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Question: Can A Believer Get Lost? (Part 2/2)

In the second part, we will look at some of the objections raised against the teaching that believers cannot be lost.

General objections 

The view that believers can be damned is often supported by experience. "I have known someone," for example, "who followed the Lord. Now, he is an atheist. That is clearly someone who has fallen away from the faith." The fact that this could have been a mere confessor does not seem to be taken into consideration.

We must also be aware that we can easily be mistaken in our judgment as to whether someone is a believer or not. For example, the disciples had not suspected for years that Judas Iscariot was a "devil," and presumably, no one would have called Lot a righteous man if Peter had not done just that in his second letter (John 6:70; 2 Peter 2:8).

The following argument is often put forward: "If the doctrine of assurance of salvation were true, it would open the floodgates to sin. Then I could do what I want."

This may sound plausible at first glance, but it is completely wrong. Fear of hell is a bad motivation for living in holiness and staying close to the Lord. Fear paralyzes (cf. 1 Sam 25:37; Mt 28:4). Isn't the grace that has eternally connected us to God a great incentive to be faithful? Grace does not lead us to take sin lightly. Paul firmly rejects the question: "Should we continue in sin so that grace may abound?" (Rom 6:1, 2), and in the following verses, he explains that grace is the power for life to God's glory (cf. vv. 14, 15). Indeed, grace has already been misused to indulge self-will. But what truth has not already been turned into its opposite? Whoever uses grace as a cover for a dissolute life - his conversion must be doubted (Jude 4).

Even if a Christian has no fear of damnation, he is aware that sins have consequences. Thus, a Christian loses the enjoyment of fellowship with his God, and the joy in the Lord dwindles. Furthermore, the heavenly Father, who judges without regard for the person, intervenes with chastening to bring back an erring child. But a child remains a child, even if it has sinned. In the worst case, God ends the earthly life of his children with physical death (Acts 5:1-6; 1 Cor 11:30, 1 John 5:16). But Scripture assures us precisely in this context that believers are not condemned with the world (1 Cor 11:32). Moreover, faithfulness and unfaithfulness affect the reward a Christian is to receive. But even if his work will not stand up to God's scrutinizing holiness and will burn - he will be saved (1 Cor 3:14, 15).

Another argument that is put forward is: "Just as I have turned to the Lord in conversion, I can also turn away from him again. If I then die in this state, I will be lost." However, this overlooks the fact that we Christians are a new creation of God (2 Corinthians 5:17). A creation does not make itself and, therefore, cannot eliminate itself. Apart from this, some actions are irreversible and unique. In John 4:13, 14, we read the words of the Lord: "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst." Anyone who has drunk of the "water" of the Lord Jesus will never do so again. His soul is satisfied by the connection with God and will remain so for eternity. We find a similar thought in John 6:35: "Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." 

Difficult biblical passages 

Let us now turn to individual Bible passages that are used to support the view that believers could be lost. We will limit ourselves to passages in the New Testament, as the salvation and blessings of a Christian are not developed in the Old Testament.

Passages from the Gospels

  • Matthew 5:13 is the first passage from the New Testament that is used to sow doubt: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." In this passage, hell and perishing are not mentioned at all. The point is that people despise a powerless testimony of the disciples - just as powerless salt is carelessly thrown on the road and trampled on by people. We should also bear in mind that these words belong to the so-called Sermon on the Mount, which emphasizes the responsibility of Jesus' disciples. Here, as so often in the "Sermon on the Mount," the Lord Jesus uses contrasting imagery to point out to these very disciples their responsibility to resist the corrupting evil in their area. Otherwise, they would indeed be superfluous - without the question of their salvation even being addressed here.
  • In Matthew 24:13, the Lord says to his disciples: "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Here, I would like to remind you of the important principle (especially in this topic!) that a passage of Scripture can only be explained in its context. Matthew 24 and 25 are about the future of the Jewish people (chap. 24:4-44), of Christianity (24:45-25:30), and of the nations (25:31-46). The above statement of the Lord is in the section that describes the time of tribulation after the rapture of the believers. So it is not true Christians spoken of here! Those who persevered during the tribulation were faithful Jews who would be delivered or saved when the Lord Jesus appeared in power and glory. The context is similar in Matthew 10:22, where we find the same saying of the Lord.  
  • In John 15:1-8, the Lord compares himself to a vine and his disciples to branches. The theme here is not eternal life, which is invisible in itself, as in John 10 with the shepherd and the sheep, but it is about visible fruit. In other words, it is about the question of how someone can prove to be a disciple of the Lord (v. 8). Many followed Jesus, but it had to be shown whether they were true disciples (John 6:64, 66; 8:31). A vine has many branches, but only the fruit reveals whether there is a real "life connection" to the vine. If a branch does not bear fruit, the Father takes it away (v. 2). Let us note this: It does not mean that the branch no longer bears fruit, but that it does not bear any, i.e., that it has never borne any. This is a picture of unbelievers who do not have a new life and the Spirit and are, therefore, incapable of producing the fruit of the Spirit. This also applies to the person in verse 6 who does not abide in Christ. "Abiding" is the recognizable expression of an inner life connection with the Son of God, by which a true Christian is characterized (cf. John 6:56).

