it seems that people that stop believing, usually because they might not get what they want when they want it. The Almighty is always right on time.
A youth pastor's father and mother were founders of the church. When the last was buried, their bronze pew plate was removed to allow the living to sit where they sat for 60 years. The pastor protested, slowly grew bitter, less effective, finally quitting the church to the shock of everyone. He had nothing to do with church or ministry again for about 20 years, considered to be an apostate. One day an usher whispered to me something strange was happening, so be on guard. That backsliding pastor took a seat, sat through the service. At the altar call he came down, fell on his face repenting. He testified briefly what he had done. The moment he never expected was what "sounded" like a warm welcome from Heaven "Welcome home, son." It was instantly as though he had never departed. His regret was those 20 empty years. He returned to his home church and is doing well, all caught up with the Lord but not on staff there yet.
There are lots of folks experiencing similar things. Many were disappointed by someone, usually over issues that should have been dealt with better. People quit attending, few if any seeking them out to find out why. Letting them go like that tends to drive their anger deeper. A common response is to adopt a lifestyle change that offends people they knew. Some take on another religion or maybe join an atheist organization. I'm finding folks doing those things are increasingly unhappy, unfulfilled.
Jesus leaves his door unlocked. He knocks on doors, wanting seekers to open up to him. He will not push our door open. We have to get up and open it, let him back in. He won't turn anyone away that honestly repents and means business with him.
It's rare that believers who knew the Lord, and the Lord knew them, who met all the conditions of the Hebrews 6 & 10 warnings to apostates, to so make shipwreck of their lives they can't return. There is a line that if crossed, there is no returning. Among the many who have sought counsel from us that think they have gone too far, all but less than a dozen in the past 35 years were simply suffering great hurt from someone, or had expectations of God that God hasn't promised, or someone (or group) rejected them. The natural response is then to ignore all those associated with that hurt, even ignoring God. That isn't apostasy. Apostasy is defined well enough that it will remain rare until the antichrist deceives the world and a majority of people qualify s true apostates who will unquestionably turn to worship him.
The way to know where we might stand with the Lord is to get on his trail, catch up to him, let him tell you rather than trust your thinking, as all the above can easily distort the ability to hear God. If this issue is front and center bothering the conscience, then it's likely the Holy Spirit is still working on the problem.
A sign of eternal failure is a fearful dread of the return of the Lord. People that are in that situation don't tend to try out other religions seeking any god, because when they try there is no real remedy anywhere.
