Can a Believer Lose Their Salvation?

Recently, I was both stunned and dismayed to hear a very popular radio preacher talk about the works of a believer, and that a person can lose their salvation if they fail to produce works or fruits for God.  Perhaps this is an area that many Christians wonder about, or are confused about.  I know I struggled with it for many years, until the Lord taught me directly in His Word what the many passages referring to works and fruits actually mean. 

First of all, I'm going to agree on one point with the radio preacher that it is crucial that we bear fruit for God and for His Kingdom.  It is HOW we do so that is also crucial to understand and do, because there's one way we do it that will bear NO FRUIT, and the other way (as I'm going to point out in this blog) that will never fail to PRODUCT FRUIT for the Kingdom. 

The first way, which the preacher never fully explained well, likely because he doesn't understand it or believe it himself, are the works that you and I do on our own, without the empowerment, anointing, or direct instruction from the Holy Spirit.  These are called the works of the flesh.  They may still be what we would consider "good" works, but they are the works that will not stand the test of fire of our works when we get to heaven: 

1Co 3:11    For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:12    Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 1Co 3:13    Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

1Co 3:14    If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

1Co 3:15    If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Also, God's view of our own good works is very different from ours, so we better get this right: 

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

It is abundantly clear in Scripture that we are not saved by works: 

Tit 3:5    Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

Eph 2:8    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9    Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Good works stem out of a close relationship with Jesus: 

Joh 15:4    Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Joh 15:5    I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

These are the works that last, the gold, silver and precious stones.  When Jesus is working through us, these are the works of the Spirit spoken of in the following: 

Joh 14:12    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 

What works was Jesus referring to?  It always had to do with either healing, deliverance, or raising the dead, and so on.  They were works that were "supernatural," works that could only be done under the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Why?  So that men would know it was of God, and not of man.  Works are intended to advance the Kingdom of God.  They have to be greater than the works of man so that God is always glorified and not the person doing the works. 

The well-known radio preacher went further into John, and this is where he got confused, thinking that the following verse mean that you can lose your salvation if you're not producing fruit: 

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

Notice the phrase, "abide NOT in me."  Bible scholars agree that Jesus is either talking about a non-believer here, or He is referring to the works of a believer who is not fully consecrated in the Spirit, and his works are useless.  Therefore, those works (similar to the wood, hay and stubble in I Cor. 3 above), will be tossed aside and burned.  Backslidden believers may have one time produced fruit, but they have slidden away from the Lord, so they must first be dealt with before they can produce fruit once again. 

Works of the flesh stem from a fractured, and in many cases, a non-existent relationship with Jesus (religious works like all the religions of the world who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus). These same people may allow all kinds of sin in their lives and feel no conviction that they are living in error.  They weigh their good deeds against the bad, and think that this is how God will determine whether they are saved or not. Yet, nowhere in Scripture does it say this!  So we must question whether people who have not yet confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior and do not yet have a desire to live for Him are really saved in the first place!  Their works and lack of fruits (of the Spirit) will reveal whether they are of God or not. 

What are the good works that people think of when they read these Bible passages talking about works?  They might think of religious acts, like helping others, sacrificial giving like the Good Samaritan, visiting the fatherless and the widows (pure religion), setting up social networks to help street-people, women who are abused, and so on.  Yes, many people may get helped, and even saved.  But in order for any of it to be effective, the following must be evident: 

1Ti 1:5    Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned [not hypocritical]: 

In other words, the good works must be done out of a pure heart of love from the Father's heart to ours, with a strong conscience that it is what God has ordained us to do, and with a strong faith that will really get the job done to God's glory. 

I'd like to share some powerful verses that are promises to every believer, and provide an assurance of our salvation, regardless of works: 

Joh 6:39    And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Joh 6:40    And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 

Joh 10:28    And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Joh 10:29    My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 

1Th 5:9    For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 1Th 5:10    Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

Rom 8:34    Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 8:35    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36    As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37    Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38    For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Rom 8:39    Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

In this day of apostasy and false prophets, we must be very careful what and who we listen to, to see if they are truly of God.  The radio preacher I heard had mixed truth with error, and clearly, did not have a true grasp of his subject.  I urge every reader of this blog to check the Scriptures for yourselves whenever anything you hear or read gives you a sense that something is amiss.   

1Jn 4:1    Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

When someone mis-handles a topic as critical as our assured salvation, and has caused confusion, fear, and doubt, then we must consider him as someone not trustworthy to handle the Holy Word of God.  May we be ever vigilant to keep and seek out the Truth of God's Word entrusted to us.  Amen!