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From the Protestant Reformation to the present day, justification is, without a doubt, the most critical point of the Holy Bible and, therefore, the one that has generated the most debates and controversies for the People of God.
It is, perhaps, the most important question of all Christian theology and was also the reason for the Reformation initiated by Luther, which meant the division between the Catholic church and the Protestant church.
Some affirm that only faith in Christ is what makes us saved, others that are justified by works and a third group assure that both are the ones that guarantee the eternal life that God has promised us. But there are also believers who believe that salvation, once won by the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, can be lost. And here we find the greatest inflection point that we confront the believers.
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
Thus, a Christian is not a person who claims to profess the faith or who attends all the meetings of his congregation; or who prays frequently in public and engages in all just causes; or that is pious and behaves like a true believer; neither is he who has grown up in a Christian family. No, that's not being a Christian. A Christian is a person who has received by faith Jesus Christ and has fully trusted in Him as their only Savior (John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2: 8-9).
THE NEW WAY
A new Christian creature is. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things happened; behold, all are made new "(2 Corinthians 5:17). These verses are clear and reveal that every person who "is in Christ" has been converted into a new creature. He has also been born again (John 3: 3); He has been saved (1 Timothy 1:15), he has been forgiven (1 John 2:12); He has been reconciled with God (Colossians 1:21); has been justified by faith (Romans 5: 1); and as a reward, he has been united to Christ (John 15: 5). For a Christian to lose salvation, the new creation would have to be reversed and canceled.
A Christian is redeemed. "Knowing that you were rescued from your vain manner of life, which you received from your fathers, not with corruptible things, like gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and without contamination." (1 Peter 1: 18-19). The word "redeemed" refers to a purchase that has been made, to a wreck that has been paid for. For a Christian to lose salvation, God would have to revoke His purchase for which He paid with the precious blood of Christ.
A Christian is justified. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5: 1). "Justify" means "to declare righteous." Justification is the sovereign work of God by which He declares the sinner righteous, and the legitimate demands of the Law are met. All who receive Jesus Christ as Savior are "declared righteous" by God. because the grace and love of God justifies the sinner (Romans 3:24), this justification is not won by man (Galatians 2:16), God justifies on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and his atoning death for sinners ( Romans 5: 8-9), justification attests to the righteousness of Christ (Romans 4: 20-25) and, thus, justification takes away the guilt of sin (Romans 8: 1).
The justification is once and for all. There are no degrees or stages in your life. If you are full in Christ, justification is eternal. For a Christian to lose salvation, God would have to disregard what was said in his Word and retract what He previously declared.
A Christian is promised eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life" (John 3:16). Eternal life is a promise forever. God promises to "believe, and you will have eternal life." For a Christian to lose salvation, eternal life would have to be withdrawn. If a Christian has been promised to live forever, how then can God break this promise, taking away eternal life?
A Christian is guaranteed glorification. "And those whom he predestined, he also called; and whom he called, he also justified; and whom he justified, he also glorified. "(Romans 8:30). If justification is manifested at the moment of faith (Romans 5: 1), glorification is immediately guaranteed to all those whom God justifies. If a Christian could lose salvation, then Romans 8:30 is a mistake, because God can not guarantee glorification for all those whom He predestinated, called, and justified.
We could quote and study many points that guarantee our salvation. But we believe that even with these few we have enough clarity to be able to assert that a Christian can not lose salvation. If salvation could be lost, everything the Bible says happens when Jesus Christ is received as Savior, would be invalidated. Salvation can not be reversed. Once we are new creatures, we can not be un-created. Redemption can not be undone. If a Christian lost his salvation, God would have to retract his Word and change his mind; two impossible things, because the faithfulness of God is immutable.
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER
The most frequent replies to the doctrine of salvation are, among others: What about those who are Christians and continuously live an immoral life? What about those who are Christians, but then reject the faith and deny Christ? The answer is another question: Are they really Christians? The Bible declares that a true Christian will no longer continue to live an immoral life (1 John 3: 6). Likewise, he declares that someone who separates from the faith, demonstrates that he was never really a Christian (1 John 2:19).
THE CASE OF JUDAS ISCARIOTE
With this small analysis we hope to help all those Christians who are still unclear about this Merciful Grace that God has given to all those who have placed their trust in Christ as their only Savior (Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2: 8-9).
If we read in John 6:70 we can have an accurate answer: "Have I not chosen you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" It is clear that Jesus spoke, above all, of Judas.
The election of Judas was not an election for salvation, but for service (Acts 1:17). The Lord Jesus knew from the beginning who would deliver him (John 6:64). Knowing what Judas was, he still chose it. But it was used according to the Divine plans of God to reach the cross. The twelve had been together from the beginning with Jesus Christ (John 15:27). It is, then, paradoxical to not admit that the Lord knew the case of Judas when he was chosen (omniscience).
"When I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name; to whom you gave me, I kept them, and none of them was lost, but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled "(John 17:12).
All those that the Father gave him were saved, except Judas that by Divine predestination, he never accepted Christ as his Savior and it is perfectly clear that he was not one of those that the Father had given to the Son: "Of those you gave me, I lost none "(John 18: 9). The eleven were clean, "though not all" (John 13:10, 11).
Judas was only a teacher like many Christians today; who live as such, but only in appearances. His heart, mind and body are not of Christ, but of perdition, and are of the kind indicated in Matthew 7: 21-23, where the Lord says of these: "I never knew you."
If salvation were lost and Judas had been one of his sheep, Jesus should have told him: Once I knew you, but today I do not know you anymore; tomorrow I may know you ... These were never yours, despite appearances and having performed miracles.
CONCLUSION
No, a Christian can never lose salvation. Nothing can separate a Christian from the love of God (Romans 8: 38-39).
Nothing can snatch a Christian from the hand of God (John 10: 28-29). God wants and has the power to guarantee and maintain the salvation He has given us: "And He who is able to keep you from falling, and present you without blemish before his glory with great joy, to the only and wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, empire and power, now and for ever. Amen. "(Jude 1: 24-25)
REFLECTION
If you still have doubts, (we do not pretend to be your enlightening beacon that is only Christ), we encourage you to search the Scriptures and ask yourself some of these questions: Is your heart, your body and your mind of Christ? Do you trust Him fully? Do you think the perfect plan of the Cross is enough for you?
It is evident that if someone turns to his old way of being, his old mind, loves the world and satisfies his desires, he loses his salvation. One such mind does not fit into the kingdom of God. But, if one really repents and turns to God, he can recover his salvation, however, one has lost precious time in which the virtues could have grown and developed. Let's continue firmly established in this new mind.
"Therefore, as you have received the Lord Jesus Christ, walk in him; rooted and built up in him, and confirmed in the faith, just as you have been taught, abounding in thanksgiving. "Colossians 2: 6-7.