There are some really outrageous and strange things coming out of the mouths and pens of many a modern day Preacher, especially those who claim to be "Fundamentalists." The latest is that of saying a person can be "Saved" whether he "knows it or not." Is that even possible?
Can a person really be saved without knowing it? (That almost sounds Calvinistic).
I challenge you, dear reader, to look in the Bible for a verse about this. And see if you can find a passage or two that speaks of getting saved as something that just happens to a person without their knowledge. You'll have a rare verse if you find one, because it's simply not there. Instead you'll find that in the Bible salvation is dependent upon "KNOWLEDGE." A person has to hear and understand the Gospel before they can believe it and be saved. Surely, just "head knowledge" is not enough. There must be a "heart belief" or a receiving of the free gift of eternal life by FAITH in the finished work of Jesus Christ (i.e. His blood atonement). But that heart belief cannot come without the head knowledge first, for how can someone trust in something they know nothing about???
That's just simple second grade logic, as well as sound Bible doctrine. So why is it many modern day spiritual dwarfs (which many claim to be Christian giants) can't grasp that simple fact?
Here is a comment on Romans 10:13 in a new popular "Reference Bible" by a very famous Bible Teacher. He says:
"That is what causes panic in Hell and a celebration in Heaven. God either told the truth or he didn't. If you call upon His name for salvation, as found in verses 9-10, He saves you WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT. If you called upon His name as found in the passage and He DID NOT save you, then he LIED. So SOMEBODY is lying if you DOUBT YOUR SALVATION after you have 'called upon His name': either you or Him. DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO GUESS WHICH ONE?"
Now several things are wrong with this. First of all, he says a person can be saved, "whether they know it or not." This is not Bible doctrine! A person can not be saved without knowing it! Secondly, he says either God or man is a liar. But he should not be so hasty to make someone a liar who doesn't go along with his doctrine. Finally, he fails to DEFINE the word "call," which makes a giant mess in his doctrine.
In the Bible, when we read of "calling" upon the name of the Lord in Romans 10:13, we must look at the rest of the passage for the CONTEXT. And it's there we find the context of "calling" is not just a vocal invocation with the MOUTH. It is belief from the HEART! In other words, it's TRUSTING or RELYING UPON completely and solely upon the finished work of Christ.
This is why we find a cross reference in 2 Tim. 2:2, which speaks of them, who "call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
Here we are told calling comes from the heart and not just the mouth. This is so very important, as many a modern Fundamentalist Pharisee is so far from the scriptures that he can't even think straight. Most of them think when the Bible speaks of calling it is only refering to "repeating a prayer with one's lips" or "pronouncing a dictated prayer" or "begging God to be forgiven with the mouth." But if this is all that happens, and there is no faith on Christ from the heart, the sinner is NOT SAVED!
Even Jesus draws this simple distinction when he says, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." (Matthew 15:8 ).
Again, let me restate that biblically, it is possible to come to God and call upon God with the MOUTH, but if a person does that without believing from the HEART, he is still lost. Why? Because he "called" the wrong way!
In Matthew 6:7, Jesus speaks of those who erroneously think God will hear their prayers repetitious prayers: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
God does not save anyone just because they "ask for salvation." Nay, God only saves people who TRUST him to save them. There is a fine line, but a huge difference. For those who only ask for forgiveness are hoping to obtain salvation because they asked (something they DID). While those who are saved, are not trusting in anything they did, but resting solely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ, and what HE DID FOR THEM!
Modern day "Soul Winning" tactics, and many modern day "soul winners" forget this simple fact. They are often instructed to just go out door to door and show a sinner a couple of verses (usually only three or four) and then tell them, "Now repeat the Sinner's prayer after me!" If the person does so, they then go away bragging about it, after telling that person they are saved. But what if that person prayed with the mouth, but had no faith at all from the heart? Is he saved? Absolutely not! Modern Fundamentalists don't think about this at all. And many refuse to address it when faced with it. But it is a very important issue, one which is capable of damning many souls to Hell, for it can oftentimes leave a person trusting in the PRAYER he SAID, instead of trusting in the PENALTY paid for him by the blood Jesus SHED.
