It was our sins that put Jesus on the cross. Should we ever love sin, we would love the very evil that caused nails to be driven through our Savior’s hands and feet. Just as we would abhor the knife that was used to murder a child, so we should abhor the sin that caused Jesus to die.
Erwin Lutzer

Can A Saved Person Ever Be Lost

Can A Saved Person Ever Be Lost

Can a Saved Person Ever Be Lost?

by Dr. John R. Rice

Transcribed and edited by David W. Horn, B.A.

WAIT A MINUTE! The message in this pamphlet has opened the door for thousands of readers into happiness and assurance and daily victory. But before you read it, I earnestly beg you to settle the following questions:

  1. Are you willing to take, without question, exactly what the Bible Itself says on this question? It may seem illogical, it may seem unreasonable to your human understanding, but the only honest way for a Christian to settle this question is by the Word of God. Are you willing to lay aside all the arguments of men about free will, predestination, Arminianism or Calvinism, forget the doctrines of your church, and turn, with a humble heart, to the Bible Itself and believe what it says on this qu estion?
  2. Can you be humble enough to approach the subject with an open mind? That takes Christian humility. Tradition, self-will, preconceived opinions sometimes shut up the mind against God’s truth. Are you really willing to learn?
  3. Are you willing to accept a salvation that honors Christ instead of honoring men; that gets people to Heaven by grace instead of by man’s works? Are you willing to admit that you deserve to go to Hell and can be saved only by God’s mercy and k ept only the same way?
  4. Will you earnestly pray for the Holy Spirit to open your understanding and guide you into the truth of the Scripture on this question?

If you can honestly say yes to these questions, we believe the doctrine discussed here will be forever settled in your mind after a prayerful study of this pamphlet.

John R. Rice

CAN A SAVED PERSON EVER BY LOST? The most important question that ever faced any man is that of the salvation of his own soul. If any man has not settled that question, then let him do so today at any cost, no matter what else must be neglected. To the man who has already trusted in Christ for salvation and thus has been born again, the most important question is the one expressed in the title: “Can A Saved Person Ever Be Lost?”

Everywhere I find people troubled because they do not know what that at any time, because of their sins, their negligence, the sudden besetting of temptation which they might not withstand, they may lose the salvation which they have and so become children of the Devil. Such Christians know that their own hearts are deceitful, they know that they do not deserve the mercies of God; and the fear haunts them that they may lose their salvation and so, perchance, die to be forever lost. For such as t hese, I bring this message.

SCRIPTURES WHICH SOME INTERPRET AS TEACHING ONE MAY LOSE SALVATION. There are many Scriptures which doubtful Christians think teach that a saved persone can be lost. I want to review those Scriptures and show you that not one of them either teach es or implies that a saved person can be lost.

JOHN 15:6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and the men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

You see here that a man may be cast forth as a branch and may wither. And there is the startling statement about being cast into fire! Does this mean that God will cast away one of His children and that that soul will be cast into Hell? No, read it again and see that a man may be out of touch with Christ after he has been saved and so cannot bear fruit; he may be withered and lose all the joy which he had, as Christians many times do. But notice in this verse that those which are gathered and cast into the fire are the branches cut from the grapevines, and not men at all. Notice, too, that it is men who gather them, while we are plainly told in Matthew 13:41, 42 that it is angels, not men, who will put the lost in Hell.

The Saviour in John 15 is talking to His disciples about fruitbearing. Again and again He refers to it in the chapter, teaching that we cannot bear fruit except by abiding in fellowship with Christ and through His power. A withered branch, so wor thless to men because it will not bear grapes and is therefore burned up, is used to show how useless is a Christian in God’s service who does not abide in Christ. Of course, the difference between men and God is this: Men value grapevines for the grap es, but Christ loves us for ourselves. This Scripture does not teach that a saved person can be lost and does not say so.

Take the Bible at face value. It means exactly what It says and says exactly what It means. Do not add to the meaning of God’s Word. In this case “fire” means fire, and it does not mean Hell. I think the branches of the vine mean just that. Me n cast them into the fire and they are burned, but it does not mean that a Christian is cast into Hell and burned.

EZEKIAL 3:20, 21. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness whic h he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy sou l. Perhaps you have had these verses pointed out to you as a Scripture that teaches that a saved person may be lost. But careful reading of these verses and of the whole chapter will show that it has no reference to the salvation of a soul nor the loss of a soul. The message is to Israel (vs. 17). The righteousness of the righteous man mentioned here does not r efer to salvation but to a citizen of Israel keeping the Mosaic Law. The penalty mentioned is not eternal damnation nor the loss of a soul, but simply physical death. The only salvation for the wicked in this case is “to save his life (vs. 18).” We preachers have spiritualized this passage and made it mean what it does not say. The righteousness mentioned is not the righteousness of Christ but the self-righteousness of a Jew under the law. The Jew who had never committed a murder, adulte

ry, nor any other major crime would yet, if he turned from his righteous way and committed such a crime, be taken out and stoned; that is, he would die in his sin. This passage clearly has no reference to a saved person becoming lost. Ezekial 18:24 and 33:12, 13 are two other passages nearly identical in meaning. Read these and see.

