Can salvation be lost?

Question: Hi, I was hoping you could shed some light on an issue that only seems to get more confused as I try to look into things from a biblical perspective. That issue is whether or not it is possible to lose your salvation following baptism. My understanding and belief is that baptism is a…

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Do occasional sins lead to spiritual death?

Question: Good afternoon, I heard a preacher recently state that in Romans 6:12-18, Paul makes a distinction between presenting your members as instruments for unrighteousness (Romans 6:13) and slaves of unrighteousness (Romans 6:16) which leads to spiritual death. The point being made here was that when a Christian, on occasion, yields his members as instruments…

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Am I teaching my own doctrine?

Question: Jeffrey, I had a recent conversation with a Baptist about the plan of salvation. He was of the once saved always saved group. I suppose they are somewhat different than the Freewill Baptists? Anyhow, in teaching baptism for the remission of sins to this fellow, along with the truth that a Christian can fall…

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Where does the Bible teach that not belonging to a congregation is a sin?

Question: Hello, I came across your question/answer page online. My question is, where does the Word of God teach that not belonging to a congregation is an unforgivable sin and one will go to hell for not belonging to a congregation? I’ve heard Church of Christ preachers speak as though one will go to hell…

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Thank you for the article on Once Saved, Always Saved

Question: Dear sir, Greetings. I came across “Is “Once Saved — Always Saved” a Bible Doctrine?” through a friend. Thank you a lot for this teaching. It has helped me a lot. Now I know better. Thank you. Answer: I’m glad the article helped you in your studies.

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Can Psalms 37:28 be used to prove the perseverance of the saints?

Question: Does Psalms 37:28 teach perseverance of the saints and once saved, always saved? (Psalms 37:28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.) The preserved forever part. Answer: “I have been young and now I am old,…

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Being a Christian Will Not Save You

Being a Christian Will Not Save You – Part 1Being a Christian Will Not Save You – Part 2Being a Christian Will Not Save You – Part 3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jude 1-10   I.         Why did you become a Christian?             A.        For most of us, we desired the promise – Ephesians 1:13-14             B.        We wanted…

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Was Paul concerned about losing his salvation or being rejected by men?

Question: In the verse where Paul says he could be disqualified, is he referring to being disqualified from having a home in Heaven, or from ministry? Some writers and commentaries think when he refers to being disqualified, that he’s concerned about being disqualified from doing ministry work, instead of being disqualified from salvation. “I myself…

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Does everyone who was baptized have eternal life?

Question: Hi, From the topic of “The Thousand-Year Reign”, you stated that baptism is the first resurrection. John also states that second death will not have an effect on those who take part in the first resurrection. Then does that mean all who were baptized will have eternal life? But what about those who are…

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Remember Shiloh

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/RememberShiloh.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 7:1-15   I.         Around the country we have many memorials and historical sites established to remind us of our victories. Yet, we keep several sites to remind us of our losses.             A.        I was able to see the Alamo in San Antonio. Only the mission still stands, but it is…

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Does Jesus forgive all our sins: past, present, and future?

Question: Dear Brother in Christ, Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I went through your website and especially the questions and answers, I want to say that by God’s grace and His enabling you have done a good job.  The answers to most of the questions are apt and scripture based. …

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Does Jesus’ blood continually cleanse us from all sin?

Question: The Bible says we will give an account of our life and sin, but God washes away our sins at baptism and the blood of Christ continually cleanses. He forgives us and remembers no more, so is there judgment where our sin is remembered, or are we as white as snow because of Jesus’…

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Does Jesus’ blood continually cleanse us from all sin?

Question: The Bible says we will give an account of our life and sin, but God washes away our sins at baptism and the blood of Christ continually cleanses. He forgives us and remembers no more, so is there judgment where our sin is remembered, or are we as white as snow because of Jesus’…

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Is baptism for the remission of future sins?

Question: When one is baptized into Christ by water baptism, is it for the remission of past sins only? Or is baptism for all sins (past, present, and future sins)? Answer: “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and…

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Will faithful Christians face judgment on Judgment Day?

Question: Hello, I am a member of the church of Christ. Will faithful Christians face judgment on Judgment Day? If yes, is giving an account and being judged the same thing? Answer: Judgment is based on both the good and the bad that we have done. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat…

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Can someone lose his reward but retain his salvation?

Question: Dear minister of God, Would you be kind enough to assist me in answering the following: For me, my understanding is that the believer’s eternal salvation is a matter of grace through faith alone. His reward is based on righteousness and works. Whereas the believer’s eternal salvation can never be lost, his reward can…

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Misconceptions about Sin

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/MisconceptionsAboutSin.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 6:1-23   I.         A young man was trying to formulate arguments why he thought “once saved, always saved” was a biblical truth             A.        “Once a person is saved, however, and God writes his name in the book of life and gives him the Spirit, he won’t erase their name from…

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Jesus is not going to give our sins back to us once they are taken away

Question: Good works are not part of the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9), they’re not requirements for salvation, rather they’re the fruits of salvation. Paul calls the Philippians to work out their salvation in Philippians 2:12. However, this is not a call to do works in order to be saved, rather it is a call for them…

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Can a Christian Lose Salvation?

by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, a brother sent me this link (Can a Christian lose salvation?) and asked if I had ever before addressed the topic in a blog post. I replied that I hadn’t (at least so far as I can remember), but this seemed like a wonderful opportunity to do so!…

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Didn’t Jesus die for our sins?

