I thought I was saved, but....

[salzer mtn]

Please Amy.....you are a saved person...don't let anyone tell you otherwise:love2:

No one is supposed to tell anyone they are saved or not saved. A person is supposed to examine their own lives in light of scripture so see if they be in the faith. I have saw people dragged up off of the altar and told they were saved and to never doubt it. I have seen people led down a Roman's road, repeat a prayer after me and told you are saved. I have heard people tell other people that if they doubted their salvation it was the devil speaking to them. If a person is not saved I would rather they doubt it and then make sure than live a lie.

 

[preacher4truth]

"Theologically speaking"

Now granted, I already know what your answer will be (the latter), but unless everyone here was being dishonest, every testimony given was of a person who SOUGHT GOD BEFORE THEY WERE REALLY SAVED.

Theologically speaking, Houston there's a problem with this view.

You're correct, there is a huge problem with your view.

Jim, in all honesty you struggle mightily in theological understanding of the Scriptures and it has been noted by many on here that this is true.

It is quite possible however that some felt they were seeking God and it was actually the Father drawing them to Him. Some feel like they've just always loved God, did good &c and then for that God chose them (because they were good). The former is simply a misunderstanding of the mechanics of salvation and the latter is 100% heretical.

 

[Yeshua1]

As to the OP I've witnessed this happen too many times to count. There are too many variables in this to make a broad brush generalization. I will say this though, the lives of true believers should be a lifestyle of repentance, not for salvation, but due to salvation. I would attempt to share this with those who come forward. Also consider 1 John 3:21.

As to winmans misunderstanding of truth which is unremitting, the video is dealing with scenarios of those living a lifestyle of practicing sin, and who call upon the name of the Lord to save them from their sins to which they are still enslaved. Practicing a lifestyle of sin, which was the reality of persons spoken of in the video is indicative of a lost state, yes, even if they said a sinners prayer in the past. There is absolutely nothing unscriptural with the preachers in the video and their message. In all actuality there is much false teaching in winmans message which obviously stands against this truth and is opposed to the revelation of Gods Word. We also have 2 Corinthians 13:5, Php. 2:12, and much of 1 John to consider.

think many who fall into the "thought i was asaved" camp were those who grew up in a christian home, raised up in a good church, obeyed the rules pretty much, were 'good people" Even came forward at alter calls...

So many of them were seeing being 'saved' as cultural defines it as being.. "good" persons, ateading church, and not in gross sinning!

 

[salzer mtn]

think many who fall into the "thought i was asaved" camp were those who grew up in a christian home, raised up in a good church, obeyed the rules pretty much, were 'good people" Even came forward at alter calls...

So many of them were seeing being 'saved' as cultural defines it as being.. "good" persons, ateading church, and not in gross sinning!

In other words, cradle row professions.

 

[Yeshua1]

"Theologically speaking" according to this Calvinist view (which, let's be honest, is exactly what you mean by "theologically speaking") the majority of testimonies in this thread were SAVED when they were SEEKING GOD the first few times, but then are not saved on the last one where God sought and saved them, because as you said, only a born again person can seek God and their final testimony was that God sought them, which begs the question, at which point were they saved?

Now granted, I already know what your answer will be (the latter), but unless everyone here was being dishonest, every testimony given was of a person who SOUGHT GOD BEFORE THEY WERE REALLY SAVED.

Theologically speaking, Houston there's a problem with this view.

ANY who seek after the true God would be the asinnrs that God already decided to draw unto himself, for while yet sinners, none seek after the real God, but follow after Gods that we make up, such as a Budda. Allah, the Sun god ra etc!

 

[Luke2427]

I have known several people who say they or someone they know only thought they were saved, but then realized they weren't and "accepted Jesus into their hearts".

I do not understand this thinking. I suppose if you "think" you're saved just because you were baptized there would be some legitimate doubt, but in the case where the person had faith, believed, and showed fruit, believing they were saved, and then years later "received" Christ because they weren't really saved, I don't have clue what this means.
If we can "think" we're saved, but in reality we're not, how can anyone possibly have any assurance?

I hope I made sense because as I read this back to myself it sounds goofy.

