@Dave M
The answer, of course, is in accord with what is a person's heart. God is looking at our heart. What is in there is what we have put in there or what we have allowed to be put in there.
There is a point of no return for the person who goes against God when he knows better. King Saul provides us an example of a man anointed by God when first he was to become king of Israel. At first he was humble, but he took something in or allowed something to come into his heart. The man of God, Samuel, who had anointed Saul at the first recognized Saul's errors, but even he did not understand that God had rejected Saul as king, until God said so in so many words.
When a person first hears God call and comes to a place of repentance, he may be very sincere, but as he walks out into his old ways among his old friends the test comes on him. Where does he go from there?
The following parable illustrates what happens to people when they hear from God. They hear His voice. They hear His Word.
Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Mat 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Mat 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Mat 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
Mat 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
What was our ground like when we came to God? What did we do with what we heard immediately after we had heard?
Can we do anything to keep the birds from eating the seed before is takes root and grows? The birds may be our old friends and we are unwilling to lose them in order to please God.
Is our ground full of rocks. Anyone who has ever planted a garden will have learned that he needs to remove the rocks from the soil. Did we have rocks in our soil when we first came to God? The rocks may be our habits, such a stopping at the bar and having one or two with the boys, or having a calming drink at home to relax when we get home from work...
Is our ground already full of thorns that make it a very unfriendly place?
So then to the question, "Are drunkards saved?" No one is saved until they do what God requires of them. Just exactly what is that? Do we simply kneel and cry to God until the tears flow and perhaps until the unknown tongue speaks? Then we get up and go home and continue living like that devil as per usual? Just what does it mean to repent?
Our heart is our field, our soil. Is it full of seed eating birds? Is it barren? Is it rocky? Are we a drunk? Are we involved in sinful practices of any kind?
Where does one get the power to repent?
If we pray the prayer of faith [at least superficially], will God help us if we do not ask? Will He over ride our will to save us? Do we want to drink more than we want God? Do we want to sin more than we want God? Are we asking God to help us with our lack of faith?
Mar 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mar 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Jesus helped the man in spite of his admitted lacking. Jesus will help us as well, but we need to ask just often as we have the lack of faith to walk alone.
and seem to miss the subject of the chapter clearly explained in all the prior verses.
