Then what does it take to become unsaved? As the topic of the day asks.
I believe, as Romans 8 says, that nothing can separate us from the Love of God.
I believe, as Ephesians 1 says, that we have redemption through Christ's blood and that having trusted and believed we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
I also believe that, as my Grandma used to say, if you are afraid that you have done something to have lost your salvation...then haven't lost your salvation. Implying that those that fear eternal separation from God are those that love God or else they would not be fearful of being separated from Him.
However, I just can't buy into the idea that someone who has made a commitment to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, believing with all of their heart that His sacrifice is sufficient to save their soul, and trusting in the finished work of the cross...that they would be saved for eternity IF they later turned their back on God, totally rejected Him, and stopped believing what they once did.
Most people would say "Well, they weren't really Christians to begin with." You can say that...but in their heart of hearts, in their minds, they truly believed at one point in their lives. But for whatever reason they stopped. For example, suppose someone is a "new Christian" and are "weak in the faith". They meet someone who is a "seasoned" skeptic and atheist who is able to put doubts in their mind. As their relationship grows this new Christian decides that perhaps they made a mistake. They believed something that they no longer believe. They then spend the rest of their life engulfed in atheistic circles, forums, conventions, and speaking out against Christianity and the God that they once believed in. This person has chosen to "give up" the salvation that he once had.
Now again...people will say that this person wasn't REALLY a Christian then. But why not? They were new to the faith and believed what they had been told and what they had read in the Bible. They were a young Christian that was not strong enough to see through the garbage the skeptic/atheist was telling them. How long does it take for someone to become a REAL Christian?
When one decides to accept that they are a sinner and trust in the work that Jesus has done and become a Christian are they then a Christian? Later, in their young Christian state, they are led away as my scenario above illustrates. Are they still a Christian? Or do we have to go back and say they weren't a true Christian because they were able to be led away?
Let me get back to Ephesians 1 and tie it in with Revelation 22. Notice in Ephesians 1 it says "...until the redemption of the purchased possession..." They are sealed until the redemption. What happens after the redemption? Are they still sealed?
In Revelation 22 the story seems kind of weird. As I stated earlier, Revelation 22 is after the new heaven and nee earth is created. After the great white throne judgement, sheep and goats, millennial reign, after the new Jerusalem, and John is told that there are people outside of the city gates of this new Jerusalem that just descended from Heaven on a newly created earth that cannot enter because they are "...dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie." These are people living on the new earth but are not allowed to partake of the tree of life! Who are these people? Are these people that once they made it to the "afterlife" decided to "give up" their eternal glory for whatever reason? If it can happen on the NEW Earth...do you think it can happen on this old corrupted one that we live on?
