Summoned By Jesus

My sister and I have had an ongoing sparring match recently about the ‘salvation’ of Christians. She was appalled when I, at one point, said I wasn’t sure if 90% of those who call themselves ‘Christian’ are indeed saved. She says no one can judge a person’s salvation which is between them and the Lord. We have both been students of the bible for years and love our Lord and people. Here is my position:

First, I should say that I believe her (scriptural) statement which is essentially ‘once saved always saved’ Rom 8:38-39 & Jn 17:9. My conclusion was/is that they were never really ‘saved’ from the beginning.

The bible says we will know believers by their fruit. Fruit being either good or bad. That point in scripture (Matt 17:15-20) presented a conundrum to me since she and I both saw ‘Christians’ saying and doing things (personally, on social media and in the news) that were nasty, hateful, mean, ugly and/or obviously (intentionally?) sinful…giving ‘Christians’ and Christ a bad name/representation/testimony. Not good fruit.

Additionally, it is obvious that the U.S. and the whole world is suffering from extreme unrightousness and that there are many signs of ‘end time’ events (2Tim3:1-5). Additionally, church attendance in the U.S., as a measure of Christianity, has declined 30-42% in the last 20 years. Perhaps we are in the ‘great falling away’…the precursor to the Parousia. If so, my concern about the salvation of our ‘brethren’ is crucial.

In my Key Word Study Bible the explanatory notes for 2 Thes 2:3 says this: two signs precede the parousia of the Lord Jesus, the apostasy and coming of ‘the man of lawlessness’. The meaning of apostasy in this passage of scripture means to place oneself away from, or to stand away from someone. It does not necessarily mean to remove oneself from someone or somewhere. This departing from someone does not necessarily imply wholehearted agreement or disagreement, but it is separating oneself for the purpose of not incurring the dangers of that association. In first Timothy 4:1 Paul says that there will be some people who will stand off from the faith. These were people who were associating themselves with the faith but who were not in reality faithful. If this referred to the falling away from the true faith, then the words of Christ in John 10:28 would not be true: “and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish and no one shall snatch them out of my hand”. If persecution could cause a true believer to lose his faith or to fall away from faith then how could the apostle Paul have spoken the truth when he wrote in Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Something the Lord has been showing me over and over in the last several years is the necessity for Lordship…something we have failed-in since the beginning, since the fall, since the garden of Eden. Rom 10:9 says “If you declare with your mouth that ‘Jesus is LORD’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” People want ‘salvation’ without Lordship, without sacrifice, without submission, without obedience. They want heaven without the ‘fellowship of His sufferings.” They don’t want to ‘pick up their cross and follow Him’ because it leads to death (of ourselves.)

Much of this ‘error’ comes from ‘easy believism’; a simplified or deluded gospel message; and churches & denominations more interested in nickels/noses/numbers than in a deep and true commitment to their congregation’s eternal salvation. Things may have started with good intentions but (old saying:) ‘the way to hell is paved with good intentions.’ We have become like the pharisees and saducees of old: more followers of the traditions of men than followers of Christ. Pastors, churches, and church leaders are more anxious to ‘count’ a person’s claim of accepting Jesus than a sincere examination of that person’s knowledge and understanding of ‘the most important decision’ they will ever make. And once an ‘acceptance’ of Jesus has been stated, the necessity of discipleship (part of the great commission.)

It is very clear in scripture that once saved, we should then be on a pathway to holiness…and WANT to be on that pathway. Heb 12:14 says “…without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” Paul said in Phil 3:4  “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” If we are truly saved, we should have had a new birth, new joy, new hope, willingly turn from sin, and have a desire to move in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Seeking Him. Wanting to please Him. Dying to ourselves as we surrender to His lordship and loving kindness.

So, friends and brethren, I do believe in once saved / always saved, but I believe scripture is also clear that our decision for Christ needs to be sincere…Sincere in our faith and in our hearts, in our submission, and in our obedience.

(and then…They will judge/know us by our fruits and the reflection of His glory.)

Love and blessings to all.