I recently heard of a young woman who had grown up "in church" who had made a profession of faith at a relatively young age, was baptized, and had "lived as a Christian" into her adult life. She had recently "decided" that she was now an Atheist. She insists she no longer believes in God or has any "need" for all that church "stuff".
Obviously, this has caused her family some serious pain. The question came up - "how can this be?" After all, we believe that Jesus meant what He said when he said in his exchange with some Jewish leaders:
At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:22-30
The reality is - we are faced with some real challenges. Some say that they are not too concerned about her and her eternity, after all - she "was saved and baptized" years ago. On the other side of the coin, scripture clearly says that we are known by our works/fruits. And of course, we must go back to the above passage from John 10. Jesus did clearly state that NO ONE can pluck His sheep from His hand!
The Bible does picture the possibility of Christians "backsliding", as it were - engaging in sin, even returning in part to their "former selves" - but only for a short time. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is given, in part, for the purpose of steering, guiding, and convicting us. A truly born-again Christian cannot live in unrepentant sin, and there are few sins like renouncing your faith - and directly denying the existence of God!
Is the above case possibly the result of a profession of faith based on emotion, or because of pressures from family or friends? Could she have gone through the motions, yet not truly believed?
Another complicating issue revolves around her husband, an avowed Atheist who has never made a profession of faith in anything but himself. Could the situation be the result of ignoring the cautions of 2 Corinthians 6:14 to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers? Indeed, the Lord's admonition to avoid such entanglements (with a picture of marriage in sight) is a caution because unregenerate spouses can very much lead believing spouses down a backsliding path.
But the bigger picture goes back to the question: Can a born-again believer truly renounce their faith and truly believe there is no God? (see Psalm 14:1) Would that not be a demonstration of a person being "plucked" from God's hand?
I submit that one cannot renounce a genuine, born-again faith in Jesus Christ. You cannot renounce or lose what you never possessed. Sadly, the last century and a half have seen evangelistic efforts so guided and driven by emotion, and what has become "easy believism" (a soft, often ineffective version of the Gospel that essentially says to "come as you are" and leaves out repentance and the Lordship of Christ in our lives. It is a message that there is no expectation of real change, no expatiation of outward signs of faith that Christ and the Apostle Paul so clearly spoke of. It is a gospel that leaves out the Sovereignty of God, any degree of sanctification, and does not demand any change in the one making a profession. It is a dead gospel, leading to not only a dead faith, but a deceptive, faith that will lead many on that day to hear the saddest words of all "And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." Matthew 7:23
So - what spiritual advice can be given in the above case? I would suggest gentle persistence on the part of family and friends. Living the genuine gospel before her, praying for her, and watching. If her youthful profession of faith was real, the Lord will not give her peace in her latest actions. She will be unable to remain in that condition. On the other hand, if she is able to live out her life in her new, chosen "faith", then the answer is clear. She needs Jesus.
Again - you cannot lose what you never had.
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