Can You Lose Your Salvation? Understanding Eternal Security

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to lose your salvation? Perhaps you’ve seen someone who once seemed passionate about their faith now living as if God doesn’t exist. Or maybe you’ve worried about your own standing with God after making mistakes.

This question comes from a place of genuine concern: “Can I lose my salvation if I fall away from church or don’t study the Bible as much?” Others ask, “Does once saved mean always saved even if you don’t continue to follow Christ?” These are important questions that deserve thoughtful biblical answers.

 The Wrong Question We’re Asking

When we see someone who claims to be a Christian but lives contrary to biblical teaching, we often ask if they’ve lost their salvation. But this might be the wrong question entirely.

The real question isn’t “Can someone lose their salvation?” but rather “Was that person truly saved to begin with?”

Jesus himself warned in Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.'”

Notice Jesus doesn’t say, “I knew you once, but you fell away.” He says, “I never knew you.” This suggests the issue isn’t losing salvation but never truly having a relationship with Jesus in the first place.

Can We Earn Our Salvation?

Here’s a logical question to consider: If we can lose our salvation, wouldn’t it stand to reason that we can earn it too?

Scripture is clear that salvation is a gift, not something we earn. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

If salvation is not earned by works, it makes little sense that it would be lost by works. Our salvation is based on God’s love and grace, not our performance.

The Evidence of True Salvation

James 2:26 reminds us that “faith without deeds is dead.” This doesn’t mean our works save us, but rather that genuine faith produces evidence in our lives.

The evidence of saving faith is not the intensity but the endurance of that faith. A momentary decision or prayer doesn’t necessarily indicate true salvation. Real salvation results in life change, even if that change is sometimes slow or inconsistent.

Many people mistakenly believe they are saved because:

 

  • They prayed a prayer once
  • They attend church regularly
  • They read their Bible

 

But salvation is about a relationship with Jesus, not religious activities. As Jesus said in John 10:27-30:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

What About Christians Who Sin?

Let’s be honest—all Christians sin. If sinning caused us to lose our salvation, none of us would remain saved for long.

The question then becomes: Where’s the line? How many sins are “okay” before God cuts you off? This kind of thinking creates fear and uncertainty, which doesn’t align with God’s character or promises.

1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” John doesn’t say we might know or hope to know—he says we can know with certainty.

What About Those Who Walk Away?

When someone appears to walk away from faith, we have two possibilities:

 

  • They were truly saved and are experiencing a season of backsliding or rebellion
  • They never truly understood or embraced salvation in the first place

 

Romans 8:38-39 assures us: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

That “anything else in all creation” could include sin in a Christian’s life. Nothing can separate us from God’s love when we have a genuine relationship with Jesus.

Life Application

This teaching on eternal security should lead us to examine our own hearts. Do you have a genuine relationship with Jesus, or are you relying on a prayer you prayed, church attendance, or Bible knowledge for your salvation?

True salvation is based on Jesus’ sacrifice—his perfect life, death on the cross, and resurrection—not on our works or performance.

Ask yourself these questions:

 

  • Is my faith in what Jesus did for me, or in my own religious activities?
  • Does my life show evidence of a relationship with Jesus, even if imperfectly?
  • When I sin, do I feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction drawing me back to God?
  • Do I understand the magnitude of what Jesus did for me on the cross?

 

If you’re uncertain about your salvation, don’t base it on what you do, but on what Jesus did. The greatest sacrifice ever made was sufficient to secure your eternal salvation. Trust in that truth today.