Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?
Another theological issue to consider regarding salvation, and another significant divide between Arminianism and Calvinism, concerns eternal security, sometimes called the perseverance of the saints: Can a true believer lose their salvation? Or is that person eternally secure in salvation? There is such a thing as a “professing Christian”— someone who professes Christianity but does not truly believe in Christ (Matthew 7:22–23; Titus 1:16). There is certainly no security in salvation for that person, since they are not actually saved in the first place. Only God can know with certainty who is a true Christian, but for the sake of our discussion, we will assume that this individual is a true Christian. Generally, one’s answer to the question of whether salvation can be lost will go along with one’s view of election. If the divine election, is conditional, then there can be no eternal security because a true Christian may cease to believe in the gospel and thus lose their s