This is one of the most frequently asked questions among Christians.
It’s a topic that can bring fear, confusion, or deep introspection.
Let’s take a look at what the Bible teaches about salvation and address some common concerns.
The Bible makes it clear that salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Once you are saved, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of your inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14).
However, questions often arise when we observe people who once seemed devoted to the faith but later abandoned it.
What does that mean? Were they saved and then lost their salvation?
One of the most common objections to the idea that salvation cannot be lost revolves around people who appear to fall into persistent sin or abandon their faith entirely.
You may even know someone personally—a friend or family member who was actively involved in church, professed faith in Jesus, and seemed passionate about their walk with God, only to later drift away or reject their faith altogether.
It’s a troubling scenario that raises difficult questions about salvation and its permanence.
Let’s explore what Scripture says about these situations.
The Bible teaches that a true Christian will not remain in a state of continual, unrepentant sin.
As 1 John 3:6 says,
No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning, no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him.
While believers may stumble and fall, those who are truly born again will experience conviction from the Holy Spirit and turn back to God.
True salvation produces fruit—evidence of a transformed life (Romans 7:4).
There is a significant difference between living in sin and struggling with sin.
What about those who abandon Christianity altogether? Scripture provides clarity in 1 John 2:19:
They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.
This verse reveals that those who walk away from the faith were never truly born again.
Even Jesus warned about this in Matthew 7:21-23:
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
Jesus described people who will claim to know Him but are ultimately rejected.
Though they performed religious works, their hearts were not genuinely transformed.
Summary: These are not instances of people losing their salvation; rather, they were never truly saved to begin with.
Throughout Scripture, we find examples of individuals who outwardly appeared to follow God but were ultimately revealed to lack genuine faith.
These examples serve as sobering reminders that true salvation goes beyond external actions or appearances.
Judas Iscariot: Though he was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, Judas’ betrayal revealed that his heart was never truly transformed.
He walked closely with Jesus but ultimately chose to reject Him.
Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9-24): Simon appeared to believe and was even baptized, but his desire to buy the power of the Holy Spirit exposed his lack of true repentance and faith.
Demas (2 Timothy 4:10): Once a companion of Paul in ministry, Demas deserted the faith because he was in love with the present world, showing that his commitment to Christ was shallow and temporary.
True salvation is more than outward appearances or actions—it requires a transformed heart and genuine faith.
As Jesus taught, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). A changed life is evidence of a changed heart.
Some people question their salvation because they struggle with sin or don’t feel “spiritual enough.”
Here’s a helpful way to evaluate:
If, however, there is no witness of the Holy Spirit’s in you—no conviction of sin, no desire to grow in faith—it’s worth reflecting on whether you have truly surrendered your life to Christ.
Can you lose your salvation?
The answer is no—if you are truly saved.
When someone rejects the faith and ultimately ends up separated from God for eternity, it’s not a matter of losing salvation.
Instead, it reveals that they were never truly saved to begin with.
As long as someone is alive, there is still hope.
We can pray that they will turn back to Christ and experience His redeeming grace.
Our responsibility is to focus on our own walk with God, not stifling the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19), but instead working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
This means actively engaging in the process of sanctification to become more like Christ.
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