Simple question, but I'm telling ya it will have complex answers haha!
Do you believe that a person can lose their salvation? What does it look like? How is it different from questioning our faith?
FYI: Please provide biblical proof to back up your answers...
Yes the scriptures are replete with examples of God showing his undeserved mercy in saving folks. But after he does it's our responsibility to remain within his saving protection. If we don't, we can fall away from his protection into the judgment all around us.
Genesis 19:15-19
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
- The cities were steeped in sin, condemned to destruction
- But Lot found GRACE and MERCY from God
- God SAVED Lot's whole family (including Lot, his two daughters, and his Wife)
- In saving them the angels of God CARRIED THEM outside the city (God's effort)
...But after being saved, the angels of God COMMANDED THEM not to look back or stay; to keep moving from the city of sin (their effort).
Genesis 19:24-26
24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
- Lot's wife was saved by the power of God
- Lot's wife was then given a commandment to follow in order to remain saved
- God judges the cities of sin...
- Lot's wife didn't follow that commandment,
exposing HERSELF to judgment that was falling
- Lot's wife was no longer saved
Exodus 12:7, 12-13 {brackets mine}
7 And they shall take of the {lamb's} blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
- Israel was saved by the power of God
- Israel was then given a COMMANDMENT to follow in order to remain saved
- God judges ALL of Egypt...but ALL Israel is SAVED because they obeyed his commandment
- Israel travels to Mt. Sinai to receive God's Commands to follow
- God asked Israel whether they agree to OBEY HIS COMMANDS...
Exodus 19:5-8
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
- Israel agrees to OBEY GOD'S COMMANDS
- God speaks his commands to them
- Moses travels up Mt. Sinai for the tablets
Exodus 32:7-10
7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff necked people:
10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
- Israel turns back to the ways of Egypt, sparking the wrath of God
- ALL of Israel, though saved from EGYPT, were ALL about to die
- Moses intercedes so all do not perish at the hand of God's judgment
- Israel is SAVED AGAIN, given MERCY though they didn't deserve it
- Moses judges the people himself, asking all "who is on God's side?"
- 3000 people decided they weren't by implication, so they died (no longer saved)
Then you have Israel not obeying the command to enter into Canaan, where God was finally fed up and made them wander the wilderness for 40 years until everyone who was faithless (shown by their lack of obedience) died off. So a person who is once saved can no longer be saved if they knowingly
refuse to obey God when clear instructions are there to do so.
Rebellion.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 & 10
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved
- We know that repenting and then accepting Christ as lord SAVES the believer
- But "rebellion" means "a refusal of obedience to an authority"
- So these "rebels" are believers by implication who refuse to obey God
- Paul then says these rebels will NOT BE SAVED because they refuse to love the truth
Now, questioning faith is exactly what the phrase implies: There's genuine doubt; lack of surety, which is completely different from rebellion (i.e. knowingly opposing God once one has the truth).
Matthew 14:29
29“Come,” said Jesus. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”
- Peter by faith in Christ walked on water
- But Peter let his senses dictate what was truth instead of his faith
- But we're supposed to walk by faith and not by sight
- So Peter started to doubt and so started to sink
- Christ was there to save him
Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
A person can lose their salvation through outright rebellion after knowing the truth (
Hebrews 10:26), but questioning one's faith is more about letting fear and doubt weaken it and doesn't lead to a loss in salvation.