Part 7 · Deep dive
The hard questions
Honest answers to difficult questions about salvation.
These questions are asked by sincere seekers and longtime believers alike. Where Scripture is clear we say so; where it is quiet, we say that too.
Is Jesus really the only way?
Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.' If salvation were possible another way, the cross would not have been necessary (Galatians 2:21). The exclusive claim comes with a universal invitation: 'whoever'.
Can I lose my salvation?
See Part 6 for the full discussion. All traditions agree that Christ is faithful, that persistent rejection of Him is deadly, and that anyone who is worried about it should run to Him, not away.
If God chooses, do I have a choice?
Scripture teaches both God's sovereign choosing and our real responsibility to believe, often in the same passage (John 6:37; Romans 9–10). Paul ends his discussion not with a formula but with worship (Romans 11:33–36).
What about infants and those unable to believe?
Scripture gives no detailed answer. David expected to see his infant son again (2 Samuel 12:23), and Jesus welcomed little children. Traditions differ in reasoning, but all commend such ones to God's mercy.
Is a deathbed conversion real?
The thief on the cross shows it can be. But he did not know he had time to wait, and neither do we. Delaying is gambling with eternity.
Will everyone be saved in the end?
Some hope so, but Jesus spoke of two destinies: 'they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life' (Matthew 25:46). The church in its councils rejected the teaching that all, even demons, will finally be restored (Constantinople, 553). God desires all to be saved, and so He urges all to come now.
Key takeaways
- Salvation is only through Christ, offered to whoever will come.
- God's sovereignty and our responsibility are both taught.
- Scripture gives two eternal destinies; the time to respond is now.