Can the Believer Lose His Salvation?

     This question often comes up in discussions among Christians and there is a healthy debate on whether or not it is possible to lose your salvation. The question and the answer are important because they can affect your relationship with God. For example, if someone believes that he can lose his salvation then he might fall into the error of trying to keep his salvation by what he does. This is a serious error (Gal. 3:1-3). On the other hand, if he believed he could not lose his salvation then, he might fall into the error of sinning willfully because he believes it can’t be lost no matter how much he sins. This also is very wrong (Rom. 6:1-2,11-12). The proper understanding of salvation is that works play no part in it (Rom. 4:5), that it is a free gift (Rom. 6:23), and that it is received by faith (Eph. 2:8-9). Once we are saved we are to live a holy life (1 Thess. 4:7).
     Fortunately whether you believe you can or cannot lose your salvation does not affect your salvation. That is, your salvation is dependent upon accepting Jesus as Savior, trusting in His sin sacrifice, and looking to no one and nothing else. Your salvation isn’t dependent upon whether or not you think it is possible to lose your salvation.
     The important point is that you have studied the Word of God and are convinced in your own mind of what you believe (Rom. 14:5). You are the one who has to answer to God (Rom. 3:19). You are the one who needs to study to show yourself approved (2 Tim. 2:15).
      There are on the surface good verses for both sides of the argument. There are verses that seem to suggest that it is possible to lose your salvation: 2 Pet. 2:1; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 10:26; 6:4_6; Ps. 69:28, and there are also verses that seem to say you cannot lose your salvation: John 10:27_28; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 7:21_23; 1 John 2:19; Rom. 8:38_39. But if there are verses used to support both sides, then is there a contradiction in the Word of God?  Of course not. There can be no contradiction in the inspired Word of God, only in our uninspired misunderstanding.
      It is my opinion, and I stress opinion, that it is not possible to lose one’s salvation. I base this on scriptures that seem to have a more "eternal" perspective on them. For example, on the day of judgment when some seek salvation based upon their works Jesus will say to them, "I never knew you" (Matt. 7:21-23). They were never known, that is, they were never saved although they appeared, from the human perspective, to be saved. Jesus says that His sheep will "never perish but have eternal life" (John 10:28).  How can eternal life be eternal if it can be lost particularly when Jesus said that they will never perish.  If they will never perish, then they can't lose their salvation.   Also, Paul says that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39). I see these "divine perspective" type verses as giving us glimpses into the viewpoint of God. I see the other verses as being stated from a human perspective, that they appeared to be saved and then appeared to lose it (Gal. 5:4; Heb. 6:4-6).  However, 1 John 2:19 says in dealing with antichrists, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us," (NASB).  I see this verse saying two things:  First, that if it appears that false teachers leave because they are not regenerated to begin with.  In other words, if someone had salvation and then lost it, it was because they never were saved in the first place.  Second, it says that if someone is saved, they will remain in the faith. 
     Nevertheless, there are different positions on this issue. One position states that it is possible to lose your salvation, but only if you want to.  In other words, having been set free from sin, the person is then able by an act of will to deny the Lord and desire not to be a part of Him any longer.
     Another position states that it is possible to lose your salvation if you sin too much. Then you need to go and confess your sin and get saved again. This has obvious problems because it could lead to someone trusting in his works and God’s grace to be saved.
     Another position states that it is not possible at all to lose your salvation, that because Jesus has redeemed you and you are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) you cannot, then, turn your back on God. Since attaining salvation did not depend on anything you did, keeping it does not depend on anything you do, then also, losing it can’t occur because of anything you do.
     Unfortunately, this topic has caused far too much friction in the church today.  My hope is that people who disagree, can learn to live harmoniously with their eyes on Jesus.

"You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I,'" (John 14:28).

