I really did not think that I was generalizing all LDS posters.
I know you did not think that, and don't think that. After your explanation, I agree that you weren't. But at the time I
did feel that I had been. Like you, I dislike being generalized away like I'm just a lemming headed out to sea. But it happens all the time, and I admit that I've grown overly-sensitive to comments that generalize (or appear to) me into certain beliefs or attitudes. That's what I'm referring to.
I still don't know of any Christian who believes that faith is not to be accompanied by works; that we are to profess Christ as our Savior but not follow Him as our Lord. I also don't know of any church that teaches that.
You know, I couldn't, off the top of my head, think of a single church that teaches that lip service to God—lip service: An expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction—is OK. I have met individual Christians who told me to my face in very clear terms that literally
all one needed to do to be saved was "confess Jesus." This doesn't say anything about how they viewed works, but these Christians I've talked to had to get this "mere confession" idea from someplace. So I did a little search. This
church teaches doctrines which could lead a person right down that path:
Q: I said the sinner's prayer, but I don't know if I did it right. How can I really know for sure that I'll go to Heaven when I die?
A: You mean you didn't get the golden, wallet-sized pass in the mail already? You know, the one that gets you through the gates with no waiting in line when you die? No? Well, don't worry about it... neither did the rest of us! In fact, nobody ever gets a certificate signed by God and delivered by an angel that guarantees their admittance into Heaven. Why? Because salvation is spiritual! And although most of us would love to have something physically tangible (such as a divine certificate or pass) to ensure our salvation, God has chosen to keep salvation spiritual... making it accessible only through a spiritual substance called faith.
By faith, we believe that God's Word is true. By faith, we acknowledge and agree that Jesus is God's only Son, and through His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, we have redemption from sin and eternal life in Heaven. Your faith in Jesus as Lord is your "golden pass" to Heaven!
To make sure that you're saved, all you have to do is read the qualifications for salvation in John 3:16 and Romans 10:9-10. There it says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16) Then, Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation."
So, ask yourself: "Have I done what these scriptures say? Do I still believe in Jesus? Do I still believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Do I still call Jesus, Lord?" If so, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You are saved!
The Word of God is full of scriptures that will encourage and enlighten you about God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. If you're wondering if Jesus accepted your prayer of salvation, read John 6:37. If you want to know what you got in return for your sins, read Colossians 1;14. If you want to find out how you came to be a Child of God, read John 1:12. If you want reassurance about eternal life, read 1 John 5:11-13. If you want to know what happened within you when you said the sinner's prayer, read 2 Corinthians 5:17. And finally, if you're feeling alone and on your own, read Hebrews 13:5. The Word is filled with scriptures to help you feel confident in your salvation.
Q: How can I really be sure of my salvation when I don't even feel like a Christian?
A: You can't use your feelings to gauge your salvation. Your mind didn't get saved when you did and neither did your emotions. It was your spirit that was re-created! That's why you can praise Jesus in church on minute and go out in the parking lot and feel like killing the guy who parked behind you!
Your feelings change every day, every hour, every minute. They can't be trusted with something as valuable as salvation! If so, you'd be in and out of hell so much, you wouldn't know what to do! And that is not God's plan for your life. His plan is that you... "might have life, and might have it abundantly!" (John 10:10) God isn't moved bye the chaos of feelings. He's moved by faith.
Today you might not feel saved at all. But if you did what Romans 10:9-10 says, you're saved whether you feel saved or not! Think of it like this: You may not feel like getting up and seeing the sun tomorrow, but it doesn't really matter. It will. I don't care if somebody spent all night trying to deceive you into thinking that it won't. That sun is coming up tomorrow morning. It's a fact! You can count on it!
God's Word is more dependable than the sun He created. When He says something, it becomes a fact! His Word is always the last word. The devil might have been working overtime trying to convince you that you never really got saved, but he's a liar. (John 8:44) If God said that all you have to do to be saved is confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, then it's a fact! You can count on it!