You made perfect sense and I could not agree more.

I know a girl who is now a professional Southern Gospel singer who was raised in a very emotional church and she gets saved over and over again about every two years- and she believes in eternal security. She just thinks each time that she wasn't REALLY saved the previous numerous salvation experiences she had.

She does not "feel" saved, she "feels" convicted by the Holy Spirit that she needs to REALLY get saved in some "high octane" emotionally charged church service and she goes forward and gets "really saved" this time. Then everybody in the building shouts and cries and weeps as she gets up gives her testimony about being raised in a preacher's home and THINKING she was saved but now she has really nailed it down.

Until about two years pass and then she has to do it all over again.

It is because people put immeasurably too much stock in "feeling" the Spirit and "feeling" saved.

You repent, you trust- you're saved. That's it.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

No one is supposed to tell anyone they are saved or not saved. A person is supposed to examine their own lives in light of scripture so see if they be in the faith. I have saw people dragged up off of the altar and told they were saved and to never doubt it. I have seen people led down a Roman's road, repeat a prayer after me and told you are saved. I have heard people tell other people that if they doubted their salvation it was the devil speaking to them. If a person is not saved I would rather they doubt it and then make sure than live a lie.

Well perhaps you don't know that I know this dear woman very well and I know believes in Jesus Christ as her Lord & Savior. With that said she is a human and so prone to mess up once and a while...but she is a believer and believers don't loose their salvation. :godisgood:

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

You made perfect sense and I could not agree more.

I know a girl who is now a professional Southern Gospel singer who was raised in a very emotional church and she gets saved over and over again about every two years- and she believes in eternal security. She just thinks each time that she wasn't REALLY saved the previous numerous salvation experiences she had.

She does not "feel" saved, she "feels" convicted by the Holy Spirit that she needs to REALLY get saved in some "high octane" emotionally charged church service and she goes forward and gets "really saved" this time. Then everybody in the building shouts and cries and weeps as she gets up gives her testimony about being raised in a preacher's home and THINKING she was saved but now she has really nailed it down.

Until about two years pass and then she has to do it all over again.

It is because people put immeasurably too much stock in "feeling" the Spirit and "feeling" saved.

You repent, you trust- you're saved. That's it.

Bingo Rick...you nailed it!:smilewinkgrin:

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

EW&F, I have to disagree. On one post you talk about Carnal Christians and define their Christianity

…otherwise you really aren’t a Christian….

Then you want to turn around and re-assure Amy

Please Amy……you are a saved person… don’t let anyone tell you otherwise

EWF, you are not a prophet. You don’t know if Amy is saved or not. You can't know. You don’t know if that “carnal Christian” you see sinning is saved or not. All you can do is look on the outward appearance and try to make an informed judgment, but in the end it is just a guess, and it is a guess that does not matter. All that really matter is what God can see and He looks at the heart.

If Amy does doubt her salvation she needs to take that up with God, not us here on the board.

 

[Amy.G]

If Amy does doubt her salvation she needs to take that up with God, not us here on the board.

Umm.. I'm not doubting my salvation. You have misunderstood.

I think EWF was just complimenting me. He and I both know that only God knows the heart. I appreciate being seen as a Godly person tho by my friends.

 

[Amy.G]

It is because people put immeasurably too much stock in "feeling" the Spirit and "feeling" saved.

You repent, you trust- you're saved. That's it.

Yes! I think you have hit the nail on the head! As my pastor says, "it's not about do, it's about done!"

 

[salzer mtn]

You made perfect sense and I could not agree more.

I know a girl who is now a professional Southern Gospel singer who was raised in a very emotional church and she gets saved over and over again about every two years- and she believes in eternal security. She just thinks each time that she wasn't REALLY saved the previous numerous salvation experiences she had.

She does not "feel" saved, she "feels" convicted by the Holy Spirit that she needs to REALLY get saved in some "high octane" emotionally charged church service and she goes forward and gets "really saved" this time. Then everybody in the building shouts and cries and weeps as she gets up gives her testimony about being raised in a preacher's home and THINKING she was saved but now she has really nailed it down.

