Why I Believe True Christians Cannot Lose Their Salvation
John 3:16b says, “…that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
I would not be interested in being a Christian if salvation were something that we could have today and lose tomorrow. I know myself too well. On my best days I don’t measure up to God’s law. James 2:10 says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” If salvation could be lost, one sin would do it. It would be presumptuous to ever claim to be a Christian. Some believe sin causes you to lose your salvation and you confess it and get saved again. If so, it would just be a matter of luck whether you confessed just before you died.
No. Salvation is much better than that. Once a person is truly saved through personal faith in Jesus Christ, he will never lose that salvation. Here’s why:
THE GOSPEL. The very word “gospel” means “good news.” The good news is that Jesus paid for all our sins on the cross. When you receive Jesus Christ with all your heart, all your sins, past, present and future, are transferred to the cross, and His perfect righteousness is transferred to your soul. God sees Christ and His righteousness in your soul and declares you perfect in Him. God cannot see your sins through the blood of Jesus.
ETERNAL LIFE. Over and over again the Bible says that true Christians are given eternal life as a present possession. The apostle John said, “These things have I written unto you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that ye have eternal life” (I John 5:13). Notice that this eternal life begins the moment you believe in Jesus. If eternal life could end, it would be a lie to call it eternal life. It would have to be called “temporary life.” Esus said in John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one” ( “ … the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b)
JESUS DOES THE KEEPING! “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:3-5). “For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed unto Him until that day” (2 Tim. 1:12b). “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24-25).
WHAT ABOUT APPARENT CHRISTIANS WHO QUIT FOLLOWING JESUS? John answers that question in I John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” John is simply saying that those who stop following Jesus were never saved in the first place. Undoubtedly, many join the church without truly receiving Jesus and being born again.
Be sure you are trusting Jesus with all your heart. If He comes into your life, He will never leave you. His salvation is guaranteed to be eternal. Amen.