Once saved what if you backslide?

Answer 1

This is the very question that split Christianity into two main beliefs--Calvinism and Arminianism. John Calvin taught that you are once saved, always saved, no matter what you do. Arminian taught that you can lose your salvation. Amongst the denominations today, Calvinists and Arminianists are scattered everywhere.

If I am saved no matter what I do, then Jesus died in vain. The Bible said, "It is for freedom that you have been set free." Jesus didn't set me free from my sin only for me to walk in it again. You were set free from your sin so you can walk in freedom.

Hebrews 6:4-6 says, "For it is impossible to restore to repentance those who were once enlightened--those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come--and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people to repentance again because they are nailing the Son of God to the cross again by rejecting him, holding him up to public shame."

If it takes faith to get saved in the first place, then it takes faith to keep your salvation. And our salvation hasn't been manifested yet. It will be manifested in heaven. So it takes faith to keep it.

There is a point at which you can lose your salvation. The Bible isn't specific on it. So just live as close to perfect as you can so you don't cross from salvation to not being saved.

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Nowhere does the word of God state that once we are saved we are forevermore saved.

This idea is pulled from verses like this.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and noman is able to pluckthem out of my Father's hand.

Many Christians will use this to say once you are saved you can never lose your salvation. But pay attention to what it says, and does NOT say...

It DOES say "No man" can force you to lose your salvation, this is born out by thousands upon thousands that have died holding on to their confession and belief that Jesus was who he said he was and their faith in him for salvation.

It does NOT, say that men can CHOOSE to leave God's grace of their own accord and retain their salvation. These are the ones that backslide and refuse to come back into fellowship with God. Judas is a perfect example, he walked with Yeshua daily, he heard his teachings, saw the miracles, even laid hands on the sick and saw them healed and cast devils out himself. He betrayed Yeshua, his relationship could have been restored just as Peter's was after he denied Yeshua three times. Peter repented and returned, Judas could have and did not.

We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling...

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

We are to lay weights aside and those things that hold us back, our goal is at the end of the race. It is something we do each and every day. Our reward is at the finish line, NOT at the time we accept Yeshua as Lord and Savior...

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Salvation takes time, patience, endurance. It is not accomplished at the stoke of a pen so to say...

We are adopted into the family of God, and grafted in to the fig tree in a stroke. But the rest is up to us. We are clothed with armor, and given an awesome weapon in the word of God to allow us to work this out and follow through in victory. But it is a decision we make to follow through day to day.