Questioning Ones Salvation

==Its not wrong. If a person's behavior is contrary to Scripture then we should call them into account. Jesus gave instructions on how to handle this (Matt 18:15-17). If they refuse to repent we are to consider the person unsaved. This will make the person angry since the unrepentant are usually filled with pride (which does not like to be questioned).

==Anyone, Baptist or not, who adds to the Gospel is anathema (Gal 1:6-9). What does that mean? They are lost.

 

Judge

As long as you keep in mind the following:


Romans, chapter 14

1: Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2: For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
3: Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4: Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5: One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
peace

 

Matthew 18 deals with church discipline, not saved/lost.

Anathema means accursed. We know that man, because of one man's sin, is already cursed. To be accursed, many commentators say, is to be cursed in such a way that even Jesus Christ Himself will not forgive. It is to be rejected forever from Christ's love.

 

The problem on here is not adding to the Bible, but when someone disagrees with another's view, that person's salvation being brought into question. I see the word "heretic" thrown around here quite often, which can be an accusation of questioning salvation, also.

SFIC is correct about the passage in Matthew. This deals ONLY with discipline...not giving us the green light in questioning a person's salvation.

 

I don't think it is wrong to ask someone about their salvation. It does not offend me, it gives me a chance to share. I think many cross the line when they are in a debate over biblical issues that don't deal with salvation, the example of Matt 18 has been brought up. I do not believe the line is crossed in questioning someone's salvation when they deny the foundational truths of the faith. In any case we must be careful to show love for the person we are dealing with. Something that many, including myself, are quick to forget.

Bro Tony

 

Amen Tony! This concern in love for someone's eternal salvation is exactly where the line is drawn. Is it love and concern or did we but heads? If, in the heat of battle (and let's face it, we've seen people do battle here), I say, "Well! Since you don't have a clue what you are talking about, there is no possible way you could be saved!" then I've crossed a terrible line. AND there are an infinite number of word combos that come to the same conclusion.

Another thing is that on a bb like this one, I might just come across in a way that I don't intend and do more harm than good.

 

I have this saying on the side of my refrigerator:

In the majors conviction, in the minors tolerance, in the matter love.

If I'm going to get fired up about something, let it be the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

There are several reasons that come to mind about questioning someones salvation.

First of all, you are here to spread the Gospel of Jesus, not to play guessing games about anothers salvation.

It has nothing to do with denomination. You have no right to question any ones. They know if they are saved or not.

Last time I checked, you being a human being do not have the ability to check someones heart.

Maybe most important, you are basing adding to and taking away from the Bible based on your understanding of the Scripture, and enough said about that.

There is a difference between asking someone about their salvation and questioning ones salvation.

 

Sincere questions:

What if they say that there was one gospel for the OT folks and another for NT/church age people and only Paul’s letters are for the church? (hyper dispensationalism, some of the followers of Bob Hill and Bob Enyart)

suppose a person denies the Trinity, are they saved? (Arians of every sort, Unitarians, Modalists etc)

what if they deny the deity of Christ? (JWs Arians, Unitarians)

what if they say that salvation is not be grace through faith alone but rather by a combination of faith and works? (RC)

what if they believe that salvation is found in all religions and it doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere? (New Age, Liberals)

what if they say that Jesus and Mary and all the saints are interceding before God for your salvation, and that Jesus is not the only one in heaven interceding before God for your sins? (RC)

what if they say everyone except for a select few will go to purgatory before they can go to heaven? (RC)

what if they believe that Jesus sinned just like every other man? (Liberalism)

what if it is believed that Jesus and Satan are really brothers? (Mormons)

what if they say Jesus is really Michael the Archangel? (JWs)

what if they say that Jesus never really rose from the grave? (Liberalism)

what if they say Jesus never rose bodily from the grave, only spiritually? (JWs and some Liberals)

what if they say Jesus never really died, he just fainted and the whole gospel is myth teaching us to be selfless and that Jesus died needlessly and mistakenly? (Swoon theory and liberal theology)

what if they say Jesus' never rose from the dead and his body was likely eaten by wild dogs outside the gates of the city? (Jesus Seminar)

what if they say everyone will one day be saved?

