Can I Lose My Salvation?

Can I lose my salvation?

Luke 9:24 (Jesus) For whoever desires to save his life (for himself) will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it (for eternity).

The question itself: Let’s review for a moment the part that we play in our own salvation:

Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith… KJV

1 Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls.

Clearly our salvation is through faith alone, that is, through believing the gospel truth. So to ask the question “Can I lose my salvation” is the same as asking “Can I un-believe what I once believed?” Of course I can, which is why we are admonished in scripture:

Heb 3:12 Beware, brethren (this is to Christians), lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;

But supposing I still say I believe, isn’t that sufficient? Well, we can say what we like but that doesn’t necessarily mean that its true does it? It is only true if the evidence of my words, my decisions, and the company I keep, all of which reflect what is in my heart, consistently testify that I do in fact believe. This is why the Bible makes clear:

Jam 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works (that is

without actions that are consistent with what I say I believe) is dead also.

What are some of the points made to support the doctrine of “once saved always saved”:

1. The scripture says that no one can pluck me out of God’s hands:

John 10:28 (Jesus) …Neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

It says that, but to whom is Jesus referring in this scripture? The previous verse answers:

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Jesus is referring to those Christians who always hear and obey His voice and follow Him because they are the only ones currently in His hand. Many Christians are not listening to His voice and are not following Him. What then is involved in following Him? He answers:

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him

deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me”. Meaning what?

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

2. But what about mercy, doesn’t the Bible say that God’s mercy endures for ever?

While there’s no question that our God and Father has many times shown mercy on different ones, who is it though, upon whom He consistently says His mercy is endless?

Ps 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him… And what exactly is the fear of the Lord?

Prov 16:6 …By the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from evil. AMP

Deut 10:12 …What does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul (with all your will),

Luke 1:50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.

God would like every one of us to live all through the day in the reverential fear of the Lord, obeying the leading of His Spirit, not walking by sight but always in faith discerning everything. But if we continue to value and love (idolize) some people or things more than God; like family, money, job, indulging our appetites, entertainment, sports, and fantasies – any of which can become to us a modern day idol – we risk forsaking our own mercy:

Jonah 2:8 Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy.

3. But I’m called and elected to salvation and nothing I do or don’t do can change that.

1 Thes 2:12 That you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own

kingdom and glory. (He calls us but we must walk worthy of Him: Meaning?)

2 Pe 1:5-10 …Add to your faith; virtue…knowledge…self-control…perseverance…

godliness…brotherly kindness…love…Therefore brethren be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abun-dantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

If there are very specific things that God requires of me in order to make my calling and election secure, then if I don’t do them I put that calling and that election at risk, don’t I?