Essay:When Scripture Challenges What We Have Always Believed (Nehemiah Maxwell)

Can a Christian Who Was Truly Saved Later Turn Away from Christ and Be Lost?

A Personal Biblical Essay by Nehemiah Maxwell

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV).

Introduction: What If He Really Was Saved?

Suppose a man gives his life to Jesus Christ.

He believes the gospel, begins following the Lord, and serves Him faithfully for many years.

But somewhere along the way, something changes.

His heart begins to grow cold. He stops praying. He loses interest in God's Word. Little by little, he returns to the life he once left behind.

Eventually, he turns his back on Christ altogether. He no longer believes, no longer follows the Lord, and dies in that condition.

What happens to that man?

Some Christians say that if he was truly saved, he could never be lost.

Others say that because he turned away and never returned, he must not have been truly saved in the first place.

But here is the question I want us to consider:

What if he really was saved?

What if he genuinely believed in Jesus Christ, experienced the work of God in his life, and later turned away?

Does the Bible teach that such a thing is impossible?

That is the question before us.

For many years, Christians have disagreed about a teaching commonly called once saved, always saved. The teaching is also known as eternal security.

Not everyone who believes in eternal security explains it the same way.

Some believe that a person who has truly been saved will certainly continue in faith until the end. If someone permanently turns away from Christ, they believe that person was never truly saved.

Others believe that once a person has genuinely received salvation, that salvation can never be lost, even if the person later abandons the faith.

I do not believe either explanation fully accounts for the warnings we find in Scripture.

But I am not asking you to agree with me simply because I say so.

I want us to open the Bible and examine what it says.

And before we begin, let me make something clear.

I believe salvation is entirely by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot earn it through good works.

I also do not believe that every time a Christian sins, he loses his salvation.

Peter denied Jesus three times. Yet Jesus restored him.

There is a difference between a Christian who falls into sin and a person who deliberately turns away from Christ and rejects the faith.

It is that second situation we are examining.

So let us begin with the words of Jesus Himself.

1. What Did Jesus Mean When He Spoke About Judas?

Shortly before His arrest, Jesus prayed to the Father.

In John 17:12, He said:

"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled."

The son of perdition was Judas Iscariot.

Notice what Jesus said:

"None of them is lost, but the son of perdition."

That statement raises a question.

Why did Jesus mention Judas while speaking about those He had kept?

Judas was one of the twelve apostles. He traveled with Jesus, heard His teaching, and took part in the ministry.

Yet he eventually betrayed the Lord.

Now we must be careful.

John 6:64 tells us that Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe and who would betray Him. John 6:70 records Jesus calling one of the Twelve a devil. John 13:10–11 also makes a distinction between Judas and the disciples who were clean.

These passages give us strong reasons to believe that Judas never possessed genuine saving faith.

So I would not use Judas alone to argue that a truly saved person can lose salvation.

The Bible does not establish that Judas was once born again.

But his story raises an important question.

Does every person who eventually turns away from Christ fall into the same category as Judas?

Can we say that every person who abandons the faith was never saved?

To answer that question, we must look at other passages that speak directly about believers, unbelief, and turning away from God.

2. God Knowing the Future Does Not Settle the Question

Someone might say, "But Jesus knew Judas would betray Him."

Of course He did.

God knows the end from the beginning.

But God's knowledge of what a person will eventually do does not, by itself, tell us whether that person was ever genuinely saved.

Think about it.

Suppose someone follows Christ for twenty years and then turns away.

One person says, "He was never saved."

Another says, "He was saved, but he later abandoned his faith."

God knows the truth about that person's heart.

We do not.

So we cannot settle the question simply by saying that God knew the person would turn away.

We need to examine what the Bible teaches about the possibility of falling away.

And that brings us to one of the strongest promises Jesus ever made.

3. Can Anyone Take Us Out of Jesus' Hand?

In John 10:27–29, Jesus said:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

What a wonderful promise!

I believe every word of it.

No devil can overpower Jesus.

No enemy can defeat Him.

