For thought and meditation

[rl69]

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.—John 3:36 (http://harvest.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4f108f827aed8d503b5fca9fa&id=df169abfb6&e=3dd732485b)Sometimes people will make a profession of faith, and then seemingly fall away. We ask ourselves, "Did this person lose their salvation?"

My question, in turn, would be, "Were they ever really saved to begin with?"

If somebody commits their life to Christ, then walks away and never comes back, I suggest to you that they were never a Christian at all. If, on the other hand, someone commits their life to the Lord, walks away, and then comes back to Christ, I suggest to you that they were simply a prodigal.

The true test is where they end up.

A true believer will always come home to the Lord, eventually. A person who is not a true believer won't. In 1 John 2:19 (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/x-apple-data-detectors://7) (NIV) we read: "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."

[Boaz]

This is good . I agree with it because it is the truth .
Thank you rl69

[buckwheatpaul]

Every human trips and falls every day and the truth is in the pudding...did they come back to Christ....great post.....what bothers me is after the Rapture more people will come to Christ than at any other time yet there will be more that do not come unto Christ than there are pieces of sand on the sea shore......free choice is a very difficult thing.....thanks for the post....Paul

[Pine Baron]

Thanks rl. A great reminder, and Paul, well said.

[Blackwater]

Yet another great post, RL. Thanks. My take on it is simply that sometimes, in a moment's passion, folks can walk the aisle or whatever is done in that particular sect, to make a profession of faith, and sometimes, it's merely a "weak moment" when they heard the call, but they never really "sealed the deal," and backed off from actual belief, and gave in to the temptations of their appetites and vices. So they just take what was almost in the palm of their hands, drop it, and just walk away. I can't help but wonder if God doesn't see these as the worst of the lot among disbelievers, but I've learned to leave that kind of judgment up to the Lord, because it's really above my minor pay grade in it all. I've long remembered that old hymn, "Almost Persuaded." And I think there was an old country song by the same name, too. Both are about walking away from redemption, which our free wills allow us to do if that's what we choose. "Almost but lost" keeps ringing in my ears. But I leave the judging up to the Lord these days. All I'm supposed to do is just cast my bread. The rest is up to the recipient and God.

[Preacher Jim]

Great post and I am in total agreement with your assessment of the salvation verses head change.