Can we lose our Salvation_____________________________
Make some observations from these passages
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and
believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment,
but has passed out of death into life (John 5:24).
My sheep know My voice and I know them and they follow
Me and I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish; and no one
shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father who is greater than all; and no one
is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand (John
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). For I am convinced that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).
In Him you also after listening to the message of
truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in
Him with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)…And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
These things I have written to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life
(1 John 5:13).
For in the case of those who have once been
enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift…and then have fallen away, it
is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to
themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:28).
What interpretations and applications can you make
from these passages?
1. What is it about salvation that John
INTERPRETATION: John says
that salvation____________________________________________
APPLICATION: Therefore, I
should____________________________________________________
2. How does Jesus understand the nature of our
salvation in John 10:27-29?
INTERPRETATION: Jesus
understands that_____________________________________________
APPLICATION: Therefore, I
should____________________________________________________
3. How does Paul understand the nature of our
salvation and reinforce that understanding in Romans?
INTERPRETATION: Paul
understands that______________________________________________
APPLICATION: Therefore, I
should____________________________________________________
4. What does the Holy Spirit have to do with the
security of our salvation in Ephesians?
INTERPETATION: The Holy
Spirit_____________________________________________________
APPLICATION: Therefore, I
should____________________________________________________
5. What does John declare about our salvation in 1
John?
INTERPRETATION: John declares
that_________________________________________________
APPLICATION: Therefore, I
should____________________________________________________
6. What is the point being made about the security of
our salvation in Hebrews 6 & 10?
INTERPRETATION: In Hebrews we
learn_______________________________________________
APPLICATION: Therefore, I
should____________________________________________________
To Summarize:
What principles have you
learned about not losing your salvation from these passages?
Can we lose our
Salvation____________________________
Author’s Analysis
1. INTERPRETATION:
John says that salvation involves Jesus Christ promises (1) eternal life, (2)
no condemnation, that is no death to those who hear
and believe the Word of God. Either Christ keeps His promises or He doesn’t. IF someone could lose these
promises, then Christ would be a liar or a deceiver John 5:24.
APPLICATION: Therefore, I should accept the fact that my salvation is secure, even
if I don’t
think so.
2. INTERPRETATION:
Jesus understands that NO ONE is able to take us out of the hands of either
God the father or God the Son. Note that it does not say No one accept yourself. The sheep listen and follow. They recognize
Jesus and Jesus knows them. So an intimate relationship
between the shepherd and sheep is established by faith. These sheep are given
the gift of eternal life. Once given, it is eternal. No one can snatch it away.
Some gifts can be given back and some cannot. If I give my son a new bicycle,
he could give it back. If I give him a polio vaccination,
that is a gift he could not give back. If after given him the medication
and he refused to believe in polio vaccinations, and even denied he ever got
one, he is still vaccinated against polio. Why? Because the nature of the gift
will not allow it to be given back or destroyed. So salvation does not depend
upon us, the sheep, but God, the Shepherd John 10:28-29..
APPLICATION: Therefore, I should accept
the fact that salvation does not originate with me or depend upon me.
3. INTERPRETATION:
Paul understands that no condemnation says that God will never condemn us to an
eternity separated from Himself because of our sin.
And the reason is because we are in Jesus Christ. We are within the sphere of
His safety net. So the fact that we have been justified, declared righteous by
God; no longer under His wrath, possess eternal life, the Spirit indwells us—all
mean that we have a permanent and eternally secure relationship with God 8:1. Paul
also says that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. He elaborates
on this by saying; bad circumstances cannot do it; demons cannot do it; neither
he past, present nor future things can do it. Nothing in life or death can do
it
APPLICATION: Therefore, I should accept
the fact that my salvation is a permanent arrangement God makes with me that
nothing, even my past or future, can ever take away from me.
4. INTERPRETATION:
The Holy Spirit Himself seals us
when we believe. So not only are we unable to be taken out of
the hands of God the father and God the Son but also God, the Holy Spirit.
The fact is, our salvation is as good as God is, and
if we had to do or be anything in ourselves to keep our salvation, we could not
do it Ephesians 1:13. It is the Holy Spirit who has secured our new position
before God and brought us into the Church Ephesians 4:30.
APPLICATION: Therefore, I should accept
the fact that those who believe are sealed by the Holy Spirit as an assurance
of one’s eternal destiny. So our eternal confidence is not based on our
performance but in the sealing of the Holy Spirit.
5. INTERPRETATION:
John declares that it is possible to know that you have eternal
life. If I could do something or disbelieve something (some sin) that would
cause me to lose my eternal life, then I would have to know exactly what that
disbelief or degree of it would be. So how much doubt would it take to no
longer know I have eternal life? Besides, our assurance that we are saved rests
directly on the promises that God makes to us as believers. It rests on God’s
own testimony 1 John 5:13.
APPLICATION: Therefore I should accept
the fact my knowledge of my salvation rests upon promises God has made to me
not upon how much I do not doubt those promises.
6. INTERPRETATION:
In Hebrews we learn that believers, converted, having received the Holy
Spirit, being instructed in God’s Word, and have seen the God at work, can be
deceived by false teaching. That deception can even cause them to defect from
the faith or fall into sin. They cannot lose their salvation but can become
spiritually hardened. The Old Testament sacrifices are no longer sufficient as
a remedy for their ‘falling away’. All they can do is confess their sins since
Jesus cannot be re-crucified
Hebrews 6:4-6. The point is that we are no longer under a system
of sacrifices for sin. So confession of our sins is the only way we can fine
forgiveness.
APPLICATION: Therefore, I should accept
the fact that when a Christian sins, the issue is not whether he is saved or
not, but whether he will repent and pursue His Christian commitment.
TO SUMMARIZE:
Is
our salvation secure? Is it permanent? Is it eternal? Is it a gift? Is it
promised?