At some point in life, a person accepts Jesus as his Lord and personal savior and he is saved. Then they get baptized, and some do receive Holy Ghost baptism, and fellowship with the church. Christianity is a journey. Unfortunately, not all complete this journey. From the time a person believes unto salvation and the time he dies, they go through many experiences. Not all are able to stand. Some are left broken, and they abandon the faith altogether. These are the factors that lead Christians to forfeit their salvation:
Taking offense at God
One way this can happen is by taking offense at God, as seen in John 6:25-66. When the crowd could not accept Jesus’ hard teachings, many stopped following Him. Offense shuts a person’s heart to truth, and if left unchecked, it leads to abandoning Christ altogether. Today, many still abandon Christ because of offense. Some came to Christ with expectations that have not been met yet. Also, unanswered prayers, hardship in life, and the wrongdoings of the church add up to taking offense at God. Beloved, if your fellow Christian—whether clergy or laity—has offended you, it is unfair to take it out on God.
The Love of money
In the same way, the love of money can pull a Christian away from the faith. The love of money is also called greed for money – the situation where someone is willing to do anything to get money. Paul calls it a root of all kinds of evil, and he warns that those who crave it “have wandered from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:10). Money becomes a rival master, demanding loyalty that belongs to God alone. The life of Judah Iscariot is enough to fathom the ruinous power of the love of money.
Loving yourself more than Christ
A Christian can also fall when self-love becomes greater than love for Christ. Jesus taught that anyone who wants to follow Him must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23; Mark 8:34). A life centered on self-pleasure, self-rule, and self-preservation cannot remain loyal to Christ, and eventually, such a person abandons the cost of discipleship.
Loving others more than God
The same danger exists when a believer loves others more than Jesus. Christ taught that anyone who places father, mother, or loved ones above Him is not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37; Luke 14:26). Christ Himself advocates that we love all people, including family. But let not your family come between you and God or do not compromise your faith for the sake of your family. When human relationships outweigh loyalty to Christ, compromise follows, and compromise leads to spiritual ruin.
Ignorance of God’s word
Another factor is ignorance of God’s word, which destroys a believer’s ability to discern truth from error. In Judges 2:10-13, a generation that did not know the Lord quickly turned to idols. Hosea 4:1-6 declares that God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. When Scripture no longer shapes a believer’s mind, sin and deception take its place, eventually turning the heart away from God.
Unfruitfulness
This naturally leads to another danger: not bearing good fruit. Jesus says that every branch that bears no fruit is cut off and thrown into the fire (John 15:2,6). John the Baptist warns that any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down (Matthew 3:10), and the barren fig tree of Luke 13:6-9 shows that persistent fruitlessness ends in judgment. A life with no evidence of repentance and obedience demonstrates a faith that has died.
Turning away from the truth
Scripture also warns that turning away from the truth results in apostasy. Paul says that some will reject sound doctrine and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4). When a Christian refuses correction, resists Scripture, and chooses teachers who suit their desires, they walk down a path that leads away from Christ Himself, forfeiting their salvation.
Evil communication
Evil communication—that is, being in a relationship with ungodly people—also has the power to corrupt. Solomon’s heart was turned to idolatry by his foreign wives (1 Kings 11:1-13), and Paul reminds believers that bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). Constant exposure to ungodly influences pulls a Christian’s heart away from holy living and toward spiritual compromise.
Living in sin
A believer can also fall from salvation by living in sin. Titus 1:16 describes those who claim to know God but deny Him by their actions. Jesus warns that not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the Father’s will (Matthew 7:21-23). In John 8:37-44, He tells religious Jews that their sinful actions show they belong not to God but to the devil. Persistent, unrepented sin hardens the heart and proves that one has turned away from Christ.
The love of the world
Another danger to our salvation is the love of the world. John warns us that the world which consist of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are not from the Father (1 John 2:16). James declares that friendship with the world is hostility toward God (James 4:4). When worldly desires dominate the heart, spiritual desires die, and loyalty to Christ fades until it is abandoned altogether.
Envying the wicked
Finally, envying the wicked can lead to falling away. It is common to see that some unbelievers are far better off and living a comfortable life, which some Christians can only dream of. In Psalm 73, a priest called Asaph, upon realizing that the wicked were prosperous, nearly forsook the Lord because his heart was seized with envy, envying the prosperity of sinners. When a believer is consumed with envy, their heart grows cold toward righteousness, and they entertain doubt about God’s faithfulness and fairness. Bitterness and spiritual decline may follow, leading to his fall from Christ and His salvation.
Conclusion
In all these ways, the Scriptures warn that a Christian can lose their salvation—not suddenly, but through a gradual turning of the heart from Christ to sin, idols, self, or the world. The Bible urges believers to remain vigilant, abide in Christ, love the truth, and guard their hearts with all diligence, for salvation is kept by enduring faith and unwavering devotion to the Savior who called us to follow Him.