I suppose the real question is: Were they ever saved?
When we are born again, then we are given a new identity, a child of the Father. Can I ever not become a child of the Father, any more than my son could cease to be my child?
I think the essence of this rests with Jesus' teaching, that many will SAY who they are, but Jesus will say, "Depart from me ye that practice lawlessness" To me, that says they never really had genuine faith nor repentance. Continuing on in sin/lawlessness demonstrates that they were never a believer from inception.
As a child of God, am I perfect?? Not according to my record. I have made such a multitude of mistakes.
For me, the proof is, to whom do I gravitate toward at the beginning of each and every day?
How about Stephen & Paul ?
Stephen said "Don't lay those sin to his prosecutors", did he go to hell because still sinning in the day he died ?
Acts 7:59-60
59. They continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
60. Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he died.
But scriptures said :
Acts 7:55-56
55. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56. and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.
Also Paul was struggle with the devil :
2 Corinthians 12:7-8
7. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
But scripture said :
1 Corinthians 9:26-27
26. I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air:
27. but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.
Acts 9:13-17
13. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16. For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
17. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Does Paul had been delivered unto Satan because many Jews forbid him to receive salvation because he killed Stephen ?
Or
Was there some scribes that snared him with the devil because he was not fulfilled with these following requirement ?
1 Timothy 3:1-7
1. Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2. The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3. no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money;
4. one that ruleth well his own house, having [his] children in subjection with all gravity;
5. (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6. not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7. Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Because the world view is different from Jesus.
Mark 2:16-17
16. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, [How is it] that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17. And when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.