Can a Person LOSE Their Salvation? | Once Saved, Always Saved
Can you lose your salvation, or is "once saved, always saved" a Biblical truth? This deep dive into Scripture examines both sides of the debate, exploring key Bible verses and their true meaning. Discover what the Bible really says about salvation, perseverance, and falling away.
The Two Major “Once Saved, Always Saved” Views
The Guaranteed Salvation View
The "once saved, always saved" position suggests that once a person has accepted Christ as their Savior, their salvation is secure, regardless of what happens in their future. To illustrate, one might think of salvation like a concert ticket: even if you throw it away, rip it up, or stop caring about it, you are still going to attend the concert, whether you like it or not.
The Perseverance of Faith View
The second view holds that if a person falls away or lives in sin after claiming to be saved, it’s evidence that they were never truly saved to begin with. To illustrate, imagine buying an apple tree that begins producing apples, but eventually stops. When you return to the nursery, the staff tells you, “That tree was never really an apple tree. It only looked like one.” Similarly, someone who falls away from the faith wasn’t genuinely saved, as a truly saved person will continue to persevere in faith.
Examining Scriptural Support for the “Once Saved, Always Saved” Doctrine
There are a few key verses that proponents of the “once saved, always saved” doctrine point to as supporting their argument.
John 10:28-29
“‘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.” (John 10:28-29 | NKJV)
This passage is interpreted to mean that once someone belongs to Jesus, they are completely secure. Nothing, whether external forces or their own actions, can separate them from their salvation.
However, while this passage emphasizes the security believers have in Jesus, it specifically mentions that no one can snatch them away. It mentions nothing about whether or not someone can lose their salvation by their own actions.
Ephesians 1:13-14
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14 | NIV)
It’s argued that the seal, the Holy Spirit, is an unbreakable guarantee of salvation. However, a deposit is contingent upon the terms of an agreement being fulfilled, and other scriptures warn Christians not to grieve (Ephesians 4:30) or quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
Romans 8:38-39
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 | NIV)
This verse is used to argue that nothing external can separate a believer from God’s love, which they equate to eternal salvation. If God’s love is unchanging and cannot be severed, salvation is permanent.
However, this passage does not equate God’s love with salvation. God’s love persists even when people reject Him, which we can see from the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:21). Furthermore, this passages lists external forces, but doesn’t say whether or not a person’s own choices can separate themselves from salvation. In contrast, Hebrews 3:12 clearly teaches that it is possible to turn away from God.
What the Bible Says About the Possibility of Losing Salvation
While initially, the Scriptural argument for the “once saved, always saved” doctrine seems to make sense, it is important to look at the whole context of Scripture to accurately interpret those passages. Let’s look at a few other verses.
Jesus' Warning About Bearing Fruit
One of the clearest warnings about the possibility of losing salvation is found in John 15:1-6. Here, Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and the branches, saying,
“‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.’” (John 15:1-6 | ESV).
Clearly, someone who is in Christ is saved. And yet, this passage says that it is possible for someone who is in Christ to be taken away if he does not bear fruit. So, continuing to bear fruit is a requirement to remain in Christ and remain attached to the vine.
Paul’s Various Warnings
To the Romans
The apostle Paul also warned against falling away from the faith.
“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.” (Romans 11:22 | ESV)
Paul taught that continuing in God’s kindness is a condition of remaining in salvation.
To the Corinthians
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12 | ESV)
This suggests that even believers must be cautious and vigilant to prevent falling from grace. Also, he says that their faith could be in vain if they don’t hold fast to the Word,
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 | ESV).
To the Galatians
“I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:3-4 | ESV)
This verse was written to Christians who were saved, and Paul makes it clear that being severed from grace is a real possibility. You cannot be severed from something that you were never a part of; you cannot fall from grace if you were never in grace.
To Timothy
“…if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;” (2 Timothy 2:12 | ESV)
Endurance is required, otherwise Christ would deny Paul and Timothy.
Warnings in Hebrews
“For 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. (Hebrews 6:4-6 | NKJV)
Once again, the people being spoken of had experienced the blessings of salvation. And yet, the Hebrew writer makes it clear that losing salvation is a real possibility.
Later on in Hebrews, we find,
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27 | ESV)
Notice that here the author is not only writing to Christians, but he also includes himself in this warning.
Peter’s Warning About Turning Away
Peter says that it is possible to know the truth and then turn away from it,
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.’” (2 Peter 2:20-22)
These people were in a bad state (being lost), then entered a good state (salvation), only to then return to a bad state (being lost). They washed themselves from the world, then, just like the pig, turned back to wallow in it.
God’s Warning in Revelation
“If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city.” (Revelation 22:19 | ESV)
You cannot lose a share in the tree of life and the holy city unless you once owned a share.
The Problem with the "Once Saved, Always Saved" Doctrine
Clearly, the Bible is FULL of warnings against falling away. If saved people cannot lose their salvation, why would God warn them us about it? The “once saved, always saved” doctrine seems to make God out to be a liar.
Can We Know We Are Saved?
While losing our salvation is a possibility that we need to be on guard against, that does not mean we cannot at the same time be confident in our salvation. John assures us,
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13 | ESV)
But knowing one has eternal life requires walking in the light and holding fast to the faith, not simply assuming salvation based on a past decision:
“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7 | ESV)
Conclusion
"The “once saved, always saved” doctrine may seem to provide comfort and security, but in reality it does the exact opposite. You may think you’re saved, may feel saved, and may act saved, but if you end up falling away somewhere down the road, you were never saved in the first place.
In contrast, the Bible gives us true comfort. It clearly outlines the danger of falling away and our responsibility to maintain faithfulness. And if we walk in the light, we can be confident that Jesus is cleansing us of all of our sins. Salvation is not a one-time event; it is a continuous relationship with God.
So, let us be diligent to continue in faith and obedience, knowing that God is faithful to keep us if we remain in Him.
