Once you accept salvation through Jesus Christ, can you be lost again?
Many people have come to the conclusion that they cannot be lost once they’ve accepted Jesus as their Savior, based primarily on a misapplication of the following text:
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 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 our Lord.” Romans 8:38–39
It is true that no one or anything can separate us from the love of God. He loves all His creatures, no matter how sinful we are. However, this doesn’t mean that we cannot choose to separate ourselves from Him.
There are multiple examples in Scripture that prove eternal life is conditional. In other words, just because we’ve called upon the name of the Lord and asked for forgiveness doesn’t mean that our salvation is forever sealed. We must abide in a daily relationship with Christ in order to be saved in the end (John 15:5–6).
Jesus communicated His sentiments in many teachings and parables throughout His earthly ministry. The parable of the unfaithful steward in Luke 12:42–46 tells of a master who placed his servant as ruler over his house and expected him to be faithful until he returned. His state of salvation depended on him remaining faithful. In the same manner, our salvation is conditional, and not written in stone because of a faithful act one moment in time. We must abide in righteousness daily.
This truth is also obvious in Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant found in Matthew 18:21–35. The king forgives his servant who owes him a great debt, but that servant goes out and finds a fellow servant who owes him a small amount and shows him no mercy! When the king hears of this, he rescinds his forgiveness and punishes this wicked servant until he pays back all that he owes. The meaning of this parable is unmistakable: we are to forgive others of their trespasses against us, or we can lose our own salvation because of our lack of mercy.
Peter describes those who have known Jesus as Lord and Savior but then turned back to the world:
“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’” 2 Peter 2:20–22
Paul also understood the possibility of losing the gift of salvation when he said:
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.” Hebrews 6:4–9
Revelation 3:5 clearly shows that a saved person can be lost, if they choose to be. Jesus says that He will not blot out the name of a person who overcomes from the Book of Life. But it is clear that it’s possible for that person’s name to be taken out of the Book of Life if they do not overcome.
If your name is in the Book of Life, it is safe to say that you are in a saved state. Moreover, Jesus announces the possibility that a saved person can become unsaved if their name is blotted out from that Book.
Our salvation is conditional, and depends on a daily, constant surrender to God. We can indeed be forgiven and justified in a moment when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior; however, we must remain connected and dedicated to Christ every day to overcome sin and be saved in the end.