No one is stronger than the Father.

Our salvation does not depend upon our ability to defeat the powers of darkness. Jesus is more than able to keep those who belong to Him.

But notice something about the people Jesus is describing.

He says:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

His sheep hear His voice.

They follow Him.

Now here is the question.

Does Jesus' promise that no one can take His sheep out of His hand also mean that someone who genuinely believed can never deliberately turn away from Him?

Being taken away by an enemy and turning away through unbelief are not necessarily the same thing.

Christians who believe in eternal security answer that God's promise includes keeping genuine believers faithful to the end.

I understand their argument.

But I also believe we must consider the warnings Jesus and the apostles gave about continuing in faith.

We cannot take one promise and use it to silence another passage of Scripture.

The same Jesus who promises to protect His sheep also tells His disciples to remain in Him.

We will examine that command shortly.

First, I want us to turn to the book of Hebrews.

4. Why Does Hebrews Warn Brethren About Departing from God?

This is where I want you to pay especially close attention.

Turn to Hebrews chapter 3.

Before we examine the warning, notice whom the writer is addressing.

Hebrews 3:1 says:

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus."

Did you notice those words?

"Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling."

Now look at Hebrews 3:6:

"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."

Notice the words:

"If we hold fast."

The writer is speaking about continuing in faith until the end.

Then he reminds his readers of what happened to Israel in the wilderness.

God delivered the Israelites from Egypt. They saw His mighty works. Yet many hardened their hearts and refused to believe Him.

Because of their unbelief, they did not enter the promised rest.

Now listen to the warning in Hebrews 3:12:

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

I want you to read that again.

Who is being warned?

Brethren.

What are they warned against?

An evil heart of unbelief.

And what is the danger?

"Departing from the living God."

Now think about that.

The writer does not simply say, "Be careful that you don't discover you were never saved."

He warns his readers about developing an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God.

He also tells them to encourage one another daily so that their hearts will not become hardened by sin.

Then Hebrews 3:14 says:

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end."

There it is again.

"If we hold."

Now someone who believes in once saved, always saved may respond:

"Yes, but continuing in faith is what proves a person was genuinely saved. God uses these warnings to keep His people faithful."

That is a serious explanation, and I do not dismiss it.

But here is the question I believe we must face.

Is the writer warning genuine believers about something that could actually happen to them, or is he describing something God will never allow to happen to anyone who has truly been saved?

The warning itself is clear.

Do not harden your heart.

Do not give unbelief a place in your life.

Do not turn away from the living God.

Hebrews 3:19 tells us why the Israelites failed to enter:

"So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

Not because God lacked power.

Not because God was unfaithful.

But because of unbelief.

And I believe every Christian should take that warning seriously.

5. What About Those Who Experienced God's Power and Then Fell Away?

Now turn to Hebrews 6:4–6.

This is another passage that deserves careful attention.

The writer describes people who had experienced remarkable spiritual blessings.

He says they had been enlightened. They had tasted the heavenly gift. They had become partakers of the Holy Ghost. They had tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come.

Then he speaks about their falling away.

Now I want to ask you something.

Who are these people?

Are we simply talking about people who attended church?

People who heard a few sermons?

People who knew Christian language but never experienced anything real?

The writer describes much more than ordinary church attendance.

He speaks about people who had experienced the things of God in a profound way.

Now, those who believe in eternal security often explain that these people experienced spiritual blessings without ever being truly born again.

That is one possible understanding. The Bible does show us that people can have religious experiences without genuine salvation.

But I want us to look carefully at what Hebrews actually says.

They were enlightened.

They tasted the heavenly gift.

They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.

And then the writer speaks of falling away.

Can we simply assume that none of these people had ever been saved?

I do not believe we should make that assumption without carefully examining the passage.

Christians have disagreed about Hebrews 6 for centuries. I recognize that.

But whatever position we take, the warning is extremely serious.

The writer is not encouraging people to become careless about their relationship with Christ.

He is warning them about turning away.

