"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:18)

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)

1. "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." (Luke 8:11-15. See also Matthew 13:18-23 and Mark 4:13-20)

   Notice that there are four groups of people described in this parable. The first group represents all unbelievers, from whom the devil has snatched the Word of God so that they won't believe and be saved. The second group of people are those who believe for awhile, but when they are tested they fall away. Some Bible teachers say that this group believed with their minds but not with their hearts, and therefore they never received salvation. However, notice how Jesus described the first and second groups. Jesus said that the first group was not saved because they did not believe, but He said that the second group did believe until they fell away. Jesus did not qualify this by saying that they only believed with their minds, but instead He referred to them as believers. Therefore, some Bible teachers say that these are people who were saved, but they fell away from the faith and lost their salvation. The third group of people are those who hear the Word, but they are so caught up in worldly things that the Word of God becomes "choked" within them. This comes from a Greek word that can also be translated as "strangled" or "suffocated" (according to Strong's Greek Dictionary). These words convey the idea of death, not the abundant life that we have in Christ. There is some debate among scholars about whether these are simply immature Christians, or whether these people are even saved at all. The fourth group represents true, mature believers, who retain the Word and produce a crop by persevering.
   
   So in this parable we have one group (group #1) which represents all unbelievers, and one group (group #4) which represents all true, mature believers. It's possible (as some people believe) that one or both of the other two groups represent people who received salvation, but then they "fell away" from the faith and lost their salvation. Our doctrinal biases might not allow us to consider this interpretation, but that's not a very good way to study the Bible. We might not like the possibility of Christians losing their salvation, but we can't afford to dismiss this possibility without examining all of the evidence. If Jesus was warning us that Christians can lose their salvation by "falling away," then we need to know that!
   
   This parable is found in Matthew 13:18-23, Mark 4:13-20, and Luke 8:11-15. For more on this parable, I invite you to see my article called How to Be Certain That You Will Go to Heaven.

2. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love." (John 15:4-10)

   Jesus said that it's up to us to remain in Him. He also said that if we don't remain in Him then we're like a branch that is thrown into the fire! Consider that in this passage Jesus made such statements as "remain in me," and "if a man remains in me," and "if anyone does not remain in me," and "if you remain in me," and "[if] my words remain in you," and "remain in my love," and "if you obey my commands." These are conditions! Jesus was telling us to continually remain in an intimate, loving relationship with Him, and to obey what's written in the Bible.

3. "I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off." (Romans 11:13-22)

   Some people don't like the doctrine of "conditional salvation" because they say that it creates fear. But notice that in this passage the apostle Paul told the Gentile Christians to be afraid! Let's look at this passage closely. First, Paul said that he hoped to arouse his own people (the Jews) to envy in order to save some of them. Then he said that these unsaved Jews are "branches" which have been cut off because of unbelief, and he told the saved Gentiles that they are "wild branches" which have been grafted in because of their faith in Jesus. Paul was talking to Gentile Christians, and he said that it's up to them to continue in Christ. This is a condition! Otherwise, Paul said, the Gentile Christians will also be "cut off," just like the unsaved Jews who were cut off because of their unbelief.

4. "And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:10-12)

   Here Paul was warning us that some of the Israelites in Moses' time were killed by the destroying angel. Then he said that we need to be careful that we don't fall. This is another warning against falling away from the faith. Does "falling away" from the faith mean that we lose our salvation? Maybe, maybe not, but it's important that we honestly, prayerfully, and thoroughly examine all of the evidence before we decide what it means.

5. "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)

   Here we see another conditional statement. If we don't hold firmly to the Gospel then we have believed in vain.

6. "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." (Galatians 5:4)

   Christians are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). If someone falls away from that grace and becomes alienated from Christ, then could it mean that he has lost his salvation? Paul was speaking to Christians, warning them to stand firm and not to fall away from the grace that saved them. We can try to interpret this passage to mean different things, but whether we like it or not, one possible interpretation is that falling away from grace and being alienated from Christ means losing our salvation.

7. "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel." (Colossians 1:22-23)

   Here we see another conditional statement. What would happen if we turn away and we don't continue in the faith?

8. "Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow." (Colossians 2:18-19)

   In order to lose connection with the Head, a person must first be connected to the Head. Clearly the Head is Jesus, and a Christian is someone who is connected to the Head. So if a person has lost that connection with Jesus, one possibility is that this means he has lost his salvation.

9. "Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." (1 Timothy 1:18-19)

   A person has to have a ship before he can shipwreck it. In the same way, a person has to have faith before he can shipwreck that faith by rejecting the truth and not holding on to his faith. So if you had faith in Jesus, but then you rejected it and shipwrecked it, it's possible that this means you have lost your salvation. We can try to interpret this passage to mean different things, but whether we like it or not, one possible interpretation is that rejecting and shipwrecking your faith means losing your salvation.

10. "Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan." (1 Timothy 5:15)

    The phrase "to follow" in this verse comes from the Greek word opiso ("after"), and notice that by definition, all unbelievers are "following" the devil (see 1 John 5:19, for example). In this verse, Paul was referring to some Christians who had turned away from Jesus to "follow" the devil, or to become "disciples" of the devil (which is how the Greek word opiso is also used - see Matthew 4:19, 10:38, 16:24, Luke 14:27, 21:8, and so on). Remember that we had to choose to become disciples of Jesus. If we choose to undo that decision by turning away from Jesus and becoming "followers" or disciples of the devil, then can we be certain that it will have no effect on our salvation?

11. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:10)

    Paul seemed to know about some Christians who had wandered away from the faith. What was Paul implying about their salvation? This is the third time that Paul has specifically warned Timothy about wandering from the faith.

12. "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith." (1 Timothy 6:20-21)

    Here we see more conditional statements. Some Christians did not guard their faith, and they did not turn away from godless chatter. Instead, they professed a belief in the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge. By doing so they wandered away from the faith. What was Paul implying about their salvation? This is the fourth time that Paul has specifically warned Timothy about wandering from the faith.

13. "if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us" (2 Timothy 2:12)

    Here we see more conditional statements. In fact, Paul said in this passage that if we disown Jesus then Jesus will disown us! Notice that Paul used the word "we" here: "if we endure," and "if we disown Him." Non-Christians cannot disown Jesus because they never had Him in the first place, so Paul was talking about Christians disowning Christ. If we do that then Christ will disown us. Consider that if a father disowns his son then the son loses his inheritance! So if God disowns us, one possible effect is that we would lose our inheritance (eternal life). This is the fifth time that Paul has specifically warned Timothy about wandering from the faith.

14. "Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some." (2 Timothy 2:17-18)

    Again, some Christians had wandered away from the faith. What was Paul implying about their salvation? This is the sixth time that Paul has specifically warned Timothy about wandering from the faith. This is obviously an important warning since Paul repeated this warning to Timothy so many times!

15. "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." (Hebrews 2:1)

    Here we see another conditional statement. It's up to us to pay careful attention and to be diligent so that we do not drift away. What would happen if we "drift away" from the faith?

16. "But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast." (Hebrews 3:6)

    Here we see another conditional statement. What would happen if we don't hold on to our courage and our hope?

17. "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." (Hebrews 3:12-14)

    Here we see more conditional statements. What would happen if we turn away from the living God or if we don't hold on firmly till the end?

18. "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:11)

    Here we see another conditional statement. It's up to us to make every effort so that we don't fall. What would happen if we fall?

19. "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." (Hebrews 6:4-6)

    Christians are the only people who have been enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit. This passage says that if a Christian falls away, then it's impossible for him to be brought back to repentance. This is exceptionally strong evidence against the "Once Saved Always Saved" view.
    
    Occasionally I receive emails from Christians who have been disobedient to the Lord, and now they want to repent and be sure that they are saved. However, this passage causes them to think that they can't repent and go to heaven. But notice that this passage says that it's impossible to bring certain people to repentance, which means that such people have no interest in repenting. They don't want to repent or be saved or go to heaven. So if you want to repent and go to heaven, then Hebrews 6:4-6 doesn't apply to you! You might also take a look at my article called How to Be Certain That You Will Go to Heaven.
    
    Now, some people prefer to think of this passage as being hypothetical. They believe that this is something which can't really happen. But if this can never happen, then why did the author of Hebrews bother to describe such a situation in the first place? Perhaps it really can happen, and a Christian can fall away and lose his salvation.
    
    For example, the Greek word for "fall away" in this passage (parapipto) is the same Greek word which is used in Ezekiel 18:24-26 and 20:27 in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament). It's interesting to see how this word was used:

    "Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your fathers blasphemed me by forsaking [parapipto] me'" (Ezekiel 20:27)
    
    "But if a righteous man turns [parapipto] from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die. Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous man turns [parapipto] from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die." (Ezekiel 18:24-26)

    The above two passages describe a situation which was similar to the one described in Hebrews 6:4-6 (above), and all three passages use the same Greek word for "forsaking" God or "turning" away from God or "falling away" from God. The above Old Testament passages in Ezekiel are not hypothetical, and it's possible that the author of Hebrews (who was familiar with the Old Testament) was not being hypothetical either. In the above passages, what are the consequences of forsaking God or turning from our righteousness or falling away from our faith?

20. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:26-29)

    Christians are the only people who have received the knowledge of the truth. This passage says that if Christians deliberately keep on sinning then they have a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire as enemies of God. There's that fear again! This passage is specifically referring to a person who had been sanctified (saved), and it gives the impression that a Christian can come to a point where he is no longer saved.

