Once you lose your salvation, can you get it back?  I always heard of "back sliding" or something.  Once it's gone, is it forever gone, or can you be forgiven and regain your salvation?  If everyone sins, then doesn't that mean that sinning alone won't cause you to lose your salvation?  If that's the truth, what will?

Sincerely,
Sliding Forward

Dear Sliding Forward,

It takes more than just sin to lose your salvation – it takes a lifestyle of intentional sin… and yes, those that fall away can come back to God.  Let us give you an example.  In 1 Cor 5:1, the apostle Paul rebuked the church at Corinth because there was a member in that congregation that was committing fornication with his father’s wife – definitely a sin.  The man knew it was wrong, accepted that it was wrong, and still continued to live that lifestyle.  Paul said the church needed to rebuke him and withdraw from him (1 Cor 5:13).  That is what losing your salvation looks like…  choosing intentionally to live a life away from God’s will and not attempting to correct your faults.  If we are trying to correct our lives and change, God will forgive us even if we fail over and over again (Lk 17:3-4)… but when we stop trying, we’ve broken the faith.

Now let’s deal with a Christian that falls away from God and then wants to come back.  We’ll use that same man in 1 Cor 5:1 as our example.  Paul later wrote a second letter to the Corinthian church, and in it, that wayward man had repented of his sin, and Paul told the Corinthians to forgive him and reaffirm their love for him (2 Cor 2:6-8).  So, the moral of the story is that even those who fall away can return to God once more.

     All my life I have heard of the Unforgiveable Sin.  Could you tell me about it?  I have this worry that I've done it or if I will in the future.  It's eating at me; please help.

Sincerely,
Feeling Guilty

Dear Feeling Guilty,

The unforgivable sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit, and the fact that you are visiting this website is a pretty sure sign that you haven’t committed it.  Jesus says that any sin will be forgiven except for someone blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:28-30).  Jesus said this to the crowd that accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Mk 3:23).  That crowd could have been forgiven of any sin, but instead they rejected the miracles that testified that Jesus was from God.  Contrast that crowd’s attitude with Nicodemus’ attitude.  Nicodemus understood that the only way that someone could perform a miracle was if God was with him (Jhn 3:2).  When that crowd rejected the evidence that the Holy Spirit provided (in this case, the miracles), they rejected any chance to receive the forgiveness found in Jesus’ teachings.  When we reject the truth of God (the Bible), we reject the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s primary job is to bring the truth of the gospel to mankind (see the post “What the Holy Spirit Does” for more details).  Someone blasphemes the Holy Spirit by rejecting the truth that the Holy Spirit sent us in the Bible.  Any sin can be forgiven if we will turn to God’s Word and obey it (Rom 10:17, Heb 5:9), but there is absolutely no hope for someone if he or she will not accept the Holy Spirit’s Bible.

Therefore, since it seems that you are actively seeking the truth and trying to study and learn what God’s Word is – you have not committed the unforgivable sin.

     I have a question about the unforgivable sin.  I didn't entirely understand what it meant last night, so I looked it up on the computer.  I was reading it, and while I was reading it, my mind was thinking about things that could cause that to happen.  One thing I thought was that if a person just thought, “I want to have committed this sin”, that might be enough to have done it.  I was thinking how I would not want to think that, and my mind thought that thought anyways!  I am saved and am fearful of God, and I am very scared about having thought that.  I was afraid that thinking about it was like doing the sin, and if it’s unforgivable, I don't know what to do.  I love God, and I want to have the Holy Spirit in me; I definitely do not want to reject Him!  I know I need Him.  This is the most scared I have ever been in my life, and I want to make sure that I didn't do anything by thinking that thought.  I just need to be entirely reassured; I don’t want to lose my salvation.

Sincerely,
Terrified

Dear Terrified,

The unforgivable sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit, and the fact that you are visiting this website is a pretty sure sign that you haven’t committed it.  Jesus says that any sin will be forgiven except for someone blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:28-30).  Jesus said this to the crowd that accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Mk 3:23).  That crowd could have been forgiven of any sin, but instead they rejected the miracles that testified that Jesus was from God.  Contrast that crowd’s attitude with Nicodemus’ attitude.  Nicodemus understood that the only way that someone could perform a miracle was if God was with him (Jhn 3:2).  When that crowd rejected the evidence that the Holy Spirit provided (in this case, the miracles), they rejected any chance to receive the forgiveness found in Jesus’ teachings.  When we reject the truth of God (the Bible), we reject the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s primary job is to bring the truth of the gospel to mankind (see the post “What the Holy Spirit Does” for more details).  Someone blasphemes the Holy Spirit by rejecting the truth that the Holy Spirit sent us in the Bible.  Any sin can be forgiven if we will turn to God’s Word and obey it (Rom 10:17, Heb 5:9), but there is absolutely no hope for someone if he or she will not accept the Holy Spirit’s Bible.

Therefore, since it seems that you are actively seeking the truth and trying to study and learn what God’s Word is – you can find comfort that you haven’t committed the unforgivable sin.

I felt for a long time that God has called me to be a preacher (I have no clue how, why, or where).  I have just recently began re-walking with Christ after I fell off the path.  I feel I’m getting closer with God as I rid my sinful life, particularly one sin that’s been a huge addiction in my life.  As this sin fades, I feel the call more and more.  I started a Bible study group about two months ago.  Honestly, I put off the call because I knew that particular sin was still very present.  Every day I feel a little farther from this sinful life; I think I might be ready to accept the call, but how do I know if I’m ready?

Sincerely,
Eager To Speak

Dear Eager To Speak,

If you want to know whether or not you are qualified to preach, read through 1^st and 2^nd Timothy.  These are letters Paul wrote to the young preacher, Timothy, and see if you are doing what a preacher should do.  Preaching begins with studying to know what the Bible says and then actively doing it.  If you are in a faithful congregation, you can ask them about how to get practice preaching and experience in the pulpit – that is what we do with our young men in our congregation.  If you need a faithful congregation (after all, lots of them aren’t following the Bible pattern), we would be happy to help you find one.  Simply e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

Giving excuses – is it a form of sin?

Sincerely,
I Can Explain

Dear I Can Explain,

Excuses can be sinful if you are using them to avoid doing what you ought.  For example, if you have promised to do something – you should stand by your word (Matt 5:37) and not make excuses to avoid a commitment you have made.  There are sins that we commit and sins that happen when we omit doing what we ought.  If you know of something that you ought to do, and you make excuses to avoid doing it, that is a sin (Jas 4:17).