Can you Lose your salvation? No but you can throw it away.
- Thad DeBuhr
- Aug 17
- 9 min read
Hebrews 10:26-39
The Main Message: Don't miss the serious warnings in Hebrews 10:26-39, which caution Christians against deliberately turning their backs on Jesus's sacrifice and choosing to abandon their faith.
The stronger the warning, the more love is behind it.
Imagine you're training for a job as a high-voltage electrician. The first thing they teach you isn't how to wire a house; it's about the deadly consequences of touching a live wire. There are signs everywhere, flashing lights, and procedures designed to be so serious and repetitive that you can never, ever forget the stakes. This isn't because your instructor is mean or wants to scare you; it's because they are trying to save your life. The very intensity of the warnings is a testament to their deep care for you.
This is the kind of love and warning we find in today's passage. As we continue our journey through Hebrews, the tone shifts from encouragement to a very serious warning. Just as a loving mentor warns you about a live wire, the author of Hebrews is issuing a profound caution about the danger of deliberately turning away from Jesus. This isn't a threat; it’s a loving plea to avoid a catastrophic spiritual collapse.
Before moving on, pause and read through Hebrews 10:26-39 in a couple of different translations. Choose two from this selection: NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB, NKJV
Setting the Scene: Hebrews 10:26-39
Yesterday, we discussed the importance of not giving up, holding fast to our confession, and encouraging one another.
If you missed yesterday's Study Guide, I highly recommend you go back and read it by clicking here.
The author of Hebrews, having made a compelling case for Jesus as our great high priest and the perfection of his sacrifice, now shifts to a stark warning. This passage, from Hebrews 10:26-39, is one of the most intense in the entire New Testament.
The cultural context of the first-century Christian community is vital to understanding this passage. The original recipients of this letter were likely Jewish Christians living in a world hostile to their newfound faith. They were facing immense pressure to revert to Judaism, a religion that was a legal and accepted part of the Roman Empire. The author of Hebrews argues that returning to the old system is a rejection of the one true and final sacrifice of Christ.
This is not a warning against a believer who stumbles and sins. As scholars like Craig S. Keener and Brad Gray highlight, this passage addresses a specific and radical act: the deliberate and willful rejection of Jesus' atoning work. The language here is strong, with phrases like “trampled underfoot the Son of God” and “insulted the Spirit of grace.” The writer is talking about someone who, having known the truth of Christ's sacrifice, decides to turn their back on it completely. They are not merely sinning; they are treating the very blood that cleansed them as common, or unholy.
The author then contrasts this with the promise of God's coming judgment. The Old Testament allusions here are deliberate, referencing passages like Deuteronomy 32:35, which says, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." The early Christians would have been very familiar with this concept of a righteous and just God who would hold people accountable.
Rabbit Trail: Once Saved, Always Saved?
This passage often raises questions about the modern-day phrase "once saved, always saved." But getting sucked into discussions about Calvinism, Arminianism, and other theological viewpoints about losing salvation or whether a person was saved to begin with can cause us to miss the mark. Who cares what Calvin or Arminius taught if we don't know what Jesus taught?
Part of the problem lies in the language we use. The question "Can you lose your salvation?" implies an accidental loss, as if it were misplaced, like your keys or your phone. We don't "lose" things on purpose. But the idea that you can accidentally lose your salvation is foolish and unbiblical.
A better way to think about it is this: You can throw away your salvation. Throwing something away is a deliberate, purposeful act. You know what you're doing, and it's no accident. That's at the heart of the Hebrews author's warning to these Jewish Christians: Don't throw it all away by going back to the old covenant and its old, unsuccessful ways of making you holy and pure. It didn't work then, and it won't work now.
The answer from this passage, and from many others in the Bible, is a clear yes, a saved Christian can choose to live in such a way that they are no longer saved. You can't accidentally lose your salvation, but you can, through deliberate choices, abandon it.
Consider the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Jesus describes three types of seeds that don’t produce a crop, but are at one point very much "real plants" that grow. The seeds on the rocky ground sprout quickly but wither in the sun. The seeds among thorns grow but are choked out by the weeds. Jesus clearly states that these are people who hear the word, believe for a time, but then fall away due to persecution or the cares of the world. It’s not that the plant was fake; it just didn’t endure.
Throughout Scripture, we find many warnings that underscore this idea of a faith that must endure to be effective.
Jesus's warning to "count the cost" in Luke 14:28-33. He tells the crowds to consider what it will cost to build a tower or go to war. He's telling them to think through what it will cost them to follow him, because if they're not serious about it, they're not ready to start the journey.
Jesus's teaching on the vine and the branches in John 15:1-8. He says that every branch in him that does not bear fruit will be taken away. This suggests that a person who is "in him" can be removed for a lack of obedience or bearing fruit.
Paul’s warnings to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. He uses the example of the Israelites who were miraculously saved from Egypt but then were destroyed in the wilderness because of their disobedience.
The author of Hebrews himself has already warned us in Hebrews 6:4-6 about those who "have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift... and then have fallen away." This is a strong warning that a genuine experience of faith can be abandoned.
The warning here is not meant to make us live in fear, worried that a forgotten sin might damn us. It's about the conscious, deliberate choices we make. It’s a loving but serious call to remember that a spiritual journey requires commitment and perseverance.
BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO PODCAST THAT GOES DEEPER INTO THIS SECTION OF HEBREWS
See viewer comments and questions on screen at the end of the podcast.
Questions for you to chew on and discuss:
What is the difference between an accidental or habitual sin and the kind of "deliberate sin" described in this passage? How can we know the difference in our own lives?
The author of Hebrews emphasizes the need to "not shrink back and be destroyed" but to have "faith that preserves the soul." What does this kind of faith look like in our modern world, where the pressures might be more subtle than overt persecution?
The warning here is serious. How does understanding that this warning is coming from a place of love and not anger change your perspective on this passage?
Journey Group Discussion Starter:
Read Hebrews 10:26-39 together, and then share a time when you felt tempted to "shrink back" from your faith. What was the pressure, and what helped you to persevere?
How to Apply These Lessons from Hebrews Today:
While most of us aren't facing the temptation to revert to first-century Judaism, the principles here are profoundly relevant. The core message is about the seriousness of our confession. The author is reminding us that we can't have one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world. This passage is a sobering reminder that there are eternal consequences to our choices.
This passage challenges us to examine our hearts and ask if we've truly embraced the finished work of Christ. It's a call to take our faith seriously, to hold fast to our confession, and to not treat the sacrifice of Jesus as something trivial or common.
Seriously examine your faith: Is your commitment to Jesus a serious, daily choice, or is it merely a Sunday morning habit?
Scenario 1: You've been a Christian for years, but you've stopped reading your Bible or praying regularly. You feel like you're just going through the motions on Sundays. Your faith has become a habit, not a relationship. You are on the path of throwing away your salvation.
Scenario 2: You're a new Christian, and the pressures of work or school make it feel impossible to spend time with God. You find yourself putting your trust in your own abilities to succeed, rather than in God's provision. You are walking down a path that will likely lead to you throwing away your salvation.
Live out your faith with confidence: When you are tempted to put your hope in something other than Christ, remember the incredible hope we have in him.
Scenario 1: You're facing a tough financial situation. Instead of praying and trusting God to provide, you start to compromise your integrity at work, telling small lies or cutting corners to make a quick buck. You are putting your hope in your own cleverness rather than in God.
Scenario 2: You're being pressured by friends to adopt a different set of beliefs that are popular and seem more "progressive." You start to doubt the core truths of the Gospel and consider walking away from your faith to be more accepted. You are putting your hope in what others think of you, instead of on the finished work of Christ on the cross.
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