Paradise Lost

There is no small number of genuine believers who argue that salvation can be lost. They do so largely based on actual texts, so don't be too hard on them. One of the most common texts is in the book of Hebrews.

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. (Heb 6:4-6)

There it is ... in black and white. Now, note, it clearly says if they fall away, they cannot be restored. That is, if this text is about losing salvation, it must be about permanent loss. If you lose it, you never get it back.

People do a variety of dances around this. "Oh, that's not talking about genuine Christians." Maybe ... but "enlightened," "tasted the heavenly gift," "shared in the Holy Spirit," and "tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come" seem too far advanced to be an unbeliever. In fact, can an unbeliever fall away (The word is literally "to apostasize") ... if they never were a believer? Others have other approaches, but if you take this as a text for the loss of salvation ... it is dreadful, ominous, terrifying ... and permanent.

When I was younger, I "earned" this condemnation. If salvation can be lost, I did it in spades. I met all those criteria, and if that is a reference to salvation permanently lost, I am condemned already. So when I read, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy ..." (Jude 1:24), I weep for joy. I see, "I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Php 1:6) and fall on my knees in gratitude. Jesus says, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28) and I sing hallelujahs. I'm not counting on my continued godly living. I'm standing on His work alone.