Every single human being is either a child of God or a child of the devil. Thus, what a wonderful moment it is when a person becomes a child of God. Yet, is it possible for a Christian to so live as to be lost again? What saith the Scriptures?
Galatians 5:4 declares, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Since this law contains the requirement of circumcision (v:3), and since the Old Testament law of Moses had the requirement of circumcision, then the law under consideration in verse four is what law? It is the Old Testament law of Moses. Thus, the verse teaches that any New Testament Christian (who is to be following the law of Christ [Gal. 6:2]) who attempts to follow the law of Moses in order to be justified, is a Christian to whom Christ has become of no effect.
True or false: A person cannot become that which he already is. True. For example, a Christian cannot become a Christian because he already is a Christian. Likewise, with Galatians 5:4, Christ does not become of no effect to non-Christians because (if they were to die in that condition) Christ would already be of no effect to them. Thus, in order to become of no effect, these people had to already have had the effect of Christ, which means that these people were what? They were Christians.
Can it be said of a saved person that Christ is of no effect to him? Of course not. What does this verse say regarding those Christians who attempted to be justified by the law of Moses? “Christ is become of no effect unto you.” Thus, were these children of God still in a saved condition? No.
Hebrews 6:4-6 reads, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good works of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.“
Do the following phrases describe someone who has been saved? Enlightened; tasted the heavenly gift; become partakers of the Holy Spirit; tasted the good works of God and the powers of the age to come. Yes, they describe someone who has been saved.
Do the following phrases describe those who are still saved, or have become lost: they fall away; they crucify again the Son of God; they put Jesus to an open shame? Yes, they describe those who have become lost.
Thus, those who became saved can so live as to be lost again.
2 Peter 2:1 states, “But there were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”
True or false: Are those who are lost regarded as having been bought by (and thus belonging to) Jesus? Certainly not. Were those in the above verse bought by Jesus? Yes. Thus, were they saved or lost? They were saved.
What will happen to anyone who shall deny Jesus? Jesus said “him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Mat. 10:33). Thus, were these people (in 2 Peter 2:1) who had been bought by Jesus still in the saved condition? No.
Is heaven regarded as a place of destruction? No. Is hell regarded as a place of destruction? Yes (Mat. 7:13). Thus, these people who were once in the saved condition have so lived to “bring on themselves swift destruction.” These saved people had become lost again.
Tell us plainly, do the Scriptures teach that it is possible for a child of God to so live as to be lost again? Yes.
Gary Henson
Series on: “Tell us plainly” (John 10:24)