HAVE YOU BEEN SAVED?

Some people say that if at one point in their lives they "accept Christ as their personal Savior," then they will get to heaven. They may lead good lives after this acceptance, but they think that living a good life is not necessary. Their salvation is certain. It cannot be undone. They just "know" for sure that they have been saved.

What does the Bible say?

"Therefore my beloved, ... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12)

Paul was writing to people who were already "saved." They had accepted Jesus Christ, and yet Paul writes "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Paul himself was not certain about his own salvation. He said, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:27)

Just before that he compares life to a race. He said to run in such a way that you obtain the prize. Thus the prize, salvation, is achieved, not by one decision, but by running the race, or keeping up the effort until the race is over. However, Paul was not certain about his own salvation. He hoped for it. "Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:2)

"For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?" (Romans 8:24)

Paul warns against complacency. "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Peter writes to people who have accepted Jesus Christ, and this is what he says about those who came to know Jesus and then go back to worldly ways again: "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them." (2 Peter 2:20-21)

"Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but towards you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." (Romans 11:22)

If the people to whom they were writing were already saved, then Peter would not have written that it would have been better for some not to have known the way of righteousness than to have turned away from it. In other words, Peter did not accept the idea of being saved just by accepting Jesus as their personal Savior and that was all that was needed. Paul wrote the same idea to the Romans.

Paul tells the Corinthians that they should judge nothing before the time, but that the Lord will praise each one when He comes. "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.(1 Corinthians 4:3-5)

So we cannot judge ourselves as saved - the Lord is the One who does that.

Who will be saved?

Jesus gives the answer, and so does Paul. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

"(God) who will render to each one according to his deeds." (Romans 2:6)

"For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

How will one be saved?

"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved."(Matthew 10:22)

"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." (Mark 13:13)

"But he who endures to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 24:13)

"But Jesus said to him, 'No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God'." (Luke 9:62)

So, in order to be saved we must keep working at it. It is not a one-shot deal. In Matthew 25, we find that Jesus is advising us to be always ready for His coming. Some say that once they have accepted Christ as their personal Savior they can lead any kind of life they want - good or bad - and they are still saved. Here is what the Letter to the Hebrews says: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." (Hebrews 6:4-6)

What is involved in being saved?

1. According to the Word of God, to be saved does not involve just one element like "accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior." To be saved involves a process.

2. According to the Word of God, there are five elements involved in being saved:
   1. Repent of one's sins.
   2. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
   3. Be baptized.
   4. Receive the Holy Spirit.
   5. Do the Will of the Father - a lifelong process. "... (they) said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:37-38)

   Peter left out belief in Jesus Christ since he was talking to people who already believed in Jesus Christ. That day, the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and Mary, about 3000 were baptized. Jesus, in Matthew 7:21, says that he who does the Will of His Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.

1. What the Word of God says, and

2. The fact that God has given us the gift of Free Will by which we can choose good or evil at any time during our life - we are free, we are never locked into being "saved" or "unsaved" - we work out our salvation with fear and trembling [Philippians 2:12], and hope we will endure to the end [Matthew 10:22].

So when we are asked "Have you been saved?", What do we say?

We can say...
"I have been saved,"
"I am being saved,"
"I hope to be saved."

To explain further:

1. "I have been saved." It is a fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead in order for us to get to heaven. Jesus Christ has redeemed the world and has done his part to save the world.

2. "I am being saved." We are still, like Paul [1 Corinthians 9:24-27] running the race to achieve our salvation. Jesus is working in our life.

3. "I hope to be saved." We must keep working at our faith in God, our love of God, and doing the Will of God until we die. We hope that God will give us the grace to choose whatever will help us on the road to heaven. In this way, "I hope to be saved." As Paul writes, "... I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; not one thing I do, forgetting those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:11-14)

For Paul, salvation is an ongoing process which we continually work on.