# Major guilt and shame



## Jeff Allen (Jun 9, 2009)

Hypo Questian # 1

Can a person be a young stupid Christian and fall into drug addiction and years later after hurting people all over the place, come to their senses and become a Chrstian again, have a relaspe but bouch back but now lives with so much regret over time not spent loving the Lord.

Real Question # 2. Take out word drug addiction and put in the word Mormonism. Is this person a reprobate? Are they fooling themselves to think that God wants them back? Is the unpardonable sin involved ?


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## toddpedlar (Jun 9, 2009)

Johnny DeFrange said:


> Hypo Questian # 1
> 
> Can a person be a young stupid Christian and fall into drug addiction and years later after hurting people all over the place, come to their senses and become a Chrstian again, have a relaspe but bouch back but now lives with so much regret over time not spent loving the Lord.
> 
> Real Question # 2. Take out word drug addiction and put in the word Mormonism. Is this person a reprobate? Are they fooling themselves to think that God wants them back? Is the unpardonable sin involved ?



To your hypothetical question: Certainly. _*<see clarification in my next post, below. I may have misread the original poster's intent>*_

To the Real question, which contains three questions. 

To your first subquestion: Nobody knows. Possibly so, but there is no reason to think so, if he's come to the Lord and currently professes Him as Lord and Saviour. 

To the second subquestion: The call of the gospel is always there to any prodigal. We can get into God "wanting" them back in a different setting. God ALWAYS gets who He wants. But yes, the invitation to come to Christ is ALWAYS there, no matter what the person is guilty of.

To the third subquestion: No. The worst blasphemers and heretics can repent of their sin and be saved.


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## TimV (Jun 9, 2009)

> Can a person be a young stupid Christian and fall into drug addiction and years later after hurting people all over the place, come to their senses and *become a Chrstian again*,



No, you can only become a Christian once, and it's for good.


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## toddpedlar (Jun 9, 2009)

TimV said:


> > Can a person be a young stupid Christian and fall into drug addiction and years later after hurting people all over the place, come to their senses and *become a Chrstian again*,
> 
> 
> 
> No, you can only become a Christian once, and it's for good.



Looks like I missed "become a Christian again". 

Certainly Tim is correct, in the sense that a Christian is either truly regenerate or not. So, if the individual described above as a "young stupid Christian" was in fact regenerate, and then went through a dark period, and came back to the faith, he never really "became a Christian again." 

However, it is certainly possible that one may profess falsely - and perhaps, in the case of the individual described in the OP, he only professed, but wasn't truly regenerate. In THAT case, after the period of drug abuse, etc., he "came back", he didn't "become a Christian again", but rather did so for the first time. 

I think I understand what you're asking, Johnny, which is why I simply answered "certainly" in the original post. However, if you were asking about a person genuinely being saved, losing his salvation, and then returning in faith to be saved again, Tim's right - it is absolutely impossible that this happen.


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## Jeff Allen (Jun 9, 2009)

*Reprasing question*

When this person was leaving Mormonism he was not allowed the option of returning to a "misplaced faith" after haven taken a long detour. Rebaptism was required along with the feeling not being trusted. I personally think that the Lord pulls you out because you are his child.

That said: there is still a lot of regret


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## toddpedlar (Jun 9, 2009)

Johnny DeFrange said:


> When this person was leaving Mormonism he was not allowed the option of returning to a "misplaced faith" after haven taken a long detour. Rebaptism was required along with the feeling not being trusted. I personally think that the Lord pulls you out because you are his child.
> 
> That said: there is still a lot of regret



Well, the question of rebaptism is going to depend on one's perspective on baptism in general. As a paedobaptist, I'd argue that rebaptism is never needed, and that if the person was baptized prior to his detour into Mormonism, then there is no rebaptism needed. Credobaptists, though MIGHT require rebaptism, depending on their view of the seriousness of the departure and whether a regenerate person could ever deviate so far. If it were the opinion of the church leaders that a regenerate person would NEVER delve into Mormonism (a position I would never affirm as an absolute statement) then they almost certainly would require rebaptism. If, however, they believe as I do that a regenerate person could in principle fall away temporarily so far as that, then they would probably NOT require rebaptism (though they would probably accept the request for rebaptism if the person was convinced that prior to his delving into Mormonism he was not in fact regenerate).


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## Mushroom (Jun 9, 2009)

Regardless of the baptism issue, which in all likelihood should just be set before those who have charge over the person and submitted to (errant rebaptism is just gonna get the person wet, not affect his eternal condition), the main thing seems to me that he should understand the grace of Christ and the beauty of His holiness. Christ loves His own with an unshakeable, tender, and everlasting love.


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