21. "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." (Hebrews 10:35-39)

    Here we see more conditional statements. What would happen if we throw away our confidence? What would happen if we don't persevere? What would happen if we don't do the will of God? What would happen if we shrink back? This passage says that a righteous person will live by faith (talking about a Christian), but if he shrinks back then he will be destroyed (which is contrasted with believing and being saved). What was the author of Hebrews implying about salvation here?

22. "See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?" (Hebrews 12:25)

    Here we see another conditional statement. If we turn away from God then we will not escape punishment. The author of Hebrews has given us many strong warnings, so this is obviously an important message. Maybe it's because our salvation is at stake.

23. "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:13-15)

    The Bible says that we were all dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1-2, Colossians 2:13) and that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). In this passage, James was talking to Christians, and he said that if we allow sin to become "full-grown" within us then it gives birth to death. Does that have an effect on our salvation?

24. "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4)

    James said that if we choose to be a friend of the world then we become an enemy of God! Does that have an effect on our salvation?

25. "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20)

    Here's another reference to a Christian wandering from the truth. James said that if a Christian wanders from the truth and we turn him back, then we will save him from death. Is it possible that James meant that we will save a Christian from reaching a point of spiritual death?

26. "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10-11)

    Here we see another conditional statement. What if we don't do these things?

27. "They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey--a beast without speech--who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness. These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them." (2 Peter 2:15-21)

    Christians are the only people who are on "the straight way." Peter said that if we leave "the straight way" then blackest darkness is reserved for us. Peter was specifically referring to people who had escaped the world through faith in Jesus, but who became entangled in the world again and became worse off than they were when they were unbelievers. Peter said that it would have been better for them if they had never known about Jesus than to be saved and then to turn their backs on their salvation.

28. "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position." (2 Peter 3:17)

    Peter said that a Christian can fall from his secure position if he's carried away into error. Does this refer to a person losing his salvation?

29. "See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father." (1 John 2:24)

    Here we see more conditional statements. What would happen if what we heard doesn't remain in us?

30. "And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming." (1 John 2:28)

    Here we see another conditional statement. What would happen if we don't continue in Him?

31. "If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that." (1 John 5:16)

    John said that there is a sin which leads to death. Was he talking about physical death or spiritual death? There are actually many sins which can lead to physical death, such as fornication and adultery (death by AIDS or other diseases), murder (death by the death penalty), drunkenness (death by drunk driving), drug use (death by overdose), and so on. But John did not say "sins that lead to death" (plural), he said "sin that leads to death" (singular). John doesn't tell us what this sin is, but if it's a particular sin that leads to spiritual death (e.g. rejecting Jesus) then was John implying that a Christian can lose his salvation?

32. "These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted-- twice dead." (Jude 1:12)

    Consider what it would take for a person to be twice dead while he's still physically alive (as Jude described above). That living person would first need to be spiritually dead, then spiritually alive, then spiritually dead a second time. This would make him "twice dead." Paul said that we were all dead in our sins, but then we were made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5, Colossians 2:13). So we were spiritually dead, and then we received spiritual life in Christ. The only way for a person to be spiritually dead after receiving spiritual life through Christ is if he has lost his salvation.

33. "Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels." (Revelation 3:4-5)

    Everyone who is saved has his name written in the Book of Life (see Philippians 4:3, Revelation 13:8, 17:8, 20:12-15, and 21:27, for example). Jesus said that if we overcome, then He will never blot out our names from the Book of Life. Does this mean that there are circumstances in which He will blot out a Christian's name from the Book of Life?

2 Timothy 2:11: "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;"
2 Timothy 2:12: "if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown [arneomai] him, he will also disown [arneomai] us;"
2 Timothy 2:13: "if we are faithless [apisteo], he will remain faithful [pistos], for he cannot disown [arneomai] himself."

• "If we died with him..."
• "if we endure..."
• "If we disown him..."
• "if we are faithless..."

"to refuse someone, not to know or recognize him, to reject him either in the face of a former relationship or better knowledge. To deny, decline, reject, give up (Matt. 10:33; 2 Tim. 2:12, 13). ... As used with something as its obj., to reject anything, retract, renounce, deny, disown depending on the context (1 Tim. 5:8; 2 Tim 3:5; Titus 1:16, to deny by actions that there is a God; Titus 2:12; Rev. 2:13; 3:8). Used in an absolute sense in 2 Tim. 2:12." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates, p.254, emphasis added)

"To be unfaithful, to doubt or not acknowledge as in 2 Tim. 2:13 where it is opposed to pistos (4103), faithful." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates, p.213)

Rebecca St. James