‘Never saved in the first place’?

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. (John 14:23-24 NLT)

Becoming disobedient to Jesus and returning to a life of “un-faith” doesn’t mean a person was “never saved in the first place.” That’s an easy excuse that avoids the issue and ignores the plain teaching of Scripture.

When a Christian begins to live again like an unregenerate person, it may mean the new believer was never taught about discipleship, about the need for a firm foundation and deep roots to endure in Christ. A sprout in shallow soil dies in the heat of the day. (Mark 4:5-6, 16-17) What if the shallow soil is the church that doesn’t teach about discipleship?

We have done new believers a disservice by teaching only the “born again” dimension of salvation. It is true: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 NLT) But what does it mean to believe? And must we believe for more than that one moment in which we are born again? And is it possible to quit believing? And what happens if we do?

A “once saved, always saved” conviction has led some preachers and evangelists to think they only need to proclaim “born again” salvation to get people into heaven. That is simply not true, but what does it mean for all those people — literally millions of souls — who have trusted Christ in evangelistic services but were never discipled? Will they be lost in the end? No, not if they sincerely accept Jesus and sincerely trust that decision for the rest of their lives. Perhaps they will read the Bible for themselves and grow in Christ. But how many Regular Church Attenders actually do that, much less those who only made a profession of faith and never became part of a fellowship of believers?

If people sincerely accept Jesus and sincerely trust that decision for the rest of their lives, I’ve got to believe they will enter heaven. God is faithful. Jesus will never forsake us. Nothing in heaven or earth can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Those who trust Christ for their salvation are secure in that salvation.

However, when we fail to teach new believers about obedience, bearing fruit, and enduring, we leave them at grave risk of failure. We don’t place a newborn in the crib and then never return to care for her. Many pastor/teachers do not teach about obedience, bearing fruit, and enduring. Perhaps it’s because their OSAS belief leads them to think discipleship is somehow optional. Perhaps it’s because church members don’t want to hear about discipleship after they have been taught they can be saved apart from it. In either case, without teaching about discipleship, it’s a second miracle of grace that any new believers survive at all. And if they don’t survive, part of the blame is ours.

Many new believers fail to become disciples because we do not obey the Lord’s command to make disciples. And what does Jesus say about those who don’t obey his commands?

Were they “bad soil” to begin with?

Mark 4:16-17

“In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;  and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.”

Those who fall away after receiving the truth: Do they fall away because they were “bad soil” to begin with and never really had the potential to thrive? Or was it because someone failed to be sure their roots were made firm?

When we fail to disciple new believers, are we condemning them to failure? Is it unfair to say that failing to disciple a new believer is like abandoning a newborn baby?

Don’t ignore the gift

2 Corinthians 6:2 – For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.”  Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

“Today is the day of salvation.” I’ve always heard that preached and taught and witnessed as an evangelistic message. “Don’t put off getting saved right now. You don’t know what tomorrow holds. This may be your last chance to get saved.”

But this passage is not about “getting saved.” It’s about “being saved.” It’s about discipleship, about living a life worthy of the costly grace that saves us.

Verse 1 in the NLT 2004 says: As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s great kindness and then ignore it.

Salvation is not just an event in my past; it’s also a matter of “today.” The NAS warns about receiving the grace of God “in vain.” The TEV cautions about wasting God’s grace. Philippians 2:12 tells us we have to “work out” our salvation “with fear and trembling.” Like Coach used to say, “It’s not over until it’s over.”

We can “receive God’s gift in vain” by accepting it on Day One, then proceeding to ignore it the rest of our lives. The pews of many churches are filled with people who think, “Yesterday was the day of salvation.” The pulpits of many churches are filled with preachers who think, “Salvation is about not going to hell.”

Yes, salvation is, in one sense, about what happened to me “yesterday.” On a wonderful day 50-plus years ago, I trusted Jesus to save me from my sin, and my destiny was changed forever. If you have not entrusted your life to Jesus, you need to do that right now.

But if, like me, you trusted Jesus “yesterday,” don’t fail to keep trusting him for salvation today. There’s more to this journey than pulling out of the driveway. If you want to get where you are going, keep driving.

The gift of grace that saves us was purchased at a horrific price. Don’t waste it. Today – not just yesterday – is the day of salvation.

Wide Gate Community Church

Does your church offer people a wide gate or a narrow one?

Matthew 7:14

Fail to follow: Fail

It’s not just a matter of accepting Jesus, we must also continue to follow him. Colossians 3:6 Fail to follow: Fail