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What Does it Mean to be Saved? | Part II – How Do You Get Saved?

The following is the script used as part of the “Muscular Christianity Podcast,” which you can access by clicking here.

I) Intro

Hey guys, Bruce Gust with Muscular Christianity.

This is part two of a three-part series pertaining to Salvation.

Part One, we looked at what does it mean to be born again. This is part two where we’re talking about how do you actually become born again?

How do you get saved?

And as far as I’m concerned, this is gold right here. This is Holy Spirit, Word of God, bottom line kind of stuff. It’s the type of thing that you really want to be paying attention to because there are a number of people out there that believe that simply by verbally acknowledging that Christ died and came back to life they therefore qualify as a Christian.

You want to be careful with that kind of approach because Romans 10:9-10 makes it clear that there’s more to “believing” than simply saying the right words.

This is where we kick off Part Two.

Are you ready?

Here we go.

II) More Than Words

Romans 10:9-10:

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Rom 10:9-10)

You believe.

That’s it.

You can’t earn God’s favor and you don’t merit his grace with anything you do or abstain from. The Bible makes it clear that all you have to do is simply embrace the reality of Christ as being absolutely true.

And there you go.

Bear in mind though, that you can believe something to be true, yet it not be adopted as a matter of practice.

It’s like looking at a chair, believing that it can support you, but until you’re actually sitting in it, your belief is an intellectual exercise as opposed to a practical commitment.

Think of it this way, you can believe that the speed limit is 55 and still be going 80. You can believe that diet and exercise is important and yet never work out. You can believe that it’s time to get up and still stay in bed.

2:19 You believe that there is one God. A clear reference to the passage most familiar to his Jewish readers: the shema (Dt 6:4-5), the most basic doctrine of the OT. Demons believe. Even fallen angels affirm the oneness of God and tremble at its implications. Demons are essentially orthodox in their doctrine (cf. Matt 8:29-30; Mk 5:7; Lk 4:41; Acts 19:15). But orthodox doctrine by itself if no proof of saving faith. They know the truth about God, Christ and the Spirit, but hate it and them. (“MacArthur Bible Commentary”, John MacArthur, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 2005, p1888 [commentary on James 2:19])

Believing that Jesus Christ died and came back to life as a historical fact doesn’t qualify you as being any different than the demons.

James 2:19:

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (Jas 2:19)

You can see something similar in Matthew 7 when Jesus says:

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt 7:21-23)

However you want to envision that part of you that drives the way you think, act and feel – whether you want to think of it as your personality or your soul – the important thing that needs to be established is that it’s more than just a mindset or a mood.

It’s what makes you the person that you are.

The Bible calls that your heart. When you believe something in your heart, you’re not just conceding its accuracy from an academic standpoint. When you believe something in the context of your intellect, it will change your mind. But when you believe something in your heart, it will change your life.

Dr. John MacArthur elaborates on this in his commentary on Romans 1:16. He says:

Saving faith consists of three elements: (1) mental: the mind understands the gospel and the truth about Christ (10:14-17); (2) emotional: one embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joy over God’s mercy and grace (6:17; 15:13); and (3) volitional: the sinner submits his will to Christ and trusts in Him alone as the only of salvation (see note on 10:9). Genuine faith will always produce authentic obedience (see note on 4:3; cf. John 8:31; 14:21-24). (“MacArthur Bible Commentary”, John MacArthur, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 2005, p11505 [commentary on Romans 1:16])

If you break that down, you’re looking at body, mind and soul like what it says in Luke 10:27. Again, like I said before, it’s the difference between a historical fact as opposed to a personal reality.

That’s the kind of belief being referenced in the book of Romans and that’s the kind of belief that gets you saved.

We’re getting ready to do “Part Three: How Do You Know That You’re Saved?” But listen, guys, again, this stuff is huge. And I want to make a point of mentioning that all of this that we’re talking about is something you want to validate for yourselves by reading and researching the Scriptures all this is based on.

Go out to muscularChristianityonline.com and click on the link that says “Podcast Notes.”

I’m Bruce Gust with Muscular Christianity. Let’s go make a difference.

What Does it Mean to be Saved? | Part III

I) Intro

Hey guys, Bruce Gust, Muscular Christianity.

This is Part Three of a three-part series pertaining to Salvation.

In Part One we looked at what does it mean to be saved. In Part Two we talked about how you get saved and listen, while all of this is important, Part Two is absolutely crucial because you want to base your identity in Christ on what it says in the Word of God.

Contenting yourself with the idea that you’re born again just because you’re comfortable repeating the same words a demon would say about the Resurrection of Christ is not in line with what Scripture says as far as, not just confessing with your mouth, but believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.

When you believe something in your heart, the death and resurrection of Christ is no longer just a historical fact. Rather, it’s a personal reality and that’s what you need to ensure is in place in order to qualify as someone who is truly born again.

So, be sure to out to MuscularChristianityOnline.com, click on Podcast Notes, find that particular episode and look at the Scriptures that are either being referred to specifically or what’s referred to in the Notes. You don’t want to overlook those things that define a saving faith as defined in the Bible and instead be placing your confidence in a meaningless sound bite.

