Hebrews 6
Can I Lose My Salvation? Wrestling with Hebrews 6
When we open our Bibles to Hebrews 6, we find ourselves face-to-face with a question that’s stirred hearts and challenged minds for centuries: Can I lose my salvation? It’s a question many of us have asked—sometimes out of fear, sometimes out of a genuine desire to understand how grace, faith, and perseverance really work.
Let’s walk through this passage together, specifically verses 4–6, and do what we’ve always tried to do when reading Scripture—interpret the Bible with the Bible. Instead of avoiding tough verses, let’s lean in and let the Holy Spirit teach us.
From Milk to Maturity: Growing in Christ
Hebrews 6 doesn’t start with controversy—it starts with a call to grow. The writer encourages us to leave behind the elementary teachings about Christ and press on toward maturity. This is consistent with the end of chapter 5, where the community is reminded not to remain spiritual infants but to grow deeper in their walk with God.
We’re invited to chew on solid food—not just sip on milk. And as we mature in Christ, we come to understand that our faith journey is initiated, sustained, and completed by God. Verse 3 reminds us, “And God permitting, we will do so.” He is the author and the finisher of our faith, and our growth is under His sovereign hand.
A Difficult Warning: What Do Verses 4–6 Really Mean?
Here’s the heart of the tension. Verses 4–6 speak of people who were “enlightened,” who “tasted the heavenly gift,” who “shared in the Holy Spirit,” and yet fell away—leaving the reader wondering if someone who once appeared saved could be lost forever.
But when we dig deeper, we see that the warning is not about someone who truly belongs to Christ and then loses salvation. Rather, it’s about those who have had religious experiences—been in church, joined community groups, even loved Christian music—and yet never surrendered their lives to Jesus.
Jesus talked about this too. Remember the parable of the sower? Some seed sprouted quickly but withered because it had no root. It looked alive for a time, but it didn’t last. Likewise, 1 John tells us that some “went out from us, but they were never truly of us.”
It’s possible to understand Christian teaching, even to agree with it, and still not be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Understanding is not the same as believing, and believing is not the same as being made new.
What If I’m Worried I’ve Fallen Away?
This is where we want to bring encouragement: if you’re asking, “Have I fallen away?” or “Can I lose my salvation?”—that very concern is evidence of a heart that loves Jesus. Those who have truly rejected Christ aren’t concerned about whether they’ve fallen away. They’re not longing to be near Him again.
And here’s what the Bible tells us over and over:
John 10:27–29 – “My sheep listen to my voice… I give them eternal life… no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Romans 8:38–39 – Nothing in all creation “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 1:3–5 – God has given us “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade… kept in heaven for you.”
So when we ask the hard question, we need to also look at the whole of Scripture. And what we see is this: those who are truly saved cannot lose their salvation. God holds us. He began the good work in us, and He will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Our Takeaway: Keep Asking, Keep Trusting
Hebrews 6 is challenging—but it’s not meant to scare us out of salvation. It’s meant to push us toward sincerity, maturity, and assurance in Christ. It’s a warning against shallow faith and surface-level religion. But it’s also an invitation to trust the God who finishes what He starts.
So let’s keep asking the hard questions. God isn’t afraid of them. But let’s always come back to the truth of His Word. Let’s interpret the Bible with the Bible, and let’s hold tight to the promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
