What If You Stop Believing?

In John 3:16, it says, Who ever shall believe in Him shall not parish but have everlasting life. What if you are saved and years later..someone close to you dies or something tragic happens and you stop going to church and you say God isn't real and you don't believe in Him anymore? Where would you go when you die?

First off I have to address a touchy issue about that question. I know it's not my place to say if someone has accepted Christ as their savior or not. However, if a person quits believing in God for any reason at all I have to question if they ever KNEW Him in the first place, or if they just knew ABOUT Him. When a person has a growing relationship with Christ it means that they spend time with Him in the good times and in the bad times. This builds a relationship that is real and true and if you have that kind of a relationship with Him you won't stop believing He is real when bad stuff happens. It doesn't mean you won't get mad, but even that is temporary.

That would be just like saying...

My best friend who I have talked with and spent time with wasn't there when I needed them the other day so I no longer believe that they exist. Sounds kind of dumb doesn't it.

Anyway that leads me on to this...

The truth of the matter is if a person who used to believe in God, but now for whatever reason doesn't, they are either (A) just plain mad at Him or (B) they never KNEW Him in the first place.

If they never knew Him, and they die, the Bible is pretty clear on it, they will go to hell.

If they had a relationship with Him and are mad at Him when they die, they will still go to Heaven. Once we have a relationship with Him, nothing, including anger, can cause us to lose the salvation that He gave to us.

John 10:27-29 (New International Version)

27. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.