Do you see the danger of spiritualizing away the plain meaning of the Bible, and making it mean something that it does not say?

II PETER 2:20-22 — DOGS AND SOWS. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the be ginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Whoever the people indicated in these Scriptures were, we can see the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. Many people believe that this Scripture tells the story of a man once saved but who is entangled in the pollutions of the world and finally lost.

But notice these things about this passage: The escape was through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Scripture does not say that these trusted Jesus. Many lost people know about the Gospel and about Christ. We see from ver se 21 that they knew the way of righteousness. But the Scripture does not indicate that they ever walked in it.

In verse 22 the dog is still a dog and the sow is still a sow. The dog returning again to his vomit is a picture of a sinner returning again to the sin that made him sick. The sow that was washed returns to wallowing in the mud because she is sti ll a sow, with a sow’s nature. God never calls His people either dogs or hogs anywhere in the Bible. Both are used as symbols of the unsaved. If God ever made this sow into a sheep and changed her nature as He does the nature of one who is born again, the sheep wouldn not have delighted in the mud like a sow, even if through carelessness she became soiled. There are too many people who are still sows and the only washing they ever had was on the outside, with no change of their sinful natures.

In this chapter, from verses 1 and 2 it is easily seen that the Lord is not talking to saved people at all but to enlightened lost people who return to their sins and do not accept Christ.

HEBREWS 10:26-29 — JEW REJECTING CHRIST. For if we sin willfully after that we have received knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devo ur the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law dies without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenan t, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? Does this Scripture teach that a saved person can be lost? verse 29 speaks of one who has been sanctified. But this does not refer to a Christian. It is in the book of Hebrews, addressed to Israel. This covenant mentioned in verse 29 is God’s covenant with Israel, whereby Israel was sanctified, that is, set apart, as a chosen people to God. All the H ebrew sacrifices of the Old Testament were reminders of this covenant; and the blood was a picture of that which Jesus would shed as the complete sacrifice for Israel’s sin. This Scripture, then, applies to those of Israel who looked forward to the coming Saviour; but when He came, or when they received knowledge of Him, they would not accept Him. Those who wilfully reject the Christ cannot find any other sacrifice to

take away their sins. Verse 39 in the same chapter, referring to Christian Jews, says: “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” This Scripture, then, does not teach that a saved person can be lost. It does teach that if a Jew, after coming to the knowledge of the truth that Christ is our sacrifice for sin, then continues wilfully in the sin of unbelief, rejecting Christ, no other sacrifice can take away his sins and there is no other way for him to be saved.

MATTHEW 12:43-45 –THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked ge neration.

This is sometimes held to teach that saved souls may be lost. But notice that the unclean spirit is not driven out of the man but goes out himself. He says, “I will return into my house.” The house still belongs to him; the man is unsaved. Noti ce too, that he found the house empty; that is, Christ was not in it. This is a picture of a man who reforms without salvation.

Notice in the last sentence of this Scripture that Jesus applies it to the ungodly Pharisees about whom He is talking (vs. 38).

GALATIANS 5:4 — FALLING FROM GRACE. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace.

But does not the Scripture say in Galatians 5:4, “Ye are fallen from grace?” Yes, but read the whole verse and see that this refers to one who would be justified by the law, that is, one who is counting on his own righteousness to save him. “Chri st is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

Grace is a higher plan than the law, and these Galatians had begun to teach salvation by circumcision and the laws of Moses instead of staying with God’s high Gospel of mercy that people could be saved by faith. You can see it has no reference to a saved person’s becoming lost. “Ye are fallen from grance” here means “you have departed from God’s plan of salvation by grace; you have fallen into false doctrine.”

DOES GOD BLOT CHRISTIANS OUT OF HIS BOOK? In Exodus 32:31-33, we are told of Moses’ prayer to God for Israel after she has sinned so terribly in whorshiping the golden calf which Aaron made: And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin –; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou has written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Christians sometimes believe that Moses here referred to the book of life and that the Lord threatened to blot out of the book of life the names of the people who have sinned after they were converted. But that is not the meaning of the Scripture,

as a careful reading will show you. In the first place, there is no reason to believe that God had then written all of the book or life. That book had never been mentioned in the Bible up to this time. But God have given definite and clear promises t o Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and then to the whole nation through Moses, about the land of Canaan and that Israel should go into the land and possess it. Moses meant that he would be willing to be left out of Canaan, left out of God’s promises for Israel as a nation, in order for the sins of the people to be forgiven.