And when we read Hebrews 6 alongside Hebrews 3, we begin to see why the subject deserves our closest attention.

But now we come to a passage that I believe presents an even stronger challenge.

6. He Was Sanctified by the Blood—and Yet Turned Against It

I want you to give this passage your closest attention.

Hebrews 10:28–29 says:

"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

There is a great deal in those verses.

The writer is describing someone who has treated Jesus Christ with contempt.

He has trampled underfoot the Son of God.

He has treated the blood of the covenant as something unholy.

He has insulted the Spirit of grace.

But there is one statement I especially want you to notice.

"Wherewith he was sanctified."

Sanctified.

What does that word mean?

To be sanctified means to be set apart for God. In the New Testament, it often describes what Christ does for those who belong to Him.

Now look carefully at what Hebrews says.

The writer speaks about someone who was sanctified by the blood of the covenant.

Yet that same person is described as treating that blood with contempt.

How are we to understand that?

Before answering, let us look earlier in the same chapter.

Hebrews 10:10 says:

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Then Hebrews 10:14 says:

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

Did you notice the repeated word?

Sanctified.

Now return to verse 29:

"Wherewith he was sanctified."

Here is my question.

When the writer says believers are sanctified through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in verses 10 and 14, we understand that he is speaking about the wonderful work Christ has done for us.

Why, then, should we automatically assume that the person described as sanctified in verse 29 was never genuinely saved?

That question deserves an answer.

Now I recognize that Christians who believe in eternal security have explanations for this passage.

Some believe the person was set apart through his connection with God's people without ever being truly born again.

Others have suggested that the words refer to Christ Himself being sanctified, although the more natural reading appears to refer to the person being warned about.

These explanations deserve consideration.

But I believe there is a strong case that the writer is describing someone who had truly been set apart through the blood of Christ and later turned against Him.

If that is correct, we are looking at a very serious warning.

Now someone may ask, "But doesn't Hebrews 10:14 say Christ has perfected forever those who are sanctified?"

Yes, it does.

And I believe Christ's sacrifice is completely sufficient.

Nothing needs to be added to what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

But look at Hebrews 10:26:

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins."

Notice the words:

"If we sin wilfully."

The writer includes himself among those being warned.

And when we read the passage in context, he is not simply talking about a Christian who commits a sin, feels convicted, and repents.

He is warning about a deliberate rejection of Christ and His sacrifice.

Think about it.

If a person rejects the only sacrifice that can save him, where else can he go for forgiveness?

There is no other Savior.

There is no other sacrifice.

There is no other way to the Father.

Now let us return to the evidence.

The writer describes someone who was sanctified by the blood of the covenant.

That person later treats the blood with contempt.

And the writer warns of terrible judgment.

How can we simply dismiss the possibility that the person was once genuinely saved?

I believe Hebrews 10:29 is one of the strongest passages challenging the teaching that a truly saved person can never turn away and be lost.

I know others understand it differently.

But the words are still there.

"Wherewith he was sanctified."

We must account for those words.

We cannot simply pass over them because they do not fit comfortably with what we have always believed.

7. Why Did Jesus Say, "Abide in Me"?

Now let us return to the words of Jesus.

In John 15:4, He said:

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

The word abide means to remain or continue.

Jesus is the vine.

His disciples are the branches.

A branch receives life through its connection to the vine.

Now listen to John 15:6:

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

That is a serious statement.

Jesus tells His disciples to remain in Him.

Then He describes what happens to a branch that does not remain.

Some Christians understand the branches that are thrown away as people who were never truly saved but only appeared to belong to Christ.

I understand that explanation.

But I want you to consider another possibility.

What if Jesus is warning His disciples about the danger of failing to continue in Him?

What if the command to abide is exactly what it sounds like—a serious call to remain in a living relationship with Christ?

Those who believe in eternal security may answer that God uses this command to keep true believers faithful.

But whatever explanation we give, one thing is certain.

Jesus did not tell His disciples to trust in a decision they made years earlier while ignoring their present relationship with Him.

He told them:

"Abide in me."