So strong is this "1-2-3-Pray after me," mentality, that many a Christian actually believes that's the plan of salvation. They use the "Sinner's Prayer" and tell a person to pray it. But this leads oftentimes to a soul praying it over and over again, night after night, and when they find no assurance, they use it almost as a mantra, trying to convince themselves if they pray it enough, God will save them. But where is this in the Bible? And, if it didn't give them assurance the first time, why would they think it would the second, or third, or eight-hundredth time? Many who pray this prayer over and over again do so because they are LOST! And they are trying to still find forgiveness the only way they know how, by begging God for it from the mouth. But by so doing, they are trying to get saved by what they DO (their prayer) instead of simply giving up their own righteousnesses and trusting solely upon what Jesus has already DONE to save them.
Fundamentalist Chrisitans who believe salvation is by calling only with the MOUTH are actually no better than Fundamentalist Muslims, who believe the same thing. For example, I visited a Mosque a few years back with a Pastor friend and we were given the royal tour of the place. As our guide showed us around, he bragged upon how several European white people had recently visited and converted to Islam. I wondered what he meant, and asked questions. Do you know how Muslims count a convert? They believe if a person will only say, "Allah is God," then he is a convert to their religion. (But if you study history, you'll find Allah was an idol and a moon god in an old pagan religion!)
As we were leaving the Mosque, our guide tried to get us to say, "Allah is God" before we left, subtley trying to convince us that his god was the same as our God. I would not say it, and he became angry, yelling over and over, "Say Allah is God! Say it! Say it!"
I would not, and finally just said, "I cannot and will not because I know who Allah really is. So I say, 'Allah is NOT God.' " He became even more angry, and we got out of there fearing for our lives. But as I looked back, I realized, all he wanted was to brag about making two new converts. And if we would have said what he wanted to hear, he would have bragged about us joining his religion. How different is this from modern Fundamentalism?
But even if I had said to him that "Allah is God," I would not have meant it. And the joke would have been on him, for I would have said it from the MOUTH, but not believed it from the HEART.
How is it modern Fundamentalist don't see that many of the "converts" they claim to "win" do the same? For they never darken the door of a church thereafter, never get baptized, and never have a change in their lives. But yet, some soulwinner told them they were saved, and so they will tell others they are, even as they go to bars, drink, smoke, cuss, fornicate, etc.
Does anyone else see this horrendous problem? Or am I the only one? How can Christians be so blind to this?
So back to our original thesis: Can a man be saved without knowing it? Absolutely not! At least not in the Bible. To be saved, a person needs to know what salvation is, and what to be saved from, and what it is that saves them. It's not their MOUTH, or anything said from it that saves them. It is their faith. And that faith must be placed in the right thing. And the Bible teaches that a man's faith must be in the SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST (Rom. 3:25).
Men who say a man can be saved without knowing it are not giving you Bible, but rather a lot of gas. They are not telling you what GOD said, rather teaching a MAN-MADE doctrine. Just look at the verses below, which clearly show a person must KNOW the TRUTH before they can get saved.
1 Tim 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1 Tim 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Tim 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Col 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Notice these verses show a person must HEAR the gospel before they can believe it. He must KNOW something before he can believe something. And if a person KNOWS and then trusts Jesus as his Saviour, then he'll KNOW he's saved and on his way to heaven.
How about you? Are you saved? Do you know it! For the Bible teaches a "know so" salvation, not a "I sure hope so" salvation. If you don't know, you can! Just repent of all your own filthy righteousnesses, and trust in the blood and righteousness of Jesus CHrist alone.
For more on the biblical doctrine of "CALLING UPON THE LORD FOR SALVATION" read my book on the subject at:
For more on the doctrine of salvation, go to:
No comments:
Post a Comment