The Chapel Light - January 2008

The “whispering-down-the-lane” aspect of the grapevine never ceases to amaze me, especially when it comes to what I believe or teach.  Recently someone told me that they heard we teach and believe that a Christian can lose his salvation.  Since that’s a question that a lot of people have anyway, I thought I’d address it (and the rumor) briefly here in the Scrip. Traditionally, conservative Christianity has been divided into two camps on this question.  One camp says a Christian can never be lost;  this idea is often referred to as “once-saved, always-saved.”  This is the camp I was raised in.  The other camp says that a Christian can be lost, though there are differences of opinion over what it takes to bring about such a loss.  We always called this the “ye must be born again and again and again” school of thought.  The two camps have arisen because there are Scriptures which seem to teach both points of view.  The “once saved, always saved” people emphasize the verses that seem to say a believer can never be lost;  the other side focuses on the ones which seem to say that a believer can lose his salvation.  Each side accuses the other of fostering weak Christianity.  “Ye-must-be-born-again-and-again-and-againers” say that if you can never lose your salvation then there’s no reason to live in obedience.  Sin away since you’re bound for heaven no matter what!  Proponents of “once-saved-always-saved” say that if you can lose your salvation (and regain it so easily) why not do the very same thing; sin, if you want to sin, lose your salvation – and then pick it up again when it’s more convenient to you and you feel like being a Christian.  Do this as often as you want!     This argument has been going on for almost five hundred years now and has generated more heat than light.  In studying both sides I’ve come to the following conclusions.  First, the Bible is clear that I’m not saved by my own works but by grace through faith in Christ who died for me.  Second, all those so saved by grace are called to be obedient to Christ in everyday life.  Generally what the two schools argue about are those who are not living obediently – those who are willfully, carelessly and regularly disobeying God and living flagrantly in sin.  The two schools argue over whether such people have lost their salvation or whether such people were ever really saved in the first place.  Hmmmm….I think that it’s really stupid to be arguing fine theological points when you’ve got a rebellious sinner in front of you!  Instead of glorying in the splitting of theological hairs, I think we need to focus on practically APPLYING the Scriptures.  So what do you do with a person who is living in disobedience?  Put your arm around him and tell him it’s okay because when he was three he prayed by his bedside with his mommy to get saved, and “once saved, always saved, so, hey bro – continue in sin that grace may abound???"  Or, do you point him to the Scriptures which hold out very serious warnings about his persistent high-handed rebellion, disobedience and unbelief, calling the rebel to repentance?     We can argue all day about whether another person is truly saved or not, but the only person who finally and surely knows if someone’s profession is genuine is God Himself.  The Lord knows those that are His.  But we’re told that we can have assurance of our profession by looking at the fruits that such faith produces in one’s life (e.g. 1 John 1:5-2:6).  Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26).  So when the fruit is there, we sense the assurance.  And when the works aren’t there?  Should we sit back on our blessed assurance?  Or should we have questions and fears and concerns which should lead us to repentance? On the flip side, some people are so emotionally insecure that they worry about tiny insignificant things.  Every little peccadillo makes them feel not only guilty, but that they have once again incurred the wrath of God - that they are condemned to hell for lying about their sister’s surprise bridal shower!  They are sincerely concerned that they have seriously offended God by such tiny slights.  What do we do with such people?  Hold up the threats of Scripture and sneer them into repentance?  No – I point them to the security that we have in the forgiving love of Christ.  There is no condemnation to those who are in Him!     Discerning differing situations and properly applying the Scriptures is, in this case, I believe, far more important than arguing over the technical correctness of one’s theological theory.  So for me, asking “Can a person lose their salvation?” isn’t even a good, or important, question.  It has no practical value that I can see.  So I don’t worry about it.     Or maybe someone can give me a reason why I should?