Sometimes we wonder what happened to a young person who appears to be walking with the Lord, but seems to wander from the faith later in life. Was this person ever really a Christian?

In his daily devotional, For the Love of God, D.A. Carson offers two meditations on the life of King Asa, king of Judah, great-grandson of King Solomon. Asa began well, bringing reforms to the kingdom, but in the end, abandoned his faith in God and trusted in his own schemes. In his meditation on 2 Chronicles 16, D.A. Carson explains how this could happen:

“…people can have a heart for God for a long time but wilt before demonstrating final perseverance. In a disciplined person, it may take a while before the truth comes out. But when it does, the test, as always, is fundamental: Am I number one, or is God?”

How can we avoid Asa’s tragic mistake, abandoning the living God after years of apparent faithfulness? It’s a mystery, to be sure: we need God’s sustaining and preserving grace, but we are also responsible to persevere in the faith. I think Philippians 2:12-13 captures this dual emphasis very well:

“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

For our part, we must resolve to live the truths of 2 Corinthians 5:15:

“…and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

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