Now let’s take a look at Part Three: How do You Know that You’re Saved?

II) The Wrong Side of the Road

Imagine you’re driving on the wrong side of the road, right?

A police officer comes up alongside you and tells you to pull over.

All right.

Now imagine that instead of pulling over, you just roll your window down, you yell out the window, “Hey, I’m sorry,” and then you continue driving just as you were before.

Ridiculous, right?

But this is the way some process sin. Their driving on the wrong side of the road isn’t a real problem, at least as far as it being something that needs to be forgiven.

And if they are willing to concede that they need to have a little talk with Jesus, they don’t really ask for forgiveness as much as they just go through the motions so they can feel better about themselves.

They’re not willing to confess that they’re doing anything wrong.

Just like that scenario where the police officer is saying, “Hey, you need to get back in your lane or you need to pull over,” they not see that as being something that they need to respond to.

It isn’t a problem.

They don’t recognize God as an Authority, they’re not changing their behavior – they’re not pulling over.

And you see all of this captured in 1 John 3:6

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 Jn 3:6)

In other words, if you’re not pulling over when the spirit of God motions you to the side of the road, you’re either a very immature Christian and discounting the reality of sin or you don’t have the Holy Spirit living in you, which means you’re not saved.

Bear in mind, John isn’t saying that unless you’re a morally perfect individual that you’re not born again (Rom 7:14-25). What he is saying is that if you ignore God’s Voice, whether it be something documented specifically in Scripture or that sense of hesitation, you feel that’s prompted by God’s spirit, which is called Conviction (Jn 16:8).

When you feel that, if you’re not stopping, if you’re not pulling over, well, then something’s off.

How do you know you’re saved?

Ask yourself if you pull over and if you’re willing to acknowledge your shortcomings when God points them out and then make the necessary changes to your behavior in the aftermath.

Do you pull over?

III) What About Those Situations Where You’re Not Really Doing Anything Wrong, But…

And listen, human beings are guilty of occasionally making conclusions based on a very subjective collection of criteria. There are times where you might be doing something that, to other people, looks positively wrong and suddenly you’re being criticized for something you don’t believe to be a problem.

How do you navigate that kind of situation?

A) Eating Meat

Here’s the thing: In First Corinthians (1 Cor 10:23-33), Paul addresses a situation where new believers were having a hard time with those who were eating a piece of meat that had been used as part of a pagan religious ceremony.

In their minds, to eat that meat was indirectly engaging in idolatry and it was a real problem for them. And it wasn’t because they were being overly particular. This was something that was a part of their culture and now, having been born again, they’re looking at everything through a new set of eyes and they’re seeing this as a sin.

Thing is, not everyone is seeing that way but for those who are hesitating, they’re now vulnerable to make some concessions that are sinful because of the way they’re processing this situation as permission to “bend the rules.”

Paul reinforces the idea that to view the meat as tainted is ridiculous for any one of a number of reasons, but…

If you know you’re in the presence of someone who’s struggling with this situation, Paul encourages those who are more mature in their thinking to simply abstain from eating the meat if they know it has the potential to be perceived as a problem.

The bottom line being that you want to promote the spiritual growth of those who are new to the faith, not just for their sake, but also for the sake of being able to make God’s glory and prominence all the more appealing.

First Corinthians 10:31 says:

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)

It’s not that you can’t eat meat, you just want to be sensitive in the way you exercise your freedom so your behavior doesn’t embolden someone to adopt a mindset that makes them all the more vulnerable to do something foolish (Rom 14:13-23).

Your priority needs to be God’s Reputation, and not your personal take on the matter.

And just as quick aside, the Bible refers to those who choose to be obstacles to someone else’s relationship with Christ as a “stumbling block.” Jesus talks about how things that make people “stumble” are inevitable, but you don’t want to be the one responsible for damaging someone’s faith:

6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! (Matt 18:6-7)

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your behavior is no one’s business but your own. You answer to your Heavenly Father and you want to be aware of how you’re coming across – not just for the sake of keeping a safe distance between you and the devil, but also to ensure you’re a compliment to what God would do in the lives of others and not a distraction from it.

B) Making Excuses

There are times, however, when we are falling short, although we don’t want to admit it.

We justify ourselves by saying that we’re not “really” doing anything wrong, and it can be fairly easy to convince those who might be concerned that their apprehension is totally ill-founded because of the way in which our true motives can be easily concealed with the right kind of verbiage.

Granted, this can get into some subjective territory, but you’re not playing to win when you’re doing things that make it easier to lose. And when you’re not just contemplating concessions but actually doing things that make those compromises more likely, then you have to ask, “Whose team am I playing for?”

You see that sentiment in Matthew 6:24:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matt 6:24)

If you’re doing something that equates to intentionally walking every batter right up to the point where the bases are loaded, you’re not resisting the devil, you’re cooperating with him.

