There’s only one thing which can keep any person on this earth from being saved, and that is unwillingness to repent and obey God. I believe it is true that no matter how far one may have strayed away, if he wants to come back, if he will repent, and if he will obey the commandments which God has given, God is willing to forgive. This is the divine encouragement and inducement which is held out to all by the word of God (1 John 1:9; 2 Pet. 3:4). I believe we can say that anyone who has been a Christian very long has at some time or other been an erring child of God, for there are none of us who live perfect lives. I presume there are none here who even claim to live perfectly. In 1 John 1:8 we read: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Everyone, then, who has been in the church any appreciable length of time has been, at some time, an erring child of God. If it were not possible for an erring child of God to be saved, then none of us would have a chance, and the whole scheme of redemption would be vain. Of course, we know that such is not the case. II God’s Willingness To Forgive That an erring child of God may be saved is clearly taught by James 5:19-20, “Brethren, if any one of you do err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.” That’s a clear-cut reference unto an erring child of God, for this statement is addressed unto the brethren. It teaches that if a brother errs from the straight and narrow way, there is a chance for him to be restored by another brother. The one who restores him renders a very valuable service which covers a multitude of sins and saves a soul from death. That is, he saves a soul from the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death, for Christians as well as sinners are appointed unto physical death. Of course, if the erring brother refuses to obey, he will be lost. He will be lost because of his unwillingness to obey, and not because of God’s unwillingness to forgive. We have another reference to erring children of God in the third chapter of Revelation, in the letter addressed unto the church at Laodicea. In this church there were some lukewarm members. Lukewarm church members are erring children of God. Of them, Jesus says, “I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Surely these people were in a bad spiritual condition, even to the extent of making our Savior sick at his stomach; but their case was not a hopeless one. There was still opportunity for them to repent and to be saved.