dar334

I recently received an email from LightSource Today that included an article with the above question as it’s title. The article was written by a pastor Shane Idelman, and the subject has been one that I have toyed with many times since a conversation with a Christian about her bother’s death. He had lived a homosexual lifestyle for many years and upon his death he was living in a same sex union and although a cause of death wasn’t mentioned it was assumed his death was related to HIV.

I was comfortable enough with her faith that I could ask the question many have considered. How do you handle knowing what the Bible says will be your brothers eternal resting place? I was surprised at her rather matter of fact reply. “Oh I know he’s in heaven. He was saved years ago and that can’t be taken away.” I reached out to my pastor asking the validity of her reply and his reply was one I had never considered. “Perhaps he wasn’t saved in the first place.” He did go into a little more detail but the bottom line stuck with me. Who determines whether or not you’re saved? Certainly not me.

Because of that previous conversation I’ve been attentive to everything that talks about salvation and the article on salvation remained in my inbox until I could journal it. Included in my journaling was: “Salvation can’t be lost, as in losing your car keys, but it can be left, as in walking away from it.” Pastor Idelman referenced several scriptures pertaining to his remarks: “you left your first love” from Revelation 2:4. “They claim to know God but by their actions they deny him.” from Titus 1:16. “If anyone wanders from the truth and someone tuns them back, a soul is saved.” James 5:20. “Return to me and I will return to you.” Malachi 3:7. My study note for the verse from Malachi said this: “The Hebrew word for returning or turning around appears here with the idea of repentance.”

Just now I was playing Candy Crush and listening to a Christian talk show. One of the ladies brought up Genesis 3:9. “But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” We know where the man was. He was hiding. Through his disobedience he had walked away from God. God made him from the dust of the earth and breathed life into his nostrils. He was granted salvation through no actions of his own. But by his actions he hose to walk away.

I don’t know if Adam repented and turned back to God or not. I don’t know if he now resides with Jesus in heaven. I do know that the actions of that one man thousands of years ago are still affecting us today. We continue falling.

In closing, I now believe God will not take away our salvation, but we could walk away from it. And as I sit here looking out at Little Lagoon, I’m remembering scripture that tells us names are blotted out of the Book of Life.