Can a Christian lose their salvation?

can a Christian lose their salvation seems whenever I do a QA period with anyone this question comes up can a Christian lose their salvation and the way I like to respond to this question is with another question was the person saved to begin with I think a lot of times we're wondering if a person has lost their salvation when quite frankly they may have never really been our genuine believer at all to remember in the parable of the sower Jesus told about the sower that threw a seed that went on ground that was embedded with rock it shot up quickly but the rock endured its deep growth because the roots could not go down and Jesus said in mark 4:16 these are like those that hear the word they respond with great enthusiasm but there's such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives there's nothing to show for it no you don't work for your salvation you work it out and if a person really is a Christian there will be evidence in their life works don't save a person but there are good evidence that he saved so if you're really a Christian it's not from working for it it's working from it God's given you your salvation is a gift of God but at the same time I'm going to see evidence in your life and you're going to see evidence in mine let me just give you five fast tests from first John to answer the question as to whether or not a person is really a Christian you might apply these in the life of someone you know and you wonder are they really converted and then you might even ask them of yourself am i really convert it purely a Christian number one you will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord you will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord this is based on first John 4:15 if anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God God lives in him and he and God now that's not all you have to do but you need to do it and one of the reasons I call people forward publicly often is to give them a chance to do just that for Jesus said if you will acknowledge me before people all acknowledge you before my father in the angels in heaven but he added if you deny me before people I'll deny you also before the father in the Angels so I'm not saying coming forward at a public invitation I'm not even saying openly professing Christ as Lord guarantees you're a Christian but I'm saying this if you're a Christian you will do it so people should know that you are a believer do they number two if you're really a Christian you will obey the commands of Christ not perfectly not flawlessly but you will obey the commands of Christ first John 5:3 this is love for God to obey his commands and his commands are not burdensome anyone who is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that has overcome the world even our faith now this is a problem for some people they obey the commands of God they want to obey and the ones they don't like they ignore we can come to the Bible and say well you know what I like these things the Bible says I like this command I like this command I don't really like this and this one's a little bit hard no we're told in Scripture that if we love God we'll obey His commandments and Jesus said you are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you he didn't say whatsoever you find easy or even whatsoever you personally agree with someone said to me a while back or asking this question Greg what do you do when you come to a verse in the Bible you don't agree with that's a classic question I said you change your opinion because you're wrong I mean the Bible is not negotiable so if you don't agree with it you need to change number three listen to this one are you unhappy or miserable when you're sinning if you're really a child of God you will be unhappy or miserable when you're sinning first John 3:9 everyone who has been born of God does not habitually sin because his seed remains in him and he is not able to habitually sin because he's been born of God listen when you were a real believer you will not be happy in your sin you will be unhappy and I would even take it a step further and say if you're comfortable in sin maybe you're not a child of God the Bible says whom the Lord loves he chastens because you're a child of God you feel discomfort you feel a sense of guilt you feel wrong about it that's a good thing but if you can go out and commit those sins and do things that God tells you to not do without any discomfort without any sense of conflict I have to wonder are you a believer because the Bible says if you're without discipline you're fatherless so if your conscience is still working in your troubled right now because you're doing some things you know you should not be doing that's good news that's saying to me that you are indeed a child of God you can't continue in sin and be a Christian number four did you keep yourself from the devil if you're a true believer you'll keep yourself from the devil first John 5:18 we know whoever is born of God keeps himself and the wicked one does not touch him now John is not suggesting we need to keep ourselves safe that's the work of God kept by God unto salvation the Bible says but I do need to keep myself safe see the difference I'm not to keep myself saved but I am to keep myself safe and by that I mean I must avoid certain people places and activities that would make it easier for the devil to tempt me and I must hang around people and be in places and do things that would build me up spiritually keep yourself from the devil in five and lastly do you love other Christians if you're a real believer you'll love God's people first John 5:1 says everyone that believes that Christ is the son of God loves this child as well some people say well I can't find a church I like yet and besides you know I work and sending is my only day off well that's nice but the Bible says forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is but exhorting so much more as you see the day of the Lord approaching it doesn't say forsake not the humbling of yourselves together unless Sunday's your only day off then you can you know no we need fellowship with God's people are you really a believer work out your own salvation with fear and trembling this April Greg how can you do this it's hard I know look at verse 13 it is God that works in you it is God that works in you both to will and do of his good pleasure why are you here today why do you have a hunger for holy things why are you interested in what the Bible says why do you want to be a more godly man or woman because you're just a wonderful person you were born that way I don't think so you're that way because God gave you that desire he is work in you both to will and do of his good pleasure he has given you that desire for spiritual things and he will give you the power to do those spiritual thing Greg Laurie originally gave this message Sunday February 10 2008 to see this message in its entirety go to harvest org and click on webcast

Channel: Pastor Greg Laurie

Views: 515,304

Keywords: salvation, john, sin, devil, christians, harvest, greg laurie, lose salvation, bible, can a christian lose there salvation, can a christian lose their salvation debate, can a born again christian lose their salvation, how to lose your salvation, can i lose your salvation, can christians go to hell

Id: V3elNE7mZXY

Length: 7min 54sec (474 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 17 2008