Question:
“My husband when we married was a Freewill Baptist, and believes you cannot lose your salvation, but you can freely give it up. you can pluck yourself out of his hand, You can choose not to follow him any more, and if you Deny God, you can never be saved again. I have 3 sons, all whom are adults now, and each of them believe like their dad. I have tried to instill on them what I believe, but they are stubborn and pig headed. I haved used everything I know, to try to convince them.
do you have any words or scriptures I can use, to prove you cannot give up your salvation and become lost again?
anything you can think of will help.”
Answer:
It is interesting that your husband says you can freely give up your salvation. Consider Jesus’ words in John 10:28-30.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)
We can clearly see that a person who has trusted in Jesus Christ can never be plucked out of the Fathers hand. Note the phrase that no man can pluck one out either. This would extend down to one trying to “pluck himself” by recanting Christ or denying Him. Once a person is saved, I believe the Bible teaches that they are eternally saved. Consider Hebrews 6:4-6.
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6)
The important take away from these verses is that it is impossible once someone has repented, which means they have changed their mind about Jesus and have trusted in Him, to return to a place where they would need to repent again. Once a person has believed on Jesus, they have changed their mind from what they were previously trusting in to get to Heaven. Repentance is not turning from sin. It means a change of mind. So, if an individual changes their mind and trusts in Jesus, then they cannot go back to the unsaved state. Salvation is permanent. This is a great guarantee! Consider Romans 8:38-39.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Paul gives assurance of salvation in these passages by demonstrating that nothing can separate us from the love of God. There is no power on Earth or in Heaven that can remove us from the love of God. Believers are eternally secure. Even if they live wicked and carnal lives, they cannot lose their salvation. We never condone living such a life. Your family members who live in sin will receive punishment here on earth and a loss of rewards in Heaven. However, removing them from the family of God and taking away their salvation will never happen.
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13)