Certain Eternity Part 21 – Can I Lose My Salvation? Part 1 of 2
1 John 2:19-21 March 9, 2025
Introduction
Today, we continue in our text to 1 John 2:19-21 and we’re going to examine a
question that naturally emerges from the reader when we are discussing a
Certain Eternity—what about the people I know who have walked away from the
faith… can someone lose their salvation?
1 John 2:18-21 “18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that
antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that
it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they
had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it
might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by
the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do
not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.”
o We’ve talked about how John consistently uses contrasts and opposites in
his teaching—light and dark, love and hate, truth and lies, old
commandment and new commandment, Christ and Antichrist, and now
Us/You (the Church) and They (antichrists).
John contrasts “they” and “us/you” in this text – they (6x) vs
us(5x)/you(4x).
3-part outline: “Us and You”, “They”, Application
“Us” and “You”
Who “us” and “you”…those who are saved…the true Church, the true sheep of
the Good Shepherd
o Characteristics of saved (v 20-21) = anointed by the Holy Spirit & know
truth
o Salvation is an act of God, not man. Therefore, it is impossible for God to
lose that which he has saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of
works, so that no one may boast.”
John 10:27-30 “27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish,
and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has
given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch
them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
o Not going to get into it today, but if you study the doctrines of adoption,
justification, and propitiation (see Part 13 of this series) – you will clearly
see that once the Lord draws us into the His family by His grace through
our volitional faith – we are saved, sealed, and belong to God.
Ephesians 1:13-14 “13 In him you also, when you heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed
with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our
inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his
glory.”
“They”
“They” in relation to the context of v18 = antichrists, those who have been
deceived by the antichrist spirit and are going after the things of this world, the
knowledge, power, pleasure, pride, and achievement of this world
How do we discern who “they” is:
o (v19) They depart and don’t “continue”
o (v22) They deny the truth about Jesus and love the world (v15-16)
o (v26) They seek to deceive others – future sermon
Let’s quickly discuss mark 2 and 3 denial and deception – it is critical that we
know who our God says He is. The only way we are going to know God’s
character is if we study His word and get to know Him according to His own
words and the person and work of His Son Jesus. The more we know the son we
will know the Father.
o John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”
o John 14:8-9 “8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is
enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you
still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
o This is precisely why people twist who Jesus is…because by twisting who
Jesus is they can make God into whatever they want and ultimately “reach”
him through human achievement (i.e. every religion apart from true
submission to Jesus)
Human Achievement (what a man can do) vs Divine Accomplishment
(what God has done for us through Jesus)
And because human achievement doesn’t care about God’s
holiness or standards, this false way of thinking can still love
the world as it seeks to reach up to God
Having created a false gospel, they then seek to use that to deceive others (third
characteristic) – we’re going to dive into this in a couple weeks in v26-27, so
that’s all I’m going to say today – they will seek to deceive you and get you to
forsake the true gospel and true submission to Jesus. Tune in for a deep dive
into this in a couple weeks.
Let’s go back to the first one and camp there, they depart and don’t “continue”
o “continue” (Gk. menō) = abide = to remain – much more on this in coming
weeks
o “They went out from us” – were originally associated with the body of
believers and specifically refers to folks who started with them…initially
professed Christ
Parable of the soils (Luke 8:4-15) – (shallow soil, thorny soil)
“wen out” in Greek is in active voice meaning the ones who left
actively made the choice themselves to leave – they were not thrown
out, they left of their own volition
John 6:64-69 “64 But there are some of you who do not
believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were
who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65
And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66 After this many of his
disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So
Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and
have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.””
While the departure was almost certainly physical – they physically
left the fellowship of the body – it was first and foremost a doctrinal
departure and lack of submission to the authority if Christ in their lives
Kenneth Wuest “”went out from the true believers in the sense
that they departed doctrinally from the position of the Church as
to the Person of the Lord Jesus, a position which they had held
only in an intellectual way. It was a mental assent to but not a
heart acceptance of the doctrines concerning, the Person of
Christ.”
o Philippians 3:17-19 “17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes
on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many,
of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as
enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their
belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”
How can we tell if someone is truly “they” and they have walked
away?
(v18) Over time they will deny core dogma(s) of the faith and
present a false Jesus – they will “walk” as enemies of the cross
of Christ
o they will show themselves to be against the “orthodox”
tenets of being a Christ-follower and create a false Jesus
and false means of salvation (human achievement) (1
John 2:22)
(v19) their god is their belly – their appetites, their fleshly
passions – with minds set on earthly things – they are lovers of
the world (1 John 2:15-17)
(v19) they glory in their shame – they will seek to lure away
susceptible (often immature, church hoppers) to join their
“special” and “enlightened” church (1 John 2:26-27)
o Paul is almost literally giving the same warning as John about those who
walk away from the fellowship.
o This is what happened in Ephesus with the proto-Gnostics that John is
speaking against (and obviously also happened with Paul) and specifically
to whom John is referring when he talks about “they” and their secret
knowledge and false version of Jesus.
Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are prime example today – but
any other cult will also do.
Who “they” isn’t: 1) church hoppers, 2) immature believers (often goes with first
one), 3) different denominations (that affirm core dogmas of faith), 4) backsliding
or “drifting” (see Hebrews 2:1) Christians – though they may prove to be “they” if
the wanderers remain in the wilderness and do not return to the Lord in faith and
repentance.
To be continued…