Was I really saved?

[Optional]

This question is prompted by a statement on another thread.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Because most Baptist churches function amid bad doctrine - say a prayer, "ask Jesus in your heart" and - BAM - your saved.

Repentance from a godless life is rarely preached in most churches as a necessary component of salvation. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Soooo...was I saved 30 years ago at age 16 when I said (believing) this simple prayer?
Or was it days later when my spirit convicted me of my past sins and I fell on my knees in repentance?

 

[Chris Temple]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Solemn and heart searching questions!
(From Octavius Winslow's, "The Impenitent Sinner Warned")

Do you think you are converted?

What reason have you for thinking so?

Upon what grounds do you base this belief?

Can you give a reason, with meekness and fear, of this supposed hope that is in you?

Where is the evidence of the mighty, spiritual, internal change?

Has that heart of yours ever been broken, softened, humbled?

Has it ever mourned over sin before God?

Have you ever sought and found a secret place for repentance, confession, and prayer?

Have your views of sin essentially altered?

Do you hate, abhor, and loathe sin; and is it the chief cause of your daily sorrow?

Are your views of yourself materially changed?

How does your own righteousness appear to you?

Are you humble, meek, gentle?

Are you living as a converted, regenerated man?

Are you living as a child of God?

Are you living as an heir of glory?

Is your life that of a cross bearing disciple of the Lord Jesus?

Are you living as one who is a stranger and a pilgrim here?

Is your whole life, your daily walk, your pursuits and the governing principles of your conduct, those of an individual acquainted with the experimental power of the gospel?

Are you a lover of the world, grasping for its honors and its wealth?

Are you living the humble, self denying life of one professing to "love not the world nor the things of the world?"

Be honest with your soul and with God!

These are solemn and heart searching questions! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It is less important when you were saved than it is that you are saved now.

 

[Optional]

Those are all excellent questions for a mature Christian. I have absolutely no doubt I am saved.
But...what if I had died in a car wreck the very afternoon I said that prayer? Was I saved?

 

[Chris Temple]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Optional:
Those are all excellent questions for a mature Christian. I have absolutely no doubt I am saved.
But...what if I had died in a car wreck the very afternoon I said that prayer? Was I saved?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If it was truly "days later when my spirit convicted me of my past sins and I fell on my knees in repentance", then I would say no, you were not saved by a prayer. But what spurred you to pray that prayer? Was it any repentance at all? Is it possible you repented before you prayed, and were further convicted of sin days later?

But take comfort. Know that you could not have perished before you repented and believed, for you now believe. And "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." John 6:37 (ESV)

Chosen of God, you could never have been eternally lost.

 

[SAVED4LIFE]

Optional,

I believe you were saved from that moment you said that prayer beleiving it in your heart. When we get saved we are Born Again. We start out as little babies and mature as time goes on. That's the way I see it anyway. Some people change dramatically overnight, some people have to get knocked around a little bit before they "get it". Being saved begins with faith and the works will follow in Gods time.

I have only been saved for 9 months. Was I perfect the day after? No. Was a perfect 2 months after? No. Am I perfect now? No! Will I ever be perfect? Not til I get to heaven!!!! But I'm learning with time. Certain things are falling away. Some things me and God are still working on....

I do know that once I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, I "felt" different. I felt at peace about my soul/death etc. I felt and still feel conviction when I sin. I pray more often, I feel His presense in my life. Before I got saved I was under constant conviction to accept Him. Once I did accept Him, that went away---I was at peace at last. That's how I KNOW I am saved.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Is salvation a "work", contingent on me doing something or saying something?

Or is it a miraculous conversion of the inner man, the heart, through regeneration by the Holy Spirit?

Salvation is of the Lord. To teach someone that parroting a prayer gets them "saved" is a cruel hoax that may cause many to "think" they are born again, being deluded by an action/experience and not the inner working of God on a sinner's heart.

 

[comforter]

Repenting of your sin & believing on Jesus Christ as your Lord & Saviour is not a work.

 

[Psalm145 3]

Sometimes it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the Holy Spirit entered a person. We know that the Holy Spirit enters at the moment of true faith, but whether that moment was when the person prayed or some time later may be hard to tell. If repentance from sin doesn't follow, it is evidence of not having true saving faith.

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

We should encourage people to pray to be saved, but we shouldn't lead them to believe that they are saved just because they prayed a sinners prayer once. When a person starts praying to God seeking Him with all their heart, the Holy Spirit will show them just how wicked and dark their heart really is, and they will find their heart is just too hardened to give it to Christ by their own effort. Then they can give up trying to save themselves and fall into the loving arms of the waiting Saviour Jesus Christ. Only then will they realize that they really do believe on Christ alone.

Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Jeremiah 29:12,13 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

 

[peterbouchard]

From the question the writer ackowledges the truth within the question.

Salvation has some very basic but critical factors involved in the process:

1.) Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh.

2.) Jesus died, shed His blood for to cover our sins (without the shedding of blood there is no "cleansing" of our sins).

