Can I lose my salvation?

1. Is there a certain sin or number of sins whereby I could lose my salvation? Absolutely not. If you are saved, there is no sin nor quantity of sin, nor lifestyle which will cause you to lose your salvation. There are always consequences for sin and sin always has a negative result, however sin can never take away your salvation. Here are a few verses which give understanding as to why we cannot lose our salvation:

   * Titus 3:5, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. In these two verses we see our salvation doesn’t come by any works or good deeds of ours, but by God’s mercy, God’s grace.   

If our salvation does not come by works, then certainly works are not required to keep it. The next two verses help our understanding of this.

   *  Romans 5:18, Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Jesus Christ] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Here we see the salvation we have is a free gift, and the gift comes about by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not our righteousness. We didn’t stop doing anything sinful to get saved and we don’t refrain from sin to stay saved. Please note, there is always a benefit to refraining from sin, its just that when we fail to do so, the gift isn’t taken away – we are still saved 

   * Romans 5:19, For as by one man’s disobedience (Adam)many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Christ Jesus) shall many be made righteous.  This verse shows our obedience (abstaining from sin) has nothing to do with our salvation.  It is Christ’s obedience – The Bible tells us that Christ was obedient to the death of the cross where He suffered and died for our sin, and this is the obedience that makes us righteous in God’s eyes. If we had to maintain a certain level of righteousness to keep our salvation, God’s word would have told us what level to maintain. Instead, the Bible teaches that our righteousness will never be enough, it will never outweigh our sin. We simply trust that our Savior did all that is needed to save us, and by this we receive His righteousness. 

   *  Romans 8:2, For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. The law of sin and death is the ten commandments. It is called the law of sin and death because the commandments show just how sinful we really are, and sin brings death. Before we were saved, we were held under this law and were doomed to death, both physical and spiritual, which is eternal damnation apart from God in hell fire. Once we are saved, we are under the great all-powerful law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus  which frees us from the law of sin and death. Because Jesus Christ is risen and lives forever, we will be kept by this law forever also – we can never lose our salvation. The Bible teaches that we have liberty and are free from the law as far as our salvation is concerned.

   * Ephesians 1:13-14, In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise… When we are saved, we are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise. The Bible goes on to confirm this seal is on us until our resurrection, when Christ returns and we meet Him in the air – Ephesians 4:30 …ye are sealed until the day of redemption. There is nothing, not even our sin, that can break the seal God places on His own.

   *  Romans 8:38-39, 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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  This shows us there is no power no matter how high, including the powers of Satan, that can separate us from God’s love which we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. Look at the list above and note there is nothing nor anyone, including ourselves and our sin, which can separate us from what we have in Christ Jesus. 

  * Colossians 2:13, And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. When we are saved, we are quickened (made spiritually alive) together with Christ Jesus. This means that as Christ was raised from the dead and will live forever, we are raised with Him spiritually and will be with him forever. This is confirmed in Ephesians 2:6, And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Our inward man, the soul and spirit, have already been forgiven of all trespasses.

   * Colossians 1:14, In whom [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. We already have forgiveness, including forgiveness for the sins we have not done yet (See Colossians 2:13 above). Romans 5:11 tells us that by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have now received the atonement. If the sins are already forgiven and atoned for, then sin cannot take away our salvation – there is no double jeopardy with God. 

 * Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  I hope you can see from the verses above that our salvation is something we cannot earn nor is it something we have to work to keep from losing. This verse shows us that eternal life is THE gift of God. A gift cannot be earned and must come by grace or else it cannot be a gift. If God expects us to do anything good or refrain from anything bad to be saved or stay saved, then God would be a liar. God’s word says eternal life is a gift and God cannot lie. 

If all of our sins are forgiven, then does it matter how a person lives?

2. If all of our sins are forgiven and paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross, and this includes sins not committed yet, it sounds like you are saying we have a “license” to sin, or it doesn’t matter how we live. No, not at all – there will always be consequences for our sin. Sin has never been acceptable and anytime we sin, we bring harm to ourselves and others. Romans 8:22 describes what sin has done to God’s creation.  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. The world is broken because of sin. It is sin that brings about death, sickness, sorrow, grief, and all other troubles in the world. Unfortunately, our sin has contributed to the brokenness of this world and we have no excuse. Here are a few examples how God deals with our sin.

