Can You Lose Your Salvation?

Can you lose your salvation? That’s an interesting question that’s been debated for quite some time now, and there’s no way to settle the debate in a short article like this. So rather than answer the question directly, I want to come at this topic from a different angle - a practical application of the Scripture.

For starters, we should note that the Biblical argument could be made for both positions. 

There are verses that seem to indicate that one can lose their salvation, like this selection of verses:

4 For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— 6 and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6, NLT)

Of course, even that verse can be debated, as there are some who feel they can interpret that verse to mean something else.

And there are verses that seem to indicate that one cannot possibly lose their salvation. For example, take a look at this verse:

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, (John 10:28, NLT)

And with this verse also, there are alternative ways to interpret it.

Both sides of the debate seem to have their explanations, context clues, and reasons why the other side isn’t getting the interpretations right. 

Those who say, “You cannot lose your salvation,” will tell you that you’re dishonoring Christ’s sacrifice by implying that His death on the cross wasn’t enough to eternally secure the soul. Those who say, “You can lose your salvation,” will tell you that you’re dishonoring Christ’s sacrifice by implying that people can “abuse” God’s grace. Those who believe in eternal security will say you put too much emphasis on man’s ability. Those who don’t believe in eternal security will say that you are giving people a license to sin.

But think about it. Why does either opinion matter if God is the ultimate judge? Consider this scenario. A man goes to a church, publicly commits his life to the Lord, but then continues a lifestyle of sin. Those who believe you can lose your salvation will look at that man and say, “He lost his salvation!” Those who don’t believe you can lose your salvation will look at that man and say, “He was never truly saved in the first place.” But they agree on this: that man needs Jesus. 

For all of the debating that surrounds this topic, what have we gained? And what’s the point if we all agree on the practical application of Scripture? Simply put, whether you’re a once-saved-always-saved believer or you believe that one can lost their salvation, we agree on this: All sinners need saving, and ultimately God will justly judge.

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