Can a True Believer Fall Away?

A Scriptural Dialogue on Apostasy and Eternal Salvation

💬 Introduction: A Needed Conversation

After publishing the blog “Salvation Isn’t a Debate. It’s an Eternal Verdict,” a thoughtful pastor responded with a sincere question that deserves deeper reflection. His concern centered around the biblical concept of apostasy—the idea that a person who once believed in Christ can choose to walk away from that faith and be eternally lost.

What followed was a respectful, Scripture-rich dialogue that now forms the basis of this post. If you’ve ever wrestled with the idea of once saved, always saved vs. falling away, this follow-up is for you.

🧠 The Question Raised

The original comment came in after reading the blog:

“I do have one question for you concerning ‘Apostasy’, which refers to the falling away from the faith. To be in the ‘faith’ or ‘belief’ to fall away from that ‘faith’ — wouldn’t that be the defined meaning of Apostasy? And would that not be opposing man’s free will if he desires not to remain in the ‘faith’?”

This question reflects a common and honest concern: What happens when someone who once claimed belief now rejects it?

Let’s walk through the answer together—starting with God’s perspective.

📖 Clarifying the Foundations: God’s Will vs. Human Choice

First, let’s address the idea of free will. We often speak of it as if it’s a divine power within man. But Scripture is clear:

Only God has true will—eternal, sovereign, unchanging.
We do not have creative or sovereign will. We have the capacity to respond, either in obedience or rebellion.

Only God Has a True Will — Sovereign, Eternal, and Unchanging

One of the most sobering and liberating truths in all of Scripture is that only God possesses a true, sovereign will—a will that is eternal, creative, and unchanging. Human will, by contrast, is not sovereign and not creative in its nature. At best, we possess the capacity to respond—either in obedience to God or in rebellion against Him.

This distinction is critical to our understanding of who God is, and who we are.

🕊️ The Nature of God’s Will: Sovereign, Eternal, and Absolute

From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God reveals a consistent portrait of God’s will as supreme over all creation. He alone declares the end from the beginning. His purposes are never frustrated or altered by the will of man.

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’” — Isaiah 46:10

“He does according to His will… no one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” — Daniel 4:35

God’s will is not subject to change, mood, or the passage of time. As the psalmist writes:

“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.” — Psalm 33:11

In the New Testament, this truth is made even more plain. All things are worked according to the counsel of His will—not ours.

“Being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” — Ephesians 1:11, NKJV

God’s mercy, His salvation, and His eternal plan are not dependent on human striving or decision-making. As Paul writes:

“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” — Romans 9:16

🧍🏽 The Reality of Human Will: Limited, Responsive, and Dependent

Unlike God’s will, human will is responsive, not creative. It is influenced by sin, and incapable of producing righteousness on its own. The most we can do is respond—and even our ability to respond rightly must be awakened by God Himself.

God calls us to choose obedience, but He also makes it clear that our will does not generate the power to save or sanctify.

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life…” — Deuteronomy 30:19

But even when we “choose,” we are reminded that it is the Lord who directs and brings about the true result:

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9

Jesus drives this point home when He says:

“Without Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

The Apostle Paul takes it further:

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” — Philippians 2:13

This means that even our desire to do what’s right originates in God. We do not possess an independent, self-sufficient will that can create or determine spiritual outcomes.

⚖️ Why This Matters

There’s a dangerous illusion circulating in modern Christian thought that suggests man’s will holds equal weight with God’s. This is not only theologically unsound—it’s spiritually harmful. If we believe that our will is creative or sovereign, then we risk exalting ourselves to a level Scripture never permits. We may begin to act as though God needs our permission or participation to accomplish His plan. But this diminishes His sovereignty and inflates our own.

“Not of him who wills… but of God who shows mercy.” — Romans 9:16

In truth, we are called to surrender, not to control. We are invited to trust, not to direct. When we acknowledge that God’s will is the only true will, we find freedom—not restriction. We find assurance, not anxiety. We rest, knowing that our salvation, our future, and our hope do not rest on our wavering will, but on God’s unchanging one.

🔍 Summary Table

🙏 Sovereign Salvation vs. Surface Allegiance

The more we try to magnify human will, the more we cheapen the glory and sovereignty of God. But when we embrace the truth—that God’s will alone is sovereign, eternal, and unchanging—we’re not crushed by it. We’re carried by it. We are not the authors of our destiny. We are the recipients of divine mercy. Our responsibility is not to will something into being, but to submit, trust, and follow the One whose will never fails.

God’s will initiates salvation. Our role is not to author it, but to respond to it—to yield to His drawing and Lordship. Listen to the way Christ said it.

