Answer: It depends on the type of Christian you ask.
- Calvinist Protestants affirm the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, rejecting the idea that genuine salvation can be lost and grounding assurance in God's character and promises.
- Non-Calvinist Protestants believe that salvation can be lost through conscious, willful, and persistent rejection of Christ, emphasizing the need for ongoing repentance and obedience and finding assurance in a life of discipleship.
- Catholics teach that mortal sin can lead to the loss of salvation, if not repented of before death, while emphasizing the importance of perseverance and growth in holiness and entrusting judgment to God's mercy.
- Eastern Orthodox Christians understand salvation as a process of theosis and emphasize the ongoing need for faithfulness and spiritual growth, trusting in God's mercy to restore those who repent.
- Progressive Christians acknowledge the potential for individuals to turn away from God but emphasize the mystery of God's mercy, the hope of ultimate reconciliation, and the importance of personal responsibility in the ongoing journey of faith.
- The differences in perspective on the possibility of losing salvation are rooted in varying understandings of the nature of salvation, the role of human responsibility, and the interpretation of biblical passages related to perseverance, apostasy, and assurance.
I was emphatically taught βonce saved, always saved.β I was also never taught the vast majority of Christians thought different.
Justin Bailey β Creator of ChristianAnswers.ai
Quick Comparison
Tradition | Nature of Salvation | Possibility of Losing Salvation | Assurance of Salvation |
Calvinist Protestant | Sovereign act of God's grace, unconditional election | Impossible for the truly saved | Grounded in God's character and promises |
Non-Calvinist Protestant | Gift of God received by faith, human responsibility | Possible through conscious, willful, persistent rejection | Found in a life of discipleship and growth in holiness |
Catholic | Process of justification and sanctification | Possible through mortal sin, if not repented before death | Importance of perseverance, entrusted to God's mercy |
Eastern Orthodox | Process of theosis, union with God | Not spoken of in same way, emphasis on ongoing faithfulness | Trust in God's mercy, ongoing need for spiritual growth |
Progressive | Ongoing journey, continual growth and repentance | Potential for turning away, mystery of God's mercy | Personal responsibility, hope of ultimate reconciliation |
Hear from Each Perspective
Ordered by number of adherents
John / Catholic
Anthony / Eastern Orthodox
Caleb / Non-Calvinist Protestant
Nathan / Calvinist Protestant
We believe in the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, which teaches that those who are truly saved will never lose their salvation. This belief is rooted in our understanding of God's sovereign election and the efficacy of Christ's atoning work on the cross. We affirm that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace and that those whom God has chosen for salvation will be kept by His power and preserved until the end (John 10:28-29, Romans 8:38-39). While we acknowledge that believers may experience seasons of doubt, struggle, and even backsliding, we believe that true faith will ultimately persevere and that those who fall away permanently demonstrate that they were never truly saved in the first place (1 John 2:19). Our assurance of salvation is grounded in the character and promises of God, who is faithful to complete the work He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6).
Hannah / Progressive
The Key Differences
1. The Nature of Salvation
- Calvinist Protestants view salvation as a sovereign act of God's grace, in which the elect are unconditionally chosen and saved by Christ's atoning work. They emphasize the perseverance of the saints and the impossibility of losing one's salvation.
- Non-Calvinist Protestants understand salvation as a gift of God that is received by faith but emphasize the importance of human responsibility and the possibility of falling away through persistent unbelief and disobedience.
- Catholics view salvation as a process of justification and sanctification, in which the believer cooperates with God's grace through faith, good works, and participation in the sacramental life of the Church.
- Eastern Orthodox Christians understand salvation as a process of theosis, or union with God, in which the believer participates in the divine life through the grace of the Holy Spirit.
- Progressive Christians emphasize the ongoing nature of the Christian journey and the need for continual growth, repentance, and faithfulness, while recognizing the potential for individuals to make choices that lead them away from God.
2. The Possibility of Losing Salvation
- Calvinist Protestants reject the idea that genuine salvation can be lost, affirming the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints and the unconditional security of the elect.
- Non-Calvinist Protestants believe that salvation can be lost through conscious, willful, and persistent rejection of Christ, emphasizing the biblical warnings against apostasy and the need for ongoing repentance and obedience.
- Catholics teach that mortal sin can sever one's relationship with God and lead to the loss of salvation, if not repented of before death, while also affirming the possibility of restoration through the sacrament of reconciliation.
- Eastern Orthodox Christians do not speak of "losing" salvation in the same way as some Western traditions but emphasize the ongoing need for faithfulness, spiritual struggle, and growth in Christ-likeness.
- Progressive Christians acknowledge the potential for individuals to turn away from God's love but emphasize the mystery of God's mercy and the hope of ultimate reconciliation for all people.
3. The Assurance of Salvation
- Calvinist Protestants ground their assurance of salvation in the character and promises of God, who is faithful to complete the work He has begun in the elect.
- Non-Calvinist Protestants believe that assurance of salvation is found in a life of discipleship and growth in holiness, rejecting the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional eternal security.
- Catholics emphasize the importance of perseverance and growth in holiness throughout one's life, while ultimately entrusting the judgment of souls to the mercy and justice of God.
- Eastern Orthodox Christians trust in the mercy and love of God to restore those who turn back to Him in repentance but emphasize the ongoing need for faithfulness and spiritual growth.
- Progressive Christians recognize the importance of personal responsibility and the call to persevere in faith but also trust in the mystery of God's mercy and the hope of ultimate reconciliation.
More Questions to Explore
All answers represented are AI generated. All Christian denominations or perspectives are not included. Christianity is a diverse religion, with over 2 billion adherents and thousands of denominations. Each individual will hold a unique combination of nuanced interpretations. These posts are meant to give an overview of some of the largest groups within the faith, and serve as a primer to diving deeper into each question. The goal of ChristianAnswers.ai is to reveal some of the complexity within each question, so as to minimize the chance of getting a single take from a single perspective (i.e., minimize bias as much as possible). Claude 3 Opus was used to generate all responses. Learn about Claude Opus here. If you are interested as to how Claude was prompted to get these responses, send an email to christiananswersai@gmail.com.
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