Articles
So Close And Yet So Far
A Personal Illustration
Like many people, I once believed that saying the Sinner’s Prayer entitled me to a spot in Heaven. I was taught the ABCs of salvation by my Keys for Kids and Youth Group leaders at the Baptist church that I attended. Admit that I am a sinner, Believe that Jesus can save me, and Confess His name. These three admissions meant that I had eternal salvation and nothing else was required of me. I had a sure spot in Heaven and nothing could change that because God “would never leave me nor forsake me.”
I was assured of my salvation because all of this was backed up by Scripture, or so I thought. I had called upon the name of the Lord, I had confessed Him, and I had developed faith in God. I was all set. I knew John 3:16 supported the necessity of belief. I knew that Jesus demanded that people confess Him because that is what Matthew 10:32-33 said. I knew that people had to call on His name because that is what Romans 10:9-10 stated. I knew all this and I had responded accordingly.
I was taught to be baptized as “an outward sign of an inward change” over the next couple of years. I responded and was baptized at the age of 14. I remember the pastor asking what my name was while in the baptistery. As you might imagine, or have personally experienced, this is a very upsetting question. The pastor did not even know my name! I also remember receiving a certificate of admission into the Baptist church after the baptismal ceremony was completed. I had no idea why I received this certificate and nobody took the time to explain it to me. I suppose these may have been the first catalysts that got me thinking about what constituted real Christianity.
The Problem:
After a few years of attending youth group, I began to question much of the teachings taking place at the church. One in particular was the doctrine of “once saved always saved.” What if the person killed someone after saying the Sinner’s Prayer? What if someone refused to serve God later on in their life? Would they still get into Heaven? I was given several options. Some suggested that the individual was not sincere in their original prayer to obtain salvation. I disagreed with that assessment because I knew of people who were sincere when they made this prayer, had devoted their lives to God, and had accomplished wonderful things while in the faith only to later fall away and live in sin. Others continued to defend these individuals and suggested that on the Day of Judgment, God would sort through it all, the individuals would see their faults, all would be made right, and they would enter into God’s abode.
Another issue that got me thinking was the purpose for my baptism. I knew that Jesus taught baptism and that some people got around to it and others did not. Why didn’t everyone get baptized? What was the true purpose for it? Was it necessary? Why did I get this certificate of church membership upon my baptism rather than after saying the Sinner’s Prayer if that is all I needed to be a Christian? Wasn’t I a member of the Lord’s church when I got saved?
The Answer:
These two questions, in addition to self-defeating views concerning the return of Christ, led me to study the Bible more in-depth. When you become willing to study the Bible, you begin to distinguish between man’s teaching and Jesus’ teaching. People take for granted that what they are being taught is truth, especially when the teachers are pleasing to the hearers or hold a certain level of credibility as a teacher of Christianity. Things can go down smoothly though and bite back in the end. Not everything that is taught is truth, even when presented by people who are regarded as holy individuals. Peter was mistaken and taught a doctrine contrary to Christ (Galatians 2:11-14).
People calling themselves Christians can and do teach things contrary to the Lord’s will. People can teach a different Gospel and a different Jesus (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Corinthians 11:4). That is why we must train our senses and distinguish between the doctrines of men and the doctrine of Christ (Hebrews 5:12-14). The only way that we can do this is by studying the Word of God so that we may be able to be thoroughly equipped for every good work and able to teach, reprove, correct, and train others (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Christ commands us to present ourselves approved to God as unashamed workmen and the way in which we accomplish this is by accurately handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Why the emphasis on accurately handling the word of truth? Because there are men who claim a form of godliness, but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). These same men are the ones who deny the power of God as revealed in His one Gospel of Truth.
The answer for all of us is simple: we need to have respect for God’s Word. When a person develops this respect, they understand that at no point are they done studying it, at no point have they learned all that they need to know. Studying the Scriptures for a lifetime will not enable a person to fully grasp all that God has to say to us. I speak from experience. A person may believe that they are done, that they know all that they need to know, and that they have heard it all before, but that person is misguided and denies the vastness and glory of God. God’s truth is beautiful and majestic; it is also powerful and remains to this day the standard by which we must live our lives. Study it daily. Meditate on it for a lifetime.
Examining Yourself
I grew to learn that not everything I had been taught was correct. It was hard to hear and by no means did I accept it easily. Nobody ever does. People don’t like to be told that they are wrong. I am grateful though for the people who did. These people got me to think more about my personal struggles and to listen to the Word of God. I came to recognize that God’s Word needed to be the standard. “Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
If you are like me and realize that you lack a thorough knowledge of God’s Word or that you have been taught something that doesn’t make sense, I encourage you to realize that you are not alone. If you think that you know all that you need to know and have no desire to grow further, I beg you to reconsider. Jesus says to count the cost and He means it. If becoming a Christian didn’t cost you anything, there is a major problem that you need to deal with.
Becoming a Christian means that you have studied and understood God’s requirements for salvation. We must meet all of these if we are to partake in God’s grace and His free gift of salvation. Faith is the necessary response. Faith means that you properly respond to the evidence that God has provided (Romans 10:17; Acts 8:37a). One needs to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Acts 8:37b). Repentance, a changing of one’s life and decision-making also follows (Acts 2:38). As we see with the Ethiopian Eunuch, the one desiring Christ must also immediately be scripturally baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 8:38-39; compare 1 Peter 3:21). These are the true steps of salvation as given by God Himself. This is not the end though. Christians must live their lives according to the standard that Christ established. If they vary from this standard and do not seek forgiveness, they are lost and will not enter Heaven. (Hebrews 3:12-14).
Making the Necessary Changes
Maybe you are in the same boat that I was in. Maybe you feel the same struggles that I felt. Do you want to change that feeling? Do you want to know for sure, according to God’s Word that you have a spot reserved in Heaven?
I have addressed the requirements for that to happen. Have you met those requirements? If so, then you can be assured of that promise. If not, you cannot be a part of God’s promise. God has presented clearly what He requires of us. Will we respond accordingly? Or will we allow our own prejudices and the difficulty of changing our current viewpoints to prevent us from dwelling with God for eternity? Good people can be led astray. Nobody is invincible. You can change though if you have been led astray. Your life can be made right before God. Accept His standard and change your life today before it is everlastingly too late. Join a sound congregation where people will know your name, where the teaching is according to God’s law, and where the scriptural mode of worship is engaged in (John 4:23-24). Only there can you properly develop an appreciation and respect for God’s Word. Only there can you hope to abide in His teaching. Make the changes necessary to inherit eternal life. Don’t be the individual who comes so close and yet is so far from God.