James 4:7 says:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Jas 4:7)

Romans 13:14 says:

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Rom 13:14)

There’s a timeline that James outlines in chapter one which traces how sin begins with a thought, then morphs to a plan and finally to an action:

but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (Jas 1:14-15)

Being tempted isn’t a sin, but once you start dwelling on it and maneuvering things around that better accommodate the possibility of the enemy putting some points on the board, even if you’ve yet to cross “the” line, according to Scripture you’ve nevertheless crossed “a” line by allowing a sinister concession to make it’s way past your mind and into your heart where you’re physically opening doors that should remain locked.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:28 that if you look at a woman lustfully, you’ve already committed adultery in your heart. On the surface that looks a little harsh and maybe even somewhat absurd. But when you contemplate what the “heart” is from a biblical perspective, it makes more sense in that you’re now at that point that James refers to when “desire has conceived.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Christ’s comment in the Sermon on the Mount elaborates on that by saying:

This command forbids not only the acts of fornication and adultery, but, (1.) All appetites to them, all lusting after the forbidden object; this is the beginning of the sin, lust conceiving (James 1 15); it is a bad step towards the sin; and where the lust is dwelt upon and approved, and the wanton desire is rolled under the tongue as a sweet morsel, it is the commission of sin, as far as the heart can do it… (2.) All approaches toward them; feeding the eye with the sight of the forbidden fruit; not only looking for that end, that I may lust; but looking till I do lust, or looking to gratify the lust, where further satisfaction cannot be obtained. (“Bible Study Tools”, “Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible”, https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/matthew/5.html, accessed October 7, 2023)

These aren’t just “impure thoughts,” this is you intentionally fumbling the ball and giving the other team a chance to score.

No, not everything is black and white. But, then again, God never has to speculate and since He sees the heart (1 Sam 16:7) and no man can serve two masters (Matt 6:24), you can rest assured that however you may be able to successfully convince another human being that things aren’t as they seem, God has full access to both your actions and your motives and you’re either promoting His Reputation or protecting your own.

Period.

In her article, “The Difference Between Guilt and Conviction,” Jeanne Harrison, a staff writer at Grace Church in Orlando, does a great job of shutting down all the white noise and allowing the  Truth that is central to this whole debate be heard in a way that’s easy to hear and understand…

Here’s the difference between guilt and conviction: guilt is not willing to pay the price of repentance. Guilt wants to make the problem go away as painlessly as possible because guilt’s primary focus is me. What will they think of me? How will the consequences impact me?

Conviction focuses on God. We begin to experience conviction when our hearts are grieved not solely because we might lose our job, or our spouse, or our standing, but because we have broken fellowship with God. In 2 Corinthians 7:10 Paul captures the difference between guilt and conviction by describing two different kinds of sorrow. He writes, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

The question is, why are you lamenting over your sin? Is it because you fear losing the things of the world—the respect of your boss, the esteem of performing perfectly, the pleasure of sin itself? If so, you are experiencing worldly sorrow. Or are you pained because you have personally grieved God’s heart? This kind of godly sorrow takes us straight to the cross—to repentance, restoration, and life.

In order for me to repent, I had to care more about my relationship with God than I did about my reputation.

Again, you’re hearing the question: “Do you pull over?”

If your primary concern is your relationship with Christ and the way you’re making Him look in the eyes of those who are on the outside looking in, then your priorities will be reflected in your actions and you’re either avoiding a bad situation altogether, or you’re reinforcing both your resolve to obey and  the Reputation of your King by establishing some accountability so everything can be seen for what it truly is and you can be successful where you might otherwise be prone to fail (Prov 27:17; Ecc 4:9-12; Gal 6:1-2; Heb 10:24; 13:17; 1 Pet 5:5).

IV) Conclusion

Listen, being born again translates to more than just the ability to avoid the otherwise inevitable punishment awaiting you in hell. It’s a Divine suite of perks, advantages and opportunities that can be categorized under four headings: Purpose, Perspective, Peace and Power.

Your sense of Purpose is improved because you know that it’s God working in and through you (Phil 2:13).

Your perspective is different because you’re now not viewing things exclusively according to your circumstances, but you’re seeing things in the context of how God is moving (Ps 139:16; Jn 5:17; Eph 2:10).

You’re not as apt to be anxious because you know that God is in charge and you have access to a Divine Source of Strength that allows you to endure and excel in ways that go beyond what you’re capable of on your own (Is 41:10; Jn 14:12; Col 1:29).

What does it mean to be saved?

The Holy Spirit is living in and through you.

How do you get it done?

You believe and you believe in a way where you’re not just changing your mind, rather you let God change you by believing in your heart.

And how do you know you’re saved?

You pull over when God motions you to stop and you change the way you’re driving.

Again, for more detail and Scripture, head out to muscularchristianityonline.com and look under the Podcast Show Notes.

I’m Bruce Gust. This is Muscular Christianity.

Let’s go make a difference.

What Does it Mean to be Saved | Part I

The following is the script used as part of the “Muscular Christianity Podcast,” which you can access by clicking here.

I) Intro

Hey guys, today we’re going to be talking about what it means to be born again.

This is going to be a three-part series. The first part we’re going to talk about what does it mean to be saved. In the second part we’ll look at how do you get saved and in the third part will examine how you can know that you’re saved.