Until about two years pass and then she has to do it all over again.

It is because people put immeasurably too much stock in "feeling" the Spirit and "feeling" saved.

You repent, you trust- you're saved. That's it.

So you don't think God gives assurance of salvation the moment you truly believe ? And i'm not talking about goose bumps, or chills running up and down your back, or all those other crazy things people come up with.

 

[Luke2427]

So you don't think God gives assurance of salvation the moment you truly believe ? And i'm not talking about goose bumps, or chills running up and down your back, or all those other crazy things people come up with.

The trust IS the assurance.

I trust that Christ is Lord and saves those that trust that he is Lord so I am sure that I am saved because I trust that he saves those that trust in him.

I don't rely AT ALL on feelings.

 

[Winman]

Folks in the Bible did not wonder if they had believed, they knew and understood what to believe is.

To believe on Jesus is to rely or depend on him only to save you. It is to cast yourself upon, to commit yourself to Jesus to save you. It is not a feeling, it is a decision.

It is like loaning someone your car. That is a decision. You give them the keys and watch them drive off. You have trusted them.

It is like going to the doctor and allowing him to put you to sleep and open up your body and operate. It is a decision, you have trusted him.

It is like jumping out of a plane with a parachute, it is a decision, you are trusting the parachute to get you to the ground safely.

Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Jesus trusted his Father to raise him from the dead. He placed his soul and spirit into his Father's hands and relied upon him to raise him from the dead as he promised. He then allowed himself to die, completely trusting his Father. This is a perfect example of saving faith or belief, trusting.

Trust involves feeling, but it is not feeling as Luke said. The man who jumps out of the airplane screaming with fear is trusting the parachute to get him down just as much as the man who jumps out with confidence. Both are depending on the parachute alone to get them to the ground safely.

If you have come to Jesus for him to save you, that is trusting him and you are saved.

But you cannot tell another person they are saved, only they know if they have come to Jesus and trusted him.

 

[Luke2427]

Folks in the Bible did not wonder if they had believed, they knew and understood what to believe is.

To believe on Jesus is to rely or depend on him only to save you. It is to cast yourself upon, to commit yourself to Jesus to save you. It is not a feeling, it is a decision.

It is like loaning someone your car. That is a decision. You give them the keys and watch them drive off. You have trusted them.

It is like going to the doctor and allowing him to put you to sleep and open up your body and operate. It is a decision, you have trusted him.

It is like jumping out of a plane with a parachute, it is a decision, you are trusting the parachute to get you to the ground safely.

Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Jesus trusted his Father to raise him from the dead. He placed his soul and spirit into his Father's hands and relied upon him to raise him from the dead as he promised. He then allowed himself to die, completely trusting his Father. This is a perfect example of saving faith or belief, trusting.

Trust involves feeling, but it is not feeling as Luke said. The man who jumps out of the airplane screaming with fear is trusting the parachute to get him down just as much as the man who jumps out with confidence. Both are depending on the parachute alone to get them to the ground safely.

If you have come to Jesus for him to save you, that is trusting him and you are saved.

But you cannot tell another person they are saved, only they know if they have come to Jesus and trusted him.

It is NOT a decision.

You do not DECIDE what to trust.

You are persuaded whether or not to trust something.

Do you DECIDE to trust a suspension bridge?

No. You decide whether or not to get ON the suspension bridge BASED on whether or not you TRUST it.

You trust it because you HAVE BEEN (passive- something is happening to you. It is not something that you do yourself) persuaded it is trustworthy.

Arminians like Winman teach that people are saved by grace through CHOICE.

The Bible says we are saved by grace through FAITH.

Faith is not choice. Choice is choice. Faith is faith. It is deceptive to conflate the two.

 

[Winman]

It is NOT a decision.

You do not DECIDE what to trust.

You are persuaded whether or not to trust something.

Do you DECIDE to trust a suspension bridge?

No. You decide whether or not to get ON the suspension bridge BASED on whether or not you TRUST it.

You trust it because you HAVE BEEN (passive- something is happening to you. It is not something that you do yourself) persuaded it is trustworthy.

Arminians like Winman teach that people are saved by grace through CHOICE.

