Before opening our mouths about others, try to remember what you were like when you first accepted Jesus as Savior. I've changed my mind a thousand times as new Revelation fills my life. You can't open a "How To" book and know the depths of God's heart on the first day. I've read certain verses a thousand times and get something deeper each time. It's easy to look down our noses at newbies and see error. That doesn't nullify our Salvation however.
One of the biggest problems the church has today is no one will disciple a new believer. West, coming from the deepest depths of worldly living, will have a hard time giving up his flesh and staying with the life of Jesus. He may be able to, but experience says he probably won't. It's not a good idea to beat him up every time he messes up. God will give him grace but will we? I've found giving grace to others will help them come to you for advice instead of deciding we are all hypocrites and walking away. Much of what we think about people's actions come from denominational dogma, called "traditions of men" in Scripture.
What we do and say to West will have much to do with his ability to stay with his personal walk with God. If we will encourage him, maybe he will stay in the Word and dig deeper. He has enough birds of the air trying to eat the seed just planted without us picking it up and putting it back in the sack. Our job is to water it and keep the weeds from choking it off.
RE: One thing I’ve learned over the years is to not judge people’s salvation
I know that ultimately God is the one who judges one’s eternal destiny.
However, as church members, we MUST make some judgment too. Who do we support for ministry? Who is going to be the Pastor, Elder or Deacon, etc.
You can’t make decisions like these without “judging” ( for want of a better word ) whether or not a person is REALLY a born again Christian.
There has to be some criteria ( albeit not perfect ) by which we make such judgment, or we might as well not ordain anyone at all.
Where is the “Like” button when you need it?
We need to understand "Holiness" to see what West is going through right now. Being Holy means being separated out for God's use only. Everybody seems to think holiness means being "good". Jesus said no one was good, so can no one be Holy? God said "Be Holy for I am Holy."
What we must remember to figure out this riddle is all of us are still sinners. God just forgives our sin under grace but remembers the unholy person's sin. Being holy does not mean being good. If we read something negative about West, that doesn't mean he has lost his salvation, it just means he is still working on his sanctification. We all sin every day. If God could make us all sinless in a short period He would, but while on earth it just means He gives grace for our faults ans the lost don't have access to this grace. I didn't stop cussing immediately after Baptism, but was eventually given power over it in the power of the Holy Spirit. That's what we call "being delivered". You won't be delivered of every sin right away. If we point out every failing he has every day, we have become the "Accuser" and doing his work. This is where the advice Jesus gave us comes in about "the log in our own eye". Yes, He was talking to us, not someone else in another church.
Honest Prayer for him and family is what is called for, not criticism.
To predict his fall back into the world and even taking pride in predicting his fall if it happens is "Speaking Death" over him. Our job is to speak life over him and encourage him to stay with his learning and sanctification. If he stays with it, just think of the young lost people he has access to that we cannot reach.