Saved from what?

[Tree Sap]

I was raised a nonChristian and am trying to learn more about my new faith. When I told my mother that I wanted her to be saved, she asked me "Saved from What?" and I really didn't know how to answer her. :o She told me that she expected to live with God, her father , after death, even though she doesn't go to church or accept the teachings of Christianity. Insight? Info?

 

[Fatolia]

First of all, congratulations on finding Jesus!!! The angels are jumping for joy for you....seriously! Welcome to a new world of excitement, danger, and often...mass confusion.

The word "Saved" is often a misinterpreted thing. We are not really saved "from" anything. Saved from hell, damnation, sin, etc... Instead, a more accurate way to look at it would be that we are saved to Jesus. All people deserve to die and go to hell...that's the nature of sin. By accepting Jesus as your Savior, you're accepting his word and allowing him to change your life. You do not actually win your ticket into heaven, you accept what has already been offered to you. If your mom accepts the invitation, she will also be in heaven. The only way that she would not get to heaven is if she did not accept the invitation by putting her earthly life in the hands of Jesus. God can use you a lot in this area to influence and challenge her as you grow. I encourage you to keep praying for her.

Look at it another way. We're all floating in the water, fresh off the Titanic. If nothing happens soon, we will either drown or freeze to death. The only way to safety is a life raft. All the rafts of the world, seemingly safe, are punctured or filled with garbage, to sink at any moment. The only raft that can truly save us is the one Jesus brings: his good news. We can choose to jump on board or try to do things ourselves, chasing after the other life rafts. But chasing after the other ones are lost causes.

The world believes that the way to eternal life is by being good and doing good things...chasing after the life rafts that are deceptively safe. But it all leads to the bottom of the ocean. Only Jesus can rescue us from that fate. Call it "original sin" or whatever the Christianese word is for it, but we are doomed from the start. Jesus saves us, pulls us aboard to him, and alters our dark destiny.

 

[Sketcher]

Maybe you could ask her why she believes she's going to heaven first of all. Does she see any sin in her life? If not, she won't see any need for salvation. Does she think she can get to heaven because she's a "good" person?

You and I know that she won't. Her sins separate her from God, and it's either heaven or hell. Since her sins will keep her out of heaven there's only one place for her to go after death. Jesus is the way out of this. You, I, and she deserve hell, but He provided a way out for us if we would only take it.

Pray for your mom, pray for what to say, and read that Bible to be prepared for your next talk with her. Go by what the Holy Spirit tells you, rather than your own "bright ideas". I've said stuff that I thought was good but He was actually telling me not to say it, and the results were not good. He knows where they are at, and He knows what they need to hear.

 

[HeavensentBrFrancis]

I was raised a nonChristian and am trying to learn more about my new faith. When I told my mother that I wanted her to be saved, she asked me "Saved from What?" and I really didn't know how to answer her. :o She told me that she expected to live with God, her father , after death, even though she doesn't go to church or accept the teachings of Christianity. Insight? Info?

Hi tree sap
everyone thinks that when they die there for Heaven unfortunately there not because it is writen in the Bible that we must first have a relationship with our Lord Jesus christ, if you haven't got a relationship with him you will lose out. My little sister the Bible is our Blue Print so that we can incooperate it into our own lives, and abid by the Laws, Commandments, and statues that have been lead down for us. Jesus said come to him the way you are and he will bring the people who will build you up in his Spoken Word (Bible). If you go to my Journal you will see alot of stuff that could help you in your walk with our Lord and welcome to the family little sister. Everyone has different ways of seeing things so don't judge your mum, help her to understand.

In His service

Br Francis

God be with You tree sap and your family.

 

[Tree Sap]

Maybe you could ask her why she believes she's going to heaven first of all. Does she see any sin in her life? If not, she won't see any need for salvation. Does she think she can get to heaven because she's a "good" person?

You and I know that she won't. Her sins separate her from God, and it's either heaven or hell. Since her sins will keep her out of heaven there's only one place for her to go after death. Jesus is the way out of this. You, I, and she deserve hell, but He provided a way out for us if we would only take it.

I asked her why she thinks she will be with God after this life, and she says that she believes that she is God's created child and she does not need to do anything to earn her Father God's acceptance and doesn't need to be perfect to be treated fairly as a member of his family. I guess she admits that she sins but believes that God saves her from sins. (I think I've represented her views accurately.)

I get really frustrated when I talk to her, because I know that she doesn't believe that the Bible is true and doesn't go to church. What should I say to her?

What can I say to her about Christian salvation, given her current frame of mind?

 

[JPPT1974]

Praying that your mother will accept Christ as her Savior & Lord as it's the first & foremost best decision outside of graduating from school, getting married, and raising a family.