Can Salvation Be Lost?

In Romans 8:28-30, Paul declares, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Verse 28 makes it clear that Christians are “called” (saved) “according to his purpose” (His design, His will). In other words, it is by God’s will that a person is saved. Verse 29 makes this truth even more certain when it mentions that “God foreknew” those he has “predestined” (cf. Eph 1:4-11; 2 Thess 2:13). This being true, a believer’s salvation is made certain by God even before he/she exists. Adding to the previous verses, verse 30 says that those who have been predestined and called have also been justified (made righteous) and glorified. To put this another way, true believers have been given a salvation which completely obliterates the hold sin has over them by making them righteous before God.

This hope (our eternal security) we have, which is founded upon God’s will, is built on God’s promise, and His promises never fail (Heb 6:17-18). God swore to Abraham that He would “bless [him] and give [him] many descendants” (Heb 6:13). God’s promise to “give” Abraham descendants implies that the salvation of those who follow Abraham’s example rests in the giving act of God.

In Ephesians 1:11, Paul tells us that in Christ “we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to [God’s] purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” Once again, the Bible declares that it is God who planned our redemption in Christ based on decision prior to our existence. At this point, one may ask, ‘What role does our response play?’  John 1:12–13 says, “As many as received Him [Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” From this verse, it becomes clear that we must respond to the gospel invitation, but our regeneration is initiated and completed by the will of God.

We, as fallen sinners, are totally depraved. In our unregenerate state, our hearts are utterly deceitful, our desire is only for ourselves, and our love for God is non-existent. We are born slaves to sin with no ability to accomplish our salvation in part or in whole by ourselves. In other words, our salvation does not arise from our decision but from God’s decision. As 1 Corinthians 2:14 clearly states, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” It is God’s prevenient grace which illuminates our hearts and minds making us willing to respond in faith to His call to salvation. This saving faith, Paul writes, is itself a gift from God and, therefore, irrevocable (Rom 11:29; Eph 2:8-9).

The imperishable nature of our saving faith as God’s precious gift is clear from Scripture. As 1 Peter 1:3 puts it, we are “born again to a living hope.” Later, Peter makes it clear that our spiritual rebirth arises from an “imperishable seed” (1 Pet 1:23). This seed is God’s Word revealed in the resurrection of Christ (1 Pet 1:3, 23). Our salvation, therefore, is guaranteed.

Additional comments:

Many Christians (especially among Baptists) rely on their one-time decision to accept Christ as the security for their salvation. Given our fallen nature and inclination toward self-deceit, we must not rely on ourselves for eternal security. Rather, we must rely on the testimony of God’s Word as I made clear above. For those who experience doubt, they must ask themselves if they really believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. In addition, they should “examine” themselves to see if their lives are in accordance with God’s word (2 Cor 13:5). Those who are truly saved are righteous, i.e. their lives are becoming increasingly aligned with God’s Word even as they encounter their sin and repent of it (John 14:15; Rom 7:15-25; 2 Cor 5:17; 2Tim 2:19; Titus 1:16; 1 John 1:9; 2:3; 2:9; 3:9).