Was Demas Saved???

[BrotherTony]

Demas served in missionary journey's with the Apostle Paul, but we find in  2 Tim 4:10 that Demas has left Paul and gone to Thessalonica. According the belief system held by some on these forums, they would say that Demas apparently wasn't saved....So, was Demas a saved individual? Can Christians become entangled with the affairs of this world? Do they keep the salvation that they had, or is God an Indian giver, and takes it back? 

2 Timothy 4:10 ¹⁰For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;

[Rebecca]

I've heard sermons about Demas over the years, often the sermon condemns Demas as being unsaved and leaving the church to follow his worldly heart. However, I have also heard sermons that put forth the argument that Demas was saved, but the missionary life (extremely dangerous, especially at the point where Paul mentions Demas forsaking him) was too much for him and the thought of losing his life (loving the present world = he was afraid to die) was what made him decide to leave Paul and move to Thessalonica. Also, the verse says Demas forsook Paul, not God. These sermons about Demas being a Christian raise the question that possibly when he moved to Thessalonica he continued in the church there, just not in ministry of any kind. 

I've heard both theories of Demas preached with equal authority and passion for God's word, but the truth is, we don't know. Only God knows the truth of Demas' heart and why he chose to forsake Paul and the ministry and move to Thessalonica. 

There are missionaries and pastors who leave the field and pastorate all the time for various reasons. Doesn't mean they left God as well.  

[BrotherTony]

1 hour ago, Rebecca said:

I've heard sermons about Demas over the years, often the sermon condemns Demas as being unsaved and leaving the church to follow his worldly heart. However, I have also heard sermons that put forth the argument that Demas was saved, but the missionary life (extremely dangerous, especially at the point where Paul mentions Demas forsaking him) was too much for him and the thought of losing his life (loving the present world = he was afraid to die) was what made him decide to leave Paul and move to Thessalonica. Also, the verse says Demas forsook Paul, not God. These sermons about Demas being a Christian raise the question that possibly when he moved to Thessalonica he continued in the church there, just not in ministry of any kind. 

I've heard both theories of Demas preached with equal authority and passion for God's word, but the truth is, we don't know. Only God knows the truth of Demas' heart and why he chose to forsake Paul and the ministry and move to Thessalonica. 

There are missionaries and pastors who leave the field and pastorate all the time for various reasons. Doesn't mean they left God as well.  

Thank-you, Rebecca. The truthful, sensible answer that doesn't imply something that can't be proven, as some here have continually tried to do concerning people on these forums salvation, or off of these forums for that matter. It's disconcerting to see how people want to push their own agenda and misconceptions about what the Bible says. 

[Salyan]

2 hours ago, BrotherTony said:

Thank-you, Rebecca. The truthful, sensible answer that doesn't imply something that can't be proven, as some here have continually tried to do concerning people on these forums salvation, or off of these forums for that matter. It's disconcerting to see how people want to push their own agenda and misconceptions about what the Bible says. 

Please stick to the topic, and avoid bringing disagreements from other topics across. 

[BrotherTony]

Just now, Salyan said:

Please stick to the topic, and avoid bringing disagreements from other topics across. 

It's MY thread...as you stated, I should be able to take my own subject off topic...This was your ruling before when someone else took MY thread off topic. Just a remind of your own decision in the past. Thanks.

[Salyan]

‘Stick to topic’ is standard terminology that I’m used to dating; perhaps it would have worked better to include only the second statement. This isn’t about the topic change so much as it’s about stopping discord. In any case, please respect moderator direction. Thank you. 

[BrotherTony]

11 minutes ago, Salyan said:

‘Stick to topic’ is standard terminology that I’m used to dating; perhaps it would have worked better to include only the second statement. This isn’t about the topic change so much as it’s about stopping discord. In any case, please respect moderator direction. Thank you. 

Thank you for the clarification. I appreciate it.

[Salyan]

Using, not dating.

[BrotherTony]

13 minutes ago, Salyan said:

Using, not dating.

I understood what you were getting at.

 

[Pastor Scott Markle]

My opinion - Demas was saved.  Depending on the extent of his "forsaking," he might end up like the man of 1 Corinthians 3:15 - suffering loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ; but he himself still being saved, "yet so as by fire."

[SureWord]

I think it can become an exercise in futility trying to determine who is saved and who isn't all the time. I don't believe it's healthy for our spiritual lives to be constantly judging whether someone is saved or not. Just go by their testimony and any fruit they might bare but to become obsessed with it is a waste of time, IMO. 

As far as I'm concerned Demas was saved he just loved the world and who can deny a believer can end up like that?

Demas would rather have hung out at the Liberty Coffee and Cake shop arguing about Calvinism vs Arminian showing how spiritual he was than to be near imprisoned Paul with all his sufferings going on which he undoubtedly brought on himself for being disobedient to God.