gets asked several ways…

Will a true child of God ever renounce their faith?

Is a Christian “eternally secure”?

Is it biblical to say: “once saved, always saved”?

I have my own thoughts on the matter and I might share them in another blog some time, but I just thought I’d provide you with the key passages that Christians use to argue either side of the debate.

I do believe in every one of these verses and so, no matter which side of the debate you fall on, I encourage you to reflect on them all and seeks God’s wisdom and guidance as to how they might be reconciled.

10 PASSAGES THAT SUGGEST THAT YES, A TRUE CHRISTIAN CAN LOSE THEIR SALVATION…

• John 15:5-6
• Matthew 13:20-21
• 2 Peter 2:20-22
• 1 Timothy 4:1
• Colossians 1:22-23
• Galatians 5:4
• Romans 11:22
• Revelation 2:4-5
• Hebrews 6:4-6
• Hebrews 10:26-31

10 PASSAGES THAT SUGGEST THAT A TRUE CHRISTIAN CAN’T (OR WON’T) EVER LOSE THEIR SALVATION… 

• Philippians 1:4-6
• John 10:27-29
• 1 John 2:19
• 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
• Ephesians 1:13-14
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
• 1 Corinthians 1:7-9
• 2 Timothy 2:11-13
• Romans 8:28-39
• Hebrews 6:17-20

Read these passages and weigh them up. The following questions might help your reflection…

What are the dangers of believing either view too strongly?

What might you miss if you feel insecure about your salvation?

What might you miss if you feel too confident in your salvation?

If I said that you are guaranteed to get into heaven and that no matter what you did you couldn’t lose your salvation, would that inspire you to persevere in the faith with joy or would it inspire you to sin as much as you wanted to?

If a Christian can’t lose their salvation, why does the Bible warn us against apostasy (falling away)?

You might know friends who have thrown in the faith and now no longer call themselves Christians. How do the passages above help us to think about that?

Can you hold a view that reconciles all the passages above?

Write your thoughts in the comments below!

For my non-Christian friends reading this, you may be more interested in some more fundamental questions: What constitutes a “Christian” that you could say they would or wouldn’t “lose their salvation”? What is this “salvation” that might or might not be “lost”?

If these are more your questions, I encourage you to seek the answers and send me an email if you want and advice as to where to look.

thebackyardbard@gmail.com

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