Salvation is the greatest gift ever bestowed upon human beings, but is it possible to lose this precious gift? Once we are saved are we always saved?

In the Bible there are always two groups of people; the wicked who do not have salvation, and the righteous who do have salvation.

Is it possible for a righteous person to forsake his righteousness and become a wicked person? Let the bible explain…

Ezekiel 33:12-20

33:12   “Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 

  33:13   When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 

  33:14   Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 

  33:15   If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

  33:16   None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. 

  33:17   Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 

  33:18   When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 

  33:19   But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. 

  33:20   Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

This passage of scripture is very clear. “The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression...neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.”  When the righteous sin all their righteousness will not be remembered, he shall die in his sin. But if he is truly repentant, restoring the pledge, give back what he has robbed from God, walking in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity or sin; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

So it is possible for a righteous person to commit iniquity and, if he does not repent and renew his pledge then he shall receive the penalty of the wicked.

Another chapter in Ezekiel that says basically the same thing is Ezekiel 18:21-29

 18:21   But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

  18:22   All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 

  18:23   Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? 

  18:24   But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 

  18:25   Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 

  18:26   When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. 

  18:27   Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 

  18:28   Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

  18:29   Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? 

The Bible could not get any clearer on this topic. It clearly states that when a righteous person doeth all according to the wicked he shall die in his sin. Unless of course he is truly sorry for his sins and repents before the Lord.

2 Peter

 2:20   “For if after they” (righteous people) “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. 

  2:21   For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 

  2:22   But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire”

Peter says that if  a person gains a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and knows the way of the righteous it is worse for him if he turns back to his wickedness, than before when he had not heard Jesus and known the way of the righteous.

Therefore he has hardened his heart against God and it is harder than before to turn from his wicked ways to the way of the righteous.

But what about bible verses like this?

John

  10:28   “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 

  10:29   My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” 

Eternal life is only promised to those that “Keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17)

Even when we keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, our freedom of choice is not taken away from us as Ezekiel says it is still possible for a righteous person to do all according to the wicked man. John 10:28-29 is saying is that no one can pluck us out of the hand of God or that no one can separate us from the love of God.  But God does not take away our freedom of choice. It is still possible for us to forsake the way of the righteous.

In summary:

· The righteous have salvation and the wicked do not have salvation

· If a wicked person does that which is lawful and right, then he shall surely live

· But if the righteous commit iniquity he shall die thereby. He shall receive the penalty of the wicked

· Therefore a righteous person can become a wicked person

· It is worse for someone who has known the way of the righteous to turn back to his wicked ways. He hardens his heart against God and it will be harder for him to accept the way of the righteous again. But remember with God all things are possible

· Eternal life is only promised to those that “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”

If you have any Questions don’t hesitate to email at: questions@echothevoiceofgod.com

 

 

Salvation, can we Lose it?