Are you "saved"?

                                                                        May 2, 2011

Are you “Saved”?

        In today’s world it matters not where you go, or who you speak to, everyone is “saved.” This article will address the issue of salvation. I will attempt to explain what salvation is, who receives it, and at what time.

In today’s world there are many religions, as well as many sects amongst said religions, especially in the Christian world. I will only be addressing Christianity, as it is the only true religion in which a man can be reconciled to God. All others are false.


In the churches today you’re told that if you should walk the aisle and “accept” Christ publicly you will be saved. That is a lie. This lie is based on the arminian doctrine of freewill (see, http://byeverywordofgod.blogspot.com/search/label/predestination).

Not only is the idea of “walking the aisle” unbiblical, but also the idea that a man can “accept” Christ. The entire doctrine is biblically flawed. In the scriptures we never see any altars being used except in the context of sacrifice. As Christians today, we don’t sacrifice animals. Christ was the true unblemished Lamb of God. What we today consider an altar is merely a place up in front of the church where one prays. In the old testament scriptures this is the place where sacrifices we’re made, not a place of prayer, necessarily. Thus, in the old testament, an altar was used primarily for sacrifice. To my knowledge it had no other use. That being said, the ideology of praying at the altar is unfounded in scripture. Altars are always used for sacrifice. There are no examples in the new testament of any altars being used by the early church. This entire conversion process is unbiblical.


In the new testament the only thing required for conversion is,

Acts 2:38

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

In this chapter we see the great commission, as it is called today, beginning. First Peter gives an argument concerning the prophecies in the old testament, and then when asked,

Acts 2:37

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Peter replies with the above (verse 38) mentioned verse. Peter didn’t call these people to kneel at any altar, or any other such device. Peter’s message is one of repentance. In today’s church this repentance isn’t understood. Many have been led to believe they can continue in their same lifestyle and pray a prayer upon completing any sin, and then they’re forgiven. This is what most I’ve spoken with tell me. However, this type of repentance, of course, lacks godly sorrow which enables the sinner to discontinue his lifestyle of sinning. The scriptures say concerning sorrow,

2 Corinthians 7:10

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death”

Unless your repentance contains genuine sorrow, your repentance won’t be sincere, it would then be “sorrow of the world.” Thus, you will  return to sinning, due to the insincerity of this type of repentance.  Godly sorrow brings salvation (see above verse). Unless you feel genuine sorrow for your sin, you know not God, and vice versa. In today’s churches the ‘public’ trip to the altar is said to be based on,

Romans 10:10

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”

The problem here is a bad translation. Let’s look at this word “confession” in the original Greek.

Strong’s #G3670

homologeō  Pronunciation
ho-mo-lo-ge'-ō (Key)
Part of Speech
verb Root Word (Etymology)
From a compound of the base of ὁμοῦ (G3674) and λόγος (G3056)
TDNT Reference
5:199,687 Vines
View Entry

Outline of Biblical Usage
1) to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent
2) to concede
a) not to refuse, to promise
b) not to deny
1) to confess
2) declare
3) to confess, i.e. to admit or declare one's self guilty of what one is accused of
3) to profess
a) to declare openly, speak out freely
b) to profess one's self the worshipper of one
4) to praise, celebrate

If we believe this word “confession” to simply mean:

1) to confess
2) declare
3) to confess, i.e. to admit or declare one's self guilty of what one is accused of
3) to profess
a) to declare openly, speak out freely
b) to profess one's self the worshipper of one
4) to praise, celebrate

then we must accept anyone who does so as our brethren, regardless of their lifestyle. This would mean that we would have to accept anyone who claims to serve our God with their mouth. In many cases this would mean we would even have to accept Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist etc…., simply because they claim their God and ours are the same, right? Are you aware the Catholic church, according to their own religious documents, accepts Muslims as their brethren? The following text was taken from an Catholic forum where the question was asked,

 “Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?”

