Doctrines of Demons, Part 5: You Can Lose Your Salvation
No, you can’t. God cannot deny Himself.
It is errant, arrogant, and unscriptural to boast that one’s salvation can be lost. How’s that for an intro? 😂 But don’t go anywhere, here’s more: This doctrine, that salvation can be given, received, then lost, has done more violence to well-meaning Christians around the world than the Colosseum of Rome at the height of its emperor-worshipping paganism. It is so debased, so misaligned, so anti-scriptural, it’s like saying idolatry is godly, or adultery is holy. If God can reject his own children, or if a child can nullify their Godly parentage, then who among us can be saved? We Christians have put up with this doctrine long enough, declaring it a difference of interpretation. No more. This is a lie. Salvation lost is a doctrine of demons.
But enough soft speech. 😊
ALL Glory
Scripture clearly, unequivocally declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Consider that first declaration carefully. The only thing we contribute to our salvation is our sin, because even the faith through which we are saved is gifted to us by God. Our salvation, even the decision of our free will to believe, is from Him.
This understanding fell upon me when a traveling ministry performed a skit in our church of Martin Luther during one of his darkly depressed bouts. At the end, the woman portraying his wife raised a hand and boldly prayed, declaring, “Even my choice to receive salvation is glory to You.” She didn’t even take credit for her free will, but instead gave all glory to God Almighty.
That stung my chest. I didn’t know why at the time, but now understand her words accosted a pride hidden within me, because I’d unknowingly taken credit for answering God’s call to salvation. It was the Holy Spirit pointing to my error, for her statement aligned with Scripture. Yes, God gave me a choice to be saved. But even so, that choice along with all glory is to God. And with that floor now pulled from beneath me, I was falling, not knowing upon what to stand. But Scripture is clear: our footing is the rock of grace.
Fruitless Arguments
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Call me crazy, but I’m siding with God on this one. “Never” in Hebrew means…never. Even more, it is a double negative, an absolute negative, strengthening the denial. It’s almost as if God is saying no by any means never in any case no not ever no. God can no more reject a child of His than He can un-choose the Jewish people.
But some will say, “The Bible doesn’t say we can’t walk away from God.”
Really? You think walking away from God means you’re no longer His child? How’d that work out for the prodigal son? Scripture identifies him as a son of his father even while he was feeding swine. And when he returned, his father confirmed that position. And how’d that work for Jonah? That prophet tried to run away from God, like a toddler hiding his head beneath covers to be invisible to his parent. Even amid his rebellion, God accomplished His will and calling through him. Jonah could’ve drowned in the belly of that fish, and I say God would’ve resurrected him upon the beach. Metaphorically, it happened. “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
Even Jesus said of us, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). We are secure in God’s grasp. He declared it twice in close succession for emphasis. Nothing we do, nor any act of our will, can snatch us from our firm position. Christian, our salvation is secure.
“But that just gives you an excuse to sin.”
Oh my goodness. Have you never read the bible? This argument was addressed clearly thousands of years ago when Paul wrote Romans. In the middle of his argument, he says to skeptical Jews who think they must keep the law (work) to be saved, “And why not say, ‘Let us do evil that good may come’? —as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just” (Romans 3:8). Here, Paul slams the book shut on the excuse-to-sin argument and, a little further along, declares salvation is received through faith. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22).
And if you need some extra encouragement, Scripture also says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).
What Does God Owe You?
If salvation can be lost due to something we do, then it is also gained in the same manner. However, nothing we do can earn salvation. As stated earlier in Ephesians, it is a gift. God did not say salvation was a wage, such as something to be earned. Indeed, “Who has a claim against me that I must pay?” (Job 41:11). Nothing we do can put God in our debt.
Be wary of cults that preach a “grace plus works” salvation. Remember, we can’t take credit for even a fraction of our salvation, because ALL glory is to God. Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses are two cults that come to mind that claim to be grace-filled, but their doctrine of salvation teaches a path paved with human works.
God is love, and He loves us even when we’re living with swine. Believers belong to God even if we backslide, rebel, or turn our backs upon Him. It was into a pagan, unsaved world that God sent His only Son to a rebellious people whom He knew would murder Him, the very person they needed more than their next breath, their Messiah. Consider that when you think you’ve outpaced God’s love for you and fallen from grace.
Rotten Fruit
I spent several formative years of my early Christian upbringing in a fellowship which preached salvation could be lost. Consider the fruits of this doctrine. Such believers live in a constant state of fear and anxiety. It was unspoken, but everywhere. “Did I backslide and lose my salvation last week? I’d better say the sinner’s prayer again just to be safe.” This leads directly to spiritual impotence, because such believers are focused on meaningless minutia instead of the Spirit. It removes them from the fight. Exhaustion, fear, confusion, anxiety, pride, and double-mindedness reign, eventually leading to legalism and judgementalism. All these are fruits of the kingdom of darkness, evidence of a doctrine of demons.
If you are doing “things” to be saved, are you really saved?
Truth
Salvation is a gift. God’s gifts are irrevocable. We contribute nothing to our salvation. What God holds in His hand no one can snatch out. A child cannot revoke their parentage, no matter how hard they try. Christians are chosen. Christians are predestined (Ephesians 1). Before we even took a breath, we were set apart for God. God’s love is irrevocable. This is truth.
Go ahead and try to deny your parentage. I wager your experience will be Jonah Part 2. And when the fish spits you upon the beach, like him you will raise your hands to heaven and say, “Which way is Nineveh? I’ve always wanted to go there.” 😂
Opposition
So, that’s the end of the article. I focused on scripture supporting permanent salvation instead of addressing every argument against it. That’s your job. When considering scriptures which you consider to oppose permanent salvation, I exhort you to bring them before the Holy Spirit. Often, we Christians consume scripture, but do not wrestle with it. Ever read a verse and think, “I believe God’s words, but something doesn’t settle with me about how I understand this”? That’s the Holy Spirit inviting you to get on the mat and wrestle with Him. Ask Him for clarity, and don’t turn away until you receive it. When doing so on this topic, here are three items to consider:
1. In Context
Many quote scriptures and ignore surrounding context. Doing such would be like saying, “Matthew 5:29 says you should gouge out your eye,” without ever explaining the surrounding context, nor the metaphorical nature of this exhortation. Outside of context, we’d all be blind. Such selective plucking of words from scripture is misquoting God.
2. A Stumbling
Many scriptures used to proclaim that salvation can be lost aren’t referring to that at all. Instead, they speak of Christians who temporarily stray, or who claim they’re Christian but aren’t, or who profess to be sheep but instead are wolves. Similarly, these scriptures can speak of actions which are not the losing of one’s salvation, but rather are a stumbling from the path, a falling away, a veering to the right or the left, a drifting apart, or simply a temptation. If our eternal souls could be redeemed by God just to be condemned to hell again, none of us could be saved.
3. The Game
Salvation is not the finish line. It holds eternal importance, but only gets us onto the mat and in the competition. The contest is sanctification, and unlike my classmate’s matches, sanctification lasts a lifetime. Many of the exhortations purported to imply that salvation can be lost simply describe a stumble in the struggle of sanctification.
But don’t take my word for it. Wrestle with the Holy Spirit regarding any scripture you believe contradicts permanent salvation. But now, let’s look at one: