What if I Lose My Way?

Can I Lose My Salvation?

It’s been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus Christ personally offered forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Of the millions who have accepted His offer, many have found the peace and joy of knowing they have a secure relationship with their Lord and Savior. 

Others, however, haven’t felt so secure. Some routinely struggle with confusion and uncertainty, wondering if they’ve lost their salvation in Jesus Christ because of something they have or have not done. Maybe you are one of these? It’s a frightening and tense place to be in when you are uncertain about where you stand in your relationship with Jesus Christ. 

​The Bible stresses that salvation completely rests on trusting in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as full payment for our sins.

"That whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:15-16

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." John 3:36

"The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 3:22-24

I like to make John 3:16 very personal by adding my name. You can do this too. Add your name in the blanks. "For God so loved _______, that He gave His only Son, that if _______ believes in Him they should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:15-16

Faith Alone is the Basis For Our Salvation

Our salvation is not based on our own performance. If it was, we would be in a most pitiful state! ​

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." ​Titus 3:4-5

Also, or salvations is not based on the amount of our faith! PRAISE THE LORD! It is the object of our faith that matters. Trusting in Christ and Him alone (not anyone else, including ourselves), brings salvation. ​A strong sense of security settles in our hearts as we realize that while we are the fortunate recipient of God’s mercy and grace, we are not responsible for earning it. It’s free! Additionally, the Bible teaches that we are eternally secure when we solely trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. This is the eternal and binding nature of the salvation Jesus offers us. He said that He gives us eternal life and we shall never be lost. He declared that no one can take us out of His or the Father’s hands.

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”  John 10:27-30

In the same way, the apostle Paul wrote that those who have trusted in Christ for salvation are eternally saved. He stated, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). He went on to say in Romans 8:35-39, that absolutely nothing could separate us from God’s love. ​So, according to the Scriptures, we can confidently believe that we are eternally secure if we have placed our trust solely in what Christ accomplished on the cross as full payment for our sins.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."  John 5:24

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." I John 5:13

Eternal Means That it Never Ends

If we could somehow lose our salvation in Christ, then Jesus and Paul would be liars since they both described the gift of salvation as eternal in John 3:16 and Titus 3:7. Eternal means that it never ends. Our salvation is permanent. In other words, once we are saved, we are always saved. God doesn’t give us the gift of eternal life and then take it back if we are bad or if we've lost our way. Our eternal security is not based on our ability to be good or perform, but on the promises of God (John 3:16). ​Moreover, any attempt on our part to say that we can somehow earn and maintain a secure relationship in Christ is an offense to God. It strips Him of glory and lessens His remarkable offering of grace and mercy to an undeserving world.

We Can't Lose Our Salvations But We Can Lose Our Fellowship

Although we never lose our salvation in Christ, we can lose the enjoyment of close communion and fellowship with our heavenly Father. For example, when children sin against us, it temporarily hinders our ability to be close and enjoy each other’s company. But even though all is not well between us, they never for one moment cease to be our children. Isn't that a beautiful thought!

The same is true for those of us who have trusted Christ as our Savior. Whenever we sin against God and put distance between Him and ourselves, we are still His children. We are still secure in His love. That is why Jesus told the woman at the well, whose faith had saved her, to “go in peace” (Luke 7:5). She could rest and not worry about where she stood with God. That relationship was secure.
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We will sin as Christians, and our sin should grieve us as it grieves the Holy Spirit. But it shouldn’t take us by surprise. The apostle John said, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (I John 1:8). Most importantly, there is no sin we could commit that would cause us to lose our salvation. The apostle John added that God is willing to forgive all of our sins if we confess them to Him (I John 1:9).  He did not just mean the total amount of our sins, but the various kinds of sins as well. In other words, God forgives and cleanses us from every kind of sin possible. His mercy has no limits. ​​

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Have you ever doubted your salvation, and if so, what helped you get past your doubts?