Once Saved, Always Saved?

“My brother, Aaron Slaton Jr., recounted what he believed to be an awkward conversation he had with an acquaintance. He was sharing his conversion with her of being delivered from a lifestyle of sexual immorality. He shared with her that he had been rebuked and warned that continuing in this manner would lead to an early grave and eternal damnation of his soul. She was appalled by his conviction and replied in astonishment, “That’s not true; you’re a Christian; you professed Christ; you’re not going to hell!”

“So you mean to tell me that although I was going online and meeting up with random women for sex, I’m a Christian and going to heaven?!” he answered.

Although my brother spoke in truth, his colleague abruptly ended the conversation and said she wanted to hear no more. She had already made up in her mind that asking Jesus into your heart sealed your “fate eternally even if you are living a lifestyle of rebellion that opposes the message of the gospel.

I personally know the young woman who confronted my brother is God-fearing and not living a life of habitual sin, nor does she have a desire to, from what I’ve observed from her character. Her problem is that she’s erroneously carrying the burdens of others. So, although she knows the truth in her heart, for her to accept this truth would mean accepting the fact that several of her family members are not in right standing with Christ, and would not be categorized as followers of Christ, according to biblical standards. To agree with biblical standards she’d have to accept that unless her family members repent and turn from the error of their ways they are in danger of forfeiting their souls. It’s more comforting to believe a lie over truth.