Loss of salvation
A view held among orthodox Christians
The Arminian and Wesleyan teaching that a true believer can, by persistent unbelief or apostasy, fall away and be finally lost.
Also called: conditional security, loss of salvation possible
What it means
This view holds that God's grace is truly given and truly sufficient, but that the believer must continue to receive it by faith. A real Christian who turns away from Christ in settled unbelief can forfeit salvation. Most who hold it teach that this is not caused by a single sin, and many believe that a fallen believer may be restored through repentance, though some traditions doubt restoration after full apostasy.
It is held by Arminian and Wesleyan churches, by many Pentecostals, and in various forms by Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox churches. Its holders point to the many warnings in Scripture against falling away, which they take to describe a real danger for real believers.
The Westminster and 1689 confessions teach the opposite, that true believers can neither totally nor finally fall from grace. The Reformed read the warnings as God's appointed means for keeping his people, and those who fall away as having never truly believed.
In Scripture
It is impossible to restore again those who have been enlightened and then fall away.
If we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the truth, no sacrifice for sins remains.
Those seeking justification by the law have fallen away from grace.
Anyone who does not remain in Christ is thrown away like a withered branch.
No one can snatch Christ's sheep from his hand, which the Reformed cite against the view.
Where it comes up
Confessions: WCF 17.1; LBCF 1689 17.1
On this site: Holiness & assurance
Related terms
ArminianismA view held among orthodox Christians
The view that God, by grace, enables every person to respond to the gospel, and elects to salvation those He foresees will freely believe.
Perseverance of the saintsHistoric orthodoxy
The teaching that all whom God has truly saved will be kept by his power and will continue in faith and holiness to the end.
Eternal security without perseveranceSerious error
The teaching that anyone who has once believed is saved forever, even if they later stop believing or live with no evidence of new life.