“No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me…” — John 6:44 

Salvation, then, is not an emotional moment, but a divine work. It is eternal in nature, and those truly born of the Spirit are sealed by God—not managed by human strength.

❗ Apostasy: Proximity vs. Possession

Here’s where the heart of the conversation lies.

Apostasy does exist. The Bible warns against falling away. But what does “falling away” actually describe?

Is it:

• A true believer losing their salvation?
• Or someone who was close to the faith, yet never actually born of the Spirit?

The answer comes from Scripture itself:

“They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us…” — 1 John 2:19

This verse reveals the true nature of apostasy:
Those who “fall away” never truly belonged, even if they walked among believers, heard the Word, and experienced conviction.

📚 What About Hebrews 6 and 10?

In his response, the pastor rightly referenced two sobering passages:

• Hebrews 6:4–6
• Hebrews 10:26–29

These texts warn of severe consequences for rejecting Christ after “knowing the truth.” Let’s address both:

🔎 Hebrews 6:4–6 — Enlightened, but Not Regenerated

“For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and then have fallen away, since they are crucifying again the Son of God to their own harm and are holding him up to contempt..” — Hebrews 6:4–6

This passage describes people who were:

• Enlightened
• Tasted the heavenly gift
• Shared in the Holy Spirit
• Tasted the Word and the power of the age to come

But notice: it never says they were sealed, born again, or indwelt by God.

Like Judas, they walked close to Christ, performed miracles in His name, and yet betrayed Him.

The warning in Hebrews is to those who have experienced the light, but never surrendered to it.

They tasted grace. They felt conviction.
But they never fully submitted.
And rejecting Christ after such exposure makes the heart even harder.

🔎 Hebrews 10:26–29 — Willful Rejection, Not Covenant Loss

 “For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins but a fearful prospect of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy “on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?” — Hebrews 10:26-29

The phrase “knowledge of the truth” is key.

• Knowledge ≠ Salvation
• Conviction ≠ Regeneration
• Exposure ≠ Covenant

The person in this passage knows the gospel but tramples on it. They insult the Spirit and count the blood of Christ “an unholy thing.”

This isn’t someone accidentally slipping. It’s someone deliberately rejecting.

And again, that rejection reveals that they were never sealed, never transformed, never truly in union with the Living God.

🔐 The Covenant Cannot Be Broken

Let’s return to God’s eternal view.

“This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me…” — John 6:39
“By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” — Hebrews 10:14

Those who belong to God are kept by God.
Salvation is not a contract—it’s a covenant sealed by the Spirit.
True believers may stumble, even rebel—but God disciplines them as sons. He doesn’t disown them.

“The Lord knows those who are his.” — 2 Timothy 2:19

🫠 Theological Insight: Why Portray God as Powerless?

Why would someone who says they’re a born-again believer—who calls sinners into the sheepfold and preaches eternal life—turn around and portray God as unable to keep those He saves?

What’s wrong with that picture?

Everything.

Because it presents a God who:

• Can save but not sustain,
• Can deliver but not defend,
• Can seal but not secure.

But the God revealed in Scripture is not fragile. He is not subject to human inconsistency. He is not a manager of moral contracts—He is the Author and Finisher of salvation.

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” — John 10:28

To say God can save but not keep is to misunderstand salvation entirely. It implies that God’s eternal purpose can be unraveled by temporary human will. That is not the gospel. That is fear wrapped in theology.

🛡️ Final Reflection: Correcting the Misunderstanding

Let’s be honest:

If a born-again believer preaches eternal salvation, then turns around and doubts God’s ability to sustain it, they aren’t portraying God as Sovereign, but as limited.

This doesn’t just weaken theology—it damages the witness.

It causes confusion. It misleads those they teach. It implies salvation is up to human effort and ongoing qualification.

And this isn’t a harmless error. It’s dangerous ground for the believer and for every soul they come in contact with.

So how do we correct it?

• Practically, by teaching the full counsel of Scripture—not just isolated warnings, but God’s eternal promises. Never lose sight of the passage that Peter stated,“The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9
  
• Honestly, by confronting our own misunderstandings and letting God be true, even if it humbles our tradition. Remaining Teachable is the best defense against our own misunderstandings.
• Theologically, by restoring God’s sovereignty to the center of the salvation message.

Let us speak boldly and clearly—not giving the devil opportunity to twist theology into fear.

Let us declare what Scripture reveals:

God saves. God seals. God keeps.

🙏 Benediction / Prayer

O God who saves and seals,
Help us see salvation as You see it—
Not as fragile, fleeting, or earned—
But as eternal, divine, and unshakable.

Let those drawn near not merely taste,
But drink deeply of Your mercy,
And be changed forever by the power of Your grace.

In Your eternal Name, Amen.

Grace & Peace
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Dr. John Roberts THD