Listen, this is important stuff because there’s some people who are walking around thinking that if they simply form the words on their lips, “Yes, I believe that Jesus died and came back to life,” somehow that translates to them being born again.

And that’s not necessarily the case. We’re going to talk more about that later in Part II, but when you consider the fact that the demons believe that Jesus Christ died and came back to life (Matt 7:21-23; Jas 2:19), you need to have more than just a verbal acknowledgement on your spiritual resume before you can accurately claim to be a believer.

But here’s the thing: You can’t base your convictions on another person’s opinion or a particular tradition or even a familiar denomination.

You have to go by what it says in God’s Word.

It’s because the subject matter is so important that you can’t afford to allow any type of human convention to substitute for the Truth as its defined in Scripture.

Now, if you’re listening to this broadcast and you’re among those that are just looking for some simple and easy to remember sound bites, let’s get you taken care of.

What does it mean to be saved? It means all the ways in which you’ve rebelled against God have been forgiven. Colossians 2:13-14 says:

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[a] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. (Col 2:13-14)

But the other piece of the salvation package is this: You have been fundamentally changed. It’s not that you’ve changed your mind as much as He’s changed you.

You can see that in Galatians 2:20 where it says:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20)

Forgiven and transformed – that’s what it means to be saved.

There’s your Executive Summary! Let’s now take a closer look at how Scripture defines Salvation.

II) What Does it Mean to be Saved?

Bottom line, the Holy Spirit – and by the Holy Spirit, I’m talking about the Character (Gal 5:22-23) and the Mindset of God (1 Cor 2:16) –  that is now a part of who you are as a person (Eph 1:13-14; Titus 3:5).

You see that in Romans eight verse nine.

You however are not in the realm of the flesh, but are in the realm of the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. (Rom 8:9)

Let’s read that last part again because that is either the game changer or a deal breaker: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”

Now, bear in mind that the Spirit of God isn’t a mere add on or a plug in.

Whereas before you were spiritual corpse, now you have a spiritual pulse. You have been made completely new:

2 Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come, the old is gone, the new is here. (2 Cor 5:17)

Everything that prevented you from obeying God rather than yourself, every inclination you had to go up to God as He was sitting on His Throne and telling Him to get out of your chair, has been replaced with the capacity to choose His Strength and His Perspective over your own.

The Bible says that prior to Christ breathing life into the spiritual part of your existence, you were a slave to sin (Prov 5:22; Jn 8:34; Rom 6:17; Eph 2:5). This doesn’t mean that you were giving in to every vulgar and heinous thought that crossed your mind, necessarily. What it does mean is that you measured everything according to the standard of yourself (Phil 3:19).

As a spiritual corpse (Eph 2:1), whether you’re imitating a Christlike demeanor or you’re operating as a criminal, you are your own bottom line and in that context you are never serving anyone other than yourself (Is 64:6; Matt 6:24-26). And however you want to pose as someone who is willing to subordinate themselves to a higher authority or a greater good, you submit only to those that meet with your approval. In that way, you are perpetually at war with your Creator which is the essence of sin (Rom 8:7).

But now, as someone who has a spiritual pulse, you are no longer hostile to God. And while you can still ignore Him and choose to rebel against His Authority, you now have a choice to use the Power and Perspective He offers to follow His Instructions and enjoy all the benefits of obedience  (Jn 10:10; 1 Cor 10:13).

And while the Holy Spirit is now making a huge difference in the way you live your life, it’s His Spirit that serves as His Signature, come the day you stand before him after you pass away (Heb 9:27).

21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Cor 1:21-22 [see also Lk 10:20])

Paul is talking about Heaven in this verse. When your body gives out, all that makes you the person that you are continues to exist in one of two environments – you’re either living in Heaven as someone who’s been redeemed, or you’re suffering in hell having chosen to reject the Gift that God made available to you in the context of His Son having bled, suffered and died on your behalf (1 Jn 2:2; Rev 20:15).

So what does it mean to be saved?

It means that you’re now a different person because of the way the Holy Spirit directs and empowers you. And it’s that same spirit that Scripture refers to as a seal of ownership that will validate your citizenship in heaven.

That’s what it means to be saved.

Christ living in and through you now and being able to call heaven your home after you breathe your last.

That’s part one, folks.

Buckle up now for Part Two of this Salvation Series.

I’m Bruce Gust with Muscular Christianity.

Let’s go make a difference.

How Do You Know You’re Saved – Are You Willing to Pull Over?

Abstract

Some see Christ as a spiritual appliance more than a Divine Absolute. Rather than staying in their lane, they drive on the wrong side of the road and when the Holy Spirit pulls up alongside them and instructs them to pull over, they simply roll down the window, say “I’m sorry, please forgive me!” and keep right on driving as they did before.

They have a “form of godliness” but deny its power (2 Tim 3:5). They don’t see sin as a problem as much as it’s an unavoidable handicap.

How do you know you’re saved?

Are you willing to pull over?

Intro

How do you know you’re saved?

