Can One Lose Their Salvation?

Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “…it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” But what is meant by ‘falling away’ in the context of sin?

Falling away from God is an act of sin, but there are only a couple of sins that, even done once, would cause one to fall away and thus lose any salvation they may have had. That is the sins of, by words and actions, renouncing one’s faith in God by turning away from Him, or denouncing God himself and those who act in His name. There are other sins which we, given the evil that lurks in all our hearts, are prone to commit from time to time despite our love of God, but will not cause us to fall away and lose our salvation.

We will be forgiven of many sins we commit, especially if we acknowledge our sins to God or we let others help us return to a path toward righteousness. 1 John 1:9 If says, “we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Similarly, Psalm 32:5 says “I acknowledged my sin to you [oh Lord], and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” James 5:19-20 says, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

But the sin of purposely, with express intent, renouncing one’s faith and denouncing God will result in a permanent uncoupling from Him. Jesus in Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” Our salvation is the salt we receive from God through Jesus. Romans 11:19-22 says, “…’Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.”

Why did Satan fall to earth? It’s because everything he stands for is contrary to what God stands for, and if Satan ever had any, shall we say, positive association with God, it was lost due to his purposely going against God. Anything that doesn’t uphold what God stands for is a form of evil through sin, but anything done to renounce one’s faith or denounce God will cut themselves off from God completely.

And I tell you, anyone who kills others because of the way they worship God in the spirit of righteousness, and who at one time may have experienced salvation, will never see the Kingdom of God. Anyone else who commits this act, who never experienced salvation is subject to what God has in store for them, whatever that is. And whatever it is, we accept what God does without necessarily understanding why if such were to be the case.

So, there are forgivable sins we might commit, which will not cause us to lose our salvation, but there are sins which will cause us to lose whatever salvation we had.

There are two passages in Hebrews which folks such as yourself enjoy using to calls God's gift of eternal salvation a lie. One you quoted, the other is in chapter 10.

However, I must burst your bubble along with all those that believe this nonsense.

Paul was not speaking of Christians in either passage . . . he was speaking of those that had heard the Gospel and had rejected it. How do I know this? Because of two crucial verses . . .

"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak" (Hebrews 6:9).

"But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:39).

Now, if you wish to continue to doubt God's promises and His mercy to those of us who are 'scarcely saved', go for it. I can't stop you. Hopefully God will soon.

"And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (I Peter 4:18).

Although Peter felt it necessary to say what he said, and I believe he included himself, yet I am thrilled by the fact that "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

You could have that same assurance if you wish. Doubting whether you can make it to the end is no way for a Blood-bought believer to go through life. It's hard enough as it is!

People that say that there are some sins that can cause a person to lose their salvation and some that won’t cause a person to lose their salvation are trying to bring GOD down to a physical level that they can understand better

and are looking at sin as If they are saying your sin Is bigger than my sin when the Bible clearly says that If the law Is offended at ANY point then the WHOLE law has been offended.

The Issue now Is not sin but belief In the WORD of GOD.

By The Way any one that has been reborn will seek to purify themselves even as they are pure.

To answer the thread question itself, no, never. Unless one wishes to argue to the contrary and therefore first assert God lied.

Romans 9:11–13
Romans 11:29 For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:30
And those He predestined He also called, those He called He also justified, those He justified He also glorified.

The responders above seem to support the notion that there are two types of salvation…the salvation that many strive for while on earth, and the eternal salvation one who has seeked salvation receives after leaving the earth. How else to explain the alleged confusion?

There is a lot on earth that may cause people to get diverted from the path of righteousness, but it isn’t a matter of my sin versus your sin, it’s a matter of the sins that the Bible has clearly indicated would separate us permanently from salvation, such as renouncing one’s faith and denouncing God.

The above responders seem to believe, however, that once you’ve reached the plateau of salvation while on earth, there isn’t a sin in the world that would cause you to lose it. That once you’re on that plateau, you no longer need to be cognizant of what the Bible says, since you effectively paid your dues.

Whether it’s your sin or my sin, the Bible has made clear distinctions in plain English. It then becomes a matter of comprehension.

How you read my post and came to the conclusion you did escapes me.

Yes you can,,,

thou shall not use the word believe, there's no exceptions you will be banned for ever.

