Can You Really Lose Your Salvation?

by Clay Gentry

You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “Once saved, always saved.” It’s a slogan, rooted in Calvinism, meant to express an assurance of eternal security. But then, you’ve no doubt heard the counterargument: “No, you can lose your salvation.” While the latter is said with good intentions, I wonder if this response can do more harm than good. Is it possible that the word “lose” is subjecting faithful people to anxiety and fear when the Bible offers something more assuring, even while warning against apostasy? This morning, let’s explore this question by looking at what the Bible says about the possibility of falling away and why “lose” might not be the right word for what’s at stake.

1. The Once Saved, Always Saved Doctrine:
   1. Properly Called Perseverance of the Saints, the “P” in TULIP.
      1. Hyper-Calvinists believe it doesn’t matter how you live; if you’re saved, you’re saved.
      2. Calm-Calvinists (my term) believe that if you’re “truly” saved, you won’t sin to be eternally lost.
   2. The counterargument is, “No, you can lose your salvation.”
      1. The Bible does give sober warnings about apostatizing. The letters of Galatians and Hebrews were written to confront apostasy among Christians.
      2. It may also come from a desire to prevent spiritual complacency.
2. Is “lose” the right word?
   1. In the Bible, the word “lose” (G622) carries the idea of destruction or perishing (cf. Mark 8:34-38; Luke 15:32; II John 8).
   2. However, in common usage, “lose” is to accidentally or unintentionally be deprived of something.
   3. The Bible’s warnings about apostasy are intentional and concrete; it’s not an accidental choice.
3. Bible Terms for Apostasy Imply Intentionality:
   1. Falling from Grace (Galatians 1:6-9; 5:1-4; 16-26).
      1. If they intentionally chose circumcision for salvation, they would “fall from grace.”
      2. Assurance is built on standing resolutely in God’s grace and walking by the Spirit.
   2. Making a Shipwreck of Faith (I Timothy 1:3-20).
      1. Some rejected “faith and a good conscience” for vain discussions leading to sin.
      2. Steadfastness is rooted in “love from a pure heart, a good conscience, a sincere faith.”
   3. Shrinking Back (Hebrews 10:32-39; 12:1-2).
      1. The phrase “shrinks back” describes a conscious act of withdrawal or retreat.
      2. Confidence is found in allegiance to Jesus for the saving of our souls.
   4. Turning Back (II Peter 2:20-22; 3:17-18).
      1. “Like a dog returning to vomit” is a decisive reversal of direction.
      2. Security is nurtured by growing “in the grace and knowledge” of Jesus Christ.

So, where does this leave us? Not with the anxiety of accidentally “losing” our salvation, but with the sobering reality that we can intentionally walk away. However, in this reality, there is a profound truth: Our security is not found in a slogan, but in a Savior. He’s the one who empowers and strengthens us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). So today, let’s make a clear, conscious decision to never turn our backs on Him, nor shrink back from the challenges of faith, or walk away from the one who loves us. Let’s stand firm in the grace we’ve received, holding fast to the resurrection hope we confess. And because God is faithful to His promises, let us never be unfaithful to Him.