Saved?

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

As we delve into this verse from Matthew, we are confronted with a deeply serious topic. false assurance. It's a situation that Jesus describes as truly frightening. It's the belief that one is saved when, in reality, they are not. This underscores the critical importance of understanding the requirements for salvation.

R.C. Sproul divided people into four categories: those who are not saved and know they are not saved, those who are saved and know that they are saved, those who are saved but do not yet know they are saved, and those who are not saved but have the “assurance” that they are saved.1

The issue Jesus speaks about comes from the two categories of people who have assurances of salvation; only one is truly not saved. How does this happen? It happens more frequently than I would like to think. Have you ever been to a church that has an alter call? The pastor says, "Repeat this prayer," and they repeat exactly what the pastor says, and boom, they are saved. Unfortunately, not every requirement for salvation has been met.  

Today’s scripture comes from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus exposes counterfeit salvation. So, how can one lead to a false sense of assurance? One is the lack of understanding of the requirements for salvation. The root is bad theology. The second can happen when there is good theology but a misunderstanding on the part of the person who believes they met the requirements.

Universalism is a significant contributor to false assurances. The belief that everyone will be saved leads to the faulty logic that if everyone is saved, I am a person; therefore, I am saved.' However, scripture teaches us that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone. It's the grace of Christ, not our own actions, that saves us. This truth should fill us with humility and gratitude, knowing that our salvation is for the glory of God.

Another issue that cause false assurances is legalism. Teachings of works of righteousness cause people to believe that they can save themselves. Catholicism is a great example of works righteousness. Water does not save, rituals do not save, nor does a church membership save. Only Christ can save us; we cannot save ourselves. Paul tells us this very thing in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

For us to be truly saved there must be a supernatural changing of the heart in which the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us. Our hearts are changed from stone to flesh. Christ makes us a new creation, hence the term born again. We realize the depth of our depravity and that we cannot change ourselves. Praying a prayer does not save us. Doing good deeds does not save us. Only Jesus Christ can save us, and salvation is bestowed upon us by Him when we come to have faith in Him as the risen crucified Son of God.

Do you have assurances of your salvation? What is that salvation based on? Do not be the one Christ turns away, all the while you have believed you were saved and were not. Read scripture and understand the requirements of salvation.

If you do not know Him, seek a biblical understanding of who Christ is and place your faith in him as the Son of God.

If you are not sure about your salvation, reach out to us here at inmessiah.com.

Grace and Peace!

R.C. Sproul, False Assurances: The Assurance of Salvation with R.C. Sproul, posted by Ligonier Ministries, March 18, 2023.