Is it possible for a person to TRULY BELIEVE that Jesus is God (and man), that He died on the cross for his or her sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day--and NOT be saved?
Is there were any way that a person who believed the Gospel to be true could somehow be unsaved?
Many people believe that there are some people who believe the Gospel but are still are unsaved.
That is wrong.
Every person who truly beieves in Jesus will be saved.
Some people KNOW the Gospel message, but do not believe it, but this is NOT what I'm refering to.
In the Bible, salvation is based on a person believing a truth proposition: that Jesus is God and man and that he did for us what He said He did: He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day.
The following things are NOT required by the Bible for salvation:
An emotional experience.
A "commitment."
A "changed life."
Good works that flow from faith.
"Asking Jesus into your heart."
Really trusting "hard"
Becoming a disciple of Jesus
Following Jesus
Believing in Jesus, believing the Gospel message, is what is necessary to be saved from eternal damnation.
No more, no less.
It is the most important fact in Christianity.
A person who is a disciple of Jesus, who follows Jesus, without believing the Gospel, is not a saved person.
The article below explains all of this in detail.
It is the most important article about Christianity that I have ever read. (And I can only say that about ONE article, right?)
I have read it many times, always to the blessing of my soul.
Here it is:
Danger
By Dave Breese
One of the animated discussions which is now in the evangelical Christian scene surprisingly concerns the very issue of salvation itself. The question, therefore, of "What must I do to be saved?" is now being answered in a more complicated fashion than simply, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31). Traditional fundamentalists and most Evangelicals have long held to the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. The answer has now become more elaborate than that, as Christians newly discuss whether salvation is by faith alone or by faith plus some other things.
Stated very simply, the view that is now called "Lordship Salvation" (a view rarely defined to the satisfaction of anyone) holds that the offer of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is false, for faith includes good works.
There are a number of deficiencies involved in this view, which should be noted:
1. It improperly understands justification by faith. Justification does not mean to be "made righteous" or to "progressively become righteous." Rather, it means to be "declared righteous."
It is improper to define faith as "commitment," "dedication," "surrender," or any other expression which suggests a kinetic response on the part of the soul.
2. It ignores imputed righteousness. We are not saved by imparted, infused, or earned righteousness. No indeed, we are righteous by imputation.
3. It confuses justification and sanctification. To say that progressive sanctification is an "inevitable result" of salvation is evidence of doctrinal confusion. In each Christian, there may be at times a varying degree of affirmation to the leading of the Lord.
4. It misrepresents salvation itself. Salvation is presented in the Scripture in three tenses or three aspects. When I accept Christ, I have instant and eternal salvation in the sense of deliverance from the penalty of sin. As I live my life in commitment to Christ under the leadership and empowering of the Holy Spirit, I am delivered from the power of sin. Some Christians are insufficiently delivered from the power of sin, even to the extent of sickness (1 Cor 11:30) and physical death (1 Tim 1:20).
In the future, I am promised deliverance from the presence of sin. The Christian’s future in heaven is vouchsafed because of salvation by imputation and positional sanctification. When he believes, he is already seated in the heavenlies with Christ (Eph 2:6), and he is promised that he will never perish (John 10:28).
5. Lordship Salvation diminishes the value of New Testament truth for the Christian. A very high percentage of the epistles of the New Testament are written as instructions to believers. These instructions have produced conviction and commitment in millions of Christians down through the history of the Church. Lordship Salvation cancels the value of these admonitions, in that it declares that if one does not obey these instructions, one is not a Christian. Therefore, the answer to Christian imperfection (obvious in the character of many Christians) is that this person was never saved and needs to be saved. So evaporates the value of all instructions to grow in grace.
6. It holds the impossible doctrine of salvation by perfect commitment. The doctrine that one is saved by submission to the Lordship of Christ, cannot admit to the possibility of imperfect commitment. For, from a logical point of view, imperfect commitment is not, in fact, commitment. In that most honest Christians will admit to imperfect commitment, they are thereby admitting that they are not Christians. The impossibility of "perfect commitment" is a troublesome problem to the Lordshipists. So "Semi-Lordship Salvation" is what this notion is at best. We await word as to what percentage of commitment produces salvation. (Hint–the scriptural answer is zero, for salvation is by "unmerited favor," i.e., the grace of God.)
7. Therefore, Lordship Salvation makes assurance tenuous or impossible. Submission to the Lordship of Christ as the basis of salvation holds open the possibility that at some future date one may be less than perfectly submissive. If one holds to the Lordship Salvation view, one’s basis of assurance of salvation is gone.
8. It diminishes the value of Calvary. In the Lordship view, Christ becomes less the Savior and more the Helper. Under this view, I cannot "cast my helpless soul on Him," but rather I must cooperate with His helpfulness.
9. It equates discipleship and salvation. The advocates of salvation by commitment to Christ uncritically (and with profound lack of discernment) view the many calls of Christ to His own to come and be His disciples as the call to believe the Gospel. Consequently, the expression "Follow me" becomes the way of salvation. Hence, until one becomes a disciple, he is not a Christian. The call to become disciples of the King, extended to Jewish individuals, is very different from the call to believe and therefore be saved by grace and become a member of the Body of Christ.
10. It misunderstands repentance. To translate metanoia as "repentance" has been most unfortunate. "To do penance" is not its meaning. It means "a change of mind." Too often this will be thoughtlessly defined as "a turning about," "sorrow for sin," "being sorry enough to quit," "a complete change of character," or "making restitution"–all such definitions are falsehoods. By these inaccurate definitions, faith in Christ is freighted with burdens impossible to bear. Such defective epistemology has demoralized many a Christian.
11. It disorganizes the Christian mind. Salvation is either by grace or by works. They cannot be mixed (Rom 11:6). Works produce no standing before God or merit for heaven. Mixing grace and works overly strains the Christian mind. With these inchoate ideas (exhumed doubtless from the vicinity of Rome) who can say with assurance "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim 1:12)? Paul could
Conclusion
These and many other considerations should be kept in mind when one examines the various ways of salvation being offered on the evangelical scene of our time. Much of the confusion of these days would be instantly resolved if we would remember that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. To redefine these words is not permitted, for they have real, changeless, and eternal meaning. Let us then remember: "Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that works not, but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom 4:4-5).
We know that we are people of eternal consequence because we were made in the image of God. We were redeemed by the most precious substance in the universe, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. We were called by the Holy Spirit into a life of great purpose.
The most important truths:
"...the Word (Jesus) was God..."
"...the Word (Jesus) became flesh..." >>John 1:1;14.
"He who believes in the Son (Jesus) *has* everlasting life;
and He who does not believe the Son (Jesus) shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." >>John 3:36.
For by *grace* you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the *gift* of God, *not* of works, lest anyone should boast. >>Ephesians 2:8,9.
Believe in Jesus: that He is God, that He suffered and died on the cross for all of your sins: past, present and future; that He was buried, that He physically rose from death on the third day--and you will be immediately forgiven, saved forever, and go to Heaven the minute you die.
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