We have a family member who was brought to Christ as a child, but when she became an adult, turned away largely because of the legalistic teaching she lived under. Now, as an adult, she tends to embrace new age teachings and says that she no longer believes in the same God we do. In other words, she prefers the god she has adopted for herself.
The Lord assures me that she is His and that her salvation is secure. I take this to mean that she is still a part of His bride and will be raptured along with the rest of the church. If this is so, then it also holds true that someone such as Oprah, who passes on some very abhorrent teachings, is also rapture safe.
What would be your observations on this matter?
What it takes to be “rapture safe” is to be a born again believer. In the gospels, especially John, the model of shepherd and his sheep is frequently used to describe the relationship between the Lord and the Church. Sheep are prone to wander and when they do it’s the shepherd’s responsibility to go after them and bring them back. The parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7) describes this relationship.
In John 6:37-40 Jesus promised never to lose even one of those who have been given to Him. When the time comes He’ll take us all at once no matter what our condition or circumstance, and in the moment we hear His voice we’ll remember whose we are. In effect He’ll be rounding up His flock.
John 10:27-28 says;
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
Remember, we’ve all been marked with the Lord’s seal of ownership (2 Cor. 1:21-22) and all our sins have been forgiven. When He calls us we’ll come. Some are going to be very embarrassed to find themselves suddenly standing before the Lord, and they won’t earn a single crown, but they’ll be saved none-the-less (1 Cor. 3:14-15).