Can You Lose Your Salvation?

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There is a whole lot of disagreement on whether or not Christian salvation can be lost. Some people use the term “once saved, always saved” (I don’t). Some people can become rather disagreeably adamant regarding the topic, though I find that most of those adamant types are usually on the wrong side of the “argument.” Like in any discussion, terms must be defined.  What exactly is salvation? And what might it mean to “lose” it?

There’s a study on this website,  How to Be Saved ….. X 3, which I recommend reading, because in it I spell out the different ways that “salvation” is used in the Bible. In short, there is physical salvation, psychological (emotional, mental, soul) salvation, and there is spiritual salvation. Another word which describes salvation is wholeness, so spiritual salvation is when a man is first supplied with that which he lacked, which is the life of God (known as Holy Spirit, holy spirit, the life of Christ, the spirit of God, and sometimes as simply Christ). When that spiritual salvation is worked down or out into our minds and thinking, thus changing our behavior, this is the salvation of our souls, spoken of in Philippians 2:12.

Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my abasence, work out (katergazomai – to work down or out) your own salvation with fear and trembling. 
Philippians 2:12

(There is a more in-depth study on this phrase “work out” on this website if you are interested… How God Works in Me)

Spiritual salvation is also known as being born again, even though that term is actually a mistranslation of the original text.

Jesus answered (Nicodemus) and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again (anothen – literally “from above”), he cannot see the kingdom of God.  John 3:3

Jesus answered (Nicodemus again), Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  John 3:5

“Born of water” indicates the physical birth, with the bursting of the amniotic sac. If you’ve ever witnessed a baby being born, you get the picture. Though some may believe that being born of water means water baptism, water baptism was never indicated as being any kind of “birth,” but was rather used of a symbolic cleansing. So the born from above in verse 3 equals the born of the Spirit of verse 5. Also, we know that heaven is the realm of the spirit (see my study Where is Heaven and When do we get there).

He that comes from above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth; he that comes from heaven is above all.  John 3:31

The “from above” in this verse is exactly the same as in verse 3. From above means from heaven which means spiritually. Understanding the similarity of these three expressions helps us understand John 3:13.

And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, even the son of man who is in heaven.  John 3:13

I’d like to emphasize in this verse how Jesus claimed to be in heaven at that very moment he was speaking. And how did Jesus come down from heaven?

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:18

Okay, there’s a lot in the third chapter of John, and I recommend you read the entire thing, but the above should help you understand what our spiritual salvation entails. Notice that Jesus uses the term “born” when he speaks of this spiritual salvation. This is a big clue as to whether or not we can lose our salvation, in that we become born of the spirit, not simply given the spirit. We literally become spiritual beings of body, soul and spirit.

… and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I Thessalonians 5:23b

But the natural man (with no spirit of God) receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  I Corinthians 2:14

So this spiritual salvation is a birth. God uses the terminology of birth to describe what happens when a man or woman becomes His child by believing unto Jesus Christ His son. He didn’t have to use this terminology, but He did. I believe you can become unborn of the spirit as easily as you can become unborn of your parents. You can’t! You cannot become unborn spiritually, but what about losing your psychological, mental, emotional salvation? Actually, the spirit working itself down into your mind and heart and thinking, into your thoughts and feelings is always an ongoing process.

For other foundation can no man lay that that (which) is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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 mans work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.  I Corinthians 3:11-15

This is the clearest section of Scripture that I know of which very clearly spells out whether or not spiritual salvation can be lost, and also describes our psychological salvation as something different from our spiritual salvation. The Greek word psuche is translated soul, and from it we get the word psyche, which is the root of the word psychological… so we could translate psychological salvation as salvation of the soul. Spiritual salvation comes in a moment of time when we first believe unto Jesus as being the Christ of God, raised from the dead. At that moment the holy spirit of God is birthed within us, making us a child of God. After that spiritual birth, growing up into him as a spiritual being in our thoughts and minds and hearts and believing and hence into our behavior is an ongoing process which never ends.

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, Christ;  Ephesians 4:15

Another way (of many) that Paul uses to describe this process of having the spirit of which we are born become a part of our psycholgical everyday life is referred to as having Christ formed within us. The spirit of Christ (which is the holy spirit of God) becomes manifested in our minds and hearts, literally transforming us into different, spiritual beings.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you.  Galatians 4:19

And do not conform yourself to this world; but be transformed to the renewing of your mind, that you may prove (put to the test) what is that good, and well-pleasing and perfect, will of God.  Romans 12:3

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  II Corinthians 5:17

The salvation of our souls is a continually ongoing process. Once you understand the difference between these two different salvations, life with our Father, God, becomes much less fraught with danger or fear that we might lose our sonship with Him. And that fear being “put to bed” so to speak, we can then boldly and courageously enter into our spiritual growth with confidence that we will be treated with love and mercy by God despite any and all mistakes. Sin never stops a child of God from being loved by the Father, it only gets in the way of our receiving that love. The only sin that can get in the way of God working with us is the sin of turning away from the spirit of Jesus Christ which resides within us.

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you’ but when I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove (expose by the light of truth) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; Of sin, because they believe not on me;  John 16:7-9

Yes, there are verses in the Bible which seem to indicate that a man can lose his salvation. These must be speaking about salvation of our souls (minds, emotions, thoughts). In the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) Jesus often speaks of the possibility of being damned due to improper behavior. But we must always remember when reading the accounts of Jesus on the earth that he was speaking of that time then, before his death and resurrection and ascension and the sending of his spirit into the world. There was no new birth at that time. It came on the day of Pentecost, as recounted in Acts 2. Before then man lived under the law and was judged by that law. Today is the age of grace, and we are judged by the spirit of Jesus Christ within us. And we are found righteous!

For He (God) has made him (Jesus) be be sin for (on behalf of) us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
II Corinthians 5:21

The third type of salvation is a physical salvation, often referred to in the Old Testament, when God saved Israel from her enemies. This manner of salvation can also refer to the truth that we who are born of the spirit are saved from having to go through the wrath. Jesus gathers us saints together with him off the earth before the wrath takes place.

And to wait for His son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.  I Thessalonians 1:10

PS. The word “backslide” is never found in the New Testament.

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