God is a Spirit and His ways are spiritual, not physical. Feelings are physical, not spiritual. And although He created you as an emotional creature, your every feeling isn't ordained by Him. As you continue to renew your mind to the Word of God, you will find that it is easier to determine when your feelings are steering you wrong. Just remember, feelings are temporary and they change constantly. But God never changes. (Hebrews 13:8) And the new, re-created spirit that now lives in you is a part of Him that isn't likely to change either.
So, the next time you find yourself gauging your salvation by your feelings again, stop! The next time the devil tries to throw doubt about your salvation into your mind, stop! Turn the tables on your own unsaved mind and the devil by speaking out some of the scriptures you read above. Do it out loud if you have to! Begin to exercise your faith in this area and pretty soon, you won't have a doubt in the world that Jesus is your Lord!
Q: What if I sinned after I said the sinner's prayer? Could I have lost my salvation then?
A: If you've sinned, all you have to do to have those sins off your conscience and the slate wiped clean is to go before the Lord in prayer and repent. Don't ever let sin or guilt keep you from going to The Throne of Grace. Prayer is the place where you get rid of that awful stuff! How do you repent? By doing what 1 John 1:9 says! There it tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
By admitting the sin to God, asking for His forgiveness and making a quality decision not to do that sin again, you are fulfilling the requirement of repentance. The Lord will immediately draw on the blood that was shed by Jesus on the cross and use it to cleanse you of all sin. Then, He will erase the sin from His memory and never hold it against you anymore. It's that easy!
But remember, like Brother Jesse says, "Salvation is free, but it definitely didn't come cheap. It cost Jesus His life." The salvation that you have today came at great expense to God and to His Son Jesus. God gave up His precious Son to be slaughtered for all mankind's sins Jesus left His rightful place in Heaven to endure such death, just for you. So, be honorable and treat Him with love and respect. Don't abuse His goodness and grace by using His forgiveness as an excuse to keep on sinning. (Romans 6)
Today, make a quality decision in your heart to change your ways into His ways! Begin to pray and read your Bible daily.
Join us this Sunday at 10am so that you can surround yourself with people just like you who can help you grow in the Word. At Legacy Builders Church you can connect with real people who can help you during each stage of your walk with Jesus. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect. " (Romans 12:2)
You don't have to feel overwhelmed with the responsibility of changing overnight. Just take it day by day and be faithful with what you know. Pretty soon, you'll be so full of confidence and zeal, you'll be telling everyone you meet how "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believeth on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life!" (John 3:16) You'll be the one convincing others of just how easy it is to receive God's gift of salvation!!
To their credit, they
do teach that you shouldn't abuse the Savior's sacrifice by using his unlimited supply of forgiveness as justification to keep sinning (last line of third-to-last paragraph). And in other areas of their site they focus on outreach ministries and service to others. So it's not like they're offering passes to go sin. There is some substance there.
But reading this material, I can easily see how some people could get the idea that salvation and forgiveness are "easy to get"—as easy as opening your Bible and reading or saying aloud the verses they reference. In fact they use the phrase "it's that easy!" when talking about being forgiven. And a "golden pass to heaven"? That sounds more like an infomercial than the Gospel. Yes, the Savior did say that his yoke was easy and his burden light. But it
is still a yoke and it
is still a burden! Men are prone to walk the path of least resistance, and using language like:[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana]
[/FONT]
- [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana] To make sure that you're saved, all you have to do is...[/FONT]
- [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana]all you have to do to be saved is...[/FONT]
- [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana]all you have to do to have those sins off your conscience and the slate wiped clean is...[/FONT]
...using language like this will result in people, well, believing it! It will likely lead some to conclude that as long as they fulfill the letter of the law they have "fulfilled the requirement of repentance," and are good to go. It just seems so cheap to me.
In light of the whole, I don't think I'd classify what this church teaches as "lip service," but I can see how their teachings could leave a person feeling very comfortable going there.