Passages from the epistles 

Paul's words, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Cor 9:27), have troubled many. Was the apostle living in fear of being lost? No, that was certainly not the case, as other passages of Scripture prove (e.g., Phil 1:21, 23). Paul uses his person as an example to show that it is possible to be lost, even if you are an apostle, and preach the word of God. Having a certain "status" and being zealous in ministry is not enough. The example of Judas Iscariot, who never believed, speaks an unmistakable language. In the next verses (1 Cor 10:1-14), Paul further develops the idea that it is not enough to have external privileges - but he concludes the section with reference to the faithfulness of God, who will provide an outcome in every temptation (verse 14).

The statement "You have fallen from grace" (Gal 5:4) is often used to document the fact that a Christian can be lost. In the book "Can a Christian be lost?" (A. Remmers), this is commented on as follows: "The passage does not say that a believer can lose eternal salvation by committing certain sins. Falling from grace means moving from the realm of God's grace to the realm of the law (cf. Rom 5:2; 1 Pet 5:12). Anyone who, like the recipients of the letter to the Galatians, chooses the Law of Sinai and the observance of its regulations as a guideline for their life of faith, abandons grace as the basis of their relationship with God and has thus 'fallen from grace.' Here again, we see how important it is to pay attention to the context in order to understand this correctly. The believers in Galatia were in great danger of submitting to the Jewish law as a guideline for life after they had been saved through faith in the work of Christ. Paul warns them very seriously, but with little success because the majority of Christians to this day consider the Ten Commandments to be the ideal guideline for life."

Passages from the letter to the Hebrews 

The letter to the Hebrews is often used to cast doubt on Christians' eternal security. However, its special character is often disregarded.

The letter to the Hebrews was addressed to Jews living in Palestine. There was an enormous revival after that Pentecost: thousands became Christians. Remarkable signs and wonders took place at the hands of the apostles. It is easy to imagine that the new teaching attracted some without really converting (like Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:13 ff.). However, when the Christians were persecuted and harassed by the unbelieving Jews, the wheat began to separate from the chaff. Those who only outwardly adhered to Christ quickly returned to Judaism in order to escape the massive pressure. The writer of Hebrews warns very clearly against this apostasy. He addresses the warning directly to the mere confessors - but also to the true believers, to prevent them from taking any steps in this direction.

The letter to the Hebrews does not want to plunge anyone into doubt but to lead them to full assurance (Heb 6:11; 10:22). It is also remarkable that this very letter speaks of eternal salvation, eternal redemption, eternal inheritance, and eternal covenant (5:9; 9:12; 9:15; 13:20).

Hebrews 3:12 and 6:6 speak of apostasy—but not of believers but of unbelieving confessors. According to Hebrews 3:12, one who falls away is one who has an evil heart of unbelief. Directly after these verses, the writer says, "We who have believed enter into rest" (Hebrews 4:3).

Chapter 6:6 also concerns mere confessors. Verses 4 and 5 describe the experiences of those who have fallen away. The subject is the external connection to Christianity, not the eternal blessings of a Christian.

