BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
by selahV
Can a person be lost because they pray and believe Jesus saves him? If he confesses his sin and is cleansed from all unrighteousness trusting in God’s Word, can he still be lost? If you believe you are saved because God’s Word says you are saved, and you think you are saved, can you still be lost?
Are you concerned that some people will “think” they are saved when they aren’t, simply because they prayed a prayer? Can a person who “thinks” Jesus saves by grace and grace alone, still be lost even though they “think” it.
For me? I trust in God’s Word as the vehicle that is alive and living. It stops in front of me and opens the door. I can either, by faith, get into the vehicle and let it take me to the destination it says it is taking me, or I can stand on the curb and walk in my own way. Jesus and His atoning work on the cross is the back seat on which I sit. By His grace I am able to move toward Him and get inside and ride w ith Him to glory.
God’s Word says pray; I pray. God’s Word says confess; I confess. God’s Word says repent; I repent. God’s Word says He cleanses me from all unrighteousness; I’m cleansed. God’s Word says I am made righteous in Him; I’m righteous. God’s Word says the Holy Spirit seals me; I am sealed. God’s Word says profess Him with my mouth; I profess. God’s Word says I will know because the Holy Spirit reveals it to me. I know. God’s Word says, “Go tell.” I tell. God’s Word says Jesus is coming back; I’m waiting. selahV
i generally agree, but when you start talking about the bible (i take it you mean the bible when you say “God’s word”) as “alive” and “living” and even speaking, it seems that can go to some weird places. i believe the bible is inspired and authoritative, but it’s still not a person, it’s still not a deity.
i don’t know, maybe i’m reading too much into what you’re saying.
SelahV,
I agree with you. When you abide by what God’s Word says, then we can depend on God to do what He says He will do.
David
>Are you concerned that some people will “think” they are saved when they aren’t, simply because they prayed a prayer?
Good post. I assume these are mainly rhetorical questions, but the one I quoted above does actually concern me. The most sobering words in the Bible to me are Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
Barry Wallaces last blog post..Phil Keaggy: “Little Ones”
Mike,
ah…I’ve been up all night and right now I may be reading too much into your words, but let me say this: as you read my words they are little letters all grouped together and appear as marks upon the monitor screen before you. My words are hardly living, yet they represent the life of me, my being. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1 Jesus is the Word and the word of God is words He spoke and taught. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not perish or pass away.” Mark 13:31.
Now, of course the pages and the ink on the bible translation I have will pass away. Of course books, be they C.S. Lewis, or Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are not “living” breathing dieties. We could get into some weird stuff if I believed my bible could stand up in the place of my pastor and preach tomorrow morning. However, the Holy Spirit takes the words and uses them to guide us, and quicken us, does He not? When a preacher tells us he is bringing us a word from God, from where is he getting this word? When Paul wrote that faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by preaching, what is a pastor preaching? The words of Christ, or Gospel of Christ, isn’t he?
I’m rambling. I should take a nap. So, succinctly, no–the Bible is not a diety. And when I say that the Word “says”, I am saying that the words within the bible are saying, just as you are saying I said this or that because you are reading my words. I hope this helps answer your question. If not, I’ll give it another go later. Thanks so much for commenting. I wish you well with your publishing that long article you are writing. selahV
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David, God’s Word gives me direction all the time. Following Jesus is synonymous with following His Word, as I see it. My ideas are pretty useless without Him. Only He is able to work into me what His Word directs. “I considered my ways; I turned my feet to [obey] Your testimonies.” Psalm 119:59. Every time I think I have a way figured out, the Lord brings me back to Himself and to His Word to show me how little I can depend upon myself for anything. To me that is the largest part of faith. Trusting Him with everything. I wallow in His grace which is so sufficient. selahV
selahVs last blog post..CAN GOD’S WORD LIVE?
