Salvation is a gift from God, received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. But the Bible also warns that continued, unrepentant sin can lead to spiritual death and separation from God. Scripture presents salvation as a living relationship that must be maintained through faith and obedience.
Hebrews 10:26–27 warns:
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment…”
This passage speaks to those who knowingly continue in sin, rejecting God’s grace. It is not about struggling with sin, but about willful defiance.
Jesus said in John 15:6:
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered…”
Abiding in Christ is not optional. It involves ongoing faith, obedience, and surrender. A believer can fall away by choosing sin over the Savior.
James 5:19–20 emphasizes restoration:
“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back… he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death.”
Salvation is secure for those who remain in Christ, but it is not unconditional. Rebellion, apostasy, and persistent disobedience can cause someone to fall away. However, those who fall away were never truly born again.
A person who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit has been made a new creation and will not fall away. They have counted the cost and surrendered their life to the Lord. The Spirit produces perseverance in the true believer.
2 Peter 2:20–21 gives a sobering picture:
“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord… they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.”
This is not about losing salvation because of isolated sins or weakness, but about rejecting Christ and returning to a life of sin, showing that their heart was never fully surrendered.
God is patient and merciful, but He also calls His people to holiness. 1 John 1:9 assures forgiveness when we confess and repent. But no one should take grace as a license to continue in sin (Romans 6:1–2).
A true believer perseveres in faith. Those who sin too much without repentance place themselves in spiritual danger. The call is to examine ourselves, repent, and walk closely with the Lord.