Perhaps you’re being asked by someone who’s wondering if simply “believing” is all that you need to do, or maybe you’re being approached by somebody who’s got some regrets that they’re trying to process and they can’t help but wonder if perhaps they’ve crossed a line and their relationship with Christ is no longer intact.

What makes this topic potentially complicated is that, on one hand, you’ve got the Truth that says all you need to do is “believe.” That’s part of makes Salvation so amazing is that it’s not something you can earn, you simply believe in your heart (Eph 2:8-9).

But then you’ve got this other dynamic that says that there needs to be some kind of outward “proof” that a commitment to Christ is in place (Lk 6:44). The Bible calls this “fruit…”

When we repent of our sin and receive Jesus as Lord of our lives (John 1:12; Acts 2:38), He changes our hearts (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now the fruit that is produced is good fruit. Galatians 5:22 lists some of the fruit produced by a heart in tune with God. Our attitudes, actions, words, and perspectives change as we walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit (1 John 1:6–7). When our hearts change, our fruit changes. (gotquestions.org)

James also talks about this kind of thing when he references faith without deeds…

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (Jas 2:14-17)

It makes sense that there would have to be some kind of “godliness” in place in order for someone to qualify as being saved.

But how can you stress the importance of obedience and submission without potentially compromising the idea that salvation is by grace alone (Gal 3:1-5)?

That’s what we’re talking about here…

Using Both Wings…

Truth is like a bird; it cannot fly on one wing. Yet we are forever trying to take off with one wing flapping furiously and the other tucked neatly out of sight.Many of the doctrinal divisions among the churches are the result of a blind and stubborn insistence that truth has but one wing. Each side holds tenaciously to one text, refusing grimly to acknowledge the validity of the other.

This error is an evil among churches, but it is a real tragedy when it gets into the hearts of individual Christians and begins to affect their devotional lives. One thing hidden in such teachings as have been mentioned above is unconscious spiritual pride.

The Christian who refuses to confess sin on the ground that it is already forgiven is setting himself above prophet and psalmist and all the saints who have left anything on record about themselves from Paul to the present time. These did not hide their sins behind a syllogism, but eagerly and fully confessed them. Perhaps that is why they were such great souls and those who claim to have found a better way are so small. And one has but to note the smug smile of superiority on the face of the one-prayer Christian to sense that there is a lot of pride behind the smile.

While other Christians wrestle with God in an agony of intercession they sit back in humble pride waiting it out. They do not pray because they have already prayed. The devil has no fear of such Christians. He has already won over them, and his technique has been false logic. Let’s use both wings. We’ll get further that way. (A.W. Tozer)

Cheap Grace

“Cheap Grace” is a phrase coined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that he used to describe the way in which a person will accept Christ’s forgiveness, but not His Authority.

In other words, it’s a human being telling God, “Sure, I’ll let You forgive me, but I’m not going to do as you say.”

That’s obviously a ridiculous statement, right? If you’re looking at the One Who you believe to be your God and King, how do logically justify telling Him that you refuse to obey His commands?

Why is It Important?

There’s no denying that you can get into some subjective territory here that can be manipulated in either direction. But you don’t want to gloss over what amounts to something very important just because there appears to be two contradictory ideas operating simultaneously.

Why is it important?

Because it’s possible to regulate Christ to the role of an Assistant as opposed to Him being an Absolute. And unless He represents both the Standard you’re committed to honor (Jn 14:21) as well as the Forgiveness you want to receive (Eph 1:7; 2:10), you’re like a bird trying to fly on one wing (see sidebar) and you’re either an immature Christian who has yet to completely surrender to your Heavenly Father (maturity [Rom 6:13; Phil 3:10-14]), or it may be that you need to revevaluate the substance of your faith (identity [Matt 7:21; 2 Cor 13:5]).

Either way you’re looking at something serious and unless you’re being honest in the way you qualify your faith, you either risk missing out on the benefits of complete obedience, or…

…you may not be saved at all.

You Can’t Fake It

You can’t dismiss the importance of obedience anymore than you can gloss over the necessity of faith.

Below you’ll see a collection of Scriptures that makes that point. On the left you see the “Proof” – the visible behavior that’s characteristic of somebody who recognizes the rightful place of Christ in the life given His credentials as their “Lord.”

Under “Truth,” you see the Reality of grace. You can’t “earn” God’s favor by virtue of your accomplishments or those times where you did something incredibly noble. Regardless of how seemingly pristine your moral resume may be, the bottom line is no one is perfect and we’re all in desperate need of His mercy (Rom 3:23; Jas 2:10).

Take a look:

Proof Truth
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 7:21)

21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (Jn 14:21)

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Gal 5:6)

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. (1 Jn 1:6)

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 Jn 3:6)

 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Rom 3:23-24)

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Gal 3:1-3)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

 

Now, while it might look like you’ve got an unresolvable tension occuring between an expection of obedience and the grace of His mercy, it’s really not that difficult.

There’s a central Truth baked into Romans 10:9-10 that does a great job of reconcilling what would otherwise appear to be an apparent contradiction.

Believing in Your Heart

However you want to envision that part of you that drives the way you think, act and feel – whether you want to think of it as your, “personality,” or your “soul” – the important thing that needs to be established is that it’s more than just a mindset or a mood. It’s what makes you the person that you are. The Bible calls that your, “heart.”

