As an Arrow

How sure is genuine salvation? Is conversion reversible? Can we lose it?

Salvation is sure when our hope is firmly rooted in Christ. There is no way to undo what Christ has done and no way to dismiss it. No metaphor is perfect but here is an entry in from a book I have at home:

"Could an arrow, once released from the bow, return unto it? Once Christ has shown Himself to be saviour and the scriptures as true there can be no other way. Through divine revelation of Christ, a knowledge and conviction of sin, true repentance, belief in God by trust and faith in Christ Jesus - God pulls back the strings and sends the arrow toward Christ.

The wind may gust and contend with it but the power of The Almighty Archer will sustain it and keep it true in flight.

How could it return by it's own will to the Great Fletcher who wrought it, carefully chose it, and placed it within His quiver. How could it fly back to the Great Archer, who, when the time was right, placed it between His fingers and slid it into into the bow.

No, no. It could not turn back and deny the direction in which it was sent! Only when the arrow has flown its course and falls to the ground, spent, when the mortal energy given it is gone, then will the Archer and Fletcher (being the same) run to the place and raise up the spent arrow and take it home."