The following is the answer given by a Catholic poster.

“From the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate

Quote:
3. The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth,(5) who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

Link: http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=118147

I looked this document up and found it to be authentic. It can be found at the following link in section three.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html

With that being said, it is my contention that one who “confesses” with his mouth is one who,

2 John 1:9

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son”

If you abide in his doctrine you will,

1) to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent
2) to concede
a) not to refuse, to promise
b) not to deny

“To say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent”

Just in case you don’t get my point; to agree with Christ is the only way you could speak the same things as he would. You would be conceding to his ‘truth’, accepting it as it is ‘truth’. Jesus said,

John 14:6

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”


You might ask at this point, “How do I know who is in truth and who is not?”

This question is easily answered, as Christ answered it himself (Christ being the Word).

1 John 4:6

“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

Jesus told his disciples this same thing John told the Church.

Luke 10:16

“He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”

He who “hears” God hears the truth when it is spoken to him. He who hears not, knows not God or Christ, his son. Jesus told the Pharisees,

John 8:47

“He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God.”

Jesus knew these men knew not his Father simply because they wouldn’t hear him. Paul says,

1 Timothy 6:3-5

“3If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising

5Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

Here we see the apostle Paul’s words ring true when we compare them to what Christ said. Paul said to withdraw from such men. If a man comes preaching anything other than Christ doctrine (what Christ said, i.e. the Bible), he’s a thief and a liar ( John 10 ), and the truth is not in him. This man, as well as the man who won’t hear your “sound words”, knows not God. Thus, he is not “saved.” Are you this man/woman?

Anyone who does not adhere to Christ doctrine, is damned. They have not believed the testimony God gave of his son.

1 John 5:10

“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”

He is thus,

John 3:18

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”

If you are holding fast to:

1. Freewill doctrine (see article entitled “predestination“)
2.God’s chosen people currently are those who live in the state/nation known as Israel today (see article entitled, “Who is Israel“)
3.Salvation through “water” baptism ( no article available at this time)
4. God doesn’t hate (see article entitled “Does God hate”)
5. When we die, we immediately go to heaven/hell (see article entitled “What happens when we die)

You are not abiding in Christ doctrine. Thus, you are not “saved.” There are way too many false teachings for me to list here. For the sake of convenience I have only listed these five. My blog will eventually (God willing) include many more subjects. If Christ didn’t say it, i.e. the Bible, you have added to his word.


Proverbs 30:6

“Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”

The scriptures say concerning liars,

Revelation 21:8

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”

If you are following after men whom the scripture deem false prophets, liars etc…., you are lost. There isn’t one sect of Christianity today that teaches the truth. They have all fallen away, as the scripture forewarned.

2Thessalonians 2:3

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”

Paul warned us of such a calamity. This scripture has never rang more true than today. Do you think the division amongst today’s churches represents the unity Paul spoke of?  Paul once said,

1 Corinthians 1:13

“Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”


God forbid! Nevertheless, the church has committed apostasy. They have,

Revelation 2:4

“Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love”


They have left their first love, entered Babylon, accepted her gods, and God is crying out,


Revelation 18:4

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

She has done this for the most part because,


Hosea 4:6

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children”

But only because her shepherds,

Zechariah 11:17

“Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword [shall be] upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.”


Ezekiel 34:5

“And they were scattered, because [there is] no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered”

Jesus told Peter, whom he had appointed to shepherd the flock,

John 21:15-17

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”


If Christ sheep aren’t fed the truth, they will die. Many people today are dying due to their being lied to, by men who are simply impersonating shepherds (wolves in sheep’s clothing). These men are the hirelings Christ spoke of.

John 10:11-13

“11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”

These men come as,

2 Corinthians 11:15

“Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

The truth is these men have no light. They are sent by Satan in order to,

John 10:10

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly”

The devil wants nothing less than to divide and conquer the Church of Christ. We must come out of Babylon and be obedient to God, being in remembrance of our first love.