Question: This is hard to wrap my mind around for some reason, but didn’t Jesus “die for our sins?” I thought that Jesus dying on the cross meant that all our sins were forgiven if we believe in him. Answer: It isn’t a hard concept, but I can see the difficulty when you grow up…

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Should I marry my atheist boyfriend?

Question: I was with this guy for over a year. We were friends and then started having sex and dating. He is an atheist. I am not. We broke up a month ago but still talk online a lot. We are still friends. He still claims he loves and still talks about wanting to be…

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You have articles on situations I’m dealing with. Thank you!

Question: My wife discovered your website while researching the “once saved, always saved” doctrine. She passed the link on to me. I have already read that article and several others. I have a couple of situations I am dealing with and you have articles that address them. I now have your website anchored to my…

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Is Salvation Assured?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IsSalvationAssured.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 2:15-25   I.         During the Reformation, a man named John Calvin came up with a system of belief that has impacted a large portion of the denominational world.             A.        The ideas were not original with Calvin. He based his work on many that preceded him.             B.        What Calvin did was…

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Saint or Sinner?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/SaintOrSinner.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 1   I.         Would you describe yourself as a saint or a sinner? Or perhaps you see yourself as both.             A.        John Calvin, and his followers, believe that God selects those who are saved. Once selected, that person cannot be removed from God’s saving hand.             B.        We realize that this cannot…

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When People Find No Place for Repentance

by Terry W. Benton If grace so freely covers all sin without repentance, why was Paul so concerned that he warned night and day with tears about people in the church teaching false doctrine? I have a hard time reading Paul’s warnings to Timothy and come away with the modern lackadaisical attitudes toward sin and…

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How can sins keep you from getting to heaven if you are saved?

Question: Hi, I’m confused with the passage I Corinthians 6:9-10. Because if these things send a person to hell, then wouldn’t that go against what the churches teach today when they say you just have to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you are going to Heaven? Answer: “Do you not know that…

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No one can live righteously, so am I lost?

Question: Hello, I want to love God with all my mind, heart, and soul. I respect God and by God, I mean YHWH, Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit. God is indeed good and has blessed me and my family much. I have been and am still living quite a sinful life. I recognize my sin…

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How will God judge the believer and the non-believer?

Question: Hi, I have some more questions about things in the Bible that I thought of. I don’t have any verses about these things right now. Is it a bad thing to be scared of living forever, even though I know I am going to Heaven? I think about it never-ending and that would be…

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If Jesus’ work is completed, does that mean our salvation is assured?

Question: I stumbled upon your website while searching for answers to a lot of burning questions. I like your answers because they are biblical. May God richly bless you. I have some questions: When preachers teach about the completed work of Jesus or the finished work of Jesus, does this mean that once you repent…

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What is the bema judgment?

Question: I enjoy your website. I have been reading what you have on there about the rapture. It helped me to answer one of my student’s questions. Now he has asked me about the Bema judgment. I never heard of it. I looked it up on the net, but I need to know the truth…

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If a Christian sins, is he no longer part of the family of God?

Question: If a Christian struggles with sin in his life and broke a promise he couldn’t keep, is he not part of the family of God anymore? Is it possible to sin to such an extent that there’s no way back home — basically you lose your salvation? Is there also forgiveness for sins if…

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Is marriage optional for Christians because they are saved anyway?

Question: I am a Christian. I love the Lord God Yahweh and have asked for and long-ago accepted the salvation of His Son our Savior, Yahushua. I believe unmovingly in the price he has paid for me and the grace it gives me. I also believe in the “plan” and how it moves and influences…

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If we are forgiven of our sins as Christians, what is the Judgment for?

Question: Romans 14:12 says: “So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God” and Matthew 12:36 says: “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Both of these verses state that individuals must someday, before…

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How can we be guilty of sin if Christ’s sacrifice is eternal?

Question: Jesus died for our sins on the cross. Jesus, being God and part of the Trinity, doesn’t look at time as us humans. Jesus is infinite and we are finite. So if Jesus died for our sins, he died for all our sins from the time we were born until the time that we…

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Cannot Sin

by Weldon Warnock via Biblical Insights, September 2000 We are told by some of our religious neighbors that the soul of a child of God cannot sin, but rather only the outward man sins. This erroneous position is taken in order to justify a denominational dogma of “once saved, always saved.” A child of God may…

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There’s No Security for the Believer in ‘Once Saved, Always Saved’

by Al Diestelkamp via Think on These Things, Volume 41, No. 1, Jan-Mar 2010 There is a belief in many Protestant churches, and especially popular among those who would describe themselves as “evangelicals,” known as the doctrine of “The Security of the Believer.” In Calvinism’s TULIP acronym, it is represented by the “P” for “Perseverance of…

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