When you believe something in your heart, you are not just agreeing with a particular truism. It impacts the way you spend your time and your resources. It’s kind of like being in love. Saying that you love someone and actually being in love with them illustrates the difference between merely forming the words on your tongue and being passionately committed to the welfare and happiness of the one you adore.

When you acknowledge the death and resurrection of Christ in that way, it’s no longer just a historical event as much as it’s a personal reality. He’s not just the “King of kings.” He’s your King. Nor is He just the Savior of the world as much as He’s your Savior. You’re not just seeing Him as a distant deity, you’re like Thomas when he took a knee and said, “My lord and my God.” At that point, God responds by installing His Character into your heart.

Remember this too: Satan believes in God. He was there to see Him die and the devil saw Christ rise from the grave. This is why believing in your heart is so crucial. Even thought it may sound a bit poetic, it’s an absolutely crucial aspect of your approach because Satan isn’t going to heaven. Believing something to be true doesn’t really mean anything unless you it manifests itself in your behavior.

I can believe that eating right and exercising is important, but it doesn’t really resonate as a “truth” if I never go to the gym or pay attention to my calories.

Your can’t “pose” as a Christian. You’re not going to put on a godly looking expression and drop something in the offering plate and qualify as a godly man if you’re thinking that appearances alone can merit God looking at you and seeing someone who truly believes.

It’s when you cross that line that separates what’s purely academic and it suddenly becomes “real.” At that point, you’re no longer posing in that you’ve got the Power and the Perspective of the Holy Spirit working as both fuel and a filter through which you’re now processing yourself and performing in ways that go beyond what you’re capable of on your own. (Muscular Christianity: What Does It Mean to be Saved?)

For further reading, look at “Can a Person Believe in Some Sense and Not be Saved?”

A Central Truth

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Rom 10:9-10)

Embedded within this verse you have what sounds like a potentially easy way to simply say something that sounds religious and be accurately categorized as a believer.

“If you declare with your mouth…and believe in your heart.”

Just say that you believe in Christ and you’re gold, right?

But there’s more to this than simply forming the words on your lips.

First of all, remember that the demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the fact that He rose from the grave (Jas 2:19). So, simply “believing” that Christ is Who He claimed to be doesn’t qualify you as a believer if you’re doing nothing other than acknowledging the empty tomb as a historical fact (see “Believing in Your Heart” sidebar).

The bottom line is you can believe that Christ existed and yet keep Him at a distance so He doesn’t really impact your perspective on yourself and the world around you.

In that regard, Jesus ISN’T Lord.

You appreciate Him, you’ll go to Him when you’re dealing with a difficult circumstance and you might even volunteer at church. But while He might be a philsophical virtue or a religious routine that somehow relieves an otherwise guilty conscience, He’s not a Divine Authority as much as He is a spiritual appliance.

You use Him as part of maintaining yourself as your own bottom line. “Sin” is not something you process as anything other than the way an it impacts other people or how it reflects poorly on yourself. You don’t see it as an act of rebellion against God because there is no real Authority apart from the one that stares back at you in the mirror every morning (Is 66:3).

He’s a presence, but not a Priority. He’s ornamental and not foundational.

That’s not the way you engage Someone Who’s supposedly in charge of your life (Phil 2:13).

That’s the “central truth” that’s communicated in Romans 10:9-10. You’re saying “He’s Lord” and insisting that credential is certifiable given your conviction that Christ did, in fact, rise from the grave. Yet, if He’s not a Priority that can be observed in your words and actions, than He isn’t your “Lord.”

Simply “saying” it, doesn’t necessarily mean anything, unless you can see what’s referenced by those verses in the above “Proof” column:

  • doing the will of the Father
  • obeying Christ’s commands
  • expressing your faith in love
  • abstaining from sin

Attitude and Not Just Actions

Let’s dig a little bit deeper.

Jesus said in Luke 6:44 that you’ll know a tree by its fruit.

If Jesus IS Lord, then what He commands in Scripture is going to resonate as more than just an “option” as much as it does a bottom line that you want to honor as part of your commitment to Him. Hence, you’re going to see some “fruit” in the context of obedience.

But no one is perfect – neither before Christ making us alive when we were previously spiritually dead (Eph 2:1-5) nor even after we were redeemed (1 Jn 1:8-10). So how can you base the authenticity of your relationship with Christ on anything pertaining to your performance?

Because just like there’s a difference between making a mistake and making a decision, there’s a difference between asking for forgivenesss and simply going through the motions.

 

Think of it this way.

Is Psalm 32, David identifies three types of wrongdoing:

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Ps 32:5)

Imagine you’re driving down the road and, like most motorists, you’re doing your best to stay in your lane. Every now and then, however, you might drift into the other lane or you might get a little too close to the shoulder and in that moment, you’re disobeying the law in that you’re not driving on the right side of the road.

• Sin -> Mistake
• Transgression -> Choice
• Iniquity -> Plan

It’s not intentional, necessarily. Maybe you weren’t paying attention, perhaps you made a mistake in evaluating where you were and you found yourself hugging the line, but you are quick to correct it and get back in your lane.