When does salvation come?

At what point do we become saved? Is salvation received upon repentance? We will now explore what the scriptures say concerning this matter. This section of the article will take an in depth look at what the scriptures say concerning the losing of salvation, as well as when it is received.

Throughout the scriptures we hear of faith. For instance, the scriptures say,

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

This explains that our faith is the substance of things we HOPE for. We’ve never seen these things, we only hope for them due to our belief in them. That being said, the scriptures explain,

Hebrews 4:11

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief”

Paul says for us to “WORK” to enter this rest spoken of. Of course, we rest in Christ from the works of the law, yet we work to enter the rest which will come after this life. We are working to please our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus said,

Matthew 7:14

“Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Christ speaks of “narrow”. What is narrow? The way is hard! It is hard to enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ said,

Luke 13:24

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

Especially the rich.

Matthew 19:23-24

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Why do we need to “work” at something we’ve already received? Because we haven’t received it. We hope to, but Christ said in another place,

Luke 21:36

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man”

Only those found worthy will be able to stand in his presence, before him. As Christ said,

Luke 13:24

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able”

Many will try and, “NOT BE ABLE.” This is of course, due to the difficulty. The way is difficult because most love the world more than Christ. Christ said to,

Luke 14:26

“If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”

He also said,

Matthew 10:34

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

And,

Luke 12:53

“The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.”

What does all this mean you might ask? Does this mean we cannot have an emotional connection to our loved ones? No! The first verse speaks of “hating” your father, mother, wife children, brethren etc…., that is to say that God, no matter how great the pressure from any of the above mentioned individuals, must always come first. In this world we hear a lot about peer pressure, especially concerning our children in school. What we fail to recognize as adults is the amount of said peer pressure that is upon each of us everyday in order that we might fit in somewhere. We must stay obedient to God, and never forsake his laws.

The second verse mentioned (Matthew 10:34) is in reference to the outcome of what might happen should we decide to follow God and ignore the “peer pressure.” When you align yourself with God, in many cases, you become the enemy of those around you due to their many contentious beliefs concerning Him (God), especially with your very religious family members. This brings a sword between you and them (the sword being symbolic of war, strife and division).

The third mentioned verse (Luke 12:53) speaks further of this spiritual war that is engaged with your most closest loved ones, due to this truth you have been given by God. One must always remember that to love this world is ungodly, even the things of this world which we hold dear such as our family. Not that we don’t have an emotional attachment to them, or can’t; but we can never allow our feelings for them get in the way of our faithfulness to our God. We will always love them dearly, but we cannot forsake our Lord for them. We must forsake all for Christ, as Christ said.


These are the things we must practice which are hard. It is hard to tell an respected member of your family he is wrong. It is hard to go against the grain, knowing the reality of what might occur. Maybe your family will disown you, maybe they won’t. I can tell you from experience that many times the former is true (disowned, disassociated, slandered). You will be mocked, ridiculed and slandered for your truth, simply because the world hates it (the world hates the truth, due to their lack of love for the truth God sends them strong delusion 2Thess. 2:3 and even lying/false teachers/prophets 1 Kings 22:23).  If you love this world by relinquishing to the pressure, you make yourself an enemy of God.

James 4:4

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”

You cannot serve two masters.


Matthew 6:24

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”

The above verse is in regards to money, but can be applied to anything which overcomes an individual. You cannot serve God and your contentious father, mother, brother, sister etc…, you have one master, Jesus Christ, serve him and forsake the rest.

Now, I have rambled long enough. Let’s return to the topic of “when does salvation come?” I have attempted here to explain the difficulties involved in serving God. Hence, Jesus called the way “hard.” This is the part of the “works” we do in order to be found worthy to stand in front of our Lord. This is the salvation we work for. As I hope you can see, salvation is a work in progress. It doesn’t come immediately. It is my opinion that each Christian is currently being “saved” and yet has not been saved. Allow me to explain.

