Elect Lose Salvation?

From a Christian inquirer: Paul said in one of his books that a fellow evangelist left the church, seeking after his own ways not Christ’s, doesn't that imply that he left the faith and lost his salvation?

Answer: I think you’re referring to 2 Timothy 4: 9-10---- “Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.”

You specifically ask: “…doesn’t that imply that he left the faith and lost his salvation?”

Yes, it does. And then we extrapolate to another question, then, how do we explain, “once saved, always saved”—has grace been interrupted or withdrawn by man’s disobedience?

The Bible speaks plainly and with urgent appeals to members of the visible church that they not presume on God, nor rest with irresponsible ease with things pertaining to their salvation. Listen to Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away…”

The Bible doesn’t hold back from warning the elect about drifting or losing their salvation. Does this mean that in fact the elect can lose their salvation?

Let me make a distinction. The Bible holds two truths together—we’re back to the twin truths found in the Word of God, about 1) His sovereign plan and purpose, and 2) man’s responsibility. Again, see Deuteronomy 29:29-----there are the unrevealed ways of God (His eternal plan are things known only to Him), and the revealed ways of God (His plan is revealed in the Word and in history): His promises, wondrous works and commands.

1. God has His eternally elect, the saved, only known to Him (unrevealed) 2 Tim. 2:19.
2. God has His in-history people known as the elect, the church (revealed). Eph. 1:1-5.

The Bible presents these two truths side by side; they fit like one circle overlapping the other. There’s the eternally elect of God right alongside of the historically elect. Bible teachers will sometimes refer to the invisible church and visible church. They are so closely matched, really and truly indistinguishable from our viewpoint.

Only God Himself, as the Divine One, knows the hearts of all men. From the human side, we see things outwardly: men say they love the Lord, His Word, and they work at following him, and so we walk together as the church. We worship and serve together, and we mutually trust the Lord’s work in us all. This is the life and work of the church.

But the heart can be deceitful. God is the searcher and watcher of the heart. He proves our hearts, and various tests prove-out motives, desires and the deeds of men (see the parable of the sower and the soils in Mark 4).

Demas was a member of the visible church, the elect of God, and even was a worker in the things of God with the great apostle Paul. Paul treated him as the elect of God. He’s named among the beloved stalwarts, brothers, in gospel-work at Paul’s side: Mark, Barnabas and Luke (Col. 4:10, 14). But, from 2 Timothy 2:9, as Demas showed a love for the world’s ways, and then showed that he was unrepentant, ultimately then, a heart of unbelief began to surface. Such unbelief, along with the lack of repentance, is inconsistent with being a member of the invisible church, the eternally elect of God. This drifting and this hardening, with no repentance, means there’s a departure from the living God taking place; there’s a forsaking of God’s promise (Hebrews 3:12, see verse 19 too). Demas left the Lord; he left the church for he was not of the church, eternally (please see, 1 John 2:19).

With the non-heeding, non-repentant, the visible church is to make a human judgment about them (Jesus said, “…treat them as a heathen and a tax collector” Matthew 18:17-18). God will have the final say on the last day about this; with the unrepentant, even those who are presumably followers of the Lord, they are to be put out of the visible church, because they no longer are listening to the counsel of the Word.

This area of Bible teaching turns us back again and again to the Lord Jesus Christ. God always, always holds hope to the repentant. Our hope of salvation is not in our faith, or in our doing, etc. We are frail and weak, and we do fail. But He is our hope.

This teaching also reminds us that the Christian faith is a promise-believing faith! We’re always directed from Scripture to believe the promises of God—to continually believe the promises. Jesus said that the mark of discipleship in His kingdom is faith and repentance (Mark 1:15). Turning to Him—making that our practice is the day by day practice of the Christian faith. Our rest is Jesus, the God-Man! He can and does carry us through to the end.

While we trust His ability to carry us, we always put our trust to work: we must heed the call from Scripture, “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13). And those who hold fast to the Lord are doing so assured that He is holding fast to them!

One last thing. The Bible clearly establishes the point that a man or woman can have assurance of salvation in this earthly life. How? Our Lord Jesus said: Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes in Me has everlasting life—John 6:47. Also, 1 John 5:12-13: He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Believe the promises! Live them out—daily!

Our assurance of salvation rests on the Promise-Giver, the Lord. His Word, the Bible, is the promise-Book. Yes, He has His eternal plan of sovereign election of His own children—and He will carry His elect all the way home; and Yes, the Bible holds out the sure mother-promise: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13). Our daily trust in Christ does not, and will not, ever disappoint. We’re to rest in Him, but not with an irresponsible rest.

G. Mark Sumpter