Can a person lose his/her salvation

Before I reveal the scriptures that substantiate the fact that you cannot lose your salvation, I want to show the one passage that some use to supposedly prove that you can! Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." If they shall fall away is a hypothetical situation. The usage here is circumstantial as a condition. This is not an actual falling away. Notice the big if in the statement. “They crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh” is in reference to the crucifixion of Christ and makes one, who could accept all that God has to offer and then throw it away and go back to the former condition, equal to the ones who crucified Him, unjustly, in the first place. Some things cannot be repeated, an old man cannot return to his mother's womb and be born again in the natural sense. Also, one who has been killed and is definitely dead cannot be killed again, for instance Jesus cannot die again. The word afresh comes from the Greek word meaning to re-crucify. Since, it is impossible to re-kill Jesus; this passage is clearly identified as being hypothetical (what if). When you are saved, God does a blood transfusion and you become a new person, a new creature; you cannot keep becoming a new person, a new creature every so often. It is a once-in-a-lifetime happening and God plays for keeps. So, the falling away is hypothetical, since it can't happen. Jesus died once for the remission of our sins, and once is enough! This passage is being told to immature Christians, that aren't growing properly. They still require milk when they should be teachers of God's word. These people were unsure of their salvation and felt the need to be saved over and over again. Assurance of salvation is subjective, depending upon the believer's acceptance of God's promise. Although a believer's spiritual life is secure, he may not think or feel that it is so; thus the need to continually re-examine the spiritual condition for assurance. This lack of faith, leads to our growth being stunted by our insecurities. The first passage you need to see concerning your salvation is: John 17:12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in my name: Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scriptures might be fulfilled.” John 18:9 “That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.” These two passages state that Jesus never lost one that was His except for Judas, who was the one that would betray Jesus to fulfill prophesy. In other words, Jesus has never lost anyone that belongs to Him! Out of every person that has received Jesus as their Savior, none have turned from Him and was lost! Jesus’ blood cleanses each believer from his or her sins. When one accepts Christ as their personal Savior, he or she receives a drop of His blood. This drop of blood cleanses the new believers entire being and they become a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new.” Once a person becomes a new creature, the Lord is not going to return that person to his or her former state. The Lord is the author and finisher of each believer’s faith. Once He begins a work in someone, He will always finish it! Galatians 6:17 “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: “ This is not the reformation or renovation of the old man. This is the product of the new birth and results in a new creation, for if one is in Christ and Christ is in him, he is a new creature. Notice that the marks that the Lord took upon Himself are now resident in the believer’s body. The believer becomes His and nothing and nobody can change that fact. He paid the price with His own blood! Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Believers have redemption through his blood. If a person has been redeemed {delivered} from his or her former state, The Lord is not going to return that person to his or her former state. Through the blood of Jesus, we are known to God, not just spiritually, but fleshly, as well. We even bear God’s seal! I Corinthians 1:22 “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” The Godhead is made up of three parts, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The third part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit has a three-fold purpose to those who are sealed to God: (1) to indicate ownership, (2) to indicate genuineness, and (3) to preserve and keep us safe. When a believer becomes “sealed”, they cannot become unsealed! Once a person belongs to the Lord, it is forever. You are now wondering what will happen if you mess up after you become saved! I Corinthians 3:13 “Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.” There is a time coming when a man's work will be openly displayed for what it is. This time is given in the words “the day.” This is the day of the Judgment Seat of Christ. I Corinthians 3:15 “If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Even though a person’s work was not what the Lord required of him or her, the person will still be saved. The Lord does not remove His cleansing blood from anyone that has received Him. There is not one person on earth that has reached the mark and never makes a mistake. Many believe that a person can still sin after they become saved. I John 5:1 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” I John 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin: for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” When you confess that Jesus is the Messiah, you receive His blood (seed) and can no longer sin. Think about it! Jesus’ blood cleanses each believer from sin. If His blood remains in the believer like it states in these passages, how could it be possible for that person to commit a sin? They Can’t! When a saved person commits a transgression against God’s laws after they receive Christ as their Savior, that person commits iniquity! Iniquity and sin have the same meaning, but are different in the way they are used. Sin is transgressing God’s laws before one knows or receives Jesus as their personal Savior. These people are doomed to eternal torment. Iniquity is transgressing God’s laws after one has become saved! A believer can no longer sin after becoming saved, but can still commit iniquity. They are still saved, but their works are in vain and will be burned. Their rewards in the afterlife will suffer because of iniquity. Sinners, at Judgment Day, will be judged by the