Part 2 - Can Believers Lose Their Salvation?

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Can A Christian Lose His Salvation?.

We begin by looking at a passage that some erroneously say proves you can lose of salvation.

“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, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 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)

Again, the goal of study and right division is to determine the audience for the particular Bible passage. In Hebrews 6:4-6 above, and 2:3-4 below, the writer is obviously addressing Israel, not the church.

Jesus had told Israel, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (Jn 4:48). Consider that all of Israel saw the miracles, signs, and wonders of Christ’s earthly ministry and in early Acts 2 but this was not enough to win the Jews to “so great a salvation”; they still rejected Christ in unbelief.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” (Heb. 2:3-4)

To those who don’t rightly divide the Scripture, the words How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvationsounds like we can lose our salvation.

BUT, they ignore that this letter is not written to the members of the body of Christ.” I can know this because I can read the address in the Book’s title“Letter to the Hebrews.” As we’ve said, the key to dispensational Bible study and right division is to determine the exact audience for the particular Bible passage. In this case, obviously, the writer is addressing the Nation Israel, not the Gentiles.

Now here is the explanation of Hebrews 6:4-6. First, the “we” in “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation…” refers only to those of the Nation Israel, not “the body of Christ.” Christ’s preached “the Gospel of the Kingdom,” but only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mat. 15:24) during His earthly ministry and He instructed His 12 Apostles to do likewise (Mat. 10:5-6).

It was great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord;(Mat. 4:17). The gifts of the Holy Spirit” is reference to Pentecost (Acts 2), the “power of the Holy Spirit” being manifested (cf. Luke 24:49). Recall that Hebrews 6:4-6 above mentions “the powers of the world to come. When Jesus Christ and His apostles performed miracles, they were demonstrating the power that is to come in “the kingdom to come on earth” at Christ’s 2nd coming. With Israel, having rejected God, His Son and the power of the holy Spirit, He will establish His Millennial kingdom on the earth “in the ages to come.” Then the curse will be lifted from creation and there would be “no more sickness” or “unclean spirits (devils) (Isa. 35:1-10; Zech. 13:1-2; etc.). At that time, the believers of Israel will co-reign with Christ in His coming kingdom on earth, forever (Rev 5:10, 20:6).

So all of Israel had seen and heard of Jesus’ miracles and then the supernatural events of the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. If the miracles, signs, and wonders they witnessed were not enough proof to win the Jews to the salvation of the promised Kingdom that Jesus spoke of, nothing else to convince them. The Jews witnessed “the power of the Spirit” and promised kingdom, but they still rejected God… in unbelief.

We must realize that what we read in Hebrews and Acts 2 have nothing to do with any member of “the body of Christ. These verses refer to Israel’s program, not the grace program that God is operating today.

Next we will look a related matter that many people have confused.