by Noah DuToit

Intro

Christians commonly wonder if it is possible to lose salvation. We see famous people who once claimed Christianity renouncing their savior all the time. If they were true Christians, where will they end up if they die after “losing their faith”? Will God bring them to heaven because of renounced faith?

The Book of Life

In Revelation 3:5, in the letter to the church in Sardis, Jesus says, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.” First of all, what is the book of life? We see in the great judgment in Revelation 20 that “if anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” So, the book of life is a recording of all who have been and will be saved by Jesus, and anyone not written are not saved.

Is Jesus saying in Revelation 3:5 that Christian who do not conquer will lose their salvation? It may seem that way, but that is not what this verse is trying to say. “To the one who conquers I will never blot his name out of the book of life.” Jesus, instead of warning against losing salvation, is emphasizing that to those who succeed, he will never, ever blot their name out of the book of life. Instead of proof for the possibility of lost salvation, this verse Is actually confirming the eternality of salvation. He is saying no one is ever blotted out of the book of life.

Hebrew 6:4-6

Another verse people might use to confirm lost salvation is Hebrews 6:4-6, which says “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 power of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance.” To most people, this seems like a definite description of fallen Christians, but this verse is interpreted otherwise.

In the parable of the Sower, Jesus teaches of the different seeds falling on different soil, which represent different people receiving the truth of salvation. Most of the seeds end up dying except for the one on the good soil, which produced fruit and became a true believer. Two of the other seeds began growing, but are stopped because the worries and distractions of the world, and never produce fruit or become a true Christian. These people are the ones described in Hebrew 6:4-6, they see the truth of Gods word, but never become saved, and purposefully reject Christ. They are not losing salvation; they are just never receiving it.

Viable Verses

Romans 8:30 says: “Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” The final step of this verse is glorification, which is a very permanent final step in the Christian walk. So, all God chose to save, become saved. No one gets left behind. As John Piper from Desiringgod.org says, “If you are called, you cannot lose your salvation.”

The covenant of salvation is everlasting, and if you are saved you will make it to the end

Throughout the Bible God puts an emphasis of the eternality of salvation, as seen in Jerimiah 32:40 “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” The covenant of salvation is everlasting, and if you are saved you will make it to the end.

Conclusion

Though there are some tricky verses, the Bible is very plain and straightforward on if salvation is eternal and if you can lose it or not. If you are truly saved God “will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son.” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)