The best example I can show you is Israel being “saved” or brought out of Egypt. Paul uses them in several places as such examples. He instructs us to look to their example.

1 Corinthians 10:1-9

“1Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.”

Here Paul admonishes the church to keep in mind those who we’re rescued from bondage in Egypt. He explains that while the entire group was “saved” ( I’ll use this word for convenience) not all made it through trials/temptations in the wilderness. Paul says they all drank from the same spiritual rock (Christ), and yet some fell back and we’re destroyed. This happened to them because they we’re not all Israel, even though they we’re all the seed of Abraham (Romans 9:6) Needless to say, this very thing could happen to any one of us. But, this is where I must get into eternal security. Eternal security is the belief that one CANNOT lose his/her salvation. It is my belief that while they can’t, some will. Allow me to explain.

The scriptures say,

Hebrews 6:4-6

“4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

And

Hebrews 10:26-29
“26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

Both of these passages are telling us the same thing. Chapter 6 verses 4-6 say that it is impossible to

“If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;”

Chapter 10 verse  26 says,

“26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,”


What Paul is saying here in verse 26 would be the equivalent of the Levite priest saying,

“sorry folks we ran out of sacrifices, you’ll have to die in your sins.”

These individuals had known the truth, had tasted of the heavenly gift (the Holy Spirit) and yet have fallen back, leaving that very truth. They have openly shamed Christ by doing so. Keep in mind that this offense isn’t a mere sin, but a complete turn from the Lord, back to their sin (the dog has returned to his vomit, and the sow to the mire). This is what Peter spoke of,

2 Peter 2:22

“But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”


In the preceding verses in this chapter Peter expounds on the identities of these individuals. He compares them (false teachers in the church) to the prophet Balaam the son of Bosor (2 Peter 2:15), whom God himself rebuked for setting forth to curse Israel, which angered God (Numbers 22:22). This man Balaam had come to a certain knowledge (Numbers 22:12) and yet had gone back to his wicked ways, at a later date, but not before he blessed Israel as God had him do. This prophet/soothsayer/diviner was later destroyed by the children of Israel (Joshua 13:22) for his wickedness.

This man, Balaam, was rebuked by God, had come to a certain truth, and yet later returned to his divination, which is a practice God condemns. Peter uses his (Balaam) example in order to admonish the church, showing them what will happen should one turn from the one true God. Now we must move into another direction. We have already proven that one who is “saved” isn’t technically saved, at least they aren’t saved yet. The work of salvation may have begun, but is far from finished, if it is to be finished at all. The end of Balaam proves he was never really “saved” all the while he is compared, or rather these men who have left the truth in the church, are compared to him.

In another place it is said,

1 John 2:18-19

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

Now this passage speaks of “antichrist” but an antichrist is anything/one who opposes God. John says,

“They went out from us,”

Meaning they we’re once part of them. This passage has to do with false teachers, who we’re once part of the church collective, who have left the truth of God. Paul said,

Acts 20:29-31

“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”

These men spoken of here are the same men spoken of by John. These men are antichrist, as well as any man who opposes God, whether or not he/she has ever known the truth. The point is these individuals knew the truth and left it, as Paul speaks of in Hebrews chapter 6 and 10. These men are damned with no hope whatsoever. They have openly shamed Christ; trampling under foot the Son of God (Hebrews 10:29). The fact that one serves God for a period of time doesn’t necessarily mean he is one of us, just as Paul explained that all those who we’re considered to be Israel by blood we’re not all Israel (Romans 9:6). Those who God rescued from bondage in Egypt did not all stay faithful to God. Hence, they we’re not all God’s children, and many of them we’re destroyed by God. They had lost the faith they started out with.

