Is a backsliding Christian still saved?

Response

This is a topic that has been discussed extensively over time. The term “backslider” or “backsliding” is not found in the New Testament but is mainly used in the Old Testament in reference to Israel. Despite being God’s chosen people, the Jews consistently turned away from Him and defied His teachings “The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?”, (Jeremiah 8:9). This led them to repeatedly offer sacrifices for their sins to restore their relationship with the offended God. In contrast, Christians have access to the perfect and final sacrifice of Christ, eliminating the need for further sacrifices for their sins. God Himself has secured our salvation for us “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”, (2 Corinthians 5:21), and because of our salvation through Him, a genuine Christian cannot stray to the point of no return.

While Christians do sin “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”, (1 John 1:8), the Christian life should not be characterized by a lifestyle of sin. Believers are a new creation “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”, (2 Corinthians 5:17). With the Holy Spirit within us, we bear good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). A Christian life should reflect a transformed life.

Christians are forgiven regardless of how many times they sin, yet they should strive to live a more holy life as they draw nearer to Christ. It is reasonable to question someone who professes to be a believer but leads a life that contradicts it. While a true Christian who stumbles into sin remains saved, a person who is dominated by sin is not genuinely a Christian.

What about someone who denies Christ? The Bible teaches that if a person denies Christ, they never truly knew Him. 1 John 2:19 states, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” One who rejects Christ and abandons their faith is revealing that they never truly belonged to Him. Those who are Christ’s will stay with Him, while those who disavow their faith never possessed it in the first place. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 says, “This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”