law. The saved, who commit iniquity, will be judged by their works by what kind they were. About now, another question arises! How can a person eliminate iniquity? Romans 4:7 “Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered”. The blood of Jesus covers sins. How can iniquities be forgiven? There has to be a way because of what this passage states. Those whose sins are covered and iniquities are forgiven are blessed! James 2:12 “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” What is this law of liberty? Who are those that will be judged by this law? John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. John 3:5 “ Jesus answered, Verily, Verily, I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”. Most believe this means to be baptized in water! That is not what our Lord meant. Now read the next verse, John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” When a baby is in the mother’s womb, it is in water, What Jesus is saying here is that to enter the kingdom of heaven you first have to be born with a fleshly body and be reborn in the spirit by receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not baptize with water! He came to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Not only do you have to be saved, but you also have to be born of the Spirit. When you become saved, you are born of God and are a servant. When you are born-again your iniquities are covered and you become the begotten of God [a son]. The following verse will explain further. 1 John 5:18 “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not”. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. When you receive the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead [Holy Spirit], you also become a son of God and are begotten, Where the Holy Spirit is, there is liberty. Only a son or daughter can have liberty. Your sons and daughters have liberties that they may take that a stranger can’t. Why? Because they are family! James 1:25 “But, whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty. And continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” “The forgetful hearer” is the saved that are still in their iniquities. The “doers” are the born-again believers that are blessed because their iniquities are covered as well as their sins. Sinners are judged by the Law, the saved are judged by their works, and the born-again are judged by the law of Liberty. What is it called when a born-again believer transgresses God’s law? James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed……………” Notice, that nowhere does it say to confess your sins! James assumes here that the audience he is addressing are all born-again believers. He knows they cannot sin or commit iniquity. The law of liberty shields the born-again believer from sin and iniquity but not from faults. Many churches substitute the word “fault” with the word “sin”. Sin means to transgress God’s laws while fault means to miss the mark! They do not mean the same thing! A born-again believer has become a son of God and is a member of God’s family. This son of God has been forgiven of all iniquity and his or her sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. He or she is blessed at this point because they are guaranteed a place in heaven. They have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. They cannot lose their place in the family of God just as the saved cannot lose their salvation. Are you saying that as a born-again believer, I can do anything I want? As a son or daughter of God, you will not want to transgress God because you are being led by the Spirit of God! What exactly does “Liberty” mean? In Greek, the word liberty is “eleutheros” which means unrestrained [to do or go at pleasure] as a citizen and not as a slave, exempt from liability. Another Greek word for liberty is “exousia” which means authority, power, right, lawful, freedom, and privilege. So, Liberty means that you have the authority and lawful right to do anything you feel the need to do without fear of being chastised because you are exempt from any liability. It is kind of like diplomatic immunity. When you become born of God by receiving Christ as your personal Savior and receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, ALL things become legal for you to do; but, not all things are in your best interest. 1Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Paul understood that he was under the law of liberty. He understood his position as a member of God’s family and the authority he had. 1Peter 2:15-16 “For it is the will of God, that with well-doing, ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men {16} As free, and not using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness, but as servants of God”. This passage states that it is permissible to use a believer’s liberty and knowledge of God’s Word to shut the mouths of ignorant people as long as they are not using their liberty to deliberately hurt someone else. Always use liberty for Gods’ Kingdom. Galatians 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another”. Having liberty does not mean that a son of God may deliberately get in the flesh whenever he or she feels like it. When a person makes a mistake, he or she is covered by the law of Liberty. How does one know if you have this liberty in Christ? 2 Corinthians 3:17 “… and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” If a person is saved and born-again, then, he or she has the liberty in Christ. Those who have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit have this liberty in Christ. Even though liberty allows one to do all things, the believer must be careful how he or she uses it. In conclusion: the saved person cannot lose his or her salvation just as a born-again believer cannot lose his or her place in the family of God! Written by H. Michael Carr (http://www.freewebs.com/mikecarr-author/articles.htm)

Very nice article and I do believe that we can lose our salvation if we are not careful in following God.

In Christ

I do not agree with the article and I believe that it is misleading others. There is no difference between Inquity and sin. They are same whether you are a believer or not. For a believer, intentional sin hodls more grave consequences because we intentionally transgressed. So I believe that this article has huge gaps and only helps us to cover our sins.

God bless