  • They had been "enlightened". When Christ came into the world, he enlightened people, i.e., placed them in the light of God (John 1:9). But many did not grasp the light (John 1:3). It is a different matter when God shines into a person's heart, and someone becomes "light in the Lord" (2 Cor 4:6; Eph 5:8).
  • They have tasted "the heavenly gift." Tasting something is not the same as internalizing something. Christ is the living bread from heaven. Whoever eats (and not just tastes!) this bread will live forever (John 6:51; see also verse 56).
  • They had "become partakers of the Holy Spirit". The noun of the Greek word for "partaker" is translated as "comrade" in other places. And this shows what it is all about. These people had become comrades of the Holy Spirit by moving into the area where his great activity unfolded. It is something quite different when the Spirit is given into a person's heart, and their body can be called the temple of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; 1 Cor 6:19). 
  • They have "tasted the good word of God." But we do not read that they were born again by the word of God (1 Pet 1:23)
  • They also tasted the "marvelous works of the age to come." You can experience miracles and be impressed by them, but you can still not be converted.

When these people, who had so clearly experienced divine power - as is not the case today - returned to the bosom of Judaism, repentance was no longer possible for them (verses 6-8). They had deliberately sided with the people who had crucified Christ and thus publicly testified that the killing of Jesus was justified. In doing so, they crossed a divine boundary and could no longer find mercy. We must not simply transfer this unique historical situation to today.

Those who say that believers can be condemned often say that it is possible to be converted several times. One brother even said that he had been converted a hundred times! In Scripture, however, we find no example of anyone being converted even twice. And if you want to prove this idea with Hebrews 6, you have a problem: the passage says that there is no turning back for the apostate! A "second conversion" is not found in Hebrews 6! Let us also note that it is precisely in this passage that true Christians are encouraged: "But we are persuaded of better things concerning you, beloved, and things pertaining to salvation if so be that we speak" (Hebrews 6:8).

The passage in Hebrews 10:26-31 has the same background. It is about Jews who professed to believe in the sacrifice of Christ but then turned back to Judaism with its sacrificial service. Anyone who trampled on the Son of God in this way took on the character of an adversary of God and could only expect judgment. Shortly afterward, the writer again shows what applies to believers: "But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:39).

In Hebrews 10:26 ff. Some things that led to the conclusion that the writer had true Christians in mind are mentioned. For:

  • The writer of the letter includes himself and says: "If we sin willfully ..." (verse 26). - But the use of the word "we" simply makes it clear that the writer wants to establish a principle that applies to those who profess Christianity. We find this idea in many places in Scripture, for example, in 1 John 1:6, 8, 10.
  • The apostates had "the knowledge of the truth" (verse 26). - But knowledge can be in the head without changing the heart. You can recognize something and still not draw the right conclusions from it (cf. Romans 1:32).
  • The apostates had been sanctified by the blood of the covenant (verse 29). - In many places, "sanctification" refers to an inner separation from God (e.g., 1 Corinthians 6:11), but in some, it is merely an outer separation. Deuteronomy 7:6 and 1 Corinthians 7:14 prove this. Hebrews 10 is also about the blood of Jesus as the seal and foundation of the new covenant with the Jewish people, and not about the washing of sins by the blood of Christ as in Revelation 1:5.

2 Peter 2:20-22 concludes the section that began with the warning against false teachers (verse 1). People are described who had escaped the defilements of the world and had recognized the way of righteousness and yet turned away from the word of God to indulge in debauchery even worse than before. These people were at first fascinated by Christian doctrine, and they somewhat smartened up their behavior. But since it was not a matter of the heart, it could not be permanent. They knew the way of righteousness, but they never loved it. "But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire’" (verse 22). This quote illustrates that they had only changed outwardly and not inwardly. You can pull a pig out of the mud, scrub it spick and span, and decorate its tail with a ribbon - but a pig remains a pig with a love of dirt. Its nature is unchanged, and sooner or later, that will show. The false teachers had never repented, their souls had not been cleansed, and therefore, their love of sin remained unbroken.

Passages from the Book of Revelation 

In the so-called epistles, promises are given to the overcomers (Rev 2,7.11.17.26-28; 3,5.12.21). Those who do not overcome will not receive these blessings and will suffer the second death (cf. 2,11). This is true, but we must not overlook the fact that it is characteristic of a true believer to overcome. John, the writer of Revelation, testifies to this in his first letter: "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4, 5). The passages in Revelation are about our responsibility and not about the eternal security of believers. This should not be minimized! But if these Bible passages are intended to stir up fear, it is necessary to point out that believers (in principle) overcome because they have new life and faith.

Conclusion

God's word is perfect. It shows God's grace and leads the believer to joyful certainty while emphasizing man's responsibility. Thus, the indifferent are warned, and the fearful are comforted.

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