Am I saved?

[adey1986]

I was told by a Mormon on the street yesterday that i'm not saved because the vicar who christened me didn't have the authority? and also because they don't believe in christenings? Can someone explain to me their reasonings behind this because to be honest I do feel forgiven and saved, I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour and I want to live for him. Am I saved?

Peace be with you

 

[TamaraLynne]

If you were on an island by yourself.......and you had a bible..............

do you think that God could guide you through the bible and give you understanding? Do you think that you could know the truth and invite him in?

who saves you? Man or God?

I really like this thread here

http://www.christianforums.com/t4380635-perhaps-a-helpful-pointer-for-new-christians.html

bless you

Love
Tam

 

[adey1986]

Thank you for your reply. In response I say that it is God that saves and not man. I do think that if I were on an island with a bible God could guide me through it and give me understanding and so I would invite him in. The mormon simply unnerved me slightly, I thought he was very bold saying that I wasn't saved to my face

 

[LilLamb219]

You believe in Jesus Christ as your savior and that your sins are forgiven...you are saved. Your christening WAS VALID! Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise!

 

[plummer925]

YES! ALL it takes to be saved is faith in Christ, tell Him that He is your Lord and repent of your sins to Him!

God Bless!!!

 

[Cubemario]

It's god who saves, god says that in 90 percent of the bible.

 

[heymikey80]

Thank you for your reply. In response I say that it is God that saves and not man. I do think that if I were on an island with a bible God could guide me through it and give me understanding and so I would invite him in. The mormon simply unnerved me slightly, I thought he was very bold saying that I wasn't saved to my face

Yes, Mormons will be quite bold, they have to jar you to get you out of your present church. He would also have said that your church was not a true church of Christ if given the chance.

I might even look for a way to nudge you out of your "zone" if I thought your church was not a church of Christ. But I might also point out, you may feel the same back for him. Mormons are nice people, but their view of salvation (practical universalism with multiple spheres in heaven divided by works and church affiliation) and the nature of God (ultimately polytheism) leaves a lot to be desired.

And the imaginary history of the New World doesn't carry much weight, either.

 

[MerCYsMIraCLe]

Baptism is not what saves you - it is only the Grace of God.
If it was the water, then i question why we as Christians are not renting firetrucks and spraying down entire cities and passers by to ensure their place in heaven.

There are many differing views withing the Christian church on baptism (and I mean the true Christian Church, not mormonism). One thing most agree on is this: we are saved by Grace and grace alone, through faith in Christ Jesus.

I was baptized by full immersion as an adult, my husband by pouring as an adult, and my children by sprinkling as infants. Am I any more saved? No....just a little wetter

 

[AWorkInProgress]

If you were on an island by yourself.......and you had a bible..............

do you think that God could guide you through the bible and give you understanding? Do you think that you could know the truth and invite him in?

who saves you? Man or God?

I really like this thread here

http://www.christianforums.com/t4380635-perhaps-a-helpful-pointer-for-new-christians.html

bless you

Love
Tam

Well said. Man can only show you the door, but you must walk thru it to be saved. My grandfather gave me the door(my NIV bible) long ago, only when I believed I could not be free on my own will that I opened it up and walked thru that door.

Baptism nothing more than outward symbol that you are persuing path of God.

If you read the bible, Paul had to argue with Peter and other Jewish christians who where trying to redefine the new covenate. Don't need great priests or perform major rituals, just have to let god in your heart and seek his face. Faith and hope my friend.

 

[CShephard53]

Keeping in mind that believing entails doing: There's grace for when we don't do, but we need to repent-confess our sins as what they are and stop sinning-and believe, or surrender everything to God. It's not enough to accept the Bible as truth... it needs to be the foundation for your life. That is the believing God wants. It's all or nothing, there is no inbetween.

 

[LilLamb219]

Wow, you guys think you have to DO so much to be saved. Christ did it all at the cross and God uses means to transfer those benefits to us...he gifts us the gift of repentance and of faith to believe. We don't have to DO those things, they are gifts to us so we may have everlasting life. The ones who reject the Gospel are the ones who damn themselves. Adey1986, how is your faith these days? Still in God's arms?

 

[adey1986]

My faith is good thank you Lillamb219, I'm just letting God guide me throughout each day and am getting great Joy from letting him.

 

[CShephard53]

Christ did it all at the cross and God uses means to transfer those benefits to us...he gifts us the gift of repentance and of faith to believe. We don't have to DO those things, they are gifts to us so we may have everlasting life.

Too many Christians think they can be saved by praying a prayer. Or 'having faith'. If you really have faith, you're going to do something about it. It's not our actions that get us saved, it's Christ's death, yes, but we can't just say it happened and go back to sinning. Understand what I'm getting at?
Here's a quote of me from another forum that explains what I'm getting at in more detail:

I'm saying we're justified or saved by our belief and since it is believing and not faith, it is that we have made a lifestyle choice that we carry out by our actions. I call that works, because those works are not OF us. They are OF God, because God is the only being who does good (this includeds the Son and Spirit) and therefore our good deeds are OF Him. These works, that are of God, I believe are necessary for salvation, but is not what gets you saved for a number of reasons. The first being that the works prove your claims to believing, as someone who believes is going to imitate God naturally. The second being that we cannot get to heaven by lukewarm participation (Revelation 3:15-20, John 13:17, James 2, and many others). Does that make what I'm saying clear? We are not saved as a result of works, but they are necessary to get us saved, given how I just defined works. If I were to define works any other way (as being of humans in any way), I would be wrong in the rest of what I said. I don't see what I said contradicting what the Bible teaches about salvation.

 

[LilLamb219]

, but we can't just say it happened and go back to sinning. Understand what I'm getting at?

Did anyone say anything like that?

 

[CShephard53]

I'm addressing the American dogma. It's what is implied when most say 'you only need faith', at least around here. I'm clarifying what I'm getting at. Some think you can just 'have faith'. I'm debunking that myth. I'm not here to get into a debate. I'm here to state biblical advice/doctrine. I'm addressing a certain doctrine that has proved dangerous to the body of Christ.

 

[LilLamb219]

I guess it depends on how some denominations view "faith". Biblical faith is a trust in Christ Jesus and the fact that we are justified, redeemed, forgiven in God's eyes and that He will come again so that we may have eternal life That's what my church believes when talk about faith. It's by grace through faith that we are saved, not by works.

 

[salida]

adey--

Hmm, I don't care what they call themselves or who you talked to; God saves you and has the authority NOT a mere man.

The Bible is your guide - not someones misguided opinion.

 

[CShephard53]

adey--

Hmm, I don't care what they call themselves or who you talked to; God saves you and has the authority NOT a mere man.

The Bible is your guide - not someones misguided opinion.

Amen to that last post.

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

I agree with the other commenters, it's not the baptism/Christianing that saves you rather your faith and acceptance of Jesus/God.

However, I do want to point out something else. I do partly agree with the mormon about the christening not saving you. Although this act alone 'cannot' save anyone, I'd still recommend getting baptised as an adult also. I was christened as a baby, but because of my age it was more a wonderful display of faith on my 'parents' part, not my own. Bapstism in the Bible has to do with a person making a concious, knowing, outward commitment to God in their decision to be baptised. Christening cannot provide this because we are too young to understand what we're doing.

Make sense?

Blessings and Love,
Sarah

 

[JesusFreak4L]

God died on the cross for our sins, and all of our sins were and will be forgiven!...we need to live like we are Christians and act like it!...we need to carry out the great commision and praise god.

Baptism isnt wat will insure if you go to heaven or not, it is the faith that you have in the Lord.

Cameron