I love Pastor Matt Heard's preaching. Sometimes, though, he seems to say that people can be saved by "following Jesus."

I was wondering what the rest of you thought about this...

Precisely speaking, according to the Bible, no one is saved by "following Jesus."

Judas, who *never believed* in Jesus, "followed Jesus" around the Holy Land, literally, for three years.

Only those people who, by God's grace, "believe in Jesus" are saved.

So, what does "believe in Jesus" mean? To "believe in Jesus" means to believe Who He Is (true God and true man), and to believe what He did (died on the cross for MY sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day.)

We believe in what HAS BEEN DONE for us by Jesus. That alone is what saves us: Jesus and His blood shed on the cross for our sins.

We are saved by Jesus alone--with *nothing* added to His finished work.

That is the Gospel.

People who "believe in Jesus" are irrevocably saved.

They have eternal security: they will never go to Hell, no matter how little they follow Jesus or how much they sin.

They are saved forever.

Salvation is a *free gift*.

It is, of course, God's will that they love and obey Him and become progressively holy through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and through God's "grace." (unmerited favor).

It is God's will that through prayer, through reading His Word, and through following Him, believers would enter a fellowship "relationship" with Him.

But even if they make no progress in following God, even if they sin a lot, they are saved forever, and will be in Heaven, because Heaven, everlasting life and salvation are *free gifts* from God through faith in Jesus, with *no strings attached*.

This is the meaning of "grace."

They will have, however, fewer rewards than they would have had if they had they faithfully served Him. They also may have no peace of mind or assurance of their salvation, even though they are saved.