The heretics from Judea
Doctrines are very important; what you believe can either lead you to salvation or damnation. Therefore Christians need to take these matters of faith and doctrines seriously. After the resurrection of Jesus, during the early days of Christianity, something very remarkable happened in Antioch; and Luke the companion of Paul wrote about it in the book of Acts. He wrote
1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren (in Antioch), “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. Acts 15:1, 2
According to Acts 15:1-2, some men having defective doctrine came from the region of Judea to the city Antioch to teach the Christians there that the uncircumcised Christians have to be circumcised before they can be saved.
Today, we know better – we know they are in error, for we have the Bible at our disposal for reference; and verses such as John 3:16, John 3:36, etc., absolutely falsify their teaching. Faith in Jesus Christ alone is enough for our salvation. Circumcision and other works of men do not play any role in the receipt of salvation.
We know at once that these men have missed the way to salvation. They have invented their own means to salvation, replacing Jesus with circumcision. Certainly, they have lost their salvation because they believed and taught false doctrines (Rev 22:15).
The Nicolaitans
Within the first century, a heretic group arose in the church called the Nicolaitans. At the time the Book of Revelation was being written, the Nicolaitans were a formidable force bent on teaching false doctrines in the church, and their deeds and doctrines were widespread, leading many astray into apostasy. Several of the early church fathers mentioned this group in their writings and said that the founder of the group and the heresy thereof was Deacon Nicolas, who was one of the seven deacons chosen in the church in Jerusalem to help the apostles (Acts 6:5).
The Bible did not say a lot about the deeds and the false teachings of the Nicolaitans. But we know for certain that whatever their deeds and doctrines were, they were very evil and dangerous to the church such that Jesus Christ Himself mentioned their name and condemned their ways in His letter to the church in Pergamos and Ephesians.
Jesus said to the Church in Pergamos, “14 But I have a few things against thee, …… 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. (Revelation 2:14-15)”
And Jesus said to the church in Ephesus, “6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Revelation 2:6)”
We are very sure that every member of the Nicolaitans, who did not repent, was a heretic and lost his salvation because he believed, practiced, and taught false doctrines. Reference: Revelation 2:14-15, Revelation 2:6.
The Balaamites
At about the same time as the Nicolaitans, there was another group of heretics who were described as people who held to the teachings of Balaam – hence, we call them the Balamites. First, who was Balaam? Balaam was a prophet who was hired by Barak, a king, to come and curse the Israelites. When he realized he could not curse the Israelites for the Lord’s blessing was upon them, Balaam sought to cause Israel’s destruction in another way. Balaam was a prophet and knew well that God is jealous and dislikes idol worship and immorality. Having this knowledge about God, Balaam used a smart way to bring destruction upon Israel from God Himself. And this is what he did: He used the Moabite women as bait or as a stumbling block to cause the Israelite men to commit sexual immorality and to worship an idol called Baal Peor.
So the anger of the Lord came upon Israel as Balaam had intended and a plague from the Lord overtook them and killed 24000 Israelites. Later, Israel also avenged herself on Balaam by killing him.
The Balaamites operated in the Church much like the prophet Balaam. They preached false doctrines in the church and by these false doctrines, they put a stumbling block in the way of Christians to make them fall into sins such as fornication and eating of things sacrificed to idols.
In a letter sent from Jesus to the church in Pergamos, Jesus rebuked the church because there were Balaamites there. In these words, He addressed them: “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14)”
Mind you, those who were described as Balaamites used to be Christians. However, upon embracing and practicing false doctrines, they have fallen from grace and have become heretics and apostates. Undoubtedly, all those Christians who became Balaamites and did not repent lost their salvation.
Jezebel of Thyatira
While some people are remembered for their good deeds, others are remembered for their bad deeds. The name Jezebel has a lot to do with evil deeds; this is because the person who bore the name did very evil things. Jezebel was a Moabite princess and a queen to King Ahab of Israel. In her husband’s name, she committed a lot of atrocities against prophets and other innocent people and she also perpetuated the worship of her native god Baal in Israel. She died shamefully at the hands of Jehu.
Many years after the execution of Jezebel, in the first century BC, there arose a certain self-acclaimed prophetess in the church at Thyatira whom Jesus Himself referred to as Jezebel, for she was evil and was profaning and destroying the church. This Jezebel of Thyatira taught Christians to eat things sacrificed to idols and she was also responsible for seducing the men in the church to commit fornication with her.
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus expressed his displeasure in a letter to Thyatira, rebuking the church for allowing this evil woman to teach and mislead other Christians. In these words, He addressed them –
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. (Rev 2:20)
This woman whom Jesus nicknamed Jezebel was certainly evil and was a problem in the church. According to Revelation 2:21, Jesus gave her time to repent but she did not; and she was to face terrible consequences for her sins. As we can all see, this Jezebel of Thyatira lost her salvation. Reference: Revelation 2:20-23
Demas
Paul was the author of many letters which was inspired by the Lord. In one of the letters he wrote to Timothy, his son in the faith, he spoke to him about a Christian called Demas, saying
.. Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 2 Timothy 4:10
Today, Bible readers easily identify Demas as one of those who lost their salvation. Take note, he lost his salvation not because he deserted Paul, but because he loved the world. According to the Bible, those who love the world and or befriend the world become enemies of God. And how do you think you are still saved if God regards you as an enemy? The Bible says,
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)
Since Demas was guilty of the sin of loving the world, the father-son relationship between him and God was ruined and replaced with enmity. So Demas fell from being a child of God to becoming an enemy of God. Hence, he lost his salvation.
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot loved money. And the love of money made him susceptible to the manipulation of the devil. The devil, using money as bait, lured Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus; he betrayed Jesus for 30 silver pieces. After the betrayal, when he realized that he has done a very bad thing, seized with remorse, Judas Iscariot went to hang himself and died.
Unlike Judas Iscariot, Peter also denied Jesus three times, but immediately after that, when he came to himself, he wept, expressing repentance and he did not commit suicide. Judas Iscariot never repented; rather, he was overcome with the feeling of guilt for betraying Jesus and he committed suicide. Judas Iscariot lost his salvation.
Hymenaeus and Alexander
18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. 1 Timothy 1:18-20
Paul, writing to Timothy his son in Christ, mentioned some two Christians whose names were Hymenaeus and Alexander to him. We could understand from his writing that these two Christians have lost track of the path of righteousness and have lost their faith altogether. Hence, it is written about them that they have made shipwreck of their faith. To shipwreck one’s faith is to abandon or repudiate the faith, i.e. it is to reject the faith. Since it is faith – faith in Christ – that leads us to salvation, abandoning one’s faith, obviously, results in loss of salvation.
Hymenaeus and Philetus
16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:16-20
Conclusion
It is possible for a Christian to lose his salvation and, in fact, many Christians have been losing their salvation up to this day. These biblical examples are enough to confirm the reality that a saved person can become unsaved because of his or her bad choices.