3.) Acknowledgement that your are sinner.

4.) Repenting sincerely of those sins. (not just for fire insurance)

5.) Asking Jesus to be Lord of your life.

6.) Lastly, beleiving He rose from the dead, as only God could.

If an individual has come through this process and you see a change in their life, (for the positive with respect to Christianity) in my opinion they have been saved. Salvation changes people pure & simple. By ye fruits you shall know them....

 

[Aaron]

Optional,

You were saved the moment you confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and believed in your heart that God had raised Him from the dead, Romans 10:9.

Don't focus on yourself (did I say the right thing? did I feel the right way? did I really understand what I was doing?), look unto the Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

 

[Larry]

I am amazed at all the judgmental people on this thread!

Who are you to JUDGE this man and tell him that he is saved?

Just kidding

Where are all the indignant "thow shall not judge" ppl ? If they wanted to be consistent they should denounce youall who Judged Optional.

 

[Optional]

Some diversity of opinion it seems.
Please notice I said that when I said the prayer I stipulated "believing" - not just "parroting". I also asked if I had died that day - "Would I be saved?"
Even Jesus said those that came in the eleventh hour were to be paid the same as those that came in the first.

I truly think that those saying the sinner's prayer,believing, are saved.
As you mature the fruits of that salvation will become evident (or not).

 

[Larry]

I can find tuns of scripture that make repentance and faith or one of the two to be requirements for salvation (depending, of cores, on the person needing saved) but I can only think of two or three that seem to add confession or prayer.

The main one is Romans 10:9. I think that in the light of all the scriptures that don’t mention confession as needed for salvation and the context of V9 (speaking of the OT prophecy, "whosoever shall call", Jew or Gentile) that we ought to leave it out as a requirement for salvation. If God saves someone, confession will be a natural result.

If Confession was needed before righteousness could be imputed and you were sealed unto the day of redemption, what about the people who can not talk? Based up on what I know about God, He could save you and you could meet any requirement for salvation, if you were paralyzed from the nose down.

[ December 19, 2001: Message edited by: Larry ]

 

[Larry]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> I truly think that those saying the sinner's prayer,believing, are saved.
As you mature the fruits of that salvation will become evident (or not). <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

How can you believe without repenting? The Bible talks about "believing in vain" 1 cor 15, and "believing unto the saving of the soul", so what's the difference? A saving faith is based upon repentance.

 

[Optional]

A saving faith is based on belief in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and that he died for your sins. Repentance naturally follows - sometimes very quickly.
MHO.

 

[Chris Temple]

Repentance must preceed or accompany faith, in order to be saving faith.

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 11.18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

2 Peter 3.9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Mark 1.15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Acts 20.20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Tim 2.25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

 

[Dr. Bob]

And both faith to believe (saving faith, not just the ordinary faith we have had so badly shaken since 911) and repentance from sin are GIFTS given to us from God when our stone-hard heart is "regenerated" in a New Birth by the Spirit of God. (Eph. 2:8-9, II Tim 2:25)

Remember, GOD does the saving. What man THEN does is called a "work".

And YES, believing something is a "work". Repenting of something is a "work". When YOU have to DO something, it is a "work".

If you DON'T have to "do" anything, what's it called?

GRACE. Thank you, Jesus!!

 

[Jamal5000]

Soooo...was I saved 30 years ago at age 16 when I said (believing) this simple prayer? Or was it days later when my spirit convicted me of my past sins and I fell on my knees in repentance?[/QUOTE]

Hi Optional,
You were not saved in either case if you look at these two situations independently. Instead, look at both situations as components within the entire process of receiving salvation which also includes

*truly believing that you are a sinner unable to live according to God's will by your own direction and deserving of death,

*believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that you must pattern your life as close to his as possible in order for God to see you as deserving eternal life rather than death,

*believing that God can only save you from death if you see Jesus Christ as God in human form.

*believing that God CHOSE to save you using this method and that salvation does NOT COST you anything because you cannot BUY it by living like Jesus Christ,

*believing that getting baptized and discipling yourself to live like Jesus Christ are choices that you are compelled to do when you get saved.

Many people believe that salvation is a definitive experience that you can pinpoint. Salvation is a definitive process that manifests itself through each individual in a unique way. Sometimes it happens in moment. Ultimately, All of these different experiences lead to the same end product: ever-increasing devotion to Jesus Christ because he is God.

I hope this helps a little bit.

Merry Christmas,
Jamal 5000

 

[Larry]

“….process of receiving salvation….. *believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that you must pattern your life as close to his as possible in order for God to see you as deserving eternal life rather than death,”

What in the world are you talking about?
Could you give chapter and verse?

 

[Chris Temple]

Jamal:

You are confusing salvation with sanctification. Salvation is an immediate moment occurrence; a person is given the gifts of repentrance and faith and is saved from above.

Sanctification is a process of beign conformed to the image of Christ over one's lifetime.

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.