What is salvation? salvation is defined as the deliverance from sin and its consequences, brought about by faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “πΉππ ππ‘ ππ ππ¦ πππππ π¦ππ’ βππ£π ππππ π ππ£ππ, π‘βπππ’πβ ππππ‘ββπππ π‘βππ ππ πππ‘ ππππ π¦ππ’ππ πππ£ππ , ππ‘ ππ π‘βπ ππππ‘ ππ πΊππ πππ‘ ππ¦ π€ππππ π π π‘βππ‘ ππ πππ πππ ππππ π‘.” From this verse, we see that man does not have the power to attain salvation by his own works. Only by believing in Jesus Christ do we attain salvation.
So once we accept Jesus Christ is it possible to lose our salvation? Does once saved mean always saved? or is it possible to fall from the grace of God and have the gift of salvation taken away from us? There are many theories out there and many schools of doctrine each with its own explanation on how salvation works.
What does Jesus say about this? In Mark 16:16 He said, “π»π π€βπ βππ ππππππ£ππ πππ βππ ππππ ππππ‘ππ§ππ π βπππ ππ π ππ£ππ, ππ’π‘ βπ π€βπ βππ πππ ππππππ£ππ π βπππ ππ πππππππππ.” This is in Jesus’s own words the key to salvation,-“belief”. If you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is your savior and that he died for your sins then you will never lose your salvation.
In Romans 8:38-39, Paul says “πΉππ πΌ ππ ππππ£πππππ π‘βππ‘ ππππ‘βππ ππππ‘β πππ ππππ, ππππ‘βππ ππππππ πππ ππππππ , ππππ‘βππ π‘βπ ππππ πππ‘ πππ π‘βπ ππ’π‘π’ππ, πππ πππ¦ πππ€πππ , ππππ‘βππ βπππβπ‘ πππ ππππ‘β, πππ πππ¦π‘βπππ πππ π ππ πππ πππππ‘πππ, π€πππ ππ ππππ π‘π π ππππππ‘π π’π ππππ π‘βπ πππ£π ππ πΊππ π‘βππ‘ ππ ππ πΆβπππ π‘ π½ππ π’π ππ’π πΏπππ.” From this verse, Paul makes it very clear that as long as you are in Christ then you will never be separated from him for all of eternity.
In Matthew 7:22 Jesus says “ππππ¦ π€πππ π ππ¦ π‘π ππ ππ π‘βππ‘ πππ¦, βπΏπππ, πΏπππ, πππ π€π πππ‘ ππππβππ π¦ ππ π¦ππ’π ππππ πππ ππ π¦ππ’π ππππ ππππ£π ππ’π‘ ππππππ πππ ππ π¦ππ’π ππππ πππππππ ππππ¦ ππππππππ ?βπβππ πΌ π€πππ π‘πππ π‘βππ πππππππ¦, βπΌ πππ£ππ ππππ€ π¦ππ’. π΄π€ππ¦ ππππ ππ, π¦ππ’ ππ£πππππππ !” Jesus is saying very clearly that just by saying you know Jesus is not going to assure you of salvation. Only those that have a personal relationship with the father will be saved.
In John 6:44 Jesus says βππ πππ πππ ππππ π‘π ππ π’ππππ π π‘βπ πΉππ‘βππ π€βπ π πππ‘ ππ ππππ€π π‘βππ, πππ πΌ π€πππ ππππ π π‘βππ π’π ππ‘ π‘βπ πππ π‘ πππ¦.” This verse clearly says that unless the Father draws you to Jesus you will not be able to receive salvation from Jesus. So clearly salvation is a gift that God gives to people by drawing them to Jesus. Once, God, the father calls you to Jesus then the choice is yours to accept that gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-19 says “πΌπ π¦ππ’ πππππππ π€ππ‘β π¦ππ’π πππ’π‘β, βπ½ππ π’π ππ πΏπππ,β πππ ππππππ£π ππ π¦ππ’π βππππ‘ π‘βππ‘ πΊππ ππππ ππ βππ ππππ π‘βπ ππππ, π¦ππ’ π€πππ ππ π ππ£ππ. πΉππ ππ‘ ππ π€ππ‘β π¦ππ’π βππππ‘ π‘βππ‘ π¦ππ’ ππππππ£π πππ πππ ππ’π π‘πππππ, πππ ππ‘ ππ π€ππ‘β π¦ππ’π πππ’π‘β π‘βππ‘ π¦ππ’ ππππππ π π¦ππ’π ππππ‘β πππ πππ π ππ£ππ.”
In the end, the answer to the question, “Can you lose your salvation?” is really another question “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your savior?” If you never stopped believing in Jesus with all your heart, then you can never be separated from Christ. If Christ is in you, then every day you will be convicted by the holy spirit to lead a life that is mindful of that relationship with Jesus Christ. On the other hand, if you reject the fact that Jesus is your savior and you never really believed in him, then based on what the bible says salvation was never yours, to begin with.