And I believe we should take those words seriously.

8. Jesus Spoke to His Churches: Repent, Hold Fast, and Overcome

There is something I want you to see in the book of Revelation.

In chapters 2 and 3, Jesus Christ speaks directly to seven churches.

Notice that carefully. He is speaking to His churches.

He is not addressing the unbelieving world. He is addressing congregations gathered in His name.

And what does He tell them?

He commands them to repent.

He commands them to hold fast.

He commands them to remain faithful.

And repeatedly, He speaks about overcoming.

Now I want you to pay attention to what Jesus actually says.

The Church at Ephesus

In Revelation 2:5, Jesus says:

"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."

This was a church that had labored, endured, and stood against false teachers.

Yet Jesus told them they had left their first love.

And He commanded them to repent.

The warning about removing their candlestick concerns the church's standing as a congregation. By itself, it does not establish that an individual believer loses salvation.

But it does establish something important.

Jesus did not treat their past faithfulness as a reason to ignore their present spiritual condition.

The Church at Smyrna

In Revelation 2:10, Jesus says:

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

Then in verse 11:

"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."

Notice the connection.

Faithfulness.

Overcoming.

The crown of life.

Deliverance from the second death.

These are not small matters.

Jesus is speaking about faithfulness in the face of suffering and death.

And He calls His people to remain faithful to the end.

The Church at Thyatira

Now listen to Revelation 2:25–26:

"But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations."

There it is again.

"Hold fast till I come."

And:

"He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end."

Why does Jesus place such emphasis on holding fast and continuing until the end?

Why not simply tell them that because they once believed, their final condition could never be in danger?

Instead, He commands them to hold fast.

The Church at Sardis: What About the Rest?

Now we come to something I want you to examine very carefully.

In Revelation 3:1, Jesus tells the church at Sardis:

"I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."

Think about that.

This was a church with a reputation for being alive. But Jesus knew its true spiritual condition.

He commanded them to be watchful, strengthen what remained, remember what they had received, hold fast, and repent.

But now notice something very important.

In Revelation 3:4, Jesus says:

"Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy."

A few.

Let that sink in.

Jesus identifies a few people in this church who had not defiled their garments.

And what does He say about them?

"They shall walk with me in white."

Now I want to ask you something.

If Jesus specifically identifies these few and promises that they will walk with Him in white, what about the rest?

What about those who had defiled their garments?

What about those who were spiritually asleep?

What about those who refused to repent?

Why does Jesus make a distinction between the few who remained faithful and the others?

And notice what He says next.

Revelation 3:5:

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."

There is that word again.

Overcometh.

Jesus promises white garments to the one who overcomes.

He promises not to blot out that person's name from the book of life.

And He promises to confess that person's name before His Father.

Now let us consider the evidence.

Jesus did not tell the entire congregation that they would walk with Him in white regardless of their response.

He singled out the faithful few.

He called the others to repent.

And He directed His promise to the one who overcomes.

Does this passage explicitly tell us that every unfaithful member of Sardis had once been genuinely saved? No.

Does it explicitly say that the names of genuinely saved people will be blotted out? No. The statement is a promise to those who overcome.

But neither does Jesus tell us that every unfaithful member of Sardis had never been saved.

What He does tell us is that their spiritual condition matters, repentance is necessary, and His promise is directed to those who overcome.

That is the testimony before us.

Someone may argue that everyone who ultimately fails to overcome was never genuinely saved.

But that explanation must be established from Scripture. We cannot simply assume it whenever we encounter a warning that challenges unconditional eternal security.

And here is the question I want to leave before the reader:

If Jesus distinguishes between those who remain faithful and those who do not, and calls the unfaithful to repentance, on what biblical grounds should we assure someone that permanently turning away from Christ can never endanger his salvation?

I believe the warning to Sardis gives us serious reason to reject that assurance.

And remember who is speaking.

This is Jesus Christ addressing His church.

He is not telling them to depend upon their past reputation.

He is calling them to wake up, repent, hold fast, and overcome.

