Was Balaam "Saved"?

Forgot the 3rd NT reference to Balaam, and it's equally negative:

 

I think that we spend too much time worrying about whether people are saved or not. We know that it is not by our works that we are saved, but by the finished work of Christ. These people are set forth as examples of how a saved person ought not to behave. Not to show us how to tell if a person is saved or not, but so that a saved person would not fall into the condemnation that these people fell into.

1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

I think it goes without saying that he should be a believer. But being prideful was the cause of Satan's fall, and pride will cause a believer to be cast down as well. What was the error of Balaam? That he was wise in his own eyes and found a way to get around the will of God (or so he thought). He caused a stumbling block to be put before the Israelites for filthy lucre. That'll get you in trouble too.

 

2 Peter 2 is not like the Timothy passage you quote. 2 Peter 2 is a blatant condemnation of false teachers in the church, warning believers against them.

What I would like to see is the evidence that Balaam was saved. I read through the Numbers passages several times and don't see it anywhere. Just because God used him does not mean he was saved. God used lots of unbelievers in the Bible.

 

2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

How could an unbeliever escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord. Would you suppose that there is an incomplete salvation wrought at the time a person believes, and that the blood alone is not enough to save a man? Not that this refers directly to Balaam, but to those that are being compared to Balaam. Those who in verse 2 we see are denying the Lord that bought them. These people are redeemed.

 

James, I see your point but I still see no evidence in the OT or NT that Balaam was saved. He was not very enthused about speaking God's words at all and in fact, tried to evade God. Then he went against God. And the only 3 NT references to him are all negative! If he was saved, why didn't God commend him somewhere and talk about his faith or how he repented?

Balaam was made by God to speak for him:

I have said nothing about Christ's blood not being able to save someone -- where in the world are you getting that??

 

I have said nothing about Christ's blood not being able to save someone -- where in the world are you getting that?? </font>[/QUOTE]Where do we get the notion that everyone who is saved will get a commendation? What about Ananias and Sapphira? The Holy Spirit killed them for lying, and the church feared God. Some in the bible are held up as a testimony, others as an example. I don't know if Balaam will be found in the book of life or not, we can't judge that. But it is entirely possible. I'm not sure what constitutes salvation in the OT, we just assume Moses and the gang got it on credit?

 

C'mon James, I'm disappointed in you, you're sidestepping the issue here. The OP is not about whether it is moral or not to question Balaam's salvation. You're throwing a straw man into a very interesting question. I'm beginning to think you're under 35 years old.

 

I am under 35. How would we be able to tell if someone was saved in the old testament? We have the testimony of Jesus that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be in the kingdom, so they must be saved. I personally think Balaam could be saved and still be cast out of the kingdom for his obvious disobedience. Whether or not it is moral to question his salvation is irrelevant, I don't think you CAN tell if he is saved.

 

Well, I wasn't the one who posed the question about Balaam in the OP. Dr. Bob posed it so he must have wanted responses. If you don't like it, then don't bother posting here.

I think there is ample evidence that Balaam was not saved; I am not saying whether he was or wasn't since, of course, we don't know for sure. I am simply going on the evidence.

What do you mean by being saved and cast out of the Kingdom?

 

Eternal salvation is unconditionally promised to those who believe on the Lord (or believing being the only condition I suppose) but the millennial reign is put forward as a reward for obedience. When Jesus warned of being excluded from the kingdom (depart from me) He was speaking of disobedient believers.

 

Really? How do you know he was speaking of disobedient believers?

So where do the saved people go who are not in the Kingdom?

 

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Paul is writing to his Galatian brothers here, and exhorts them not to go back to their old sins. Christ hath made them free, and he says be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. He is speaking of the bondage of going back under the law here. So these are saved people who are under the law of grace.

Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

We can use the liberty that we have to serve our flesh, or we can use it to serve God. In reality we are his servants, bought with a price. It is our reasonable service to present our bodies to him as living sacrifices. But He wants our willing service. He has made us free in order that we might choose to serve Him.

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Paul tells these brothers that if they will walk in the Spirit, they will keep themselves from the works of the flesh. It is not possible to walk in the Spirit and the flesh at the same time. If we are walking in the flesh, we are not walking in the Spirit, no matter how spiritual we may feel.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

If we are manifesing these works, we are walking in the flesh. These works will keep us from inheriting the kingdom. Whereas if we are walking in the spirit, we should be manifesting the fruits of the spirit:

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

As for where one would go if they were not in the kingdom, I would have to say outer darkness.

 

But I would say Balaam is saved if I had to guess.

 

I don’t think there is enough information to make a conclusive argument either way but I tend to side with those that think that Balaam was not counted among the righteous.

Was there knowledge of the LORD outside of the Mosaic covenant? Apparently so, we certainly know that there was knowledge of the LORD was present with Melchizedek king of Salem during Abraham’s day (prior to the nation of Israel’s foundation). God can work “outside of the box”. His knowledge and reasoning far surpasses any of our understandings.

Balaam had a widely known reputation in the area of being able to effectively bless or curse people (Numbers 22:6).

Balaam apparently also knew of the LORD and used His name. There may have been a profit motive in his use of the LORD’s name (1 Peter 2:15).

He taught others to use the Name: prior to his meeting with King Balak, Balak used only the name of Elohim, he used the Name of the LORD only after he has heard the name from Balaam (23:17; 24:11).

God came to Balaam (Num. 22:9). We don’t know if this was a regular occurrence or in a single episodic occurrence. There are other instances of God making Himself know to the heathen; “God came to Abimelech in a dream in the night” (Genesis 20:3)

When we read of Balaam’s blessings of Israel, it is not generally credited to him but to the LORD. For example: ‘Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand (Jos 24:9). Also see: Nu. 23:1, 16; Mic. 6:5; Deuteronomy 23:5; Neh. 13:2;

Balaam’s err and ultimate memorial was his counsel on how to turn Israel away from the LORD (Numbers 31:14–16).
Balaam was killed fighting on the side of King Balak (Num. 31:8; Josh. 13:22).

One confounding question: who would have been the vector for the communication of his side of this story?

Rob

 

Donkey's don't talk, only the Lord could make her do so (perhaps the male voice would be the voice of the Lord?).

Balaam, a soothsayer from a heathen nation, normally wouldn't bless the wondering nation of Israel, only the Lord could make him do so.

Rob