How Can You Be Sure You’re God’s Child Forever?

To be honest, seminary was really weird for me.  I just never fit in.

I was chatting over lunch with another student one afternoon in the student lunch room.  As I ate my meatloaf sandwich the conversation turned to whether you can lose your salvation.

He said, “Absolutely.”

“How?” I asked.

“When you sin,” he replied.

“Like every time?  If so, I’m toast.”

“Yes, unless you’ve ask for forgiveness again.”

“What happens if I miss one?”

“Then you’re not in any longer.”

“Wow, so let me get this straight.

I wouldn’t treat my own children that way, if I had any.  And besides how would you keep track of who’s in and who’s out anyway?

“Yet, God loves us with far greater and purer love.

Let me phrase this for you in my most theological terms.  That’s nuts.”

We parted disagreeing.  He struggled with depression.  I cracked jokes few appreciated.

That’s what I love about what John writes.

“To all who received Jesus, to those who believed in him, he blessed with becoming God’s children.”

See you become God’s child simply by believing enough to ask.  And you remain his child forever just like your children.

That’s as theologically deep as I get.  The rest to me is pretty weird.

*John 1:12