Alicia Ostermeyer: Theology Response

1.Can someone lose their salvation? If so, what would make them lose it? Select a few Bible passages that address this subject and briefly (1-3 sentences each) explain how the verse speaks to this question.

Salvation is a hard topic to understand because it's a supernatural process, and not a direct product of a salvation prayer. After reading 5 articles and watching 3 YouTube videos on the subject, I don't believe I can answer this question. I see why people believe we can lose salvation and I see why people don’t believe that so I guess I stand in the middle believing in both. Before I bring up scripture I want to share that I've watched a spirit-filled disciple-maker walk away from following the Lord, my grandfather was a pastor bringing many people to know the love to the God who brought him through his rough childhood and today laughs in the face of Christians as he embraces his homosexual ways. These people influence the way I view this question, but I am not holding these examples above scripture. Am I to say these people were never saved? Because they had me and many others fooled believing that if they would have died years ago, we'd all be talking about how they're in Heaven today.

These people in my life make me think of Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"  This is a troubling passage that can bring one to conclude many different theories. It gets me thinking, if they had salvation, why did they lose it? Could a person really manifest the power of the Holy Spirit and call on the Lord and not be saved? How/why does God say he never knew them? Are these people who are of other religions? I really don’t have any answers but think this verse show that the questions of ‘can you lose your salvation’ doesn’t have a yes or no answer.

We see in John 15 Jesus is talking about the vine and the branches and mentions cutting off branches that bear no fruit. Jesus goes on to warn if we don’t remain in Him we will be like a branch that’s thrown into the fire and burned. Why would Jesus need to warn us to remain in him if once saved always saved? Similarly James 5:19 says: “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover a multitude of sins”. In this example they know truth but have turned from it and need to be brought back. On the other hand, in John 10 Jesus tells the Jews how his sheep hear his voice and that they will never perish or be snatched from his hand. This passage sounds more like a secure salvation to me.  

I see both sides. The mental arguments I’ve had with myself while writing this have drove me crazy. I want an answer, but I can’t rest on one side or the other.

2.Describe in a sense how salvation is past, present, and future.  

This face that salvation is past, present, and future is such a beautiful freeing truth. I was taught most on my life that salvation was just a moment; I was saved when I was 7 and from that day forward salvation was in the past. On the cross Jesus displayed that he chose to save me and it wasn’t until I was 7 did I accept that truth. But because God is all-knowing you could say my salvation story started even before the heavens and the earth. But there’s great news for me in this moment now that I still am being saved. God is sanctifying me in the present to look more like Jesus each day. But I only know my salvation in part now, in Heaven I will know it in it’s fullness and truly be saved from all ungodliness. This view of salvation shows how God’s saving grace is always there and wasn’t left back with the sinner’s prayer.

Alicia, I really appreciated reading your post mainly because I came to the same conclusion! I think that its easy for us to separate things that we read in Scripture with real life situations. We can read in Scripture things like John 10:28 and be like "Yes, I have completely developed my entire theology around this verse and nothing can sway me". But then we see real life situations like your grandfather that shake us to the core of our theology. I think in the end, we don't know someone's heart and its hard for us to understand how this Scripture can apply to them. I don't understand how someone can turn away from God's goodness and mercy nor do I know how to handle it in the mist of my own theology. I think the only way that I can respond to this is to say "I don't know", and continue to teach people the importance of following Jesus, to remain devoted to Him in my personal life as I trust Him in assurance of my own salvation, and pray for those who have fallen.