Why you cant lose your salvation.

[cleanfreak]

I'm just wondering how someone can confess Jesus as his/her savior and yet continue to live a sinful life without remorse.

maybe not at first, right after the person is saved, but we all sin and fall short of the Glory.....

......if the person continues to sin without repentance, then each day it becomes easier and easier until eventually they will have "fallen away" as in Hebrews 6

 

[one truth]

To be honest this thread has me quite confused on the subject. Now I'm not sure what to believe. I've always thought once saved always saved, but now that I think about it, I don't have anything to base that on. :

 

[cleanfreak]

To be honest this thread has me quite confused on the subject. Now I'm not sure what to believe. I've always thought once saved always saved, but now that I think about it, I don't have anything to base that on. :

sorry to confuse if I did. These 2 versus clearly demonstrate what I am trying to say


Revelation 2:4 ESV

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.


Revelation 2:5 ESV

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

 

[Sparkey]

The familiar verse: "Once saved, always saved," comes from the imagination of man, not the Bible. But that does not contradict the fact that with God on our side, we can have confidence in the salvation that He provides.

I like the 2nd chapter of Hosea:
"And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord."

Christ is saving me. With me, as with many, it started as I was young while in my late teens. I confessed and repented sin and can point to evidence of being born again. But have I been "betrothed in faithfulness"? Have I continued sinless since then? You already know the answer to that one, don't you? So, do I have any basis for a claim at the Heavenly Court that since I was once saved that demands that I am always saved? I don't. Like everyone else I await the Judgment of the Lamb of God and continue to hope in the Promise of Life. We are, after all, children of the Promise.

 

[farouk]

maybe not at first, right after the person is saved, but we all sin and fall short of the Glory.....

......if the person continues to sin without repentance, then each day it becomes easier and easier until eventually they will have "fallen away" as in Hebrews 6

c:

Sorry, but what you are teaching is salvation by our own works and efforts, in effect.

Hebrews 7.25: the Lord Jesus is 'able to save'.

Jude 24: the Lord Jesus is 'able to keep'.

He saves and keeps us. We don't save and keep ourselves.

If it depended on me, my salvation would be hopeless.

It's all of grace (Ephesians 2.8, 9).

 

[cleanfreak]

Nope. Never said or taught such

We are saved by grace through faith.

What about all the scriptures concerning backsliding?

Revelation 2:4-5?

What about falling away and losing your first love?

What say you?

 

[farouk]

Nope. Never said or taught such

We are saved by grace through faith.

What about all the scriptures concerning backsliding?

Revelation 2:4-5?

What about falling away and losing your first love?

What say you?

You assume that it all means the same as being a true believer, and then losing salvation.

In Revelation, losing one's first love is the condition of the church at Ephesus which was so formal and correct in its attitude that they had lost sight of their first love, and were rendered ineffectual in their witness.

A true believer, though backslidden, is restored and can't lose eternal life (see Romans 8), but someone dominated by sin gives rise to doubt that s/he was ever truly delivered from sin in the first place.

 

[cleanfreak]

You assume that it all means the same as being a true believer, and then losing salvation.

In Revelation, losing one's first love is the condition of the church at Ephesus which was so formal and correct in its attitude that they had lost sight of their first love, and were rendered ineffectual in their witness.

A true believer, though backslidden, is restored and can't lose eternal life (see Romans 8), but someone dominated by sin gives rise to doubt that s/he was ever truly delivered from sin in the first place.

Now you telling me what I assume? Laughable but not funny.

I figured it would come down to the question of "is the person truly saved"

You state "a true believer, though backslidden, is restored"

How can this believer be restored if the person never again ask for forgiveness?

If a man was saved at the age of 8 and all through his child hood, teenage years, and into adulthood and served the Lord with all of his heart, mind and soul. Then gets married and for some reason his spouse dies in a car wreck. The man get's depressed, and then looks to alcohol and strip clubs for his pleasure. He then leaves the his first Love of the lord, never to turn back and follows this path of sinning, until it becomes his new normal lifestyle. He now believes the Lord is a myth, and even confess to be an atheist. The man never repents of this sin, and never turns back to the Lord. He then dies in a car wreck much the same way his wife did.

Does he go to heaven or hell?

 

[Butch5]

To be honest this thread has me quite confused on the subject. Now I'm not sure what to believe. I've always thought once saved always saved, but now that I think about it, I don't have anything to base that on. :

Hi one truth,

There is nothing to base it on, it's not in the Scriptures, it's the teaching of men.

 

[Cassian]

c:

Sorry, but what you are teaching is salvation by our own works and efforts, in effect.

Hebrews 7.25: the Lord Jesus is 'able to save'.

Jude 24: the Lord Jesus is 'able to keep'.

He saves and keeps us. We don't save and keep ourselves.

If it depended on me, my salvation would be hopeless.

It's all of grace (Ephesians 2.8, 9).

Your statements here are the direct opposite of your view. Both are incorrect. God does not save us alone, in fact will not save us alone, nor can man save himself alone.

the Biblical answer is that both God and man work together for a person's salvation. It takes two to get saved.

You have reversed the deception of satan to Eve. He told Eve that she and Adam could be like God by themselves. Now, you come along and say that man is only saved by God.

Yet, it was God with man (Adam) that was working together for man to attain immortaliity, to be made into the Likeness of God. God created man to be in union with Him freely.

the story of the fall refutes the OP statement completely.

 

[Ernest T. Bass]

c:

Sorry, but what you are teaching is salvation by our own works and efforts, in effect.

Hebrews 7.25: the Lord Jesus is 'able to save'.

Jude 24: the Lord Jesus is 'able to keep'.

He saves and keeps us. We don't save and keep ourselves.

If it depended on me, my salvation would be hopeless.

It's all of grace (Ephesians 2.8, 9).

"Able to keep" does not mean "unconditional guarantee to keep". In verse 21 Jude commanded his readers to "Keep yourselves in the love of God."
This command implies ability and responsibility on man to keep himself in God's love and implies man can fall away from God's love.

 

[Jack Straw]

Originally posted by Cassian,

both God and man work together for a person's salvation. It takes two to get saved.

"Work" together? That is absolutely false, and unbiblical. Where in the Bible does it say that man must work with God to get saved, or vice versa? Nonsense. This is just more of man's reasoning which has nothing whatsoever to do with the Word of God. Being saved IS A GIFT FROM GOD; PERIOD! The Word of God makes it clear:

Ephesians 2:8: "For it is BY GRACE you have been saved, through faith - and this is NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is THE GIFT OF GOD."

BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED! And this is NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is THE GIFT of God. A gift is not a gift if you have to work for it. If you worked for it, that would mean you EARNED IT, and it would NOT be a gift. You can't WORK for A GIFT! 2 Cassian, you continue to be in defiance of plain Scripture post after post, continuously replacing God's Word with your own reasoning and traditions of men.

Galatians 2:16 says, "We are justified by THE FAITH OF CHRIST." Did you hear that? We are justified by Christ's faith, NOT ours. We are saved because of His commitment, not ours.

Faith and commitment are GIFTS. Gifts, not "earnings" for our belief, or our "working with God" for our salvation. Why do you write as though these are matters of human accomplishment that separate you from those who didn't make the same decision you did? What has caused you to think that "YOUR" faith is what separates you eternally from those faithless unbelievers who have no faith? You remain dangerously unaware of the source of your faith. I say dangerously because your ignorance has filled you with pride. As a remedy for it, take a dose of 1 Corinthians 4:7: "For who makes you different from anybody else, and what have you got that was not given to you? And if anything has been given to you, why boast of it as if you had achieved it yourself?"

You think you have earned your own salvation because you've accepted the call. Thus, you are boasting. Do you believe that there is something about you that makes you "smarter" than others, able to make a better decision concerning God than others? Are you "more righteous" and thus deserving of your salvation because you "accepted the call" and others did not?

Paul says that, in the true gospel of grace, boasting is debarred. Romans 3:27. "Debarred" means: shut out, excluded. Do you realize what this means?

This means that a believer cannot claim credit for his or her ability to believe! If you don't believe me, read Philippians 1:29 and Romans 12:3. The first verse says that our belief in Christ is graciously granted us, the second that our very FAITH IS A GIFT. You are no different than anyone else. If God hadn't chosen you and GIVEN YOU YOUR FAITH, you'd be an unbeliever just like any other unbeliever.

Your erroneous view of salvation (i.e. - man must accept the call) is analogous to a sick man in bed, with some healing medicine on a table by his side: all he needs to do is reach forth his hand and take it (i.e. - all he needs to do is "accept the call").

But in order for this illustration to be true to the picture which Scripture gives us of the fallen and depraved sinner, the sick man in bed must be described as one who is blind (Ephesians 4:18) so that he cannot see the medicine, his hand paralyzed (Romans 5:6) so that he is unable to reach for it, and his heart not only devoid of all confidence in the medicine but filled with hatred against the physician himself (John 15:18). In other words, he is INCAPABLE of taking the medicine. Because he is blind, he doesn't even know it is there - and even if he did, his hand is paralyzed, so he couldn't reach for it anyway.

Christ came here NOT to help those who were willing to help themselves, or even those willing to be helped, but to do for people what they were incapable of doing for themselves: "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house" (Isaiah 42:7).

The Shepherd searches for the sheep, not the other way around. Mankind does not know the way back to God. Mankind must wait until IT IS FOUND. He does not even know he is lost. How will the lost ever come to God of himself, of his own "free will"? If he were able to come HE WOULD NOT BE LOST. People do not even know they are lost, or where they are going. The Shepherd must find the sheep, and NOT the sheep find the Shepherd! And Jesus said the Shepherd would seek until he found EVERY LAST ONE! Jesus said "He came to seek and to save THE LOST. Not the lost ones seek God but GOD SEEK THE LOST!

You ridiculously assert that the spiritually dead must somehow "choose" the Lord, but God's testimony is just the opposite. The plainest affirmation that man does not do the choosing of God is that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself testified, "You have NOT chosen Me, but I HAVE CHOSEN YOU" (John 15:16). In fact, according to Paul, that choice was made by God before this planet was orbiting it's star! "According as HE HAS CHOSEN US in Christ before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). It is an insult and an affront to God for anyone to argue that man is capable, of his own "free will," to make a decision for Christ. If it were left up to man he would NEVER BELIEVE, for man is totally depraved, totally incapable of that which is good. Left on his own to make a decision for Christ, without first being given life and faith by an act of God, man would never of his own "free will" come to Jesus:

John 6:44: "NO ONE can come to me unless the Father who sent me DRAWS THEM"

No one can come to Christ unless God draws them to Him because there is NONE that seek God of their own free will:

Romans 3:11: "There is NONE who understands, there is NONE WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD."

 

[Cassian]

Jack Straw,

"Work" together? That is absolutely false, and unbiblical. Where in the Bible does it say that man must work with God to get saved, or vice versa? Nonsense. This is just more of man's reasoning which has nothing whatsoever to do with the Word of God. Being saved IS A GIFT FROM GOD; PERIOD! The Word of God makes it clear:

As I stated before you are conflating two separate and distinct aspects of our salvation. When you say that it is a Gift you are correct regarding what Christ did for the world. He saved the world from death. Man has no part to play in that Gift whatsoever.

However, our personal salvation, the living relationship we have with Christ is the purpose of our very existance and it is why God saved man, the same reason He orginally created man.

BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED! And this is NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is THE GIFT of God. A gift is not a gift if you have to work for it. If you worked for it, that would mean you EARNED IT, and it would NOT be a gift. You can't WORK for A GIFT! Cassian, you continue to be in defiance of plain Scripture post after post, continuously replacing God's Word with your own reasoning and traditions of men.

The offer of God to have union with man can be called a gift as well. But this gift must be accepted and used. When we accept Christ we are giving to him our committment to obey and follow Him. God does not do the work to save us, but He will save us if we do the work that is required to be in union with Him.

Faith and commitment are GIFTS. Gifts, not "earnings" for our belief, or our "working with God" for our salvation.

these gifts are given to every human being. God does not differentiate between human beings. They were all created for the same purpose. He desires that all come to know HIm. But man must use all the gifts he has been given. See the parable of the talents again. Read it carefully. Did God increase these talents apart from their contribution or action?

Why do you write as though these are matters of human accomplishment that separate you from those who didn't make the same decision you did? What has caused you to think that "YOUR" faith is what separates you eternally from those faithless unbelievers who have no faith? You remain dangerously unaware of the source of your faith. I say dangerously because your ignorance has filled you with pride.

I am not any different than any other human being. We are all consubstantial with each other. We all have the very same essence, human nature. God gives to every man the ability and capability to respond to Him. Man must actually actively work to reject God from all the gifts He has given to every man. The only difference is that I accepted His call to join with HIm, and someone else did not. What it means is that they preferred self to God. They were not willing to deny themselves and enter into a relationship that requires complete, full committment to Him.

"For who makes you different from anybody else, and what have you got that was not given to you? And if anything has been given to you, why boast of it as if you had achieved it yourself?"

which is what I have been saying. No man is different from any other human being. We are all given the gifts necessary, the measure of grace, faith, conscience that is required for each man to make a rational decision.

You think you have earned your own salvation because you've accepted the call. Thus, you are boasting. Do you believe that there is something about you that makes you "smarter" than others, able to make a better decision concerning God than others? Are you "more righteous" and thus deserving of your salvation because you "accepted the call" and others did not?

YOu have a misunderstanding of scripture and how man is saved, both by grace and through faith. Being obligated to perform a work within a relationship is not earning salvation.

Paul says that, in the true gospel of grace, boasting is debarred. Romans 3:27. "Debarred" means: shut out, excluded. Do you realize what this means?

I cannot prevent you from totally misunderstanding scripture and then impose your false understandings on what you think the opposite of your view might be. It is building straw men on false suppositions, then knocking them down.

But in order for this illustration to be true to the picture which Scripture gives us of the fallen and depraved sinner, the sick man in bed must be described as one who is blind (Ephesians 4:18) so that he cannot see the medicine, his hand paralyzed (Romans 5:6) so that he is unable to reach for it, and his heart not only devoid of all confidence in the medicine but filled with hatred against the physician himself (John 15:18). In other words, he is INCAPABLE of taking the medicine. Because he is blind, he doesn't even know it is there - and even if he did, his hand is paralyzed, so he couldn't reach for it anyway.

Nice prooftexting but none of this applies to what God has done. Man is the only one that shuts his eyes, he prefers darkness than light. God made sure every human being can take the medicine. Man must actively reject it. God does not ever prevent man from taking it. Why would He, when He created man for that very purpose, and desires that all men would know Him.

Christ came here NOT to help those who were willing to help themselves, or even those willing to be helped, but to do for people what they were incapable of doing for themselves: "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house" (Isaiah 42:7).

this has nothing to do with man's personal salvation but everything to do with what Christ did for man. Christ saved every man from the fall, from death, the bondage to death and sin. God did this so that man and God could be rejoined in an eternal union of communion. But that union would be freely entered by man and if man entered, He has obligations to meet in order to inherit the promise of eternal life with Christ.

The Shepherd searches for the sheep, not the other way around. Mankind does not know the way back to God. Mankind must wait until IT IS FOUND. He does not even know he is lost. How will the lost ever come to God of himself, of his own "free will"? If he were able to come HE WOULD NOT BE LOST. People do not even know they are lost, or where they are going. The Shepherd must find the sheep, and NOT the sheep find the Shepherd! And Jesus said the Shepherd would seek until he found EVERY LAST ONE! Jesus said "He came to seek and to save THE LOST. Not the lost ones seek God but GOD SEEK THE LOST!

You are so afield of scripture that it will take scripture to get you even in the same ballpark.

God initiates everything regarding man. He created man with His IMage, with a free will, a rational soul. He created within man a conscience, a magnet that links man to God. But God via the work of the Holy Spirit is actively calling all men to repentance. God draws all men to Himself so that no man will ever be able to give the excuse that He was not able to know God. Which is why man must actively reject Christ. Because man is culpable and responsible for his decisions and actions regarding God, God can be just in judging man.

You ridiculously assert that the spiritually dead must somehow "choose" the Lord, but God's testimony is just the opposite.

when scriptures speak of "spiritual" regarding man they are referring to the relationship man has with God. It is the converse of physical. A human being is dead spiritually because He is not in a relationship. But all human beings can make the choice to enter into that spiritual relationship.

YOur statement is quite non senical because one must first be a believer, before one can choose to become a believer. Obviously not the scriptural order of things.

The plainest affirmation that man does not do the choosing of God is that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself testified, "You have NOT chosen Me, but I HAVE CHOSEN YOU" (John 15:16).

another great proof text that man lifts our of context to support an erroneous supposition.
In the verse the "you" is plural. Secondly, the context is Jesus speaking about His diciples, not every and individual believer.

In fact, according to Paul, that choice was made by God before this planet was orbiting it's star! "According as HE HAS CHOSEN US in Christ before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4).

again faulty understanding and interpretation.

the text says God chose us IN Christ, to be holy, blameless and conformed to His Image. What it does not say is that God chose us to be IN Christ. ONe needs to believe, be baptised before one enters INTO Christ. That is wholly a decision of every person to become a believer and become a member of Christ's Body.

It is an insult and an affront to God for anyone to argue that man is capable, of his own "free will," to make a decision for Christ.

hardly an affront when that is the precise purpose and reason God created man. For man to be joined with Him freely of his own desire and willingness. God by His sovereign will created man such that God cannot force man against his will. It is man that must submit His will to the will of God.

If it were left up to man he would NEVER BELIEVE, for man is totally depraved, totally incapable of that which is good. Left on his own to make a decision for Christ, without first being given life and faith by an act of God, man would never of his own "free will" come to Jesus:

First, man is not totally depraved. You have been trying to impose predestination and now one of its tenents of total depravity which is not found in scripture. But scripture has already denied your whole statement here. It is one of your straw men agian.

Every man has been given life, every man has been given a measure of faith, every man has been created with a conscience, every man has been created with a rational soul, every man is given God's grace and love. All that man must do is use the gifts. Or reject them. God calls, man will respond. Every man will respond, but it is only man that makes the decision. God works to influence every man to believe, since God desires that all men believe. I know you also hold to Universalism but that is also a false supposition imposed upon scripture by man.

John 6:44: "NO ONE can come to me unless the Father who sent me DRAWS THEM"

keep reading and you have your answer. John 12:32.

Romans 3:11: "There is NONE who understands, there is NONE WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD."

another proof text lifted out of context to support your total depravity theory, but is not scriptural.

Again, you have not shown any evidence of scripture to support your view. You have prooftexted most of it, assigned texts out of context, or seemingly sound as if they might support your supposition. However, both your suppositions are man made thus not scriptural.

Just to summarize relative to the OP, Man is completely free to reject the relationship he has with God at any time in his life. God does not guarantee our faith, and surely man cannot.

 

[n2thelight]

Question

What would have happened to the prodigal son had he not returned home?

 

[Ernest T. Bass]

Question

What would have happened to the prodigal son had he not returned home?

He would have remained "dead" and "lost" and not "alive again", not "found", Lk 15:32

 

[Sparkey]

He would have remained "dead" and "lost" and not "alive again", not "found", Lk 15:32

And some here would conclude that the Prodigal Son wasn't "really" a son. They believe that there is a superset of the saved, those who are "really saved" and try to say that in any scenario where their dogma is proven wrong the problem isn't sin - but semantics.

But is the Once Saved, Always Saved, Eternal Security dogma correct biblically? Consider the doctrine of the two Olive Trees, one wild the other cultivated. What lessons are taught?

Romans 11:16-24 - Two Olive Trees
11:16 - The Branches are Holy

• "if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy"
  Paul makes an analogy based on the Old Testament practice of setting aside the first of one's increase to God (Ex. 22:29; 23:19; Nu. 15:20). By setting aside the firstfruits to God, the entire portion was considered dedicated or set apart. By honoring God with the very first increase, God would respond and bless subsequent production and the entire crop was set apart for God's increase. Holiness includes the idea of separation or setting aside.
• "if the root is holy so are the branches"
  The "root" upholds and sustains the branches. The root of the cultivated olive tree is considered to be holy and therefore so are the branches.

So far, so good. Right? We see that Jesus is the root. He is also the firstfruit offering and it is by His holiness that we are saved.

"For if the firstfruit [be] holy, the lump [is] also [holy]: and if the root [be] holy, so [are] the branches. [Romans 11:16 KJV]

Paul discusses three types of branches here:
1) Natural Branches - Some of the natural branches are broken off. These are the "not all Israel who are of Israel" (Rom. 9:6). The remaining natural branches are believing Jews which Paul refers to elsewhere as "the Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16).
2) Wild Branches - The wild branches are Gentiles, some of which came to faith and became grafted into the cultivated olive tree.
3) Root and Fatness - The root and fatness is the base of the cultivated olive tree which supports all the branches in the tree, both grafted and natural. This represents the promises and covenants given through the fathers (see diagram below).

"And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;" - [Romans 11:17 KJV]

"Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:" - [Romans 11:19-20 KJV]

What then should we fear?
He may not spare you!

• Natural Branches Favored
  The natural branches were cultivated by God. The Jews occupied a favored position according to God's election of the nation Israel (Deu. 7:6-8; 14:1-2; Ps. 135:4).
• Even Natural Branches Were Not Spared
  Even though the natural branches had been cultivated by God and given tremendous promises, faith was still required in order to remain in the olive tree. Paul emphasizes that if it was possible for God to break off natural branches which have an affinity for the cultivated tree, how much easier it would be to break off the wild branches only recently grafted in!

11:22 - Goodness and Severity

• "on those who fell, severity"
  God's severity fell on those Jews who failed to exercise faith and rejected Messiah Jesus at His presentation to Israel (Zec. 9:9; Mtt. 21:4-5).
• "toward you, goodness"
  The Gentiles of faith must remember that they only occupy their position in the tree because of God's unmerited grace. In both severity or goodness, it is God's sovereignty which ultimately is the source of what has taken place. If some of the natural branches fell, so could some of the wild branches!
• "if you continue... otherwise you also will be cut off"
  
  

  "For if God spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." - [Romans 11:21-22 KJV]

  
  Some may come and try to tell us the mind of God, that the Jews were concluded in their unbelief -- that He might have mercy on all. They may quote from the same context, that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
  
  But in doing so, they ignore the clear teaching of Scripture:
  

  "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?" - [Romans 11:33-34 KJV]

  
  http://www.spiritandtruth.org/teaching/Romans_9-11/09_Romans_11_16-24/webshow/09_Romans_11_16-24.htm

 

[Ernest T. Bass]

And some here would conclude that the Prodigal Son wasn't "really" a son. They believe that there is a superset of the saved, those who are "really saved" and try to say that in any scenario where their dogma is proven wrong the problem isn't sin - but semantics.

Did the sheep 'really' belong to the shepherd, did the 'coin' really belong to the woman?

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

He would have remained "dead" and "lost" and not "alive again", not "found", Lk 15:32

Would he still have been the father's son? That's the real question.

 

[Ernest T. Bass]

Would he still have been the father's son? That's the real question.

Not spiritually a son of God.

I can have a son through physically procreation and my son could be come a Christian, become a spiritual son of God. Later my son could lose his faith and fall away from God. He would no longer be a spiritual son of God, but still my son by physical descent.

 

[Sparkey]

Why then are we told, "For if God spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
- [Romans 11:21-22 KJV]

Do you take comfort in the knowledge of Jesus as your savior. Good, but take heed of the prophecy:

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

Semantics aside, they escaped. They were saved. If they continued in Christ they would have been given their reward as promised. But, after having escaped [sin] through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (just like anybody else), they are entangled again.

It is only at the end, when it is too late, that they become aware of the situation after having called out for salvation, "Lord, lord..." but the door is closed to them. God is patient and long-suffering, but unrepentant sin inevitably brings unsparing judgment.

“For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee” [Rom 11:21]​