Barry, thanks for logging on. I really appreciate your validation for the post. The questions are to provoke thought and of course the one you picked out is one many folks have struggled with–especially in light of that passage from Matthew. I have given a great deal of thought to that passage through my years as a Christian–at one time it challenged me to pray most fervently and to examine my own life in Christ. I’m grateful that the Word of God gives us so many promises to assure us of His presence within us. I’m also glad that the Spirit of God confirms it in my heart. I do not trust my salvation to what I might say when I see Jesus and what I have “prophesied or done in His name”, I am trusting in Him and His attoning grace which made it all possible.
You ask some pretty challenging stuff on your site, too. I’ll try and get over and pay you a visit soon. selahV
selahVs last blog post..CAN GOD’S WORD LIVE?
selahV,
thanks for the response. i should have been more clear that i didn’t think YOU were turning the bible into a god or anything, just pointing out language “stuff.” i tend to agree with your points whole-heartedly. you said in your response, “the Holy Spirit takes the words and uses them to guide us, and quicken us, does He not?” i’ll give that a hearty amen. that was my purpose in commenting all along. again, thanks for the response. – mike
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Mike, I didn’t really think you thought I was turning the Bible in to a diety. 🙂 Seriously. But sometimes when a question comes up like that, others who read blogs may think the same thing and never ask the question. That’s why I tried to explain it better. Quite frequently, Christianese can get in the way of speaking simply–even when one thinks they are speaking simply. Appreciate you coming back. selahV
selahVs last blog post..CAN GOD’S WORD LIVE?
selahV, as alwyas I appreciate your thoughts and even more than that, your heart. It seems to me that passages like the one I quoted are designed to make us do two things–take a good hard look at our own hearts, and then look away from ourselves to Jesus. I like what Robert Murray M’Cheyne once said: “For every look at self, take ten looks at Christ.”
Barry Wallaces last blog post..Phil Keaggy: “Little Ones”
Barry, “For every look at self, take ten looks at Christ.” What a wonderful quote! selahV
selahVs last blog post..CAN GOD’S WORD LIVE?
I agree with what Barry has brought out in the Matthew passage he gave.
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I should add this, in my opinion the Bible is clear in that having love for others, love for God, the Trinity is the sign of a true born again Christian. The fact that Christ said this was the most important Commandment points me in that direction. 1 Corinthians along with other passages point me in that direction.
We can do all the things the Bible say on prayer and other things, but without love they mean nothing according to chapter 13.
Debbie Kaufmans last blog post..John MacArthur’s Response To Christians High Divorce Rate According To A Poll, His Response May Surprise You
Hey Mike, I found this other passage of scripture that actually speaks a bit clearer for itself than I spoke for it:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12).
The Amplified, translates that as:
“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest of our nature], exposing and sifting and anaylizing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
Just thought I’d share that. selahV
selahVs last blog post..BY GRACE WE LIVE
selahV,
nice verse, but i’m afraid the most logical antecedent for logos/word in that passage might not be the bible. it seems to be the living logos/word, i.e. Jesus Christ, seeing as how the very next verse adds, “and there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (NASB).”
i’ll add that i’m not a big fan of the amplified version – it’s guilty of the overload fallacy. most words have multiple meanings, and context determines meaning at a given time. trying to cram all meanings on every use of a word is called the overload fallacy, and the amplified version tries does this by putting every meaning of a word in parentheses.
anyway, i better post this before the coffee keeps me going and i write a book full of tangents. thanks for another response
mike
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Thanks Mike. That’s basically why I added the Amplified because it made the distinction between “word” to “Word”. I thought it probably meant Jesus Christ. Nice discussion, though. selahV
selahVs last blog post..BY GRACE WE LIVE
The Bible is like a letter from a loved one, highly meaningful to say the least. In this case, however, the book gives us the words of God Himself, and they speak to us just as God spoke to people across the centuries and the milleniums. Consider how Jesus said to the Sadducees, “Have you not read that which was spoke to you by God saying.” He then proceeded to quote the words from the burning bush spoken to Moses. If the words spoken some 1400-1600 years before our Lord’s time from a burning bush were also spoken to the very people of His day they are also spoke to us two thousand years later.
.-= Dr. James Willingham´s last blog ..The Climax of the Reformation =-.