SALVATION: One would expect salvation to be a simple concept, and it is from God’s perspective. However, from earth it is complex. For example, Jesus identifies a large group of folks who believe they have salvation, but don’t (Mt 7:21-23). A different group wants and seeks to enter God’s kingdom, but is not able (Lk 13:23-24). Yet another group is described by the word “temporary” (Mat 13:21), true believers who endure for a while, but drop out for various reasons. Then there are true believers who are lost all over again due to a careless regard of sin (Heb 3:12-14, Ja 5:19-20). Peter nailed it with this insight: “And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner” (1 Pet 4:18).
Fortunately, there is a test you can take that will tell you where you stand in relationship to salvation (2 Cor 13:5). It is not a test you can afford to fail. We're including a sample of this test below, though we recommend you take Paul's challenge much further.
We hope this section helps you navigate through the maze of salvation theories found in the church.
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A Sample Test: “Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you ~ unless, indeed, you fail the test!” (2 Cor 13:5)
A great place to start this test is 1 John 5:13, “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Most of us want peace with God when it comes to knowing if we have eternal life. John says he wrote "these things" for this very purpose! What are "these things"? We want to know! For the sake of brevity, they can be consolidated into five questions (1 John is a short letter).
1. How is your relationship with other Christians?
If anyone says, “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar (1 Jn 2:9, 11; 3:15; 4:20). The one who loves his fellow Christian resides in the light (1 Jn 2:10).
2. What are you doing about the sin in your life?
If we say we have fellowship with God, and yet “keep on walking in darkness, we are lying” (1 Jn 1:6). If we say “we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8; 3:4). The one who practices sin is of the devil (1 Jn 3:8).
3. Are you following (or attempting to follow) God’s commands?
The one who says, “I have come to know God and yet does not keep His commands is a liar” (1 Jn 2:4).
4. What are you doing about worldliness (materialism, luxury, entertainment, money, etc)?
If anyone loves the world (“the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions”), the love of the Father is not in him (1 Jn 2:15-16).
5. What is your reputation regarding Jesus Christ? Do you openly identify with Him?
If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him (1 Jn 4:15).
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