After examining my life and things that have happened I know that I still believe in the principles of christianity and its teachings. But I have questioned whether or not I was saved during this time? I believe I am, and after reading many threads there are conflicting views. Everyone seems so quick to point out you can lose salvation but don't say when this happens? You can sin so much that you just aren't saved anymore? Who is to say when or where this line is crossed is my question!
Do you understand what salvation,
is?
Salvation is not a belief; see James2:19.
Salvation is not a doctrine; not a dogma; not a lifestyle; not a list of "do's and don'ts".
Mary, if a person walked up and asked you "WHAT IS SALVATION?" --- would you be able to answer?
"You must be BORN AGAIN." (Jn3:3)
That's true; great --- what's it mean? All the world has HEARD it, Hollywood peppers movies (scornfully) with the term. What is "saved"?
"Believe in Jesus?" No.
"Receive Jesus as your personal Savior?" No.
"Obey the Lord???" No.
Do you know? Does anyone know?
"You must be born again". Welllll, in order to be born again (or "born anew", or "born from above"),
you must DIE.
That's the essence.
Die?
Romans is an excellent book on Christianity; so much of the Gospel and what we know, is there.
"Born Again", is in ch6. The old woman, Mary, (or in my case
"old man"), dies ---
dead to sin. Paul uses 5 words in the first part of Romans 6, all interchangeable: "Crucified", "Buried", "Died", "Immersed", "UNITED". Yes "baptizo" means "immersed",
but has nothing to do with water --- we are "immersed/united in Jesus".
Into His death.
As He died long ago on that cross, we were nailed right up there with Him --- WE DIED TOO! Dead to sin.
Dead to sin, and alive in Him.
United ALSO in His resurrection! "As Christ was raised from the dead, so too shall we walk in newness of life!" Rom6:4[/color]
What does that
mean? Dead to sin, alive in Him? Salvation IS "belief in Jesus" ---
but it's so much MORE!
When you receive Jesus into your heart,
you receive the real presence, of the PERSON of Jesus, and of the PERSON of the Holy Spirit. Salvation, in ONE word, is
FELLOWSHIP, with the indwelling Son and Spirit!
"I have been CRUCIFIED (dead) with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith (born again) in the One who loved me and delivered Himself up for me." Gal2:20
That's what salvation is. Surrendered, submitted,
indwelt by and to the Lord. Not mere belief, but complete commitment.
There are Baptists who are NOT SAVED, many have no clue that they are not. (Matt7:21-23, Rev3:14-22) And there are Baptists who ARE saved. So too Presbyterians, Methodists, Charismatics, Catholics --- ALL denominations. It's not "what you believe", it's not "what you know" --- it's WHO you know,
and who knows YOU!
I do believe a truly saved person can become unsaved (if salvation is by belief, then UNsalvation is by UNbelief --- see Heb3:12-14, 18-19, 4:1&11); but it doesn't matter whether you were saved THEN --- it only matters, NOW. Does He indwell you? Do you walk in fellowship, or in sin? It's one or the other, there is no "middle-ground".
Do you read the Word? Is there a THIRST in your heart and spirit for the words contained therein?
Do you FELLOWSHIP with Him? What's your prayer life like? Why do you want to go to Heaven? Forget the pearly gates, golden streets, mansions and crowns; if you do not love Him with all your heart NOW, then what do you think Heaven will be like? Heaven is being in His physical presence! The One who loves us PERFECTLY, the One we love!
First on your "prayer list", should be praise and worship --- God inhabits praise, He desires it,
it's why we were made. He is worthy of our praise, and our worship; He is perfect love, absolute magnificence. Exalt His name above all that is in the Universe; for He is above all. He is the Light and the Love of all!
Second should be repentance. We walk not in sin, but we DO sin. Rom6 is about "born again", ch7 about "the war between the dead-but-not-gone (and sometimes alive) sin nature, and the new (born again) nature" (Paul cries, "I try to to right, but FAIL! Oh wretched man! Who will save me from this war within my members?!?!") And the answer is in ch8 --- walk in the flesh (which is death), or, by the Spirit putting to death the things of the flesh,
and you will LIVE! We are promised (1Jn1:9) that if we confess our sins, then He will FORGIVE them. And ---
then the God of the Universe, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, absolute and perfect power and Creator of the Universe, FORGETS that we SINNED! Heb8:12
God forgets our sins. That is AWESOME!!!!!!!
(Even if we don't remember each and every one, we walk in repentance, and He forgives us!)
Third is THANKSGIVING. Unthankfulness is arguably the root of all sin; if you ate today, if you're warm and clothed and fed,
thank Him for it! Thankfulness is the heart of humility, and humility is the only heart God can tolerate. God cannot use the hard heart; only the humbled and broken heart, cast down at His feet, can He mix with the water of life, and form your clay into something incredible!
Fourth is fellowship --- do you know, Mary, that as YOU delight in His presence,
He delights in YOURS?! He really does! It is impossible for Him to love you more; His love for you, is PERFECT. Unconditional, complete; He has great things planned for you.
Fifth is intercession. When we intercede for others, their healing, finances, health --- prayer does move God (James5:16); but mostly, it changes US --- into what He wants us to be, to win the world to Him.
Sixth is waiting on Him; trusting that He will meet our needs, that His plan for us will be fulfilled (read Jeremiah 29:11-14). "Building ourselves in our most holy faith". Jude1:20
Seventh --- last, AND LEAST --- pettition. He already knows your needs, already has promised to meet them. James 4 says "you have not because you don't ask, or you ask WRONGLY to spend it on your pleasures". Psalm 37:4 says, "delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." The secret to this, is that if you delight in Him, then HIS desires will be YOUR desires! God is not a "cosmic Santa" --- He's our DAD!
That's the essence of salvation, Mary. Across denominations, this is our commonality; "Christ IN YOU!" Look up 1Jn1:3, 6-7 --- "fellowship"!