That’s Sin.

It’s a mistake, it’s a failure to adhere to a moral guideline. Everybody does it (Rom 3:23).

On the other hand…

If you choose to drive on the wrong side of the road – if you make a decision to drive in the direction of oncoming traffic…

That’s a Transgression.

That’s a “willful sin.” (Heb 10:26; 1 Jn 1:6)

It’s a not a mistake, it’s a choice to disregard the rules of the road.

Now imagine that you’ve got it in your head that you’re going to drive on the wrong side of the road before you even get into your car. Now, you’re looking at a premediated decision that goes beyond a mere choice as much as it’s a plan.

That’s Iniquity.

With all three types of wrongdoing: Sin, Trespass and Iniquity – you have the common denominator of failing to obey God. The difference is defined in the context of your attitude and intentions.

With Sin, you’re admittedly flawed and you’re more than willing to own it and receive the grace that’s offered because you see yourself as someone who’s in need of that grace.

Forgiveness implies that you recognize that you are in the wrong and the person whose forgiveness you are asking for has every reason to be offended and is morally justified in seeking justice or restitution. If you’re not willing to acknowledge there’s a debt to be forgiven and the person who you are appealing to is in a position to offer you the forgiveness you are asking for, then you have stripped away all of what characterizes authentic forgiveness and you’ve accomplished nothing. (1 Jn 1:8-10)

But with the Transgression and the Iniquity, there’s a mindset in place that’s more inclined to pretend to be apologetic rather than be willing to confess and repent because you have no real intention of changing your behavior.

It really becomes apparent when you envision a police officer telling you to pull over.

License and Registration, Please

You’re driving on the wrong side of the road and a police officer pulls up alongside you and tells you to pull over. If you respond by simply rolling down your window and saying, “I’m sorry,” yet you don’t stop and hand over your license and registration, but instead keep driving against the flow of traffic, you’re not sorry, nor are you truly asking for forgiveness. Rather, you’re giving the impression of being sorry in order to avoid submitting to a Higher Authority. While forgiveness is available, it’s not necessarily obtained because, in these cases, the person that’s guilty of violating God’s Command doesn’t really want forgiveness as much as they want to simply go through the motions in order to continue driving on the wrong side of the road, but with the appearance of being remorseful.

You don’t have any real regard for the Law (the Bible [Ps 16:7-8; 2 Tim 3:16-17), let alone the Police Officer (the Holy Spirit [Jn 16:8]) Who’s telling you to stop. You’re going through the motions of appearing submissive, but in the end, the only authority you’re willing to submit to is yourself.

On the other hand, with “Sin” you have a willness to admit your shortcomings (conviction), ask for forgiveness and correct whatever it is that you’ve done wrong.

That’s Repentance.

You’re pulling over.

Costly Grace –  Are You Willing to Pull Over?

Bonhoeffer contrasts “cheap grace” with “costly grace…”

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye, which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.

Costly grace is the Gospel, which must be sought again and again, the gift, which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life (Lk 9:23), and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it costs God the life of His Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon His Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but deliver Him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God. (Costly Grace by Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Being a Christian is more than just attempting to live up to a sanctified code of ethics or a casual attitude towards sin, believing it to be something that can be dismissed as an inconsequential discrepancy or an unavoidable handicap that’s remedied by simply repeating a religious sounding mantra.

And while there’s a substantial amount of theology that can be unpacked and explored, if you’re wanting to take an honest inventory of your faith to see if it’s authentic (1 Cor 11:28-29) or in need of revival, you can easily remove a lot of the things that might otherwise prevent an honest evaluation by asking one question:

Are you willing to pull over?

When the Holy Spirit points out your being in the wrong lane, do you pull over or do you simply roll down the window and say, “I’m sorry” and keep driving?

That one question can reveal a lot about the way you regard Scripture as well as your King.

If you can say, “Yes,” than you’re good to go. There’s always room for improvement (Matt 5:48), but you have a healthy regard for the Authority of your God as well as a deep appreciation for His grace.

If you feel obligated to say, “Not always,” embrace that as an opportunity to let Christ show you what needs to change knowing that the prize is worth whatever adjustment or sacrifice needs to be made (Mk 9:47-48; Lk 9:24; Jn 10:10).

And remember too, that you don’t resist temptation according to your resolve alone (1 Cor 10:13). Rather, you have the Power of the Holy Spirit to provide the mental, emotional and physical steel you need to stand and overcome what would otherwise defeat you and play you for a fool (Eph 6:13; 1 Pet 5:8).

Finally, if you’re inclined to admit that you’re simply rolling down the window and pretending to be sorry rather than genuinely seeking His pardon and grace, than you might want to sit down with your Savior and be intentional about Romans 10:9-10 and experience the transformation that occurs when you believe and become a “new creation.” (2 Cor 5:17)

How do you know you’re saved?

Are you willing to pull over?

You and Your Typical Demon

0061171069Being “saved” sometimes resonates as something illusive. You hear terms like “evangelical,” “born again,” “redeemed…”

But what does it mean and how does one make it happen?