The Bible says we are saved by grace through FAITH.

Faith is not choice. Choice is choice. Faith is faith. It is deceptive to conflate the two.

You decide to trust things all the time. When you buy a can of Campbell's Soup at the supermarket, you have made a decision to trust that the contents are indeed safe to eat.

Now, if on the news it was reported that someone was poisoning soup, you might decide not to purchase it again until the person was caught.

Let's say your brake pedal begins to sink a little when you apply it. You may decide it is safe to drive, or you may decide it is not safe to drive.

Let's say you came to a creek with a little wooden bridge over it. You look at the bridge and examine it. It looks strong enough to support your weight, so you decide to walk across. If the bridge begins to creak loudly as you start to walk, you may decide to stop and get off the bridge quickly.

A neighbor that just moved in asks you if they can borrow your car for a few minutes. You really don't know him too well, but he looks like a good guy, so you hand him your keys. That is a decision.

Trust is always a decision, though you may not realize it. Often, as in the case of the soup, you are so accustomed to buying that product you do not realize it is a decision, but it is.

You cannot say you have trusted something or someone unless you have acted on it. If you do not give your neighbor the car keys, you cannot say that you have believed him or trusted him.

You can say that you believe an airplane is safe to fly on, but to trust the plane you must get on. And that is a decision.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

EW&F, I have to disagree. On one post you talk about Carnal Christians and define their Christianity

Then you want to turn around and re-assure Amy

EWF, you are not a prophet. You don’t know if Amy is saved or not. You can't know. You don’t know if that “carnal Christian” you see sinning is saved or not. All you can do is look on the outward appearance and try to make an informed judgment, but in the end it is just a guess, and it is a guess that does not matter. All that really matter is what God can see and He looks at the heart.

If Amy does doubt her salvation she needs to take that up with God, not us here on the board.

How do you know who or what I am?:smilewinkgrin:

 

[Luke2427]

You decide to trust things all the time. When you buy a can of Campbell's Soup at the supermarket, you have made a decision to trust that the contents are indeed safe to eat.

You did not decide to trust campbells. You are either persuaded they are trustworthy or not.

You ARE persuaded. THat is not a decision.

You do not decide to trust in gravity. You HAVE BEEN persuaded that gravity will hold you to the earth.

You did not DECIDE it would. You were persuaded it would.

Now, if on the news it was reported that someone was poisoning soup, you might decide not to purchase it again until the person was caught.

Then you would have been persuaded by the news that campbells may not be trustworthy.

You are confusing ACTING which is a decision with trusting which is NOT.

You BUY the soup BECAUSE you trust it. You trust it BECAUSE you HAVE BEEN (passive) persuaded that it is trustworthy.

Let's say your brake pedal begins to sink a little when you apply it. You may decide it is safe to drive, or you may decide it is not safe to drive.

No, you are persuaded it is safe or you are persuaded it is not safe.

You think continuing to ride IS trusting when the fact is that you continue to ride BECAUSE you trust.

And you trust because the circumstances have persuaded you that it will hold out a while longer.

 

[salzer mtn]

The trust IS the assurance.

I trust that Christ is Lord and saves those that trust that he is Lord so I am sure that I am saved because I trust that he saves those that trust in him.

I don't rely AT ALL on feelings.

Only God knows if you truly trust, Only God knows if you truly believe on him. A person might think he trusted when he actually don't trust. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it ? Jer 17:9 The assurance God gives is the Holy Spirit that comes into your heart at the moment of being born again. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying, Abba Father, Gal 4:6 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, Rom 8:16

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

EW&F, I have to disagree. On one post you talk about Carnal Christians and define their Christianity

Then you want to turn around and re-assure Amy

EWF, you are not a prophet. You don’t know if Amy is saved or not. You can't know. You don’t know if that “carnal Christian” you see sinning is saved or not. All you can do is look on the outward appearance and try to make an informed judgment, but in the end it is just a guess, and it is a guess that does not matter. All that really matter is what God can see and He looks at the heart.

If Amy does doubt her salvation she needs to take that up with God, not us here on the board.

How do you know who or what I am?:smilewinkgrin: