I John 2:19

I John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. Some people believe that when someone is saved, if they stop believing, they can lose their salvation. But that is not what our verse for today is teaching. Our verse talks about someone “going out from us” and uses the word “manifest”. Can you just look at someone and tell if they are saved or not? Not really. If you observe them going to church and doing good things, can you be sure that they are saved? No, not really. We do not know what is in someone’s heart. Our verse is saying that some people can look like they are a Christian, but on the inside they are not. So when they stop going to church they have not lost their salvation, they are just starting to act like they really are on the inside – not really Christians. It’s like this: if you take a little pig and you clean it up and you put a bow around it’s neck, it may smell better and look better, but it is still a pig! If you take it outside, it will wallow in the mud and soon stink like the pig that it really is. On the inside, it was never anything but a pig. When someone leaves the church and never comes back, they never were a Christian. If a true Christian gets mad and leaves the church, they will soon feel bad and come back and ask forgiveness. That is because they are really Christians inside. My question is what are you on the inside? A true Christian or not? Only you really know.