101 Bible Questions
NOVEMBER 4, 2023
by Andrew Farley
Once Saved, are you always saved?
Quick Answer:
It’s not possible for a Christian to lose their salvation, and many passages serve as evidence for this truth, including John 10:28–29, Romans 8:38–39, and 1 John 5:13. These passages point to the fact that God’s love for His people is unshakable, and that nothing can separate us from Him. If salvation were something we could lose through our own actions or lack of faith, it would no longer be a gift but something that we had to work to sustain. This goes against the very nature of salvation as a gift, and it suggests we’re ultimately responsible for maintaining our own salvation rather than God.
Finally, consider three solid reasons we can know we’re secure forever in Christ: First, our sins have been completely forgiven—past, present, and future (Hebrews 10:14). Second, we have received the gift of eternal life, not temporary life. Third, God has given us many promises assuring us that He will never leave us. For these reasons, we believers can know we are saved completely and forever (Hebrews 7:25).
Diving Deeper:
The idea that a Christian can lose his salvation is deeply flawed and goes against the very essence of what it means to be saved. As believers in Jesus Christ, we’re given the gift of eternal life—a life that is characterized by the unshakable love of God and the total forgiveness of our sins. This gift is not something we can earn or deserve, but it’s freely given to us through faith in Jesus.
The Bible is clear on this point, with numerous passages affirming the eternal security of the believer. In John 10:28–29, Jesus says, “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will 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 the Father’s hand.” Here, Jesus emphasizes the fact that His love for His people is unshakable, and that nothing can separate us from it. Similarly, in Romans 8:38–39, Paul writes, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This passage underscores the fact that there’s nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the love of God. Furthermore, if it were possible for a Christian to lose his salvation, that would suggest that our salvation depends on our own efforts, rather than on the faithfulness of God. But this goes against the very nature of salvation as a gift, and it undermines the Bible’s teachings on the power and grace of God.
There are three main reasons a believer cannot lose their salvation:
1. The forgiveness that we have in Christ is complete and eternal, taking away all our sins—past, present, and future (Hebrews 10:14). This means there’s no sin that can ever separate us from God’s love and grace. In fact, God has taken away our sins and remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12). Because we’re forgiven completely and forever, we can be sure that our salvation is secure.
2. The gift of eternal life that we have received in Christ is exactly that—eternal (John 11:26). The word “eternal” means to have no beginning and no end, and when we receive eternal life, we receive Christ’s life—a life that has no beginning or end. This is why Hebrews tells us that we’ll be saved as long as Jesus lives (Hebrews 7:25). And that’s forever!
3. God Himself has promised to never revoke our salvation, and He has even reserved an imperishable, protected inheritance for us in Heaven (1 Peter 1:4). This means that once we’re saved, we’re eternally secure and so is our inheritance. We can have complete confidence that our salvation rests solely on the faithfulness and power of God.
Excerpted from 101 Bible Questions by Andrew Farley. Copyright © 2023 by Andrew Farley. Used by permission of Salem Books.