George Sodini rests in heaven now because he professed a faith in Jesus years before his shooting rampage, a Tetelestai Christian Church leader said.

Jack Rickard, a deacon at the Plum church Sodini attended for years, said the Bible makes it clear that "professing a faith in Jesus as savior means you will have complete eternal salvation."

Rickard, 80, of Indiana, Pa., said Tetelestai members "are firm believers in 'once-saved, always-saved.'"

He said the church, which is in process of moving to New Kensington, focuses on the intense study of Scripture.

Rickard conveyed his belief that Sodini attained eternal life.

"George is going to heaven, but he's not going to get his rewards," Rickard said. He said that Sodini won't be offered all of heaven's benefits because of his sin.

"George was a professing believer," Rickard said.

Shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sodini walked into the LA Fitness Center in Great Southern Shopping Center in Collier and opened fire in an aerobics room filled with women. In addition to killing three, he wounded nine others before killing himself.

Sodini wrote in his online diary that the pastor at Tetelestai convinced him it was possible to commit mass murder and still be welcomed into heaven.

In his blog, Sodini alleged that the Rev. Alan "Rick" Knapp taught Tetelestai members that committing such a crime could be forgiven.

By Michael Aubele, VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Saturday, August 8, 2009

via www.pittsburghlive.com

It is a shame that this fellow, who was apparently so warped, perverted, and demented, misappropriated the teachings of grace in order to justify his killing rampage.

It is unfortunate that he cited those valid teachings as reasons for doing so. I am sure that he heard nothing in church to encourage such behavior.

It is equally unfortunate that those teachings would be second-guessed because they were misunderstood or misapplied.

Those hell bent on evil will find every reason they can to commit evil. To blame this church is as ridiculous as blaming all Muslims and Islam for the atrocities of those who misquote their scriptures and commit acts of terrorism. And doing that is as absurd as those who suggest Christianity justifies violence because of the violent stories of the Old Testament..

Was Sodini saved?

I can't say either way. Receiving Jesus by grace means repentance and inward conversion. Something happens inside of a person. It does not mean they never sin again. However, if one goes through the motions of conversion looking for a license to sin, their is something suspect about their conversion experience.

Doctrine cannot be modified to accommodate all the possible distortions of it. It should not be revised because it is used as a pretense for evil.

However, and I strong suspect that was the case here, it can be taught in such a way as to discourage sin and violence – not because they jeopardize one's insurance against damnation, but because in making a decision to be Christ followers, one is being called to be Christlike.

We cannot water down the message of grace and forgiveness just because people don't listen to the whole story and might do something very, very bad.

The church posts this on their web site:

"Tetelestai Church exists for the purpose of the dissemination of the accurate (2 Timothy 2:15), dispensationally-specific (Ephesians 3:1-6; Colossians 1:24-29) teaching of Bible doctrine with the confident assurance that the results of this will be the magnification of Christ (Philippians 1:20) and the glorification of God the father (Ephesians 3:21), the edification of the Church which is Christ’s body (Ephesians 4:11-16), and the advancing of the faith of the Gospel (Philippians 1:27) to those who are without God in this world and without hope (Ephesians 2:12)." (http://www.tetelestai.org)

Not all Christian churches teach "once save, always saved," but it is a very mainstream doctrine. If it is to be questioned, it must not be done on the basis of circumstances, but of the revealed word. I am no dispensationalist, but if that is what the church is, it should not waver except for the sake of conscience and conviction.

Give this church a break!