“The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.”

—Luke 8:13

Some people like the idea of having their sin forgiven and going to heaven, but when it comes to Jesus’ command to deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow Him, their response is, “Uh, I don’t know. . . . That sounds a little hard. I don’t think I want to do that.” And they turn away.

I believe that if someone professes faith, falls away, and never comes back, it is not an issue of losing their salvation; it is an issue of someone who never was saved to begin with. I base that on 1 John 2:19, which says, “These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.”

However, I do acknowledge that you can make a commitment to Christ, fall away, and return. A prodigal always will come home. But people who leave and never return are not prodigals; they never were believers. Otherwise, they would return.

Maybe it was unbelief that set in and caused them to fall away. Every new believer, especially, will be hit by tests of their faith. And one of the first things the devil whispers in the ear of a brand-new Christian is, Do you really think God saved you? It isn’t real. That whole Christianity thing isn’t real.

But the assurance of our salvation is not based on our emotions; it is based on what God’s Word has to say. Our confidence should be in Christ Himself. And when we build our foundation on Him, we will be able to weather any storm.