Were they ever saved? You spoke of a prodigal son, a prodigal son was a son.
They were lost sheep of the house of Israel. They were lost as publicans and sinners. They were found when they came to Jesus
What scriptural basis do you have in assuming the publicans and sinners were born again and eternally secure before they came to Jesus, which is when they were found.
You have a missed the entire purpose and meaning of the parable of the prodigal son. The parable is speaking to the Pharisees who were complaining that Jesus was saving sinners. He was in effect saying "if you love God, you would rejoice that these sinners are coming to me, WHY DONT YOU JOIN THEM, PHARISEES?
If you and Budman did correct exegesis, you would know that the Prodigal was the Publicans and sinners and the elder brother was the Pharisees. We're the Pharisees saved and eternally secure? Umm... No. Was Jesus calling them as lost sheep of the house of Israel to repent? Yes.
Do you want to see a careful exegesis of the SINGLE three part parable of the lost sheep, lost coin, lost som