Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?

Is it possible for a Christian to lose their salvation? Today, Ken Jones explains why true believers are eternally secure in Christ, emphasizing the sufficiency of His atonement and the assurance of God’s saving grace.

NATHAN W. BINGHAM: This week on the Ask Ligonier podcast, we are joined by Rev. Ken Jones. He serves as pastor at Glendale Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, Fla. Rev. Jones, is it possible for someone lose their salvation?

REV. KEN JONES: Well, the answer to that is no, a person cannot lose their salvation. What are we saved by? We are saved by God’s grace.

And what does salvation mean? It means that Christ as our federal head has kept all that God has required of us in His holy law—all; the operative word being all. Secondly, in His death, Christ has satisfied the full weight of divine justice. So that means there is no law that God has required of us that Christ has not kept. And it also means that there is no wrath—that is, there’s no sin that has gone unpunished. So, Christ as our federal head has met the requirements, and Christ as our federal head has borne the wrath.

And that’s why I love Paul’s language in Romans where he says He was raised for our justification (Rom. 4:25). And then later in Ephesians, he says that we are seated with Him in heavenly places (Eph 2:6). So, our salvation is a matter of our federal head meeting the full standard of God’s law, bearing the full weight of divine wrath, and therefore, those who are united to Him by faith are effectually and eternally saved. Because if they are not, then that means they’re not in union with Him. Or if they are in union with Him, that means there is something that God has required of us that Christ has not met, or it means that there is some sin that is outside of His atoning work.

Union with Christ means to be at one with Him, and one of the interesting images to me is that we are told that we will have new bodies that are incorruptible, et cetera, but Christ is presented before the Father, glorified, in a body that is wounded. His scars are evident before the Father, so that we, in our fallen flesh, could receive the treatment of a favored son. And so, the writer of Hebrews says, “Here am I and the children you have given Me” (Heb. 2:13).

So, our salvation is not about our effort. It’s not about our doing; it’s about our trust. And the greater question is not whether or not a person can lose their salvation. I think the real question comes down to whether or not we have genuine saving faith. Genuine saving faith puts us in union with Christ, and for us to lose what Christ has gained makes His grace non-effectual. So, I just think that logically and theologically, because our faith is in Christ, a person cannot lose what Christ has gained. He Himself says that no one can take us from His hands (John 10:28), that He has all that the Father has given to Him (John 6:37–39).

I like Hebrews, Hebrews 10, actually quoting from Psalm 40—Psalm 40, which was written by David—but the writer of Hebrews says, when Christ came into the world, this is what he says: “Offering and sacrifice You have not desired, but a body You have given Me”—for what purpose? “To do your will, O God” (Heb. 10:5–7, see also Psalm 40:6–8).

In His body, He has accomplished all that God has required. And if there is something that we haven’t done, all that God has required of us is met in Him, and the fullness of His wrath has been satisfied by Him. Genuine saving faith means to believe that: that He lived for my righteousness, He died for my sins, and He was raised for my justification.