   * Ecclesiastes 12:14, For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

  * Proverbs 3:11-12, My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. When we are saved, we become sons of God (Gal. 4:6 & Phil. 2:15), and in His love for us, God cannot allow our sin to go unpunished. Although we are saved, we still live in our fleshly bodies and will have a sin nature all the while we are in this life. If there were no consequences for our sin, we would eventually destroy ourselves and bring much hurt and sorrow to others. In God’s love for us He cannot allow us to do this. 

   * Hebrews 12:6, For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

    * The Apostle Paul gives a harsh warning to Christians concerning what we do in our fleshly body. I Corinthians 3:16-17, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. God can destroy us in this life by allowing the evils of the world to hurt us. We can be made sick, come to financial ruin, come to harsh grief and sorrow, and even die early if we determine to live in the flesh without regard for what God says to avoid. 

   * In Romans chapter 2 we find yet again where the word of God warns us of the consequences of our sin. Verse 6 tells us that God will render to every man according to his deeds. Verse 7-9 read, To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

   * Conclusion: When we are saved, we become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17) in which our soul and spirit are saved, however our fleshly body is not saved. In other words, we have an inward and an outward man (2 Corinthians 4:16). It is the inward man which is saved, whereas our outward man still has the old sin nature and is subject to God’s chastening. This is how we can be already forgiven of all trespasses and sins (the saved inward man), while at the same time we are still sinful (the fleshly outward man).  The Apostle Paul describes this dual nature of a Christian in Romans chapter 7. 

Water Baptism

3. Is water baptism required for me to be saved? No, water baptism is not a requirement for a person to be saved. In this current time, there is no work on our part, nor good deed, nor religious practice required for one to be saved. A basic understanding of rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15) helps answer the question about water baptism. 

Within the New Testament there are things written directly to the Circumcision (Israel) and things written directly to the Uncircumcision (Gentiles). Although there is some overlap, and there are things written which are common to both, our understanding of many important doctrines requires us to distinguish Circumcision from Uncircumcision. The Apostle Paul confirms this in 2 Timothy 2:15, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. As we study the scriptures and work toward right dividing, we can find answers to many questions and gain understanding about things such as, water baptism, whether we should participate in communion, tithing, confession of sins, whether we can lose salvation, and many other important doctrines. 

Water baptism was first practiced by John the Baptist, then by Jesus Christ, and by the twelve apostles as part of kingdom gospel. In that time, a person had to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and had to be water baptized so that he could enter the kingdom of God. The water baptism was for remission of past sins. After the cross, the twelve apostles continued to preach the necessity of water baptism for remission of sins, however it had to be done in the name of Jesus Christ: an acknowledgement that the man they crucified was in fact the Christ, the Son of God. This “gospel of the Circumcision” (Galatians 2:7) provided that a person received remission of past sins, however the water baptism did not provide atonement or eternal forgiveness. With having their past sins in remission, and not atoned for, the early believers in Christ could fall away from the faith and lose their salvation. Matthew 10:22, And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. I Peter 1:9, Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. With this we can see that a person had to keep his faith to the end of his life to receive salvation or eternal forgiveness. If a believer under the gospel of the Circumcision fell away from the faith, he would have been lost. This is different from the gospel of the Uncircumcision in which a believer receives the atonement for his sins the moment he trusts that Jesus died for his sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. 

Although the twelve apostles knew that Jesus had suffered the cross for Israel’s sin (Isaiah 53), Jesus did not reveal to them all that was accomplished by the cross through His shed blood. It was later revealed (Romans 5:8-11, Galatians 1) to the Apostle Paul that Jesus’ shed blood provides forgiveness (atonement) of a person’s sin. With forgiveness, as opposed to remission, a person cannot fall away and lose his salvation, as the sins are already atoned for and forever removed from the believer – spiritually. Colossians 1:14, In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. This is why the gospel Paul preached (gospel of the Uncircumcision) does not include water baptism. In simple terms it can be said, when God revealed to Paul what the precious blood of Christ provided, water (baptism) was no longer needed. 

These two verses, written by the Apostle Paul, help with the understanding that water baptism is not required for a person to be saved today. Ephesians 4:4-5,    

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism. The one baptism is not a baptism in water, but is a baptism done by the Holy Spirit the moment a person trusts in the cross of Jesus Christ for his salvation. 
I Corinthians 12:13, For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles…