Is a Backsliding ‘Christian’ Still Saved?

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By Bob Williford, Cooperative Program Missionary for the Arkansas Baptist Convention.
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The word “backslider” or “backsliding” does not appear in the New Testament. But in the Old Testament we often see the witness of God against Israel as having backslidden. The Jews continually turned their backs on Him. That is why they were instructed to make all of those blood sacrifices for sin in order to restore their relationship with the God (Jeremiah 8:9).

The Christian has received the one time sacrifice of Christ and therefore requires no further sacrifice for his sin. God purchased our salvation for us and because we are saved by grace through faith it is impossible for the believer lose salvation (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 6:4-10).

Christians do sin. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8), but the Christian is not identified by a life of sin, “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (2 John 2:14).

Believers are new creations. “Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17).

The Holy Spirit lives in us and enables us to produce good works. “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:17-20).

The believer finds forgiveness in Christ. Believers will be forgiven of confessed sin and will live a life that will mature as they live their life in Christ. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

We should have concerns about those who claim to be believers yet live a life that is contrary to biblical truth. Can one who claims to be a Christian return to live a life of sin be saved? God’s Word tells us that if a person denies Christ he never knew Christ. John writes, “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us (1 John 2:17-19).

A person who rejects Christ and turns his back on faith demonstrates that he never belonged to Christ. “Those who are of Christ remain in Him and those who walk away never knew Him. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13).

Either a person is saved or lost…there is no middle ground for the sake of convenience.

Jesus is Lord!
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Williford shared this article in his Fence Post Digest blog, and it is copied here with his permission.

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