Yet God said, “Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” God meant evidently that those who rebelled against God and worshiped idols would be left out of His plan and would miss the privilege of going into the land of Cana an. A little later we find that not a single one of the grown men who were present at the time was allowed to go into the land of Canaan, but all were blotted out of God’s promises for the nation because of their sin, and their children later went into the land and inherited it.

God is not talking about salvation here but is dealing with Israel under covenant and law. It is not here primarily a question of Heaven and Hell but of physical life and death, of being carried into Canaan under God’s covenant or of being rejecte d and having their dead bodies left in the wilderness.

Revelation 3:5 is another Scripture which mentiones the blotting out of names. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white rainment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father , and before his angels.”

A woman once brought me this Scripture as proof that a saved person could be lost. When we examined it together, I said, “But notice this verse promises that God will NOT blot out one’s name. When you find a verse that says He will blot out one’s name from the book of life, that will be different.”

This time it is the book of life God discusses. But to comfort those striving to overcome, God promises He will not blot out their names. Do not read into the Book more than It says. Do not add to the Bible. God said what He meant. Had He mean t more, He would have said more. God does not say and does not mean that He will blot out the name of any child of His from the book of life.

“GOD SHALL TAKE AWAY HIS PART OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE.” REVELATION 22:19. Another Scripture which sometimes troubles Christians who fear that they may become lost is Revelation 22:19, which says: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophesy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of theholy city, and from the things which are written in this book. This time the Scripture clearly says concerning certain people that God shall take away their part out of the book of life. But it does not say that God will blot out any one’s name which is written in the book of life. What then does the Lord me an here? This Scripture evidently means that salvation is bought and paid for for every man and woman in the world. In 1 Joh 2:2 we are told, “He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Every s inner has a part purchased for him in the book of life and in “the holy city.,” bought by the blood of Christ, which he may occupy if he will accept the Saviour as his own and the eternal life which is freely offered. That PART is prepared for every man, and it is his opportunity. But one who rejects the Bible and turns his back on God’s revelation will thereby, of course, miss the way of salvation pictured in the Bible and will not accept the Saviour and will

therefore miss Heaven. This Scripture evidently means that those who reject the Bible will miss the plan of salvation and all the good things which Christ has bought for them. It certainly does not mean that one of God’s children will be lost, that one whose name is written in the book of life already will have his name blotted out.

“LEST…I…SHOULD BE A CASTAWAY.”–I CORINTHIANS 9:27. In I Corinthians 9:27 Paul tells how carefully he controlled and buffeted his fleshly nature, lest he should be a castaway. Did Paul mean that he was afraid that he would lose his soul? Rea d the verse and see. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. The word “castaway” here is translated from a Greek word meaning literally “not approved.” Paul really means that after God has greatly used him to preach the Gospel and has shown His approval on Paul’s ministry by Holy Spirit power, that even Pau l could lose that Holy Spirit power and find himself not approved of God for the ministry if he lets the fleshly nature control his life. How many preachers are there who once held great revivals, once had a great ministry and won many souls and blessed many hearts, but who now have no power, have few if any conversions, and their ministry is marked “not approved” by the Lord! As fa r as the ministry is concerned, some men who were once used are now castaways, unprofitable servants, instruments not fit for God’s use in the ministry. In John 6:37 Jesus plainly promises that the individual soul that comes to Him for salvation shall in no wise be cast out. The Christian is in no danger of losing his soul. He may lose the approval of God on his service and be laid on the shelf.

It was this disapproval of God, the possibility of losing his power and being set aside as a preacher, which Paul feared. Paul was not afraid of losing his salvation.

DO GOOD WORKS KEEP A CHRISTIAN SAVED? There are several passages in the Bible which emphasize Christians’ works, and people many times believe that these passages imply one will not remain saved unless he works.

PHILIPPIANS 2:12–WORKING OUT YOUR SALVATION. For instance, Philippians 2:12 says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” But when you read the verse that follows–“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”–you will see that Paul speaks here of working out that which you already have. A man cannot work out his cotton crop until he has a cotton crop. A man cannot let his light shine out until he has a light in his heart. A man cannot work out his salvation to a lost world until he has the salvation. The Saviour promised that we could have a well of water within us for a thirsty world and that we should be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

This does not mean work for your salvation, but it does mean work your salvation out on others.

MATTHEW 24:13–ENDURING TO THE END. “But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.”

