Jennifer Rothnie Supporter Housewife, Artist, Perpetually Curious

"Lose your salvation" is a fuzzy phrase, so the answer (yes or no) will depend on how you define that term.

Imagine you have signed a contract. In particular, you have signed your name onto the New Covenant (aka the New Testament) - a legal document in which Christ fulfills all terms and obligations. The reward for this agreement, to be paid in the future, is eternal life. For signing this contract, you received a down payment of your future inheritance - the Holy Spirit.

Nothing can make you "lose" this contract - no earthly lawyer, no hurricane, no demonic forces, etc.

However, can you cancel your agreement? Can you remove your name and return the spirit? It is this question that Heb 6:4-6, Heb 10:19-30, and other passages address.

Heb 6:1-6 This passage is speaking to Christians seeking to grow into maturity (Heb 6:1-3). It specifically sets up that this lesson is moving past the basic teachings of Christianity. It is the author's "advanced class" Bible study - he is not addressing unbelievers or even new believers, but people who *should* have a good handle on their Christian faith by now (yet are still struggling with the basics).

In fact, they are the people of Heb 6:4 - they have seen the light (II Cor 4:6), they have ate of the heavenly gift (John 6:33), they have shared in the Holy Spirit (I Cor 12:13, II Peter 1:4, Eph 3:6, Heb 3:14, Col 1:12, Phil 1:7, Eph 4:4, etc), who have tasted the goodness of the word of God (Psalm 38:4) and shared in spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:4), and have repented (Acts 2:38).

Paul's stern warning is that there is no "do over" if one repents and is baptized in Christ, but then later returns to slavery to sin [Heb 4:6 ' parapipto' to fall from close beside or desert]. One can't have Christ "re-cover" their sins a second time, since Christ only died once. (Num 20:6-13). Just as God chided Moses for dishonoring Him in the sight of Israel by striking the rock twice (implying through his actions that Christ needed to die twice), so Paul warns the Christians that asking Christ to die twice would dishonor Christ in the sight of man.

As such, going back to the contract metaphor, if we rip up our own contract and reject its seal (the Holy Spirit), how can we expect to receive our inheritance when the time of the contract is up (Christ's return)? Does God give partial credit? [No, He asks us to continually abide, continually believe, etc. Those who do not remain, but rather leave, are thrown out and burned]. Can we ask Christ to sign a new-new covenant with us, because we tore up the first one? Can we ask Christ to die again to re-cover our sins because His first death 'wasn't enough'?

Fortunately, defecting from Christ is very different than our continual struggle with sin, doubt, selfishness, rebelliousness, etc. (Rom 7:7-25 vs.) The church needs to come around believers who are struggling to help them, or in extreme cases hand them over to satan to be tested as to whether or not their faith will endure. (Jude 1:22, I Tim 1:18-20, Luke 15:11-31) We rarely know if someone has apostatized vs. Just faltering through a trial.

From God's perspective, He "never knew" those who believe for a time then fall away. (Mark 4:19, Matt 21:15-23) Rather, He blots their name from the book of life as if they were never there. (Rev 3:5) From man's perspective, we can indeed believe for a time and be delivered from sin - but if we do not remain, abide, continue, endure, etc, and give up the Holy Spirit...then we cannot expect to receive salvation from the second death and to receive eternal life when Christ comes in His glory. (John 15:1-8, II Peter 1:3-11, 1 John 5:1-5, etc) Belief is continuous!

July 04 2014 • 6 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

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