“KNOWING this…that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, RECKON (an accounting term) yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:6-11
Many Christians have asked: “Can I lose my salvation?”
This devotional explains why it is impossible for a truly born again believer to lose the gift of salvation. While the verses in Romans 6 above are self-proving, this devotional will explore the “why.” My friend, something we should never forget is that when we, as sinners, receive the gift of salvation, a final verdict is rendered in the court of Heaven. The Judge of all Creation slams down His gavel and declares: “Not guilty.”
Can any mere human undo God’s verdict of “Not Guilty?”
What is this verdict of “Not guilty” anyway? Is it a temporary acquittal, a probationary pardon, or—is it a verdict of eternal justification? Did the blood of Christ fully satisfy divine justice once and for all? Must further payment be made? Is there an appeals process? Does a higher Court exist?
Many insist that a person who has been born again can later make a decision that somehow undoes God’s decree. Many call it “apostasy.” The claim is that one can lose salvation and once again come under condemnation. However, “eternal security” speaks to the very nature of God and whether His promises can be trusted.
In this devotional, we are going to explore several concepts that explain why it is impossible to lose our salvation. Tomorrow, we will examine the most cited verses used to support the false idea that one can lose salvation. Let’s begin.
- “Justification” is God’s legal declaration not—a human declaration.
Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” When God justifies someone, He legally declares their soul and spirit (not their flesh) righteous on the basis of Christ’s finished work. This is a legal verdict issued from God. If man could later undo that verdict, it would mean mankind possesses jurisdiction over God. If God is who He says He is (omnipotent), then this is impossible. For a human being to reverse divine justification would mean the creature has overruled the Creator, and —more importantly—would mean God has lied about who He says He is.
- “Eternal life” means exactly what it says.
Jesus said in John 10:28-29: “And I give them ETERNAL life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father… is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” “Eternal life” is not simply “temporary life…until you mess up.” If eternal life can end, it was never “eternal” to begin with. The very phrase “shall never perish” is a double negative in the Greek text—literally, “shall not, no never perish.” The Lord used the strongest possible expression to emphasize eternal security. Those who claim, “Yes, but you can jump out of His hand,” are saying that man’s will is stronger than the Father’s grip.
Furthermore, Jesus said in John 5:25, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” He made it clear we “have” (present tense) everlasting life. We “shall not” come into judgment because we “have” (present tense) passed from death to life. Nothing could be more certain. The new life Jesus gives is either everlasting, or it’s not.
- Salvation is God’s finished work, not probation based on our works.
Ephesians 2:8–9 makes it plain: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” If you can lose salvation, then keeping it depends on your performance. That makes grace a wage, not a gift. Grace that must be maintained by human effort—isn’t grace—rather, it’s simply being put on probation to keep salvation.
- The Seal of the Spirit is unbreakable.
Ephesians 1:13–14 says: “Having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.” The word “sealed” (sphragizō) refers to a mark of ownership, protection, and authenticity—like a royal seal on a document that no one except the king can break. If the Holy Spirit seals a believer until the day of redemption, then to “lose salvation” would mean the Spirit Himself failed in His mission. It is unthinkable that man can break the seal of the King of all Creation!
- If we can lose our salvation—we have a defective Savior.
Under the old covenant, priests had to stand daily, offering the same sacrifices “which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11) Those continual offerings were repetitive because they were incomplete—they only covered sin temporarily, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice that would remove it entirely. But Hebrews 10:12 declares, “This Man [Christ], after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” Christ’s sitting down signifies that His work was finished—no further sacrifice is needed or possible.
If His atonement had to be repeated for ANY sin (including apostasy), it would be no better than the old animal sacrifices—limited, temporary, and incapable of perfecting anyone. A Savior whose sacrifice must be redone is a defective Savior. The sacrifice of Christ is not defective, because it accomplished in one act what the entire Old Testament sacrificial system never could—complete, permanent forgiveness of sin.
- In Christ, we have new spiritual genetics.
When Adam sinned, all humanity inherited his fallen nature—our spiritual genetics were corrupted. We were born “in Adam,” meaning our soul and spirit were dead to God and enslaved to sin. But when we are born again, our spiritual DNA (soul and spirit) is completely rewritten—we are made alive “in Christ.” This isn’t moral reform or a second chance; it’s total regeneration. Our soul and spirit are re-created by the power of God, not just repaired or improved. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” A new creation cannot “un-create” itself any more than a child can be “un-born.”
Your biological child will always have your DNA. While our free will allows us to reject grace before we are born again, once we are regenerated, our identity is forever changed. We are God’s children by birth, not by performance. The flesh, however, remains tied to Adam and never improves; it still desires sin and must be crucified daily. (Romans 8:13) Salvation doesn’t fix the flesh—it replaces our dead soul and spirit. Though the old nature still resists, the new one has already won, for we are born into the genetics of Christ.
- If salvation can be lost, God is not Who He says He is.
To claim that a believer can lose salvation is to distort the very nature of God Himself. Examples:
- It implies that God didn’t foresee the sins a believer would commit, which would deny His omniscience. God knew every failure before He saved us.
- It suggests that God is unable to keep His children from falling away, which denies His omnipotence. Scripture says we are kept by His power.
- It accuses Him of breaking His word, denying His faithfulness. He promises never to leave or forsake us.
- It diminishes the cross, as if Christ’s atonement were insufficient to cover future sin—yet Jesus’ sacrifice was once for all and perfectly complete.
- It assumes the Holy Spirit’s seal can be broken by a human. The Spirit’s seal is God’s guarantee of our eternal inheritance.
The claim that we can undo our own new birth goes beyond heresy; it denies the very nature and essence of the God we claim to trust.
Conclusion: If God is who His Word says He is—loving, just, righteous, omnipotent, omnipresent, faithful, and true to His Word—it is not possible for a believer to lose salvation. Once God declares us “Not Guilty,” that verdict stands forever because it reflects who He is. God is not a man that He should lie. (Numbers 23:19) He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)
Well, then, the next question is: “If we can’t lose our salvation, can we live any way we want now?”
Some say the doctrine of eternal security gives believers a license to sin, but this accusation completely misunderstands the nature of regeneration. When a person is born again, their soul and spirit are radically changed. The same grace that saves also transforms, producing a deep love for righteousness and a genuine hatred of sin.
True believers do not look at God’s grace as permission to indulge the flesh, but as power to overcome it. The one who has been redeemed by Christ cannot take lightly the sin that nailed Him to the cross. The Spirit of God within us cultivates gratitude and reverence. Sin is reprehensible to our inner man.
When our soul and spirit are reborn, our desires are rewritten. The inner man now longs to glorify God, not self. Even in failure, there is conviction, repentance, and restoration. Those who continually live in unbroken sin are not “losing” salvation—they’re revealing they never possessed it to begin with. As 1 John 3:9 declares, “Whoever has been born of God does NOT practice sin, for His SEED (Christ) remains in him.” The Spirit compels us to live holy lives. Far from being a license to sin, eternal security assures us that God’s power will complete what He began—transforming us into the likeness of Christ.
Tomorrow, we will examine several of the most often quoted scriptures that folks use to support the proposition that one can lose salvation. We will examine their context and will compare them against these principles.
Prayer
Father, thank You that Your grace is greater than my sin and Your promises are absolute. Thank You that when You declared me “not guilty,” You meant it forever. Help me to walk in gratitude and obedience. Help me to grow in the knowledge of my new nature in You, so I also grow in my desires to live in Your righteous presence! Oh, Lord, teach me to love you better! I know my love is paltry compared to Your limitless love. Teach me to rest in the security of Your love, trusting that You will finish what You started in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