what if they say that everyone will one day be saved, including the fallen angels? (some Universalists)

what if they say that we are all gods and will one day be given our own planets to rule? (a real Mormon belief)

what if they say that since (Mormon) men may become gods, it is up to them to decide whether or to not to resurrect their wife/wives? (a real Mormon belief)

what if they say it really wasn't the Holy Spirit that resulted in the birth of the Son, but rather, it was Adam, the god in charge of this world, who had sexual intercourse with Mary? (a real Mormon belief)

I think it is a great question to wonder if it is appropriate to question another person's salvation. It seems biblical to do so in some cases, eg Jesus saying that if you do not believe in Him, you will die in your sins, that salvation is found in Jesus’ name alone, etc …. but knowing the bare-minimal-no compromise can’t be saved unless you believe them beliefs is a tough question.....

Perhaps on a more philosophical level, if we apply the law of non-contradiction to these situations, what if we assert that since there is only one true God that possesses existence and that if anyone claims to believe in any other definition of God then that given by the majority of the church, they really do not believe in any god at all since only the one true God possesses existence and all others are idols or demons? I have read an interesting paper that claimed that since Mormons are really polytheists, in effect, they are atheists, since the gods they claim to believe in do not really exist, that is why I bring this up….

blessings

 

Not saved because they don't have the right God or Jesus.

The problem is basically the doctrine of the nature of God, which must include the Trinitarian view of God, Jesus, and the HS, and the teaching of the atonment. This leaves out Mormons and JW's (and others). If Jesus did not atone for sins on the cross by his death, then that is not the gospel. So people who believe in the swoon theory are not believing the gospel and are not saved.

The bodily resurrection of Christ is an essential of the faith, so denying that is not having the faith that was passed down to us by the word of God.

I really think the issue of the OP was whether one could question the salvation of someone on the BB. I have to check, but I think it may be against the rules to do that.

They think there are many gods of many universes. So they believe in a false god of this universe and in false gods. I would not call them atheists, since the definition used today of an atheist is someone who denies the existence of God, any God. Believing in a false god and denying the existence of a god are not the same thing and it serves no purpose to try to make them into the same thing.

 

Amen Bro Preacher!

 

Rom. 14 is about non-essentials and how we should not divide over that.

Many of the questions posed by epistemaniac concern the denial of essential doctrine. Over that, we can and should judge whether the faith that one is professing is Christian belief or not.

We aren't judging the person but their beliefs, according to scripture.

I have many times witnessed to Mormons, JW's, New Agers, etc. and you better believe I question their salvation.

 

The topic is questioning the salvation of people on this board.

 

Yes, I noted that in my post above where I said:

However, I was trying to address the issues raised by epistemaniac and didn't now if Rom 14 was supposed to apply to that, which I didn't think it did. Sorry for any confusion. :wavey:

 

This would be a very poor place to draw an opinion about someone's salvation. It is very doubtful that any of us reveal our whole character (good or bad) in what we post here.

Most probably tend to post where they have strongly held opinions. Most of us probably try to accentuate our common beliefs in real life above the various non-essential issues we argue here.

 

in this case, I was wondering more about a person's beliefs, though of course our actions are important too..... and it does seem to me that over certain core essentials, we are right to question a person's salvation according to the beliefs they profess...... Galatians seems especially clear on this issue in regard to the content of the gospel, if a person has another gospel, which is really not another real gospel at all, then Paul says they are anathema or accursed. Jesus also makes it clear that failure to believe in him will leave one in their sins, and of course anyone still in their sins will face eternal damnation. The harder question seems to be coming up with a fairly well agreed upon (among Evangelicals) list of non-negotiables, which, to deny any one of excludes one from saving faith.

Any takers on putting together such a list?

blessings

 

1. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

 

I think that we would all agree on this one, not believing certainly would preclude one from being saved.

2 Adding works to salvation

Someone else can continue.