First of all, let’s look at a couple of questions and scenarios that will help rule out some things that can be distracting otherwise.

You and Your Typical Demon

Imagine two individuals—one is a demon the other is a believer. Try to determine which one is which based on the way they might answer the following questions:

Question #1: Do you believe in God?  James 2:19 says: “ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” Based on that passage, what do you think the demon would say?

Question #2: In Matthew 8:29, several demons see Jesus coming and they say: “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Our next question is: Do you believe that Jesus is God’s son? Obviously the believer would answer yes, but how do you think the demon will reply based on the verse we just read?

Last question: Do you believe that Jesus rose from the grave? Again, the believer is going to answer yes. What’s the demon’s answer going to be?  Colossians 2:15 says: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them (Satan and demons), triumphing over them by the cross.” Based on those two verses, how do you think the demons would answer?

What do you think? Is there a difference in the way our two individuals answered the questions? Let’s take a minute and review what was asked:

  • Do you believe in God?
  • Do you believe that Jesus is God’s Son?
  • Do you believe that Jesus rose from the grave?

There’s no difference between these two individuals based on the questions that were asked. Both answered in exactly the same way.

James 2:19 indicates that demons believe in God. Matthew 8:29 quotes a demon as accurately referring to Jesus as God’s Son, and it’s evident from the other Scriptures we looked at that the devil and those who serve him are very aware of the defeat that was dealt them when Jesus rose from the grave.

Do you smell that?

That’s the aroma of reality. The fact is, demons “believe” that Jesus is God’s Son and that He rose from the grave. So, there’s got to be something else besides just a willingness to acknowledge Jesus as a historical figure with some theological substance attached to Him.

But what?

Believing With Your Heart

When you believe something in your mind, it changes the way you think. But when you believe something in your heart, it changes the way you live.

You see that idea expressed in Proverbs 4:23:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Prov. 4:23)

It’s significant that Scripture references the heart as what constitutes the source of who you are rather than the mind.

Some maintain that if you can change a person’s mind, you can change who they are, but who someone is as a person is determined by more than mere facts. Two people can be confronted with the exact same scenario and be presented with the exact same set of information yet process it differently because who you are determines the way you think.

With that in mind, take a look at Romans 10:9-10:

“That is you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Rom. 10:9-10).

“It’s with your heart that you believe.”

It’s comparable to that situation where someone agrees that diet and exercise are healthy habits. But it’s the one who actually engages those habits that demonstrates a belief that resides in his heart.

So, Jesus isn’t just “the” Messiah, He’s “my” Messiah. He’s not just King of kings, He’s “my” King. He’s my Creator, He’s my Redeemer, He is my Lord.

A Complete Transformation

Your belief doesn’t merely qualify you as morally perfect before God – which is what happens when you accept God’s gift of grace.1 It also facilitates a complete transformation of who you are.

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Cor 5:17)

When you make the Reality of Christ your reality – when you’re recognizing that what He did on the cross was for you in the most direct and personal way possible – at that point, you’re no longer respecting a Nativity scene or a crucifix, you’re now sitting down with the Son of God as your Savior and not just a lifeless idea.2 In that moment, you go from being a spiritual corpse to having a spiritual pulse.3 Your membership into the Kingdom of God is now guaranteed,4, but you’re also operating according to an entirely new internal paradigm in that God’s Spirit is living in you.

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard that word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:13). [See also Jn. 14:17; Gal. 4:7.]

It’s His Spirit that’s now providing a Voice that, up to now, wasn’t even available (see Eph 2:1). This Voice is now guiding you and giving you a new kind of desire for doing the right thing at the right time in the right way for all the right reasons.5

Conclusion

Let’s go back to the Q/A session with two individuals we were envisioning at the beginning of our discussion. Let’s imagine that they have to answer one more question, and here it is:

Does the Spirit of Christ live in you?

Romans 8:9 says: “ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”

What would the demon say, what would the believer say?

What would you say?

According to Romans 8:9, that is the determining factor. That is what distinguishes the believer from the demon in our scenario.

There are many who go through life having convinced themselves that they’re believers—thinking that a mental acknowledgment of Christ’s reality equates to the saving belief referenced in Scripture. It’s not an uncommon fallacy, but it is nevertheless a departure from God’s Word that is both tragic and lethal.

On the other hand, the belief that comes from the heart that manifests itself as a personal conviction and not just a mental acknowledgement opens the door to a relationship with the One Who put the stars in their place and gives you, not only a guarantee of an eternity spent with Him, but a life that’s truly worth living as long as you’re walking this earth.

That’s what it means to be saved!

 

 

 

The Billy Graham Association has a great piece that will walk you through the verses and the subsequent steps you need to take to make Christ your personal Savior and not just a mental picture. Click here to read more.

1. 1 Corinthians 15:22; Titus 3:5; Hebrew 10:15-18
2. Revelation 3:20
3. Ephesians 2:1; 2:3-5
4. John 1:12; 14:3
5. Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 2:12; ; Philippians 2:13; Colossians 1:29; 1 Peter 1:15-16