Can Salvation be lost?

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1 John 5:4 - For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.

Stop with those pesky verses that disprove loss of salvation and prove only those truly converted will remain saved forever! :D
 
Stop with those pesky verses that disprove loss of salvation and prove only those truly converted will remain saved forever! :D

Well, if we can't lose our salvation then what difference does it make what is written in the scriptures?
 
Isn't that kind of doubt scary?
Being on a roller coaster ride of fear and bondage to IN-security is no way to live the Christian life. :eek:

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People tend to confuse DESCRIPTIVE passages of Scripture with PRESCRIPTIVE passages of Scripture. 1 Corinthians 15:1,2 - Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.

To believe in vain is to believe without cause or without effect, to no purpose. If, as some are saying in Corinth, there is no resurrection, then faith is vain and worthless (vs. 14). The people who fail to hold fast to the word (the gospel) that Paul preached in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, demonstrated that they "believed in vain" (did not truly believe). Which explains why people fail to hold fast to the gospel/endure to the end.

Descriptive passages and prescriptive passages? What about Jesus' explanation of the parable of the sower? Is it a descriptive passage or a prescriptive passage? It seems on point in regards to loss of salvation. In it Jesus talks about people who have received the word but then fall away. Is it true that that can happen?

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:18-23)
 
Descriptive passages and prescriptive passages? What about Jesus' explanation of the parable of the sower? Is it a descriptive passage or a prescriptive passage? It seems on point in regards to loss of salvation. In it Jesus talks about people who have received the word but then fall away. Is it true that that can happen?

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:18-23)

Remember, faith without works or fruits is a dead faith. The thorns and rocky ground folks have ineffective faith. The elect have true faith, consider Peter and how he said of Jesus " you are the Son of the living God" Jesus said "bless you Peter, for this truth has not been taught to you by man, but was revealed to you by The Father in heaven".
The worldly, non elect can't come into true faith.
 
Remember, faith without works or fruits is a dead faith. The thorns and rocky ground folks have ineffective faith. The elect have true faith, consider Peter and how he said of Jesus " you are the Son of the living God" Jesus said "bless you Peter, for this truth has not been taught to you by man, but was revealed to you by The Father in heaven".
The worldly, non elect can't come into true faith.

True, but Jesus said that the seed falling on rocky ground is someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. So apparently they had faith (received the word) for some period of time before they fell away.

This is the situation I had in mind in the OP. Someone who receives the word with joy, has true faith, and apparently has salvation. But then for whatever reason they fall away into disbelief. We all know people who fit this description. Did they lose their salvation? Or--even though their faith may have been as strong as anyone else's at one time--perhaps they didn't have salvation in the first place?

fwiw, I am on the fence with this issue. I suspect that the idea of salvation that cannot be lost is comforting to some. But I'm just not sure about that.
 
True, but Jesus said that the seed falling on rocky ground is someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. So apparently they had faith (received the word) for some period of time before they fell away.

This is the situation I had in mind in the OP. Someone who receives the word with joy, has true faith, and apparently has salvation. But then for whatever reason they fall away into disbelief. We all know people who fit this description. Did they lose their salvation? Or--even though their faith may have been as strong as anyone else's at one time--perhaps they didn't have salvation in the first place?

fwiw, I am on the fence with this issue. I suspect that the idea of salvation that cannot be lost is comforting to some. But I'm just not sure about that.
If they have failed it is in the area of sanctification not salvation. If we consider the four conditions presented it would be natural to conclude that three of the four conditions resulted in a failed gospel. Really the only condition that failed is the first where the seed never germinated.

Only the last brought forth the abundance that was expected but where the seed germinated although it was later overcome and never brought forth an increase it did initiate life. Demas is a good example of one who lost great rewards because he considered the sacrifice to serve Christ too severe.

Do not allow difficulties in sanctification to cast doubt on salvation. Sanctification clearly demonstrates why we cannot save or keep ourselves saved. What Christ accomplishes is eternal and what we endeavor to accomplish (serve Him) is far less certain. John gives us hope in that when we fail Jesus is faithful and forgives us our failure.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 
What do you mean by "no works"?

Faith without works is dead.

Yep, but the faith that justified me was not my own faith, but the faith of Jesus Christ. Again, where's the evidence of Christ's faith? Look no further than His obedience unto death, even the death of the cross.
 
First you must be saved according The the Bible. After that, yes, you can sin so much you can be lost again but in forgiveness you can be right with God. I’ve a lot of people who are in and out but our God is long suffering.
 
Stranger36147 How can I get you on my friend list?

Click on my username, select "View Profile" and at the top left, you should see "Add as friend" as an option. Click on that and that should do it.

EDIT: Thank you Blain. I didn't know you had already beat me to it. Sorry. :p
 
The general orders of God we’re spoke by Peter (Acts 2:38). For those of you who don’t know what a general order is, it’s the rule you follow in the service.