Beyond Salvation

Dear Victorious,

I know that God isn't willing that even one should be lost. He loves everyone and wants everyone to be saved. But isn't it possible for someone to actually put themselves beyond the hope of salvation?

Zach T. - Flower Mound, TX

Dear Zach,

Yes, there are certain passages of Scripture that seem to suggest it is possible for someone to put themselves beyond salvation as we know it. 1 John 3:4-24 comes to mind as one of those passages. But I think the criteria here is what it is that actually puts them beyond salvation. It is not any boundary that God sets. Rather it is the hardened hearts that we cling to. A hardened heart that is not willing to yield to the softening nature of Christ cannot meet the requirements to believe in Christ, love God and others, etc. That would be the primary criteria that would suggest to me that someone is "beyond salvation."

The fact is we don't know for sure if it is possible for someone to be beyond salvation. Only God Himself knows the true condition of someone's heart. And He could of course see something in that heart that no other human could see. Still, if I were harboring unforgiveness or hatred, I would take a serious look in the mirror and ask myself where I think I can go in eternity with such hardness in my heart.