     Jesus said the Father was greater than He not because Jesus is not God, but because Jesus was also a man and as a man he was in a lower position.   He was ". . . made for a little while lower than the angels . . ." (Heb. 2:9).  Also in Phil. 2:5-8, it says that Jesus "emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men . . ."  
     Jesus has two natures.  Jesus was not denying that He was God.  He was merely acknowledging the fact that He was also a man.  Jesus is both God and man.  As a man, he was in a lesser position than the Father.  He had added to Himself human nature (Col. 2:9).  He became a man to die for people.  
     A comparison can be found in the marriage relationship.    Biblically, a husband is greater in position and authority than his wife.  But, he is no different in nature and he is not better than she.  They share the same nature, being human, and they work together by love.
     So, Jesus was not denying that He was God.  He was simply acknowledging that He was also a man and as a man, he was subject to the laws of God so that He might redeem those who were under the law; namely, sinners (Gal. 4:4-5).

     For further reading please see the two natures of Jesus.

     SCRIPTURES QUOTED:

• Phil. 2:5-8, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
• Col. 2:9, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,"
• Gal. 4:4-5, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."
• Heb. 2:9, "But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone."

     Flavius Josephus was a Jewish priest at the time of the Jewish Revolt of A.D. 66.  He was captured by the Romans, imprisoned, set free and then retired to Rome where he wrote a history of the Jewish Revolt called the "Jewish War."  Later he wrote "Antiquities" as a history of the Jews.  It is in Antiquities that he mentions Christ.  The mention is called the Testimonium Flavianum (Ant. 18.63-64; see below).  Josephus was born in Jerusalem around 37 A.D.  He died around the year 101. 
     The problem with the copies of Antiquities is that they appear to have been rewritten in favor of Jesus as they are very favorable, some say too favorable to have been written by a Jew.  Add to this that the Christians were the ones who kept and made the copies of the Josephus documents throughout history and you have a shadow of doubt cast upon the quotes. 
     However, all is not lost.  First of all, there is no proof that such insertions into the text were ever made.  They may be authentic.  The Testimonium is found in every copy of Jesusphus in existence.  Second, Josephus mentions many other biblically relevant occurrences that are not in dispute (see outline below).  This adds validity to the claim that Josephus knew about Jesus and wrote about Him since he also wrote about other New Testament things.  Nevertheless, though there may be some Christian insertions into the text, we can still reconstruct what may have been the original writing.
     Two researchers (Edwin Yamauchi and John P. Meier)¹ have constructed a copy of the Testimonium with the probable insertions in brackets and underlined.  The following paragraph is Yamauchi's:

“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man [if indeed one ought to call him a man.] For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. [He was the Christ.] When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him.  [On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvelous things about him.] And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.”

     Though this may be a correct assessment of the Testimonium, we should note that an Arabic version (10th Century) of the Testimonium (translated into English) is in basic agreement with the existing Josephus account:

"At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus.  And his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous.  And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them after his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders."²

    The Arabic version was copied from a Greek version.  What is not known is which one?  But if you notice the comparison below, if the Arabic version was a direct translation of the Greek, then why the differences?  Nevertheless, what is important in the Arabic Version is that the resurrection of Christ is maintained.

     To summarize, the Testimonium Flavianum cannot be so easily dismissed as pure Christian interpolation (insertion into the text).  Though it seems probable that interpolation did occur, we cannot be sure what was added.  Also, the Arabic version contains very similar information as the Greek one regarding Jesus in His resurrection.
     Even if both versions have been tampered with, the core of them both mentions Jesus as a historical figure who was able to perform many surprising feats, was crucified, and that there were followers of Jesus who were still in existence at the time of its writing.

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1.     Edwin Yamauchi, “Jesus Outside the New Testament: What is the Evidence?” in Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus. Edited by Michael J. Wilkins and J. P. Moreland ( Zondervan, 1995): 212-4. And 2) John P. Meier, “Jesus in Josephus: A Modest Proposal,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 52 (1990): 76-103.
2.     Arabic summary, presumably of Antiquities 18.63. From Agapios' Kitab al-'Unwan ("Book of the Title," 10th c.).  See also James H. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism. (http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~humm/Topics/JewishJesus/josephus.html)