It does answer the question, Terry, but let me take this a step further. Do you think it is possible that this pastor never really believed in the first place? Perhaps he just reached the point where he became honest about his unbelief. I have a hard time imagining that those who truly believe would ever turn away, or to put it another way, that God could not retiain those whom the Holy Spirit has drawn to Him.A lot of things are possibile, but I have no reason to doubt the pastors word. As to whether one who is truly saved could ever turn away, again I cannot tell for certain, but human love is a strange thing. Sometimes those most visably attached to one another, the most caring, the most affectionate, are the first ones who end up divorced. For some reason, love dies due to no fault of the partner. Our relationship to our Lord is something like that. He loved us first, and we return that love. His love is perfect. Ours is not. The parable of the sower paints a picture of a body of believers. Some had hard hearts and did not believe. Some believed a short time. Others believed a little longer, and still others believed to the end of the road. The ones who finished the race got the prize, but I would not say that some of the others never believed.
Perry
This is a stretch I know, but just for a moment, put yourself in Jesus' place. Would you want to be married to a bride that you had to constantly steer in the right direction? One that did not consider your wishes? Would you force that bride to cook and clean and return your love, or would you choose a bride that did these things with joy, living to please you?
How do you see it?
Terry
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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