To the careless reader, this Scripture seems to teach that salvation depends upon holding out faithfully or enduring to the end. But if you read carefully the chapter, you will see that Jesus is talking about the Great Tribulation period at the en d of this age, that the salvation mentioned is salvation of the flesh, not salvation of the soul. Verse 21 says, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor shall ever be.” This time ment ioned here is the great tribulation time. And verse 22 says, “and except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh be saved.” The salvation mentioned here is salvation of the flesh, that is, the rescue of literal Jews from physical death during the Great Tribulation. Take the Bible at face value. You see that this Scripture does not teach salvation by works or by holding out faithfully. To those Jews who will be so terribly persecuted in the tribulation period Jesus says in effect, “If you are able to endure these persecutions to the end of the tribulation period, I will come and rescue you out of the hands of the Antichrist.” HEBREWS 6:4-6–THE UNPARDONABLE SIN. For it is impossible for those who were once enlighted, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come

, 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.

Notice this Scripture says, “If they shall fall away…” Is the one mentioned in this Scripture a saved man? He has been enlightened, has tasted the heavenly gift, and the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come. He has even had so mething to do with the Holy Ghost.

The words here, “partakers of the Holy Ghost,” in the marginal reading are “going along with the Holy Ghost.” But there are several things that show this is not a saved person who has become lost. A lost man can be enlightened, that is, may learn about Christ. He can have tasted the heavenly gift of the Word of God, etc.; and you notice here this one did not eat, but simply tasted. The Holy Ghost goes along with a lost man, convicting him as He did Saul of Tarsus, pricking his conscience day b y day. This is a lost man.

Some Christians may say, “These verses fit my case exactly; I was a Christian and right with God, but I fell away like this Scripture says.” If this be true, whoever has done according to this Scripture is lost forever without hope. “For it is im possible…to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” No, dear friend, this is not about a Christian who has fallen into sin, but this is that one unpardonable sin of a lost man who, after great enlightenment, deliberately, maliciously, and finally rejects Christ and blasphemes the Holy Ghost. In Matthew 12:31, 32, Jesus said that every kind of sin and blasphemy in the world would be forgiven except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. That means there can only be one unpardonable sin, and all other sins can be forgiven. But the sin m entioned here in Hebrews 6:4-6 cannot be forgiven, because the Scripture says, “It is impossible…to renew them again unto repentance. This, then, is the unpardonable sin of a lost man who has never been saved, and it does not refer at all to a child of God’s becoming lost. BIBLE CHARACTERS WHO FELL INTO SIN. JUDAS. Many proiminent men of the Bible fell into grievous sin. Were these men saved? If so, did they become lost? Judas Iscariot is most often mentioned in this connection. He betrayed the Saviour and I believe that Judas went to Hell as a lo

st soul. Acts 1:25 says: “That he may take part in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” In John 6:64-71 the Saviour plainly tells us that Judas never believed and was never saved. He knew from the beginning that Judas would betray Him, and He knew that Judas was a devil. Read some of the verses and see what Jesus said about Judas Iscariot: But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him (Vs. 64). Then Jesus said unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou are that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the some of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve (Vss. 67-71). Judas was never saved, and so never lost his salvation. He never did believe in Christ, but was a devil; so when he died, he went to his own place. Certainly Judas is not an example of a Christian losing his salvation. LOT–A BACKSLIDDEN CHRISTIAN. Lot was guilty of terrible sins. He ran in bad company; he let his town go to Hell without winning a soul; he drank, and so was indirectly responsible for the ruin of his own daughters. If any man could lose his sal vation, it seems that Lot would have lost his. But we must not guess on the matter. Let us turn to II Peter 2:7, 8 and find what God’s Word says about Lot: “And delivered just Lot, vexed with filthy conversation of the wicked (For that righteous man dwlling among them, in seeing and hearing,

vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds).” Lot, even in the midst of Sodom, is called “just Lot,” is called “that righteous man,” and it is said that he had a “righteous soul!” Lot’s righteousness was the same as the righteou sness of present Christians, the imputed righteousness of Christ. He was justified by faith, without the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:28), not by his works but of God’s grace. Lot certainly sinned, but certainly was not lost when God said these things abou t him. We know that Lot lost his family, lost his money, lost his joy, because of his sins; but he did not lose his soul, for God said he was just a man with a righteous soul.

IMPLIED DOCTRINES. Perhaps, my troubled friends, there are other Scriptures which come to your mind. I have given those upon which the doctrine of losing salvation is generally based. But you say some other Scriptures “seem to imply” that a save d person can be lost. That is one of the sad things that has filled the world with false doctrine today: people teach some doctrine which the Bible does not anywhere plainly teach but which they think is “implied” somewhere. A question so important as this ought to be settled by the Word of God; and I promise you if you will prayerfully take the Scriptures which I give you, word for word, the matter will be settled forever in your own heart–that a saved person can never be lost.