Related to this. I want to ask a question to those who believe you can lose your salvation:

According to Hebrews 6:4-6 that you quoted, AND hebrews 10:26 once you lose it, its a DONE DEAL. There is no sacrifice remaining, impossible to renew them again to repentance.

So WHY is it that those who believe you can LOSE your salvation ALSO believe that you can GAIN IT BACK?
Can someone explain that to me? With the way you interpret hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26 there is no way to gain it back, no?

If one so easily can misuse Scripture to prove people can lose their salvation they can just as easily misuse Scripture to prove they can get it back.

We know what jimmy thinks but what do you think?

Yes,once the person has been reborn of INCORRUPTIBLE seed,they are sealed and GOD's promises are yes and amen.

By the way,Grace does not teach a person to live unGODly.Although a person's salvation does not depend on how much they sin In the flesh but on belief In the WORD of GOD,every man that HAS the INCORRUPTIBLE seed In HIM WILL seek to purify the outward man to match the new creation they have become.

It always strikes odd that Jimmy published an Expositors Bible version wherein he expands on scripture meaning thinking himself able after abusing God's word with hookers repeatedly. That repeated vile sin he "confessed" to before the church he was ultimately stripped of, when he "repented" before the congregation and God for having sinned against God. Yet never gave specifics in that confession.
And then, very shortly thereafter was stopped by police and found to have been driving erratically due to his attempting to hide porn magazines under the car seat, while in the company of a hooker on the passenger side.

Eternal Hell fire in a bottomless pit that one wonders about as it is described holding fire and brimstone and the souls of the damned. Destined to a place God created first for Satan and his fallen angels whom he let to live and occupy the earth and vex humankind until the end of days.
While another scripture early on tells us quite specifically that when we die our mortal flesh goes back to the dust. And our souls return to the God that gave them.
Not saved souls. Souls.

The Lord doesn't promise us a trouble-free existence, but He does promise to deliver us. Satan may do some damage, but it will not be lethal! In spite of the terrible sins that David committed (which was as bad as you can get), it did not stop God from His Son being called the "Son of David."

As I have stated before, you and others have put the Blood of Jesus on trial. You and the others believe that the Blood of Jesus doesn't cleanse from all unrighteousness (sins).

Let me remind you, when King David took the census over 70,000 people died as a result. Most scholars believe the 70,000 plus that died were the same people who didn't forgive David from adultery and the killing of Bathsheba husband Uriah (2 Sam. 24, 1 Chron. 21). You and others who claim they are saved are making God very angry! This is the sin of self-righteousness...you believe mercy for you and your sins are forgiven, but everybody else sin(s) is not.

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:15). We are in the last of the last days. Do not get your name blotted out of the Lambs Book of Life for unforgiveness.

When Swaggart fell, did he lose his salvation? Yes, I know he publicly repented and I have no reason to doubt his sincerity, but at that point did he get saved again? or does he now know that his is now hopelessly lost and continues to preach in order to warn others?

Those who walk in the spirit will always have shortcomings (acts of sin) until the trump sounds. We must rejoice in whatever Glory we are in. God is the potter and we are the clay. He moves us from glory to glory and faith to faith. No man or woman can change their life without the Holy Spirit. Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you have always done evil (Jeremiah 13:23). The scripture says before He formed me in my mothers womb He approved me.

This is why we must understand what justification is and why it is the first subject in the book of Romans. It lays down the foundation as I go through sanctification.

Justification gives me the ability to get back up from every failure no matter how many times and stand up and go through this process and learn it. Justification gives us a legal standing with God that is not cancelled because of the acts of sin. So if I fail (and we will) at this same thing a thousand times - God forbid! We are a work in progress. Remember Jesus said I did not come to condemn (John 3:17).

Justification is not what we do, and not what I am, and not what I worked for. It is what Jesus did and my faith in it that gives me the standing with God that I need to carry on my Christian experience. Sometime I do it well, and sometimes I do it not so well, but his justifying Grace will not fail unless my faith fails. It is just if I have never sinned and just if I have always obeyed.

Pastor Loren Larson - JSM

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1).

Do you even have ONE original thought?

So, then, I guess it is just us unwashed multitudes that can lose our salvation--not those in the high and holy Jimmy Swaggard tent.

Just as bad as what you have been addressing is the ignorance that one must maintain it like changing the oil in a car......pure ignorance.....