Just because someone made a request to be saved does not mean they were saved.
If a person sincerely asks Jesus to save them, and depends on Jesus alone, they are saved. Jesus has promised that no one who comes to him shall be cast out for any reason.
Jhn 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
I don't believe in this "maybe Jesus will save me" that Van believes. Jesus always keeps his promises.
Faith is an inner conviction, a full assurance, a confident expectation. When directed at the death and resurrection of Christ, who bore our sins, our faith is credited as righteousness.
Saving faith is casting one's self on Jesus in utter dependence, as the publican did in Luke 18;
Luk 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The Pharisee had all sorts of confidence he was saved, and he was as lost as a turkey on Thankgiving. The publican was humble, he did not have great confidence, but he cast himself on God and his mercy and was saved.
But faith, when directed at the answering of a prayer, is futile and altogether in vain.
It is a false hope, built in a false premise. Sorry, brother. I asked and asked and asked, for 20 years....and the whole time knew nothing of Christ and His cross. But boy howdy, could I beg for Jesus to come into my heart.
Of course, I believed the facts about His death. But I did not know He rose bodily, or that He is the Word of God made flesh, I denied the bodily resurrection of believers. And i thought saying a prayer for salvation was just one item on a list of works i had to perform to be saved. But i could sure say that prayer
This is quite different from most folks' experience. Most folks are clearly taught they are sinners, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who lived a sinless life and died for their sins, and that he rose the third day, and that if we trust him to save us, he will.
You are basing everything on your personal experience which was quite unique.
And i thought "saved" meant to be placed in a position to either obey God and go to heaven, or not obey God and go to hell. To me, salvation was an entrance into a works covenant. But boy, could i say that prayer.
OK, again you were not taught the real gospel. And that is always a danger. But when people hear the true gospel and call on Jesus to save them, if they mean it, Jesus saves them.
There is absolutely a difference between faith in Christ and faith in a prayer. They are in no way synonymous. That prayer requires zero understanding of the gospel.
I get tired of hearing this. I have never met anyone who believes saying a prayer is some magic incantation like "abracadabra" that saves them. No, most folks fully realize they are praying directly to Jesus in heaven and asking him personally to save them. I got saved when I was 10 years old and knew very little about the scriptures, but I knew I was praying directly to Jesus and asking him personally to save me. And he did save me right there and then.
If i could have been saved by saying a prayer, one of those 600-800 times i said it would have surely been adequate. But when actually believed upon Christ, and His death and resurrection, it left me speechless.
Again, you are equating "easy believism" with your personal experience. If I remember correctly, your mother was very religious, but mixed up in all sorts of various belief systems. Unfortunately, you were exposed to lots of false doctrine. This is not most people's experience. I was never involved in anything like that.
So yes. It is unfortunate that 14 people were given a false hope. Just pray they hang around some believer long enough to actually learn the gospel.
You do not know that, and it is very negative to assume the worst. If they were told the true gospel and truly asked Jesus to save them, they are saved.
Would you have believed the 3000 folks that got saved and baptized in one day on Pentacost? I don't think you would, but the scripture tells us these people really got saved.
I don't mean to be critical, but you seem to be very bitter. Don't let your bad experience bleed over and cloud your judgment.
Getting saved is EASY for us. It really is. But Jesus had to give everything to save us.
