Can a Christian lose salvation?

"They shall never perish, neither shall any one pluck them out of my hand." It has often been pointed out that this promise is of a double character, assuring the saints against both corruption and disruption, against internal decay and external foes, against their own harmful weaknesses as well as the rapacious power of the enemy.

The Good Shepherd herein pledges Himself and the honour of His glorious name that the very feeblest of the flock shall never by any possible means perish.

Thus the Father and the Son constitute themselves the Protectors of those who trust them for salvation. Could the ground for confident assurance be made firmer? Away with those who depict the child of faith as scantily-attired, clinging with numb fingers to a slippery sea-girt rock, while dashing waves threaten every moment to engulf in a watery grave. Scripture teaches us to think of such a one held in that hand, in Whose hollow the waters were measured.

He gives them eternal life, eternal security, and assures them of divine care... Moreover, eternal life involves eternal security. Therefore the Lord adds, for the comfort of His sheep, "They shall never perish".

Finally, we learn that the sheep are the objects of the common care of the Father and the Son. They are held by the Son from Whose hand none can seize them; held, too, by the Father Who has given the sheep to Christ, and is manifestly greater than all others.

On His side He knows them and gives them eternal life. This ensures that they shall never perish as under God's judgment, nor can any created power seize them out of the Shepherd's hand. This assurance is reinforced by the perfect oneness subsisting between the Son and the Father... the purpose of the Godhead in securing the sheep is guaranteed by both the Son and the Father.

If I make self my point of view and look from thence at the subject of final perseverance, I shall be sure to get a false view altogether, inasmuch as it then becomes a question of my perseverance, and anything of mine must, necessarily, be doubtful. But if, on the other hand, I make Christ my viewing point... it then becomes a question of Christ's perseverance, and I am quite sure that He must persevere, and that no power of the world, the flesh, or the devil can ever hinder His final perseverance in the salvation of those whom He has purchased with His own blood.

It is the perseverance of the Holy Ghost in opening the ears of the sheep. It is the perseverance of the Son in receiving all whose ears are thus opened. And, finally, it is the perseverance of the Father in keeping through His own name, the blood-bought flock in the hollow of His everlasting hand. We must either admit the truth — the consolatory and sustaining truth of final perseverance, or succumb to the blasphemous proposition that the enemy of God and man can carry his point against the holy and eternal Trinity.

"I give to my sheep eternal [not temporary or conditional] life, and they shall never perish." ... People may argue as they will, and base their arguments on cases which have come under their notice, from time to time, in the history of professing Christians; but, looking at the subject from a divine point of view, and basing our convictions on the sure and unerring word of God, we maintain that all who belong to the "us" of Romans 8, the "sheep" of John 10, and the "church" of Matthew 16, are as safe as Christ can make them.

It is very certain that believers will never be judged — will never stand before the judgment-seat on account of sin. Our Lord teaches this doctrine most distinctly. He says, "Verily, verily, I say to you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). ... Indeed, this is only a simple consequence of having eternal life; for if the question of our state before God were left unsettled, how could we be possessors of everlasting life?

"Yes," you may perhaps reply, "my past sins." "No," we answer, "your sins; all your sins if you are a believer. For not one of them had been committed when the Saviour died; and so He took the burden of all of them, entered into and exhausted the judgment due to all of them, so that the whole of your guilt might for ever be swept away."

Let it be first of all distinctly noted, that this cannot refer to the falling away of any who have been really converted. For nothing is more plainly taught in the Scriptures than that it is impossible for a child of God to perish. (See John 10:27-29; Rom. 8:28-39; 1 Cor. 1:8-9; Eph. 1:13-14; Phil. 1:6-7, etc., etc.) ... The case supposed therefore is that of wilful apostates — persons who had been brought into the blessings indicated, but were still without life; not converted, born again.

Persons may seem to run well for a time and then break down. The blossoms of spring-time may not be followed by the mellow fruits of autumn. Such things may be; and, moreover, true believers may fail in many things... But, allowing the widest possible margin for all these things, the precious doctrine of final perseverance remains unshaken — yea, untouched — upon its own divine and eternal foundation.

"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: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19)

Satan cannot make us lose our salvation, or eternal life, but he can rob us of much that makes up that "crown." To counteract this strategy of the enemy the believer should occupy himself positively with the Word of God.

The enemy cannot take away our salvation and the eternal life which we have in Christ, but we can lose our crown and our reward.

It certainly would be [premature to speak of ourselves as saved], IF these words of our Lord referred to the way in which sinful men might receive the salvation of their souls. These words however... do not refer to that. The Lord was not addressing sinners but men who already had been brought into relationship with Himself — His disciples... To apply it so as to teach that one cannot be really sure of salvation until one dies is not one of [the profitable applications].