Authentic Christianity

Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?

When you put your faith in Jesus, you don’t have to worry about losing your salvation. God gives us this promise: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16 NKJV).

And 1 John 5:13 tells us, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (NKJV). We can know this as a fact.

But what about people who make an initial profession of faith, look as though God has really changed their lives, and then bail out a few weeks or months later? Were they saved and then no longer are?

The better question is this: Were they really Christians to begin with?

It reminds me of what Jesus said in the parable of the sower. He talked about seed that a sower scattered, which landed in the gravel and didn’t take root. It shot up and then quickly withered.

Jesus explained, “The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word” (Mark 4:16–17 NLT).

If you really are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you will confess Him as Lord (see 1 John 4:15 KKJV). And if Christ lives inside of you, then you will obey God’s commands (see 1 John 5:3).

Salvation is not simply having an emotional experience. Although we can’t earn it, we do need to live it out and continue in the commitment we’ve made to Jesus Christ.