And I believe we should take His words exactly as seriously as He intended.

The Church at Philadelphia

In Revelation 3:11, Jesus says:

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."

Again, notice the command.

"Hold that fast which thou hast."

Even to a church Jesus commends for its faithfulness, He gives a command to hold fast.

The Church at Laodicea

And then there is Laodicea.

Jesus rebukes this church for being lukewarm.

In Revelation 3:19, He says:

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

Then in verse 21:

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Once again, Jesus speaks about overcoming.

Now Let Us Consider the Evidence

We have heard the testimony.

Jesus was speaking to His churches.

He commanded them to repent.

He commanded them to hold fast.

He commanded them to remain faithful.

He commanded them to overcome.

And He connected His promises to those who overcome.

These were not casual suggestions. These were solemn words from the risen Christ.

Now here is the question:

If remaining faithful until the end is so important that Jesus repeatedly warns His churches about it, on what biblical grounds should we tell someone that turning away from Christ can never place his salvation in danger?

That question deserves a biblical answer.

Someone may respond that the true believer will certainly overcome because God will preserve him.

I understand that position.

And I recognize that a church congregation may include people who were never genuinely saved.

But those observations do not remove the seriousness of what Jesus commanded.

They do not erase the warnings.

They do not change His repeated call to overcome.

And when we place these words beside Hebrews 3, Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, and John 15, I believe the evidence becomes even stronger.

Jesus tells His disciples to abide in Him.

The writer of Hebrews warns brethren against departing from the living God.

And the risen Christ repeatedly commands His churches to hold fast and overcome.

These passages belong together.

Now let me make one final observation.

These are the words of Jesus Christ Himself.

That does not mean the words of Paul, Peter, or the other inspired writers carry less authority. All Scripture is God's Word.

But here we are hearing the risen Lord directly addressing His churches.

And His message is unmistakable.

Repent.

Hold fast.

Remain faithful.

Overcome.

I believe these commands strengthen the case that genuine faith must continue and that turning away from Christ is a danger no believer should dismiss.

I am not presenting this argument to frighten Christians who sincerely love the Lord and are struggling to walk faithfully with Him.

I am presenting it because I believe we must take the warnings of Jesus as seriously as we take His promises.

The Lord who promises eternal life is the same Lord who commands His people to overcome.

And we have no right to ignore either His promises or His warnings.

9. They Escaped the World—and Then Returned to It

Now consider 2 Peter 2:20–21.

Peter describes people who escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

But something terrible happened.

They became entangled in that corruption again.

Listen to verse 20:

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."

Notice what Peter says.

They escaped.

They became entangled again.

They were overcome.

And their final condition was worse than before.

Now here is the question.

How did they escape the corruption of the world?

Peter says it was through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Those are serious words.

Now, Peter goes on to compare these people to a dog returning to its vomit and a washed pig returning to the mud.

Some Christians believe these illustrations show that the people were never truly changed inside.

That is an argument worth considering.

But we must also consider Peter's earlier description.

They had escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of Christ.

Then they returned.

And their final condition became worse.

I believe this passage deserves a place in our discussion because it warns us against returning to the very life from which Christ has delivered us.

A past experience with the things of God must never become an excuse for present rebellion.

10. Can Someone Really Fall from Grace?

Listen to what Paul says in Galatians 5:4:

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."

Did you notice that?

"Ye are fallen from grace."

Paul was dealing with people who were being persuaded to rely upon the law of Moses rather than Christ for their acceptance before God.

Earlier, in Galatians 3:3, he asked:

"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

Think about that question.

They had begun in the Spirit.

Now they were being tempted to turn away from trusting Christ and depend upon their own efforts.

Paul was deeply concerned.

Why?

Because the gospel is not about earning our way to heaven.

It is about what Jesus Christ has done for us.

Now we should remember that Paul was writing to churches. He does not tell us the exact spiritual condition of every individual receiving his letter.

But his warning remains serious.

What happens when someone turns away from trusting Christ and begins looking somewhere else for salvation?

