This provides a sort of short and direct answer: No, you cannot lose your salvation. I did not really read your response, except to see if you used this passage. It looked long and detailed, so I hope you covered the nuances of back sliding and having never been rooted in your faith. But this passage really paints a clear, reassuring and secure picture.

That passage says, “No one can snatch them out of my hand,” not “They’ll never leave my hand.” I don’t think that it’s possible to correctly understand John 10:27-30 without considering the rest of the passages on the subject. The clearest single passage that states that it is possible to lose one’s salvation is 1 Corinthians 15:1, 2:

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Notice two things: First, the people addressed are Christian believers. Second, they’re urged to hold firmly to the gospel lest their belief be in vain.

Ultimately, the notion of “once saved, always saved” is a doctrine of insecurity. Given that there are many apparently sincere people who backslide, the once saved, always saved doctrine undermines our confidence in our salvation. After all, since we don’t know the future, how can we know we’ll never backslide? And by that notion, backsliders were never saved in the first place.

Again, I suggest you read my article, since I deal with these issues there in greater detail.

Here is what I got from your post:

Acceptance of Jesus equals salvation, and however sinful your works might occasionally be, a continued, sincere desire for repentance means that you retain salvation, while loss of that desire means that you were never really saved.

If I’ve got the gist, then by the conditions you outlined in your post a person that fails often to live up to God’s expectations, yet retains belief in Christ’s salvation (and by extension a sense of guilt over their sins), is better off than a hypothetical person who was once saved, has not sinned since becoming saved, yet has lost belief.

If this is correct, I’d like to know how you feel this holds up in regards to blasphemy against the spirit and the oft quoted “seventy times seven” rule of thumb(Matthew 18:21-22). I realize that this last was not technically in reference to Christ’s forgiveness of man, but of man’s forgiveness of other men, and that some take it to mean simply that the number of times you ask forgiveness does not matter to Christ, but I occasionally encounter a concerned soul that uses one or both of these arguments as a means to either worry themselves sick, or excuse thier further sins because they have already passed some metaphysical point of no return.

The first point I am honestly not sure how to answer, and though the second seems ridiculous on the surface (If it is a literal truth that can be applied to a soul’s salvation, then technically every smoker is permanently damned to Hell after they defile their bodily temple with the 491st nicotine fix, and Heaven would have no help for the mental sins of every teenage boy with wandering eyes and physical interests {in other words, nearly every teenage boy}), I would still like an outside opinion on both points.

Thanks for your time and consideration

Jim

“Acceptance of Jesus equals salvation, and however sinful your works might occasionally be, a continued, sincere desire for repentance means that you retain salvation, while loss of that desire means that you were never really saved”

The author never says “a loss of that desire means that you were never really saved.” The author does say, “Belief is a function of the will. No one can force a person to believe. He or she must choose to believe (John 3:16). And the same will that can choose to believe can also choose to stop believing.” And he goes on to say, “We can’t be unborn, but we can die.” What is the author saying? Here is what I believe he is saying.

After a person decides to believe they can no longer become unbelievers, You can not reverse belief. But they can become apostate. You now KNOW the truth. You were better off NOT knowing the truth.

They have denied the creator themselves! That’s like throwing away the only rope that can save their lives!

It’s not by ignorance, (unbelief), but through willfulness, (apostasy). Greater condemnation is reserved for those who willfully deny Christ. Hence therefore losing their salvation in the process.

If it were not so, then God rules unjustly by sending ignorant people to hell. Is it their fault that they were never “really saved”? If they could only believe in Christ they would have never denied him. Right? No that’s false, hell belongs to all those who WILLFULLY, KNOWNINGLY, deny Christ.

“by the conditions you outlined in your post a person that fails often to live up to God’s expectations… is better off than a hypothetical person who was once saved, has not sinned since becoming saved, yet has lost belief.”

Yes that’s exactly right. Genuine Belief in Christ Jesus is what maintains our salvation. We are told to Stand Firm In the Faith, Not works. Our works are only there to help us determine our “lot” or reward in heaven. 30 talents, 60 talents, 100 talents, we will all be rewarded accordingly. But our works do not determine our entry into the kingdom! Only our belief in Jesus Christ! Our faith in the one and only beloved Son! So yes you’re right. A sinner who falls but repents with tears before the alter of the might God, is better off than the pharisee who does good works but has no love for the sacrificial lamb in his heart.

“I occasionally encounter a concerned soul that uses one or both of these arguments as a means to either worry themselves sick, or excuse thier further sins because they have already passed some metaphysical point of no return.”

Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit, is a difficult topic because we are not sure what it really means. But let me see if I can clarify it the best I can.

Who is Jesus? The Son. If you deny the son, it can be forgiven because you don’t really know who the son is to you yet, you only know that he came to do the will of the father, much like a prophet, and some people accept prophets some reject them…

But Who do you think is the Christ? This is the Truth. Now if you deny truth then there is nothing that can help you, because there is nothing greater than truth to be on your side. Who is the Holy Spirit? the Spirit of Truth. Who leads you to Christ? the Holy Spirit! So therefore It is the HOLY SPIRIT that LEADS you to the TRUTH of JESUS CHRIST.

If you DENY the truth FROM THIS POINT, After being taught by the Holy Spirit what truth is, then you just blasphemed the Holy Spirit and lost any means of being saved. you have WILLFULLY AND KNOWINGLY rejected the testimony of Jesus Christ.

What if you keep smoking? Are you WILLFULLY AND KNOWINGLY rejecting the testimony of Jesus Christ? No, you’re just harming your body, and God would prefer you stop harming your body, but that’s on you. You will be rewarded accordingly in heaven.

1 John 5:17 - If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.

What is this infamous sin that leads to death? Why should we not pray for it? It’s really simple. Who gives life? The Son Jesus Christ. When you Reject the Son what have you rejected? Life. So what does that leave you with? Death. That is the sin that leads to Death. and it is also the “Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit.” the Willful and conscious denial of Jesus Christ after tasting heaven and knowing who Jesus Christ is.

Therefore Yes. We Can Lose our salvation. How? By committing that sin that leads to death. Complete and utter denial of your Savior Jesus Christ after knowing full well who he is.