Grace in Focus – Episode Summary:

Can One Have Eternal Security if They Believe Someone Else Can Lose Their Salvation?
Grace Evangelical Society – January 29, 2026
Hosts: Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr

Episode Overview

In this concise but theologically rich episode, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr tackle a nuanced listener question submitted by "Liam": Can someone truly possess eternal security if they believe that it’s possible for someone else to lose their salvation by rejecting Christ? The discussion unfolds within the context of Free Grace Theology, assurance of salvation, and the unbreakable promises of Jesus regarding eternal life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Clarifying the Listener Question

• The core question: If someone thinks others can lose salvation by rejecting Christ, does that belief mean they themselves aren't saved?
• Bob and Sam note the question’s complexity and try to clarify if it’s a hypothetical or if Liam holds this view himself.

  “His question is, do you guys hold that if someone thinks that someone else could lose their salvation by rejecting Christ as their Savior, that means they're not saved.” – Bob [00:54]

2. Assurance Based on Christ’s Promise, Not Subjective Experience

• Bob recounts stories of people claiming assurance because they’re certain they will never fall away—through mystical experience or special divine revelation.

  • Example: A charismatic pole vaulter who was sure he'd never fall away because “the Holy Spirit told me I’m not going to fall away.”
  • Example: Dr. James Dobson's father, a Nazarene, who was convinced (after a dream) that he would persevere to the end and be saved.

  “He told me one day, he said, yeah, I believe people can lose their salvation, but I know I won’t. I said, okay, how do you know that? And he says, because the holy spirit told me I’m not going to fall away.” – Bob [02:16]

  “God in a dream told him ... ‘You’re going to be in heaven with me forever; you’re going to persevere.’” – Bob [03:20]

• The hosts assert both are examples of false assurance—assurance should rest on Christ’s promise, not subjective conviction or mystical experience.

3. Scripture’s 'Never' Statements—The Foundation for Eternal Security

• Sam and Bob point to biblical promises of eternal security—especially from the Gospel of John—underscoring that everlasting life, once given, cannot be lost or revoked.
  • John 3:16: “Never perish.”
  • John 5:24: “Has everlasting life; shall not come into judgment.”
  • John 6:35: “Will never hunger/thirst.”
  • John 11:26: “Will never die.”

  "There's so many never statements in the gospel of John." – Bob [05:01]
  "He who hears my word and believes in who sent me has everlasting life shall not come into judgment ... has already passed from death into life." – Sam [05:11]

4. Countering Objections and Hypotheticals

• They discuss how people often bring up “what if” scenarios (e.g., unforgivable sin, faith dying out, becoming an atheist) and explain that all such hypotheticals must bow to Jesus’ explicit, unconditional promises.

  “We can ask all these questions... Or we could go to what Jesus said, where he says, never, never, never, has everlasting life... In light of those ... ultimate statements… if someone rejects Christ as their savior, but they already had everlasting life, do they lose... No, they can't, because it lasts forever.” – Bob [05:44]

5. Can a Believer Stop Believing and Still Be Saved?

• They cite knowledge of believers who fell away or became atheists (example: a pastor’s son who became an atheist in college).

  • Conclusion: Such individuals remain born again—because salvation rests on the moment of faith in Christ, not continued faith or behavior.

  “That young man is still born again, even though he's an atheist. Why? Because once a person believes in Christ, he has everlasting life... everlasting life is everlasting life.” – Sam [08:10]

• Quoting professor Dr. Charles Ryberry:

  “If it could be lost, then it has the wrong name, right?” – Sam [08:27]

6. False Assurance vs. Saving Faith

• Assurance based on performance, perseverance, or mystical revelation is unreliable—only faith in Jesus for the free gift of eternal life saves.

  “Unless at some point he got the fact that it was simply by faith in Jesus, that he had everlasting life. Apart from perseverance, apart from works... he was not yet born again, even though he was confident he was.” – Sam [09:30]

7. You Can’t Add a ‘But’ to Eternal Security

• Bob emphasizes: You cannot claim to believe in eternal security and then add caveats tied to behavior, perseverance, or beliefs about others.

  “You can't say ... I believe in eternal security but, because there's not a but, right?” – Bob [10:06] “Once you say that, you’ve contradicted ‘I believe in eternal security.’” – Sam [10:18]

• Assurance must be based on the promise of Christ alone.

  "He didn't promise, whoever believes in me and keeps on believing ... It's just whoever believes in me has everlasting life. That's the promise he made." – Bob [10:33]

8. Interpreting Key Greek Grammar

• Sam explains that John 3:16’s present participle ("the one who believes") means the one who at any point believes, not continuous, unbroken belief.

  “Because it's a present tense, you've got to continuously believe... The problem ... that would mean there's not a single born again person on the planet yet... Jesus promises that the moment we believe in him, we're secure.” – Sam [11:00]

• Analogy: John the Baptist is called “the baptizer” even though he hasn’t baptized anyone in 2000 years—the participle describes his identity, not an ongoing action.

  "Once we believe, we are secure forever... Our assurance needs to be based on Jesus' promise, not on any kind of mystical revelation..." – Sam [11:53]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There’s so many never statements in the gospel of John.” – Bob [05:01]
• “That young man is still born again, even though he's an atheist. Why? Because once a person believes in Christ, he has everlasting life. And as one of my professors ... said, everlasting life is everlasting life. If it could be lost, then it has the wrong name, right?” – Sam [08:16]
• “You can’t say… I believe in eternal security but, because there’s not a but, right?” – Bob [10:06]
• “Once we believe, we are secure forever... Our assurance needs to be based on Jesus' promise, not on any mystical revelation we think we've had... It's just Jesus said it, I believe it, that settles it.” – Sam [11:53]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:54] – Introduction and clarification of Liam’s question.
• [02:16-04:37] – Real-world examples of false assurance and subjective certainty.
• [05:01-05:44] – Scriptural foundation for eternal security ("never" statements in John).
• [06:41-08:27] – Handling difficult cases: believers who fall away or become atheists.
• [09:30-10:22] – Difference between false assurance and saving faith.
• [10:06-10:56] – “You can’t add a ‘but’ to eternal security"; clear statement of Free Grace position.
• [11:00-11:53] – Greek participle in John 3:16 and assurance grounded in Jesus’ promise.

Conclusion

Wilkin and Marr affirm that salvation and assurance rest entirely on faith in Jesus’ promise of everlasting life. Believing salvation can be lost—whether for oneself or others—undercuts the very definition of “eternal” in eternal life. The episode underscores that assurance must be grounded in Jesus’ word, not human perseverance, mystical experiences, or conditional theology.

“Once we believe, we are secure forever... Our assurance needs to be based on Jesus' promise.” – Sam [11:53]

For those interested in exploring this topic further, the hosts recommend focusing on the repeated, unambiguous 'never' statements in the Gospel of John and resting in Christ's promise, not personal performance or speculation.