Paul does not treat that as a small matter.

Neither should we.

11. Paul Said, "You Stand by Faith"

Now turn to Romans 11:20–22.

Paul says:

"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear."

Then he warns:

"For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee."

And he continues:

"Toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

Notice those words.

"Thou standest by faith."

"If thou continue."

"Otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

Now, Paul is speaking about Israel and the Gentiles in God's plan. His illustration of the branches concerns groups of people as well as the question of faith.

So we should not pretend that this passage, by itself, settles whether an individual can lose salvation.

But notice the warning.

Paul tells his readers not to become proud.

He reminds them that they stand by faith.

And he warns them about the danger of unbelief.

Does that sound like a message encouraging people to become careless about their relationship with God?

Of course not.

Paul calls them to humility and continued trust in the Lord.

12. What Happens When a Righteous Person Turns Away?

There is another passage I want us to consider.

This one is in the Old Testament.

Ezekiel 18:24 teaches that a righteous person who turns away from righteousness and practices wickedness faces judgment.

God was speaking to Israel about righteousness, wickedness, repentance, and judgment.

We must remember that this passage comes from the Old Testament and should not automatically be treated as a direct explanation of how New Testament salvation works.

But notice the principle.

God speaks about a righteous person turning away from righteousness.

His former righteousness does not give him permission to live in rebellion without consequences.

Ezekiel 33:12–13 gives a similar warning.

Now I am not suggesting that Ezekiel alone proves a Christian can lose salvation.

But I am saying that throughout Scripture, God repeatedly warns people against trusting in their past while turning away from Him in the present.

And that is a warning worth remembering.

13. What About Those Who "Went Out from Us"?

Now we come to an important passage often used to defend once saved, always saved.

First John 2:19 says:

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us."

Let us be fair to what John says.

He is speaking about people who left the Christian community and opposed the truth about Jesus Christ.

John says their departure revealed that they were not truly part of the believing community.

I accept that.

But now I want to ask a question.

Does this mean that every person who ever turns away from Christ was never genuinely saved?

That is the important question.

John is describing particular people who left and revealed that they did not truly belong.

Those who believe in eternal security understand his words as teaching a principle that applies to everyone who finally abandons the faith.

But is that the only possible way to understand the passage?

I do not believe so.

John tells us something about the people he is describing.

Hebrews warns brethren against departing from the living God.

We must allow both passages to speak.

We should not take John's words about one group of people and automatically assume they settle every possible situation involving someone who turns away from Christ.

The Bible must be allowed to explain itself.

14. If God Keeps Us, Why Are We Warned to Continue?

Someone might ask me:

"Are you saying that keeping our salvation depends upon our own strength?"

No.

Absolutely not.

I believe we are saved by God's grace, and we depend upon that grace every day.

Listen to Philippians 1:6:

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

What a wonderful promise of God's faithfulness!

But now look at Philippians 2:12–13:

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Notice how these truths go together.

God is working in us.

And we are called to respond to His work.

God gives us grace.

And we are called to walk in faith and obedience.

There is no contradiction between depending upon God's grace and taking His warnings seriously.

Now this brings us to something important.

Christians who believe in eternal security often say, "All true believers endure to the end."

I agree that believers must endure to the end.

But that does not answer the question we are discussing.

The question is not whether Christians must continue in faith. The question is whether everyone who has genuinely believed is guaranteed to continue, or whether someone can later turn away through unbelief.

Those are two different things.

Some Christians believe God guarantees that every truly saved person will continue.

I believe Scripture warns us that a genuine believer can turn away and be lost.

That is where our disagreement lies.

15. Can Anything Separate Us from God's Love?

Now let us consider another wonderful promise.

Romans 8:38–39 says:

"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."

I love this passage.

It reminds us that God's love is greater than anything this world can bring against us.

No enemy can overpower Him.

No hardship can defeat His love.

No created power can force God to abandon His children.

Those who believe in eternal security point to this passage, along with the rest of Romans 8, as strong evidence that God will bring every truly saved person safely to the end.

