The question of whether a believer can perish has probably occupied the thoughts of almost every true Christian. It has caused great distress for some believers: some have doubts about the authenticity of their repentance, others are cast into doubt on account of sins they have committed after their repentance, and still others are shaken by certain verses they have read in the Bible.
Further, there is a teaching that claims that the safety or security of salvation should not be preached because it leads believers to be careless about sin. Therefore some insist that a believer can perish if he does not live in holiness. To support this teaching numerous Bible verses are cited. Many true children of God are terrified by this and live in constant fear of being lost.
Therefore we want to examine this subject as presented throughout the Holy Scriptures. Only this can provide the right answer, because the Bible alone shows the way to redemption by faith in the Saviour Jesus Christ. We want to start by stating two principles which are key for a right understanding of the Word of God and which can protect us from wrong conclusions concerning any subject.
The first principle applies in general to any interpretation: a statement can only be interpreted correctly if the context in which it is made is taken into account. When applied to the Word of God, this means that one must distinguish, for example, whether something is said in the Old or New Testament, whether it is said to Jews or Christians, to unbelievers or believers, etc. Many supposed contradictions in the Bible can be clarified by reading and interpreting the relevant passages in their context.
The second principle, which relates specifically to the Bible, is declared by Peter in reference to the prophecies of the Old Testament, but it is of general validity for the understanding of the whole of the Holy Scripture:
“Knowing this first, that the scope of no prophecy of scripture is had from its own particular interpretation” (2 Pet. 1:20).
Peter assumes that all prophecy – and in a broader sense the entire Word of God – is a whole. A scriptural passage must therefore not be interpreted independently from other passages that deal with the same subject. If this happens, it can cause great difficulties.
We do not want to lose sight of these two principles when dealing with our topic. God, the Holy Spirit, the real ‘author’ of the Word of God, never contradicts Himself (see 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16). This leads us to the conclusion that a truth which is clearly stated in the Bible cannot be brought into question by a single scriptural passage that may not be so easily explained.
Before we come to the answer to the question as to whether a Christian can be lost, it is essential to establish what constitutes a true Christian.
Why this booklet?
The question of whether a believer can perish has probably occupied the thoughts of almost every true Christian. It has caused great distress for some believers: some have doubts about the authenticity of their repentance, others are cast into doubt on account of sins they have committed after their repentance, and still others are shaken by certain verses they have read in the Bible.
Further, there is a teaching that claims that the safety or security of salvation should not be preached because it leads believers to be careless about sin. Therefore some insist that a believer can perish if he does not live in holiness. To support this teaching numerous Bible verses are cited. Many true children of God are terrified by this and live in constant fear of being lost.
Therefore we want to examine this subject as presented throughout the Holy Scriptures. Only this can provide the right answer, because the Bible alone shows the way to redemption by faith in the Saviour Jesus Christ. We want to start by stating two principles which are key for a right understanding of the Word of God and which can protect us from wrong conclusions concerning any subject.
The first principle applies in general to any interpretation: a statement can only be interpreted correctly if the context in which it is made is taken into account. When applied to the Word of God, this means that one must distinguish, for example, whether something is said in the Old or New Testament, whether it is said to Jews or Christians, to unbelievers or believers, etc. Many supposed contradictions in the Bible can be clarified by reading and interpreting the relevant passages in their context.
The second principle, which relates specifically to the Bible, is declared by Peter in reference to the prophecies of the Old Testament, but it is of general validity for the understanding of the whole of the Holy Scripture:
“Knowing this first, that the scope of no prophecy of scripture is had from its own particular interpretation” (2 Pet. 1:20).
Peter assumes that all prophecy – and in a broader sense the entire Word of God – is a whole. A scriptural passage must therefore not be interpreted independently from other passages that deal with the same subject. If this happens, it can cause great difficulties.
We do not want to lose sight of these two principles when dealing with our topic. God, the Holy Spirit, the real ‘author’ of the Word of God, never contradicts Himself (see 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16). This leads us to the conclusion that a truth which is clearly stated in the Bible cannot be brought into question by a single scriptural passage that may not be so easily explained.
Before we come to the answer to the question as to whether a Christian can be lost, it is essential to establish what constitutes a true Christian.
Table of content: