EXAMPLES OF THE BACKSLIDING

Many people have asked me to provide a single account of someone losing their salvation.

Following are 17 examples where people have lost or could have lost (according to the Biblical account) their salvation.

Saul, Solomon, Parable of the Sower, Demas, Prodigal Son, Judas Iscariot, Simon, Fruitless Christians, The Lukewarm, The Unforgiving, Unnamed 1, Unnamed 2, Unnamed 3, Unnamed 4, Unnamed 5, Unnamed 6, and Unnamed 7.

Saul

His Salvation:
1 Samuel 10:6 -- And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

This happened just as God said, he became a new man, and was converted.

His departure:
1 Samuel 15:11 -- It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

See also 1 Samuel 16:14.  Saul became a murderer according to 1 Samuel 22:18,19, and one of God's enemies in 1 Samuel 28:16.

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Solomon

His Salvation:
1 Chronicles 22:10 -- He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.
This prophecy was given to David regarding Solomon.  This prophecy came true, thus he was a child of God, and God was his Father.

His Departure:
1 Kings 11:4 -- For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

See also 1 Kings 11:9, 1 Chronicles 28:9, and 1 Kings 11:40.  You cannot "turn away", unless you were there to begin with.

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Parable of the Sower
Mk.4:3-8, 4:14-20

Their Salvation:
verse 16: And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
They received the Word joyfully, and they grew.  They were alive.

Their Departure:
verse 17: And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

A root is grown by gradual growth in Christ.  Their root was small, they only endured for a short time.  They didn't persevere.

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Demas

His Salvation:
Philemon 24: -- Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
This doesn't necessarily prove that Demas was saved, but it gives a very good clue seeing he was following Paul and Paul even labeled a "fellowlabourer". Paul was picky about who traveled with him, as witnessed by Acts 15:37-41, where he refused to take someone with him because of a past experience of unfaithfulness.

His Departure:
2 Timothy 4:10 -- For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;..."

If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  It is apparent that Demas was a believer, and then turned to the world.

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The Prodigal Son

His Salvation:
Luke 15:
11: And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

It is apparent that the son was an heir, a son, etc...and therefore must have been saved in the Christian sense.  To inherit a portion of the Kingdom of God evidently means that you're saved.

His Departure:
Luke 15:
24: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
32: It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

To be "dead" and "lost" can mean no other thing than to be "dead" and "lost".  The word "Dead" same word used in Ephesians 2:1 and 2:5.  Read them!  Also notice the words that the father said. "alive again". Yes, it is possible to die, and come back to life spiritually.

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Judas Iscariot

We know Judas died an unsaved man (Acts 1:25 Mark 14:21) through demon possession and suicide, but was he really saved to begin with?

His Salvation
Luke 6:13 -- And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

Luke 14:
26: If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27: And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Matthew 12:
49: And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50: For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Judas was a disciple, and according to Jesus, saved.

Matthew 10:
7: And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

This charge was given to all disciples.  Judas was given the power to heal sick, cleanse disease, raise the dead, and cast out devils.  Is this not the mark of a saved man, and even more so, a representative of Jesus Christ?

Apostleship was the highest office in the Church.  Judas fulfilled this requirement! He could not have been a fake.

John 17:12 -- While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Allow me to rephrase this in modern-terminology:
While I was with the marbles in the world, I kept them. Those marbles that you gave me I kept, and none are lost, but the green marble.

And OSAS-terminology:
While I was with the marbles in the world, I kept them. Those marbles that you gave me I kept, and none are lost, except for the green marble that you never gave me.

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Simon

His Salvation:
Acts 8:13 -- Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

His Departure:
Acts 8:18-23
18: And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19: Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20: But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21: Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22: Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23: For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

According to paul, Simon would have perished with his money.  His heart wasn't right in the sight of God, AND, he had NOT been forgiven yet, for Paul would not have told him to ask for forgiveness. And the fact that he was in the bond of iniquity, indicates that he was enslaved to sin.  (see 2 Peter 2:20)

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Fruitless Christians

Their Salvation/Departure: John 15:2 -- Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

John 15:6 -- If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

There is a story in Matthew about a servant of the King who was given one talent and told to make good use of it.  He didn't.  He never lost the talent, but he was fruitless in getting more.  What happened to this man?

Matthew 25:30: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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The Lukewarm

Their Salvation/Departure
Revelation 3:
15: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

They would be spued out Christ!  You cannot be spued out of Christ unless you were in Him to begin with.

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The Unforgiving

Their Salvation: Matthew 18:23-31
>paraphrased<
The Kingdom of heaven is like a certain king that had a man that owed him a ton of money.  He called the man forward and said "Pay me".  The man couldn't.  So the king ordered him to go to prison until the debt is paid.  The man said, "I repent!  Please forgive me of this great debt!"  The King said "okay" and let the man go.

The man went outside and met a fella who owed him a little bit.  He said "pay me".  The fella couldn't.  So he ordered him to go to prison.  The fella said, "I repent!  Please forgive me of this great debt!"  The man said "Nuh-uh, you're going to jail."

So what happens?  Let's read the Bible for the rest of it...

32: Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me [repented]:
33: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34: And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35: So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

The forgiven became unforgiven!  Watch out, it can happen to you too.

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Unnamed 1

Their Salvation/Departure:
2 Timothy 2:
17: And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
18: Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Hymenaeus and Philetus were teaching a false doctrine about the resurrection and destroying the faith of the believers!  This not only tells us that our faith can be destroyed (overthrown), but also that sin is not the only way to negate your salvation.

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Unnamed 2

Their Salvation:
Luke 14:27,33
27: And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
33: So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
(They were saved)

Their Departure:
John 6:66 -- From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

They departed from following Christ.... what better way is there to lose your salvation?

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Unnamed 3

Their Salvation/Departure:
1 Timothy 5:11-12,15
11: But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;
12: Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.
15: For some are already turned aside after Satan.

The younger widows should marry lest they are tempted to commit adultery and heap upon themselves damnation!

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Unnamed 4

Their Salvation/Departure:
1 Timothy 6:8-10
8: And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9: But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Verse 9, they drowned in destruction. This is the same "destruction" used in Matthew 7:13 pertaining exactly to Hell.  Verse 10, "they have erred from the faith". You cannot "err from the faith" unless you are in the faith to begin with.

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Unnamed 5

Their Salvation/Departure:
Luke 12:
45: But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46: The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

His portion with the unbelievers is obviously talking about the lake of fire.  But was he saved to begin with?  Well, he was a servant, and notice that it says that he began to beat the other servants and get drunk.  He didn't do that before.  His actions were spurred because of the temptations derived from the long wait for his master to return.  He was saved.

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Unnamed 6

His Salvation/Departure:
1 Corinthians 8:10-11
10: For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11: And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

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Unnamed 7

1 Timothy 3:
1-5 contains various requirements for the office of Bishop in the Church.
6: Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

A young believer should not be given the office of Bishop in the Church of God lest he become prideful of it.  This pride can bring upon him condemnation.



Next section: What is OSAS according to the Bible?