Expert: Tom Smith - 11/4/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello. I am what you would call a new believer. I don't know how to drive yet and I live at home. I am worried about falling away and losing my salvation. How does that happen. Do new believers often fear things like that?

ANSWER: First, I am glad to hear that you have received Jesus as your Saviour. It is the most important decision that you will ever make in your life.

Do new believers fear losing their salvation? Absolutely and many believers who have known the Lord for many years often have the same fear. It is understandable, because you don't want to go back once you have been saved.

This is a topic that causes a lot of debate and confusion, but I think that it is a topic which is well addressed in scripture in a way which should remove any concern. I like to define what it means to "lose" your salvation. To me "lose" means that you inadvertently ceased to be saved, as opposed to rejecting Jesus as Saviour. Scripture is quite clear that we cannot inadvertently fall from being saved. Here is one example:

John 10:28-30
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 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.
NKJV

So no one can snatch us out of His hand. We don't have to worry about being tricked into losing our salvation, or to do something wrong and end up accidentally unsaved. That does not happen. Jesus sacrifice on the cross paid for all our sin:

1 John 1:9-10
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
NKJV

And there are other verses that speak to this point. This does not give us license to sin, but on the other hand, it means that we don't have to worry about losing our salvation by accident.

The other question is, can we reject our salvation intentionally? The answer to that is yes.

Heb 6:4-6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
NKJV

This speaks of those who were saved who have chosen to turn away from God and His salvation for us. It says that there is no way back. This does not means that those who backslide are eternally lost - not at all - backsliding does not mean that that we are unsaved, it simply means that we are no longer living as we ought to live, but we have not lost our salvation. If a person who was once saved ceases to be saved, they will know it because they will have chosen to reject Jesus as Saviour.

So my suggestion for you is not to be afraid of losing your salvation, but rather focus on growing in your knowledge of Him and His word, and continue to strive to be living as a follower of Christ.

I hope that this helps and is clear. If you still have questions, please feel free to ask a follow-up question.

Thanks.
Tom
http://discern.ca

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you. There is also a scripture that talks about believers falling from the faith that were not really believers. And that a true believer would not have left the faith. Im confused?

Answer
There are verses that speak of those who were in the church but were not believers. We see that even today. However, it would not be possible to fall from the faith if one was not a true believers since there would be no faith for them to turn away from.

I have never found any verse that says a true believer will not leave the faith. If you have seen one that you believe says that, please provide the reference and I'd be happy to respond.