For Christians only, please...How do you cope with witnessing the sudden death...?

Question

of someone whom you thought was a Christian, but find out they may not have been walking in obedience to His Word?
Even though we talked about the Lord, I had no clue until after it was too late. I keep wondering if I could have shared more that would have truly made a difference. I am very sad.

Answer 1

This person was responsible for their own walk with the Lord and you are not accountable for something you didn't even know. That being said, something like that happened to me. It made me try harder to be aware of my own walk and to get past surface discussions with people. We can be so adept with "our masks" but my situation made me more open and humble enough to say that I don't have it "all together". If we start feeling like we can be that open, I think it minimizes the opportunities for shocks like you had to deal with.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this could be an opportunity for growth if you let it.

Answer 2

What do you mean "may not have been walking in obedience to His Word?"

It turns out the person had a second family? Porn in the desk, a sex slave in the basement? Murdered people?

Do you have a diary, where the person writes about struggling with keeping God's "word," and then goes and sins freely?

"If you confess with your mouth that 'Jesus is Lord,' and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

If this person believed, then it doesn't matter how they lived their life, or how that may have struggled -- and you don't really know the struggles. -- then that's all that mattered.

If you think you could have made a difference, then you don't understand how God works. God makes a difference, we're just lucky to be around when God works.

Godspeed.

Answer 3

It is very hard when you find out someone you love may not have ever truely walked with Christ.
All you can do is hope that there had been a relationship in the end. You don't know, even if you think you do, where his/her heart was when the final earthly breath was taken.
It's OK to be sad.

Answer 4

What makes you question that he was saved? If it is that he was not walking in obedience, that does not mean he wasn't saved. Are you walking in complete obedience to His Word? The answer to that question, no matter who you are, is no. None of us is without sin. Not before we are saved, not after we are saved. You will not know what he believed until you follow the path that he has already followed. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you peace about your friend, and use this difficult lesson to help you be bolder in the future. God bless and keep you in this time of loss.

Edit: Gail B...we make our choice in this life, not in the next. Your scripture reference does not support your statement.

Answer 5

Do not be sad, you planted the seed and the Lord said his word will not return void. The Lord gives us our own free will and we can choose to serve him or the devil, we can't have our cake and eat it to...If the person died you do not know what conversation they had in their heart with the Lord so we don't know where people will show up in heaven or hell...That is the Lords choice so you did your part and I would not worry about it. The person is gone so now it is time to think about the living...God Bless you.

Answer 6

I believe that we, as believers, need to live our lives a way so that others around us SEE Jesus in us. Our goal, after all, is to be like Jesus. If you spoke with this person about Jesus and lived your life in like manner, there may have been nothing else you could have done. And at this time, there is nothing else you can do. I'm sorry for your loss. I have lost loved ones whom I don't believe were saved and that is a disturbing feeling, I know. I pray for comfort and guidance for you during this time.

Answer 7

GOD is Always Working "Behind the Scenes" to Reconcile Mankind to HIMSELF through HIS Son Jesus!

GOD can do some Incredible Things to Help People Accept Jesus as their Saviour!

Not Every Child of GOD walks Obediently to The Word of GOD.
BUT, Every Child of GOD makes Heaven his,her Home!

Disobedience AFTER your Saved dosen't keep you outta' Heaven.
AND, Only Jesus is the Judge, we Really Don't Know Who is in hell, Except the One's that the Bible Tell's of!

Don't ever give up on SomeOne Making Heaven their Home!

Answer 8

You SHOULD be sad, but you should also grip the fact that you are only human. That person had a number of chances to come to the Lord, not only by your witnessing. He or she had a lifetime (his or her lifetime) of chances to listen to the Word and to either live by it or not. It is not your decision to make for them, but rather theirs to follow. You were a dear friend, I have no doubt of that. You actually don't have any knowledge or proof where that person is now. Please remember, we do not know the ways of God. He may actually have some sort of "exemption clause" up there - I'm praying that for my brother and his wife - if you spoke about the Lord with your friend, you might be surprised if they actually accepted Him into their life - and you may not have known it. Be calm. Know that there IS a God that loves you and comforts you. I pray this helps - katiefish <><

Answer 9

None of us can know for sure who else is saved. It is sad and wrong for someone to disobey God, and we know that believers will grow into the likeness of Christ throughout their walks with Him. But don't assume that because the person had a secret "pet sin" that you won't see him or her in heaven. God is merciful and just! Also, if the person didn't share with you that he or she had this issue, then there probably isn't anything that you could have said to change his or her mind.

Answer 10

no one knows a persons heart but God. You did what you could with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

you will not know where this person ended up after death until you get there.

so worry about the living. they still need to hear the good news.