In September, I attended a revival at Locust Grove Missionary Baptist Church. As with most revivals, it was led by a visiting pastor. I remember almost nothing about the first few nights other than my best friend was with me. The last night was a Thursday. The youth group from the visiting pastor's church put on a series of skits. The last skit is the one that convicted my heart.
A figure playing G-d wore a long white robe with their face covered and sat up in a high chair in the baptismal pool behind the choir loft. Actors, presumed to be dead, would come in and the figure would would ask them why they should be allowed into Heaven. The actors playing saved people would mention their relationship with Christ. They figure would say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." (Matthew 25:21). The actor would then be allowed into Heaven. Those playing unsaved people were unable to declare a personal relationship with Jesus. They were told, "Depart from me you worker of iniquity. I never knew you." (Matthew 7:23). Figures dressed in black would then grab the unsaved person and drag them to Hell. The last actors came in a group as a family of four. The children were younger than the age of accountabilty and were allowed inside Heaven. The wife and mother had accepted Jesus as her personal Savior and was able to be with her daughters in Heaven. Then G-d came to the father. The actor playing G-d asked him why he should be allowed in Heaven.
The father replied, "I was a deacon. I taught Sunday School. I did many good things in my life."
The actor playing G-d said, "But you never accepted Jesus as your personal savior. Depart from me because I never knew you."
The black figures came out from behind the shadows and dragged this father, who would forever be separated from his wife and children, kicking and screaming into hell. I think we closed with an invitational hymn. I remember standing and bowing. In that moment, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, G-d condescended to make Himself known to me. I was very active in our church. I always had perfect attendance in Vacation Bible School, I went on all the youth retreats. I had even been in the children's choir. None of that saved me or even seemed to matter anymore. Tears started flowing down my face. I turned to my friend and said, "I've been living a lie! I'm not saved."
I then rushed to the altar and one of the pastors led me through the prayer of salvation. I confessed that I was a sinner and that only Jesus could save me. I asked him into my heart that night.
I have struggled and even rebelled since that night. I have struggled with whether or not its possible to lose salvation. But then the words of Jesus come to me. When speaking to G-d, he said, "I have lost none that you have given me" (John 17:12). And in another place he said, "And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day" (John 6:39). To lose salvation would be to call Jesus a liar.