In my rather short career (ten years of software engineering), I have lost two coworkers to unexpected heart attacks. He was at work one day, and gone the next. She was on the mend one day, and gone the next. In both cases, I had already moved off the teams but I keep in contact with several of my previous teammates. Thankfully, someone else on the team reached out to me to let me know personally each time (thank you, Jacob and Stephanie).
The most recent loss was at the very end of 2021. She was only in her 40's. I had been meaning to reach out to her to plan a tea meetup, maybe at Baltimore Coffee and Tea, and introduce my daughter to her or just catch up on each other's lives. I thought I had more time.Reading the Bible is good. This is how you learn more about God and how to be transformed into His image. But sharing what you know is also important - knowledge is not for hoarding. One of the last times I talked with my friend, she was curious about eternal security - something evangelical Christians have but Catholics do not. I wanted to continue that conversation with her, but now I never can. I ran out of time.
What is eternal security? It is believing that the saving power of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is enough, and it is all you need to have your name written in the Book of Life. No works of righteousness needed (Ephesians 2:8-9), no added sacraments (Romans 3:20). Once you accept Jesus' gift of eternal life, the sting of the grave is gone (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). You still need to ask forgiveness for new sins (Romans 6:1-2), as you will keep sinning as long as we are on this fallen world, but you need not worry about eternal damnation (Romans 8:38-39). As you listen to the indwelling Holy Spirit, you will desire to be more like Christ and therefore do acts of righteousness as He leads, but these do not earn your way into heaven. There are many resources that explain this better than I can. Please look at a selection of them here:
https://www.gotquestions.org/eternal-security.html
also https://www.gotquestions.org/faith-works-security.html
https://www.gty.org/library/study-guides/180/eternal-security
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/eternal-security-1625
Don't put off conversations you should have. You are not guaranteed time later to have them.
https://www.gty.org/library/study-guides/180/eternal-security
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/eternal-security-1625
Don't put off conversations you should have. You are not guaranteed time later to have them.
