Can you lose your salvation?
Is it once saved always saved?
For a while I didn’t think that would be fair for God to take away his salvation from us but I realized something pretty important that made me think otherwise. The ability to be “saved” is always available to us- to everyone. God doesn’t take it away but that doesn’t mean I can’t screw it up and lose it all on my own.
If I pull someone out of a burning building and save them, when we get to safe ground he or she has the free will to go back where they came from – back into their death or destruction. Is it the same way with us and salvation?
We were given free will and we’ll be judged according to what we do with that will. We know this based on what it says in the Bible in 2 Cor. 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
What changed my mind was what I read in Revelations 3:5 “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.” To “blot out” a name means that it was once there. Your name is ONLY written in the book of Life when you are saved and accept Jesus as your Savior. So if Jesus is saying that he will not blot out the name of someone who conquers over this life, that means that there will be some whose names will be removed and shall not pass into heaven.
My other indication that salvation can be lost is in Chapter 7, verses 21-23 of the book of Matthew where Jesus is saying: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ This verse is confusing. Truthfully, how can one perform miracles and cast out demons if they’re not in right relationship with God? Perhaps because they once were and are no longer in right relationship at the time of judgement?
It’s scary to think that we could lose this precious gift and be damned to hell for eternity. If you don’t look at it correctly it could make you angry- but it should actually humble you. It should make you realize that this Salvation is a gift and should be treated as such.
We view babies as a gift and when we first bring them home we hold them carefully and tiptoe around, careful to never make a loud noise while they sleep. We touch them gently and keep all manner of evil from them. As it is with salvation, that is also a precious gift but do we treat it with the same care and affection? Do we take our salvation and turn right back to living how we want? Would you place a newborn in the center of a crack house? So why do we do that with our salvation? Why do we treat it as if it’s just something we keep in our back pocket like a Hall Pass?
I feel God showed me this and revealed it to me. You may still believe Once Saved Always Saved- and that’s fine as long as your gift of salvation is still being treated correctly. As long as humbleness and repentance follow you everywhere and no pride ever enters your life. Stay far from the sins that lead to death and know in your heart that’s it’s only by grace you are saved. To do the will of the Father daily- not your will but His be done.
God wants you in Heaven with Him, but he can’t do anything about your will-only you can.
Becoming Invincible 