Some people believe salvation can never be lost, while others believe it can, only to be received a second, third etc…, but both beliefs are obviously lies. Neither is biblical. Of course, I believe those whom God foreknew, whom he did predestinate, will definitely be saved; as the scripture so clearly explain. A few points I would like to make at this point are as follows:

1.Eternal security is based on sound doctrine, only not in the sense they portray it. While a man whom God foreknew and did predestinate will be saved; we cannot know who these individuals are until Christ returns, when his work is finished in us all; unless of course these individuals leave the truth. At that point we know they have no part in God. We cannot assume that because a man knows God today he will continue to serve him. The Israelites who  left Egypt initially had faith in God, and yet turned from him and lusted for the things of Egypt. Paul uses them as an example in this fashion, as shown in this article.

2. While the majority of Christianity today believes you can lose your salvation; the scriptures always portray any such individual eternally lost and without hope due to their lust for the things of this world, whatever those things may be, as has also been proven in this article with sound words and scripture.

3. Both these ideologies are unbiblical due to the reasons given forth in this article, and yet eternal security for those whom God knew from before  the foundation of the earth was laid, is true.

4. While eternal security is true for the above mentioned people (those whom God foreknew), telling a man he cannot lose his salvation incites him to sin; this man thinks God will overlook his sins because he has been told he cannot lose what God has given him.

5. Likewise, believing you can lose your salvation only to receive it again, over and over, is very dangerous. A man with this type of ideology, likewise, will return to his sins thinking they will be overlooked or that they can always return to God at a later date. This, of course, is very foolish thinking and unbiblical.

Salvation is a work of God which begins in  a man upon his repentance. It is a work that continues throughout his life. Throughout the scriptures Paul speaks of certain Christians in the context of babes. These are those converts who are only capable of eating/ drinking milk, as it is called in scripture. A few thoughts for the reader to consider:

1. Upon the birth of a child, what do you feed it? It is not capable of eating solid foods is it? The milk portrayed in scripture are the simpler things of God, while some things are more “meaty”, difficult to understand for the new convert and hard to apply in ones life.

2. Does a newborn babe resemble an adult? No! Neither will a new convert resemble a mature Christian. The analogy used in scripture is awesome when you think about it. It describes exactly how we, like a new born child, must grow into a mature adult/Christian.

3. As a Christian grows he can then eat the more difficult foods, just like a growing child who leaves the milk and eats meat.

4. Just as babies are born, Christians are ‘reborn’ individuals who must grow in Christ in order that they can become mature adults/Christians.

With that being said, salvation is an never ending, life long, process. Do we as human beings stop growing? We grow all the time in different ways. Not necessarily physically, but as we grow older we become more mature in Christ. Those of us that are saved that is.

Who receives salvation?

What does the scripture say about those who receive this gift of salvation. Who are they? Jesus said,

Mark 13:13

“And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

The end of what? (see article entitled, “What happens when we die?”) God told Daniel,

Daniel 12:2

“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

The end of our individual lives ends our journey, but the reward isn’t received until the Lord Jesus resurrects his church (the dead in Christ). That is when Christ returns for his church. Paul spoke of the “catching up” or as some like to call it today, the “rapture.” This includes the dead in Christ, as well as those who remain alive on earth.

The scriptures speak of enduring to the end in many places.

2 Timothy 2:12

“If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:”

The word suffer here is translated in other translations as endure. This verse sums it up pretty good. If we hold fast to our faith/hope we will reign with Christ. If we fall back, we will be denied by Christ, as we have denied him. Just as those Israelites who turned from Christ in the wilderness we’re destroyed, so shall we be if we turn from his Him/Truth.

As Christians we must endure all things unto the end. The scriptures say,

1 Peter 2:20

“For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God”

1 Corinthians 4:12

“And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it”

We must endure the persecution, slander, mocking and many more things to be “saved” in the end. We endure this for the sake of the brethren, as Paul did.

2 Timothy 2:12

“Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory”

And for the sake of,

Malachi 3:2

“But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap”

Christ said,

Matthew 24:13

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”

The end folks! (pun intended) May God bless you and show you his truth!

P.S. Paul said,

Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;)”