Answer:

Bob,

This is a big topic, and we do have some other questions posted on our website which may also be of help. Briefly –

1) When we accept Jesus Christ, trusting in him and him alone for our salvation – knowing that nothing we do, can do, or ever will do can save us or keep us saved – the Bible says that we are given (present tense) eternal life. If we are believers, we have eternal life.

2) Jesus and the New Testament writers constantly tell us that nothing can cause us to lose salvation, that God will never give up on us, that he desires all to come to repentance, that no one can take his sheep out of his hands.

3) But – there are passages that talk about becoming a cast-away, about losing out, about falling away.

4) So – what’s the answer? If we have been saved and given eternal life, eternal life is eternal – not conditional. Nothing we can do can keep us saved, and nothing we can do (if we have been given eternal life) can cause us to lose it.

5) 1 John 2:19 says that they went out from us because they were never of us. If people who we thought were saved begin to act and behave in a completely unchristian way, in a habitual and continued pattern of sin and sinful behavior, then we must conclude that they were never saved. We know that many people go to church – but most of us know from experience (sometimes our own lives) simply going to church, and doing things, does not make one a Christian. So there are many people who seem to be Christian, but in fact are not. Churchgoing, laws, rule, and commandment obeying does not give us salvation – or keep us saved. Many people do not understand this – and in fact are not believers.

6) So how do we know the Christians from those who think they are but are not? We don’t. And we can thank God that we don’t. There are ways – indicators – but no sure way that any human can know about another – for these things are of the Spirit, and the Spirit is not visible or physically discerned. Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5) are an indicator – but the physical evidence of those fruits can be manifested by strictly physical means. That is, even an atheist can be a good person.

This is a short answer – I cannot give you more here – but I can recommend other sources, etc. if you wish to study this further.

May God be with you in your small group.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht