Examples of Eternal Life Being Lost
In the Bible we not only have many passages plainly stating that eternal life can be lost and that the saved who sin will die and be damned, but we have many concrete cases of men and angels who once had eternal life and were in grace and favor with God, and who sinned and will be damned in Hell forever, regardless of their sonship and past union with God in grace.
1. Lucifer, better known as Satan and the devil, and over one third of God's holy angels sinned and are to be dammed in a Hell especially prepared for them (Matt. 24:41). It would be folly for any one to argue that they were not once holy and sinless and in God's favor or grace. Angels are definitely called "sons of God" (Gen. 6:1-4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). These sons of God in Job could not be men, for they were present when God laid the foundations of the Earth long before man was created (Job 38:4-7). If these "sons of God" fell and are to be damned then the childish argument of some that if a man is once a son he cannot be lost or else salvation is not salvation and eternal life is not eternal life, is proved to be a false theory. If God will damn some of creation who were in grace and who are called "sons," then He will also damn others if they sin, else God is unjust and a respecter of persons.
Lucifer is spoken of as being "perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, TILL iniquity was found in thee" (Ezek. 28:11-17). He led an invasion into Heaven to dethrone God but was defeated and cast back to the Earth (Isa. 14:12-14; Luke 10:18). This rebellion of Lucifer and the Earth he ruled over, together with the angels of God who followed Lucifer, caused the judgment on the Earth before Adam (Gen. 1:2; Jer. 4:23-26, 2 Pet. 3:4-8). Although Rev. 12:3-9 refers to the future tribulation when Satan will be cast down to the Earth it does tell how many angels of God originally fell with Lucifer. (See Lesson Seven.)
2. Demons—disembodied spirits who were one time in God's favor or grace, and as sinless in the beginning as all other creatures created by God. That they sinned and are doomed to eternal hell is clear by their own admission (Matt. 8:29; Luke 4:33-34; 8:31). Many are now in the abyss (Rev. 9).
3. Abaddon—Apollyon—the king of the bottomless pit who leads the demon locusts of Rev. 9:1-11. Like the angels and demons mentioned above, he was once in grace or favor with God from which he fell, or he would not be confined to the abyss, and thus doomed.
4. Demon-locusts—another kind of creatures, once sinless and perfect who fell from grace and favor with God and are now confined to the abyss in torment. Their bodies are
described and their intelligence is referred to as being capable of tormenting certain men, and not others (Rev. 9:3-6).
5. Demon-horsemen—intelligent creatures, 200,000,000 in number who will take orders and be led by four angels to slay one-third of men at a certain hour of a certain day (Rev. 9:12-21). They, too are now confined to the abyss in torment because of their sins which caused them to lose favor with God.
6. Four angels—a special group, though perfect to begin with, now bound in the river Euphrates, being punished by God, for sin (Rev. 9:13-16). What particular sins were committed by all the creatures mentioned above, is not stated in each case; nevertheless, the cause of their fall from grace or favor with God is the same—sin, transgression of the law of God, rebellion, and refusal to obey Him and consecrate themselves to the best good of being and of the universe. See studies about spirit being in Lessons Four and Six.
7. Pre-Adamites—the inhabitants of the earth before the days of Adam over whom Lucifer ruled until the earth was first hooded and all life existing upon it, was totally destroyed (Gen. 1:2, 27; Isa. 14:12-14; Jer. 4:23-26; Ezek. 28:11-17; Matt. 13:35; 2 Pet. 3:5-6; etc.). They are called "nations" (Isa. 14:1-14), "man" (Jer. 4:23-26); and they were subject to drowning which proves that they were mortal creatures the same as present man (2 Pet. 3:5-6). At one time they were in God's favor or grace, but being totally destroyed proves that they fell from His favor or grace which could only be through sin.
8. Adam and Eve and the whole rare were once in God's favor or grace but they sinned and died because of sin (Gen. 2:17; 3:1-19; Rom. 5:12-21). Adam is called "the son of God" in Luke 3:38, so here is another concrete example of a "son of God" falling from grace and losing eternal life by sin. Those echo fell into sin in Adam must be born again to regain favor with God and live again. If they died once because of sin and can live again, then if they fall again they can then be brought back to life by the gospel. If it can happen once it can happen again and again if it becomes necessary, as proved in Lesson Twenty-three, Point IV, 14.
9. The Antediluvians—human beings who lived between the time of Adam's creation and Noah's flood. "When they knew God, they glorified him not as God." They did not want to retain God in their knowledge, so they sinned, changing the glory of God into images; and God gave them up (Rom. 1:21-32). As stated in Rom. 1:32 they became "worthy of death." Paul told elect Israel ,in his day, that if they committed the same sins as the Antediluvians they too would receive like judgment of God (Rom. 2:1-5).
10. The Postdiluvians—persons living in the time between Noah and Abraham, a period of 427 years. The Bible says that "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Gen. 6:8); therefore the whole race (Noah and his household) was again in God's grace and favor. They had a new contract of righteousness with God (Gen. 9:1-18), but before the period came to an end had gone into idolatry and other sins, to such an extent that they had to be cut off (Gen. 11:1-9; Josh. 24:14-15).
11. Abraham's descendants—many who went into sin during the 430 years of the period between Abraham and Moses. They lacked faith in God (Ex. 2:11-14; 14:1-9), and were in rebellion in the land of Egypt when God called Moses to lead them out. At the time of Moses they received the born again experience and were healed bodily until there was not a feeble person in all their tribes (Deut. 32:18-19; Ex. 15:26, 23:25; Ps. 105:37; 107:20). After that they went into idolatry and other sins at Sinai and in the wilderness, until God pronounced them "a stiffnecked people," who had "corrupted themselves;" and He wanted to "consume them" (Ex. 32:7-10). At this time He vowed, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book " See Ex. 32:32-33.
12. Aaron and all Israel as sinners regained God's favor and were blessed spiritually and physically (Ex. 29:43, 44; 31:13; Lev. 11:44, 45; 20:8, 15, 23; 22:9; Ex. 15:26; 33:12-17). Moses testified that they were begotten of God (Deut. 32:18). They had their names written in Heaven (Ex. 32:32, 33). When they sinned God said, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, HIM WILL I BLOT OUT OF MY BOOK" (Ex. 32:33). God would have destroyed them in a moment in their sin if it had not been for the intercession of Moses (Ex. 32:9-14; Deut. 9:20). He did later destroy the ones who afterwards did not believe (Jude 5).
Israel is spoken of as having been "redeemed" by God (Ex. 15:13; Deut. 9:26; 15:15; 21:8; 2 Sam. 7:23; Psalm 71:23; 77:15; 106:10; 107:2; Isa. 29:22), as having had the gospel (Gal. 3:6-14; Heb. 4:2), and as having had every transgression they committed punished (Heb. 2:1-4; 1 Cor. 10:1-18). The whole redeemed nation were destroyed because of sin and unbelief; that is, the old generation (Jude 5; Heb. 4:11). See Lesson Eighteen, Point IX for the many spiritual blessings of Israel before they were cut off because of sin and unbelief. This proves they were in grace and were saved but were finally lost. If the many thousands were destroyed in plagues in the wilderness, as stated in 1 Cor. 10:1-18, then their souls were also lost.
13. Nadab and Abihu, priests and holy men of God, were cut off because of sin (Lev. 10:1-20; Num. 3:4). The past favor or grace of God did not save them in the day of their sin. God soon proved to them that once in grace always in grace was not true when sin is committed.
14. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, priests and holy men of God, as well as 250 princes and many common people in the redeemed nation of Israel, were in God's favor or grace, but were cut off in the day of rebellion (Num. 16).
15. Saul, who was in God's favor or grace and who had the Holy Spirit, lost that favor and was destroyed because of sin (1 Chron. 10:13-14). He committed suicide and must be lost, for no murderer has eternal life (1 Sam. 28:7-25; 31:1-6; 1 John 3:15; Gal. 5:19-21). To argue that he was never a saved man is to demonstrate ignorance of Bible truth. "God gave him another heart . . . and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied" (1 Sam. 10:9-13). If this was not an experience of the saved man then it was nothing. It is also recorded how the Spirit of God left him when he sinned (1 Sam. 16:12-23). He went into spiritualism and God said He would cut off the man who did this (Lev. 19:31; 20:6; Deut. 18:11). He was a very humble and godly man to begin with, but he did not end this way (1 Sam. 10:21-24).
No modern unconditional securityite could claim a better spiritual experience than Saul had, for they boldly testify they live in sin every day and at least Saul and every sinner could claim this much of a Christian experience. If Saul had the Holy Spirit he also had life, for all eternal life comes by the Spirit (John 6:63; Rom. 8:10-13; 2 Cor. 3:6; Gal. 6:7, 8; Rev. 11:11). If the Spirit left Saul, then he lost the eternal life he had by the Spirit. It is impossible to have the Spirit and not have eternal life, according to the above passages. Saul then had eternal life and lost it by sin.
16. The nation of Israel—multitudes who failed in the 1700 year period between Moses and Christ, known as The Law. In this time Israel had many revivals and backslidings, many restorations to grace and many falls from grace, and those who died in sin and rebellion were lost, as individuals. See the following scriptures: Num. 11:1-9; 16:22-27, 46-50; 21:4-9, 23-34; 25:1-13; Deut. 30:1-10; 32:19-35; Josh. 7:1-26; Judg. 2:1-23; 3:5-7; 8:23-24; 10:6-16; 1 Sam. 2:35-36; 3:11-14; 1 Kings 9:3-9; 11:1-8, 30-39; 2 Kings 14:22-24; 17:1-20; 21:19-26; 2 Chron. 12:13-14; 14:1-11; 15:2-16; 17:1-6; 19:3-11; 20:13-34; 21:6-20; 23:1-21; 24:1-27; 25:1-28; 26:1-21; 27:2; 28:1-26; 33:1-25; 34:1-35:7; 36:1-23; Matt. 23:1-39; Luke 21:20-24; 1 Cor. 10:1-13; Rom. 11:11-22.
17. Balaam—a true prophet of the Lord until he sinned and rebelled against the Lord, falling from His grace and favor. He schemed to get his reward and was killed by the sword of Israel (Num. 22:22-35; 23:4-5, 12, 16; 24:4, 16; 31:16; 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11; Rev. 2:14).
18. Achan—a man in the days of Joshua whose sin was so great that God refused to bless the nation of Israel further until the sin was judged. If he had been a sinner before this God would have punished him before this; therefore we know that he was in God's grace until he broke the law, and was executed (Josh. 7:11-15, 22-26).
Dake, Finis (2011). God's Plan for Man. Dake Publishing, Inc.. Kindle Edition.