Can Someone Who Does Not Love God Be Saved?

Absolutely you can be saved and not love God. Scripture tells us that to love God is to do what He commands us to do. This gets down to the question of are works a guarantee in a saved person's life or not. And the answer is no they are not.

We are commanded to do works, but that doesn't mean we will. What you do or feel has no bearing on everlasting salvation. It matters ONLY that you believe (plus nothing) and you WILL BE SAVED. Either Acts 16:30-31 is a lie or we can believe it. I personally think it is EXTREMELY believable.

Or Eph. 2:8-9. It says by grace through faith (plus nothing) they had been saved.

 

I agree that it is belief plus nothing. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" said Paul and Silas to the gaoler at Philippi. But there's the point - they didn't say, "Believe and you will be saved," but "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ". I am just wondering how a person can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and at the same time, hate God.

 

I would like to hear thoughts on a believer who has alzheimers or similar brain damage. To me, this would be an instance where a believer could not love God anymore.

 

I am the "person" Allan was referring to in his post.
A person may be saved, and yet not love God.
I say this from several standpoints.
First, as I already explained many times, perhaps to Allan, and as well to others here, Jesus Christ came to save His own, FIRST and FOREMOST, that was the purpose of His coming.

Eternal salvation, which is what Jesus Christ did for His people, has no pre-requisites. It did not ask the sinner to FIRST love God, AND THEN, I will save you.

Yet, so many here would add pre-requisites where there are none.
Eternal salvation was authored in eternity past, and the very Bibles that we profess to believe tell us that God foreknew, predestinated, called, justified and glorified His elect, which the same Bible says He loved BEFORE they loved Him.

The same Bible speaks of a Book of Life, belonging to the Lamb, where He wrote the names of His people, BEFORE the foundation of the world.
Will somebody here please raise his hand and say he was here before the foundation of the world loving God already ?

So, yes, there are people who are saved, before our time, during and after our time, who are saved in the eternal sense, but not in the timely sense, and there is a great deal of difference between the two.

The first is ALL OF GOD, grace, plus nothing, minus nothing. Its only prerequisite is the will of God to have mercy on someone based on nothing else but His will. Does anyone here dare add anything else to that ?

The second, timely salvation, is NOT OF GRACE. That one is based on the obedience of the redeemed sinner. That is POST eternal salvation. That is where the love of the sinner for his redeemer is manifested. That is for BELIEVERS.

But how can love be properly channeled to the right God manifested by the elect child of God unless he/she first learns of the good news of his finished salvation, and how can that be learnt unless someone teaches and preaches ? Same question asked by Paul about the true Israel within Israel.

I have argued in the past that an elect child of God who is Muslim may remain a Muslim and still be saved, precisely because his eternal salvation is not hinged on his theology or creed but on God loving him and saving him because He wanted to, and this kind or aspect of salvation is a done deal.

I am at work, on break, and I cannot stay online.

I hope to catch up.

 

Yes, you were the person Pinoy but not the only one I have spoke with who holds this view on here. However I was not wishing to name any names as to place a critical view upon you as a person but just set forth what was said as examples of the view I was addressing.

 

This part of your post is what 'I' was referencing. That a person can be saved having never known God (and all that being saved entails - faith, repentance) but in reality a worshipper of false gods and still be (in your opinion) still saved regardless of what they believe.

Scripture speaks not only specifically but vehemently to the contrary.
"Believe on the the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved"
Not: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall know you are already saved".

 

Actually, the fact that belief on the Lord Jesus Christ procures one salvation is in no way contrary to the possibility of salvation without belief. The fact that something is achievable with certainty via one method says nothing about the possibility of other methods.

 

True.

Same with "beleive and be baptized and you will be saved; believe not and you're judged". Not only does this passage not put a requirement on being baptized to be saved, but it says if you don't believe, you'll be judged.

But, so many run with this passage in all the wrong directions. Reminds me of the start of the "Marathon for people with no sense of direction".

 

There are many days and many times I don't love God and I am quite saved. You are only kidding yourself if you imagine otherwise.

 

But his own received him not;

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

I agree, Love is not a condition of salvation. How does the rest of your assertions fit into this verse? At what point after salvation does one begin to Love?

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

 

The point after salvation when one begins to love God is right after regeneration, when, as David says, his soul begins to thirst after the true God.

And I believe that the Holy Spirit will teach His own, for the Scripture said, "they shall be all taught of God".

So much the better if it is God's plan for that individual to meet a true preacher, somebody who was truly sent of God, with true Gospel teaching, for then the love he feels in his heart has a direction to go on this plane called time.

But not all who are of God will hear the gospel.

 

J.D.

Scripture tells us that love is expressed in action. So you could even ask can a person that does not keep the commadments already be saved.

And the answer to that is yes. Everytime we disobey we are saying that we love "self" and not God.

Positive works/fruits are not a guarantee in the life of a saved person, so neither is the love toward God. We "should" love God, but that doesn't mean we will. We "should" do the works that God has for us to do, but that doesn't mean we will.

Hope you have had a great day.

 

I agree that we don't love perfectly, and we may not FEEL love at all times. However, when did the following stop being true?

 

I'm not even sure why you would ask such questions. When I obey Him I am loving Him. When I disobey Him I am loving myself. That is true for any and all saved folks. Not sure if that's what you were looking for or not.

 

:applause: :applause:

Absolutely, 100% correct!!!!!! You said it far better than I have been able to!

 

Because everytime I sin my actions speak louder than my words. That's just Scripture. We can either believe it or not. Scripture says if you love God you'll do what He says. If you don't then you can say you love Him all you want to, but you are a liar.

Yes it placed me into the family of God.

I don't see anything else in Scripture. If you've got something then let's take a look at it.

Yes, but you were talking specifically about the "love" we are supposed to have toward God. That "love" is an "active" love according to Scripture, not a "feeling."

Again where are you getting any indication that I would "celebrate" sin?

Sorry I just don't see where Scripture supports this statement. If you have some again let's take a look at it and see what it says.

I think a better statement would be if you see yourself not obeying God or it is brought to your attention in love by another brother or sister then you should examine your faith. What we "say" has very little value. It's what we "do" that counts.

James said you can say you have faith all you want to, but if it doesn't produce works that faith is useless and of no value and it will not save you.

 

Romans chapter 10:

14:How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15: And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

I like to use these two scriptures for my point. Please bear with me. We have to have love towards God to be saved. It comes from hearing the Good News that took place on an old rugged cross at Calvary. After the "Godly sorrow" took place in my heart, I began searching for Him, and wanting to be one of His children. I love Him, because He first loved me by allowing Jesus to die in my place on the cross. After he saved my dying soul, that love towards Him MAGNIFIED!! Glory to His name!! It takes the Holy Spirit to save someone...I mean no one can come to God on his own. By God "drawing" me, I knew the love He had/has for me. I am sorry if I can't get my point across too clearly, because I just got finished working 6 out of 7 days, 12 hrs each day....I am sooooo tired right now.


Romans Chapter 5



6: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Having read this while I was sinner, made me to believe in the love He had/has towards me. Lord knows I was about as "unGodly" as anyone could be; but He still died for me and my sins. That is why I loved Him when I was a sinner, but MUCH MORE after He saved me!! Praise His high and holy name!! I hope I haven't strayed too far from the OP. I love all of you and I hope to meet you all up yonder in heaven!!

Willis Fletcher, Jr.