That is a serious argument.

But here is the question I would ask.

Is Paul saying that no power can take us away from God's love, or is he also saying that a person who genuinely believes can never choose to abandon faith in Christ?

Some Christians believe the passage guarantees both.

Others believe Paul is assuring believers that nothing can defeat God's saving love, without directly answering the question of someone deliberately turning away through unbelief.

We must examine the passage in its full context.

But one thing is certain.

God's promises are wonderful.

And His warnings are serious.

Both come from the same Lord.

We should not ignore either one.

16. Salvation Is by Grace—But We Must Continue in Faith

Now someone may say:

"If you believe a Christian must continue in faith, aren't you teaching salvation by works?"

No.

Not at all.

Ephesians 2:8–9 says:

"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."

I believe that completely.

We cannot save ourselves.

We cannot earn forgiveness.

We cannot work our way into heaven.

Jesus Christ is our Savior.

But now listen to Colossians 1:21–23.

Paul is speaking to people who had once been separated from God but had now been brought near through the death of Jesus Christ.

Then he says:

"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel."

Did you notice that?

"If ye continue in the faith."

Paul does not say that they must earn salvation through their good works.

He speaks about continuing in the faith.

There is a difference.

We are saved by trusting in Jesus Christ, not by trusting in ourselves.

And the Bible repeatedly calls us to continue trusting Him.

Those who believe in eternal security say that every truly saved person will certainly continue.

I believe the warnings of Scripture show that continuing in faith is necessary and that turning away is a real danger.

But whichever position someone holds, we should all agree on this:

A past profession of faith should never become an excuse for abandoning Christ in the present.

17. What Do All These Warnings Tell Us?

We have examined many passages.

Now I want us to consider what they say when we put them together.

Hebrews 3 warns brethren about an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God.

Hebrews 6 describes people who experienced remarkable spiritual blessings and then speaks of falling away.

Hebrews 10 speaks about someone who was sanctified by the blood of the covenant and later treated that blood with contempt.

Jesus tells His disciples to abide in Him.

And in Revelation, the risen Christ speaks directly to His churches.

He commands them to repent.

He commands them to hold fast.

He commands them to overcome.

In Sardis, He identifies a few who have not defiled their garments and promises that they will walk with Him in white.

Then He promises the one who overcomes that his name will not be blotted out of the book of life.

Peter describes people who escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of Christ but became entangled again.

Paul warns about falling from grace.

He warns against unbelief.

And he tells believers to continue in the faith.

Now I want to ask you something.

Can we explain all these warnings simply by saying that anyone who finally turns away from Christ was never saved in the first place?

I understand why some Christians believe that.

They believe that when God truly saves someone, He guarantees that person's faith will continue until the end.

But when I read these passages together, I see something that troubles me about that explanation.

The warnings are directed toward people who are spoken of as brethren, as partakers, and as those who have experienced the work of God.

And Jesus Himself speaks to His churches about repentance, faithfulness, and overcoming.

I cannot simply dismiss these warnings by assuming that every person who falls away must never have been saved.

I believe Scripture gives us reason to take seriously the possibility that a person who genuinely believed can later turn away from Christ through unbelief.

That is why I reject the teaching that salvation, once genuinely received, can never be lost under any circumstances.

Not because I doubt God's power.

Not because I believe we can earn salvation.

And not because I think every Christian who struggles with sin is lost.

I reject it because I believe the Bible warns that turning away from Christ is a real danger, even for those who have genuinely believed.

That is the conclusion I have reached from studying these passages.

I know that other sincere Christians reach a different conclusion.

But I believe we must all be willing to examine the Scriptures carefully.

18. Are We Willing to Let Scripture Correct Us?

Now I want to return to the question with which we began.

What do we do when Scripture challenges something we have believed for many years?

Perhaps your pastor taught you a particular doctrine.

Perhaps your parents believed it.

Perhaps you have heard respected Bible teachers explain it for decades.

And perhaps you have never seriously questioned it.

But what happens when you come across passages that seem to challenge that teaching?

