CAN YOU FALL AWAY FROM FOLLOWING GOD AND BE LOST?
A "Believer" is one that is abiding and following God in the
present tense of the Word. I noticed that EVERY scripture you have provided is
not talking about someone that has followed God as a believer and has chosen to leave God and go back into the world choosing a life of sin and not returning to Jesus. Let's look at these scriptures as God's WORD is full of them and you have left these scriptures out of your OP.
This is not to say someone that was a believer and comes back to God will not be saved. All will be saved if they return to God in time (Prodigal son).
There however will be those that because of the freewill God gives us choose to go back in to the World after believing God and decide not to come back to God.
These are the class that God's Word says will be lost. Why because they have rejected God through their unbelief in His Word. They have chosen to believe the first lie from the Garden of Eden "Ye shall not surely die if you eat of the forbidden fruit" Ignoring the Word of God that says "Not to touch or eat of the fruit lest ye die" or "the wages of sin is death (Genesis 3:1-5; Romans 6:23)
You can look all through God's Word from Genesis to Revelations and you will see that God has always had a believing people that at some point believed God but choose to go back into the world in rebellion and reaped what they sowed.
Some scriptures worth consideration...
EZEKIEL 3:20 [20], Again,
When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him,
he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning,
he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
EZEKIEL 18:4 [4], Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine:
the soul that sins, it shall die.
ROMANS 6:23 [23],
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
<the wages of SIN is death to those still in sin because they have not accepted God gift of salvation from sin>
MATTHEW 13:20-21 [20],
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and anon with joy receiveth it <believer> [21] Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while
: for when tribulation or persecution arise because of the word, by and by he is offended ,<Believer leaves God>
MATTHEW 13:22 [22], He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word
<believer>; and the care of this world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful <Believer leaves God>.
MATTHEW 13:23 [23], But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty
<Saved believer staying with Christ>.
COLOSSIANS 1:21-23 [21] And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled <become believers> [22] in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— [23[
if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast,
and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Now what is plain to see is this:
-These were believers above
-They were to be presented holy, blameless and above reproach (no scope for unrepentant sin in a believers life)
-this is possible (IF THEY CONTINUED IN THE FAITH) - grounded, steadfast, not moved.
LUKE 22:31-32 [31] And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift
you as wheat. [32] But I have prayed for you,
that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to
Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Now what is plain to see is this:
-If it were not possible for faith to fail, as the strong delusionalists claim, then it would not be necessary for Jesus to have had to pray to the Father this prayer above.
1 TIMOTHY 2 :18-20 [18] This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, [19] having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected,
concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, [20] of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
2 TIMOTHY 2:16-19 [16], But shun profane
and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. [17] And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, [18]
who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they
overthrow the faith of some. [19] Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
Now what is plain to see is this:
-its possible to stray concerning the truth
-its possible to once have known the truth but to have strayed therefrom
-faith can be overthrown.
-these people are no longer saved. Because you can only receive salvation
through faith.
-sin is still a factor " Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity". Contrary to what the strong delusionalists say.
JUDE 1:3 [3], Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to
contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Now what is plain to see is this:
-contending for the faith - its a prize. It is to be protected, defended, fought for.
-by not contending for this, it can be lost.
2 TIMOTHY 4:7-8 [7], I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith: [8] Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Now what is plain to see is this:
-Paul, writer of most of the New Testament, fought the good fight. Finished the course. And KEPT the faith.
-why would it be necessary for him to write about "kept the faith" if it wasn't possible to have lost faith.
1 JOHN 5:4 [4], For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our
faith.
Now what is plain to see is this:
-Our faith is what overcomes the world. We are supposed to OVERCOME THE WORLD.
-What is the world? (definition:1 John 2v16 16 For all that
is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world).
REVELATION 2:10 [10] Be
faithful until death, and I will give you the
crown of life.
Now what is plain to see is this:
-Faith is not a once off, momentary decision, applicable for all time.
-Faith, once received, once believed, is to be maintained.
-the corollary is this - if you are NOT faithful until death, or lose your faith, you shall not receive the crown of life.
The word is very clear - its to him who
overcomes:
REVELATION 2:7 To him who
overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life
REVELATION 2:11 He who
overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
REVELATION 2:17 To him who
overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.
REVELATION 2:26 And he who
overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
REVELATION 3:5 He who
overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life
REVELATION 3:12 He who
overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.
REVELATION 3:21 To him who
overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne
Now to those who lose the faith. Who once had the faith yet turned their backs on Christ, we have the subject matter of the 'other' thread. Which is clearly visible for all to see below:
HEBREWS 6:4-8 [4],
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, [5],
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, [6],
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. [7], For the earth which drinks in the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth plants fit for them by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God: [8], But that which bears thorns and briars is worthless, and is near unto cursing;
whose end is to be burned.
Now what is plain to see is this:
-Let there no illusions that these were believers, and were once in the faith.
-once they "fall away" (and we can see that this is a very real risk warned about by the NT writers, as well as Jesus) to be renewed again unto repentance.
HEBREWS 10:26-27 [26], For
if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [27]
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Parable of the Sower (falling away)
MATTHEW 13:18-23 [18], Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. [19], When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart <UNBELIEVER>. This is he which received seed by the way side. [20], But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and for a while with joy receives it <BELIEVER>; [21], Yet hath he not root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended <FALLS AWAY>. [22], He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful <BELIEVER THAT FALLS AWAY>.
23, But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty <BELIEVER>.
Other examples in the NT- Judas
The facts are these;
1. Judas was one of the 12 disciples. You cannot be one of the 12 disciples without being a believer
2. He for a time was following Jesus and put in a responsibility of trust.
3. He was given the Holy Spirit and went out preaching the Gospel
4. He believed Jesus then he betrayed and fell away from Jesus and went back into the world. He was a believer that left God.
Scripture proof line upon line: Matt 10:1-5; Matt 26:14; Luke 22:48; 23:3; Heb 6:4-8; Heb 10:26-27; John 15:1-10; John 14:15
MATTHEW 24:13 [13] But
he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
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CONCLUSION: "...
you are saved if you hold fast the word..." (1 Corinthians 15:2 NASB) and endure unto the end. You can turn away from God and be LOST if you continue in KNOWN UNREPENTANT SIN.
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I may not have time to revisit here just want to add some scriptures that were missing to this thread.
Hope this is helpful to those who read it...