Do you examine them carefully?

Or do you immediately look for an explanation that will allow you to keep believing exactly what you have always believed?

I believe that is a question every Christian should ask.

And let me make something clear.

I am not suggesting that everyone who disagrees with me is refusing to follow Scripture.

There are sincere, Bible-believing Christians on both sides of this question.

But sincerity alone does not make an interpretation correct.

We must examine God's Word.

Acts 17:11 tells us about the Bereans.

They listened to the message being preached, but they also searched the Scriptures daily to see whether what they were hearing was true.

What a wonderful example!

They did not simply reject a message because it challenged them.

But neither did they accept something merely because a respected teacher said it.

They examined the Scriptures.

And that is what I am asking us to do.

No pastor knows everything.

No Bible teacher is right about everything.

No denomination has a perfect understanding of every passage.

And neither do I.

That is why we must remain willing to learn.

If what we believe is true, careful Bible study should strengthen our confidence.

But if we discover that something we have believed is not supported by Scripture, we should be willing to change.

Our loyalty must be to the Word of God, not simply to what we have always been taught.

Conclusion: What Does the Scripture Say?

We have reached the end of this discussion.

But I do not want you to walk away simply remembering that someone argued against once saved, always saved.

I want you to remember the Scriptures.

Remember the warning in Hebrews 3:

"Take heed, brethren."

Remember the people described in Hebrews 6 who were enlightened and made partakers of the Holy Ghost.

Remember the words of Hebrews 10:

"Wherewith he was sanctified."

Remember the command of Jesus in John 15:

"Abide in me."

And remember what Jesus said to His churches in Revelation.

To Ephesus, He commanded repentance.

To Smyrna, He said to be faithful unto death.

To Thyatira, He said to hold fast until He comes.

To Philadelphia, He commanded them to hold fast.

And to Sardis, He spoke about a few who had not defiled their garments.

A few.

Those few, He said, would walk with Him in white.

And to the one who overcomes, He promised that his name would not be blotted out of the book of life.

Now I want to ask you one final question.

If Jesus Himself distinguishes between those who remain faithful and those who do not, and repeatedly calls His churches to repent, hold fast, and overcome, on what biblical grounds should we assure someone that permanently turning away from Christ can never endanger his salvation?

That question deserves more than a familiar religious saying.

It deserves an answer from Scripture.

The Lord who promises eternal life is the same Lord who warns against turning away.

The Lord who keeps His sheep is the same Lord who commands them to abide in Him.

And the Lord who calls His people by His name is the same Lord who commands them to overcome.

We cannot faithfully receive His promises while dismissing His warnings.

I believe these passages, taken together, make a strong biblical case that genuine believers must continue in faith and that turning away from Christ through settled unbelief is a real danger.

That is why I do not believe unconditional eternal security is supported by the full testimony of Scripture.

But I am not asking you to accept my conclusion simply because I have presented it.

Read the passages.

Examine their context.

Consider the explanations offered by those who understand them differently.

And above all, listen to the words of Jesus Christ.

There is one more thing I want to say.

These warnings are not meant to make every sincere Christian live in constant fear of losing salvation.

If you are struggling with sin, do not give up.

If you have fallen, turn to Christ in repentance.

If you are weak, remember that His grace is sufficient.

If you are weary, draw near to Him.

Our confidence is not in our own strength.

Our confidence is in Jesus Christ.

But we must never use that confidence as an excuse to turn away from Him.

So let me leave you with the question that should guide every Christian whenever Scripture challenges a long-held belief.

Not what has my denomination always taught?

Not what have my favorite Bible teachers always believed?

Not what explanation makes me feel most comfortable?

But this:

What does the Scripture say?

And when Scripture speaks, may we have the humility to listen, the courage to examine what we believe, and the faith to follow Jesus Christ wherever His Word leads us.

Because in the end, the question is not whether we have successfully defended a doctrine.

The question is whether we have faithfully submitted ourselves to the truth of God.

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Author: Nehemiah Maxwell

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV).