Are You Saved? Are You Sure?

Fundamental Evangelistic Association
selected articles from:
^{^{^©}}FOUNDATION
A MAGAZINE OF BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALISM
Dennis W. Costella, Editor; Karel Beyer, Production Manager; Matt Costella, Copy Editor
M.H. Reynolds, Jr. (1919-1997), Founding Editor

Are You Saved?
Are You Sure?

By Pastor Dennis Costella

WE CONSTANTLY, and correctly, affirm that salvation is by faith alone in Christ's perfect, finished and all-sufficient redemptive work on Calvary's cross. However, the unbeliever to whom we witness may receive a misleading message if we are not careful to communicate sound theological truth regarding what it means to be saved and know it based upon the Biblical "record" (I Jn 5:11-13). Using faulty methods of soul winning, even when a correct message is given, can cause a misunderstanding with potentially eternal consequences.

What Must I Do to Be Saved?

Various groups throughout Christendom are claiming to win the lost for Christ, boasting thousands or even millions of converts that result from their evangelistic efforts. But are their claims accurate and honest, and is the Gospel message they proclaim even Biblical?

Charismatic networks such as TBN and CBN claim that over 100 million souls have been saved through their respective worldwide ministries. Using the testimonials of evangelistic campaigns in which thousands have "prayed the salvation prayer," these two ministries raise millions of dollars of support from ones who respond to their pleas for funds and who believe that millions more will be "saved" due to their donations. Another way in which Charismatics claim to reach lost souls is through "power evangelism," that is, performing supposed miracles that, when witnessed and believed as being of God, results in new converts who now "believe" apart from a clear presentation of a Biblically-defined Gospel message.

The FEA has covered ecumenical meetings in which tens of thousands have responded to "receive by faith Jesus as Savior," only to later learn that most responses were made by Roman Catholics who understood their action to be a reaffirmation of their baptismal vow. The Catholic catechism defines "faith in Christ" to mean partaking in the sacrament of baptism, the mode through which one joins the Catholic Church. They believe the Catholic Church is the means to attaining God's grace that may, eventually, secure salvation for the faithful. These Catholics who responded to this ecumenical invitation were not changing their mind about their faith; they were simply becoming better Catholics by "receiving" Christ yet again-just as they do every week at mass.

Even Evangelicals and fundamentalists are prone to "processing" converts. Although they generally proclaim the essential facts of the Gospel message, many fail to understand the necessary role of the Holy Spirit in the conversion of a lost sinner. Evangelical or Fundamentalist believers are often so eager to convert the one to whom they are witnessing that they ignore or reject the fact that it is the Spirit's duty to convict the heart and enlighten the understanding of the unbeliever. "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase" (1 Cor. 3:7).

The question "Are you saved?" is too often answered with, "Sure, I was baptized and then joined the church" or "I went forward and remember praying a prayer." Correct answers may even be given regarding the basic facts of the Gospel message. Yet, in so many instances, little or no fruit of the new birth is evident in the life of this supposed believer, nor can it be said of him that "Unto you therefore which believe, He is precious" (1 Pet. 2:7). The book of James explains that the faith that saves is a faith that is alive, vital and fruitful in good works. It is not enough to say we have been saved by faith. A saving faith will be a faith that, thereafter, produces spiritual fruit (Jas. 2:17-19, 26).

True faith is accompanied by a Spirit-wrought conviction and realization of sin and its consequences ("repentance toward God") and belief in the perfect redemptive Work of the Lord Jesus Christ as the sinner's only means of acceptance by the Almighty, all-holy God ("faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ"- see Acts 20:21 cf. 11:13, 14, 18; 15:7-9). Satan no longer possesses any claims upon his now former child (Jn. 16:7-11).

A lost sinner's mere mental assent to the basic tenets of the Gospel and his repetition of a prayer is ineffectual unless the Christian evangelist takes the time to explain the Scriptures and exercise the discernment needed to witness the ministry of the Holy Spirit at work within the heart. True saving faith will then, without exception, yield the fruit of repentance. The life of the new believer will be changed-it will not be perfect, but the new believer will have new desires that are "of God" (2 Cor. 5:17-2 1). That "new creature" in Christ will also be able to give a clear statement regarding how he knows he is saved and will acknowledge that his new standing before God is in the perfect righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:2l)-not baptism, church membership or by "doing a lot better now"-but by what Christ has done. The new believer will also desire to live for God's glory.

The following study of Romans 10 deals briefly with this all-important theme of what must happen for a lost soul to be saved. This chapter falls within a parenthetical portion (chapters 9-11) dealing with Paul's consideration of Israel's relation to the church in the dispensation of grace. It comes between the section developing the doctrine of soteriology, or salvation (chapters 1-8) and Paul's practical exhortation to the Roman believers (chapters 12-16).

The burden of the apostle for his Jewish brethren according to the flesh was that they would be saved (10:1 cf. 9:2, 3). Paul gives several references to Old Testament texts that have special significance in explaining to the Jew what is necessary to receive God's righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ. It is essential to understand his reasoning because one can easily misconstrue the intention of the text, thereby developing a "salvation message" and a strategy for its proclamation that is misleading and, therefore, has the potential for doing irreparable, eternal harm.

Many groups such as Charismatic media outlets, Campus Crusade for Christ and other "easybelievism"-styled evangelism endeavors boast incredible numbers of ones supposedly saved by their efforts. The "convert" gives assent to Bible facts and then "the deal is done" by "praying this prayer...." Texts such as Romans 10:10, 13 are often the supposed "proof' texts that this method of evangelism has a Biblical basis. No doubt, churches are filled with "Christian" converts who have given the right responses to the evangelistic appeal but who are still without Bible salvation as their unchanged life clearly reveals. Spiritual fruit will always accompany new life in Christ (Col. 1:5-6). This blessed text in Romans sets the record straight-it actually refutes such a potentially dangerous diversion. The faith that saves results in a new relationship wherein the sinner is now a child of Almighty God. And, as Israel of old discovered, that faithful heavenly Father will deliver His child from every foe.

Christ's Righteousness Is the Answer to the Curse of the Law (Romans 10:1-8).

The apostle's burden for his Jewish brethren was deep-seated (v. 1). Notice that his burden was accompanied by prayer-a necessity! Most emphasis today is on the sowing of the Seed, the witnessing. But we are also vital "labourers together with God" when we pray for the soil's preparation and for hearts to be opened (1 Cor. 3:6-8).

Proficient "soul-winners" often have mastered a routine that is somewhat akin to a slick marketing sales pitch unrefusable to any reasonable, thinking person. Yet they often fail to give prayer its proper place in evangelism and, therefore, their efforts are often futile. Prayer is the necessary preparation in sowing the Seed, for it depends upon the Holy Spirit's work in the heart to enlighten an unbeliever's understanding of the essentials of the Gospel, which has not lost Its glorious power to save (Rom. 1: 16; Acts 16:14).

The regeneration of a lost soul is not a mechanical function of giving ascent to certain historic, theological facts and then "doing something" that converts the soul. Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit within the heart so that an intelligent and sincere change takes place with respect to one's acceptance of the Gospel invitation to trust Jesus Christ for the eternal well-being of the soul. Prayer paves the way for the Spirit to thus work and melt, convict and illumine even the hardest heart as to the need for God's salvation freely offered in the perfect Person and finished work of the sinless Lamb of God who was the sinner's substitute upon Calvary's cross.

Paul prayed for his brethren after the flesh, the Jews, that they might be miraculously saved. The religious Jews were sincere, zealous and pious but also terminally and eternally dead in sin (vv. 2, 3). They did not understand the all important truth that Jesus Christ was Himself the end, or the fulfillment, of everything to which the Law of Moses pointed (v. 4b). No one could possibly attain unto God's required righteousness under the Law, for "all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23). The Mosaic Law served only to confirm man's shortcomings, for all who failed to perfectly keep the commandments were under God's judgment. No one could "do and live" (v. 5)

The Jew was terribly mistaken, therefore, to think that he could work and provide his own righteousness that would be acceptable to God (v. 3a). Instead, Paul explained, he needed to humble himself and "submit"-to accept by faith (v. 4)-the righteousness offered in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Works and searching cannot secure this righteousness (vv. 6, 7); it is "nigh thee," readily available to anyone who turns (repents) from the arrogance of a religion of "works," as described above, and humbly accepts the "word of faith" which is the Gospel message preached by the apostle himself (v. 8). Paul then proceeded to explain the conversion experience in familiar terms, using texts the Jew would understand:

With the Heart Man Believeth (Romans 10:9-10a)

These verses explain what the Jew (and also the Gentile) must do in order to “submit ... unto the - righteousness of God" (v. 3b) - to believe on Christ (v.4). Belief in the heart concerning what the Gospel declares to be the reality and the purpose of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ brings about the New Birth (v. 9b). God's righteousness is received by faith (Rom.1:16, 17; 4:20-25).

Believing in the heart (v. 10a) speaks of a faith that is integrally linked to the convicting and illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit (notice John 16:8-11). The sinner is supernaturally convinced of (1) his state as a hell-bound, hell-deserving sinner, (2) the imputed righteousness of Christ being his only hope for acceptance before an infinitely holy and just God, and (3) the fact that Christ bore all judgment due the sinner on Calvary's cross and that, by His resurrection, there is now no condemnation to the one who believes.

Spirit-wrought repentance is always present in God's work of regeneration. Acts 20:21 reveals that saving faith is marked by "repentance toward God" (a new understanding or "change of mind" concerning what our sinful condition and unbelief means to Almighty God) as well as "faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (belief in His perfect provision). If the Christian witness does not allow the Spirit to work if he does not "travail in birth," as did the apostle, with the one he seeks to convert (Gal. 4:19) - then a salvation “statistic" may be gained, but it could very well be a lost, but now religious, sinner.

Now notice the important principles spelled out in the following texts: Acts 11: 13,14-a lost sinner must hear the Gospel before he can be saved; Acts 10:34-48-many were saved while Peter preached the Gospel message; Acts 11:17,18-Godgranted repentance unto life (repentance is not an emotion that man must try to muster within himself); Acts 15:6-9-hearts were purified by faith. More is involved than a mere ascension to a set of facts, saying the right words, praying a prayer or performing some outward display.

The Holy Spirit of God enlightens the understanding concerning sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:7-1 1). The Spirit convicts the sinner as to his utter inability to escape the wrath of God and the penalty that His absolute justice exacts upon sin. The Spirit leads the sinner to realize that his only acceptable standing before God the Father must be based solely upon the imputed righteousness of Christ and that all judgment upon sin has been born by the perfect work of Christ on Calvary's cross. Therefore, victory is assured the sinner thus saved by grace.

Confession Unto Salvation (Romans 10:10b-17)

The one who believes to the saving of the soul will be able to truly "call Jesus 'Lord,"' that is, he can confess (omologew) with the mouth what is now a reality in the heart. This "confession" is further explained in verses 10b-13. The phrase "confession is made unto salvation" (v. 10b) means that what comes out of the mouth and is professed before the world will bear testimony to that new "righteousness" of Christ that is now the believer's standing before God. It is not merely giving a public testimony or praying a prayer-its peaks of a new conversation, a new life in Christ, that is the fruit of a regeneration from on High and a repentance that can be seen by all, demonstrated by a changed life. The confession to which this verse refers begins with the first utterances of the newborn babe in Christ (Rom. 8:15,16) and continues throughout the believer's earthly pilgrimage until he finally stands complete in Christ at His appearing (Heb. 4:14; 10:23-in the Greek, confession and profession are derived from the same root word).

Many believe that to "confess with the mouth" simply means to profess one's belief in Christ before a Christian worker or an assembly of believers. But the meaning is far more extensive in the context of Romans 10 when considering the Old Testament texts to which Paul referred-it is a new life, a victorious life, a life that God empowers for the fruitful service of a life-long profession.

Therefore, with this understanding of what "confession unto salvation" entails, one realizes that the new birth experience will result in a new walk in the Lord. This is consistent with the composite teaching of Scripture relating to the integral link between regeneration and the Christian's testimony up until the blessed moment when he will stand before his Lord. The faith that saves will also be a faith that works as James 2:17-26 explains. Merely speaking words mean nothing (Jas. 2:14, 26).

Notice that verse 11 explains what is meant by the word confession in the previous verse. Read Isaiah 28:16, noticing that this text speaks of Christ's deliverance for the believing remnant of Israel when the Antichrist turns to destroy them. Next, see how I Peter 2:6ff quotes this same Old Testament text and unmistakably refers to believers who gain the victory over Satan by looking to their precious Savior for deliverance.

The same theme continues in verses 12 and 13. Look at Joel 2:31, 32 to see what is referred to in verse 13-it is deliverance that comes to the believing remnant of Israel during the worst part of the "time of Jacob's trouble": they will experience salvation-deliverance-when Jesus Christ returns in power and great glory. Acts 2:21 quotes the same Scripture with that same meaning-Jesus Christ is the One about whom the prophecy in Joel speaks. Israel is to repent and receive Him. How do we know that to "call upon the name of the Lord" does not mean to merely pray a prayer? Because verse 14 explains that the Gospel must be believed before one can call upon the Lord to deliver and to be "rich unto all that call upon Him" (vv. 14-16 cf. v. 12b).

Please do not misunderstand our intention here: public invitations and prayers to articulate belief certainly have their place-as long as these do not give the wrong impression as to what God actually requires for salvation.

The Gospel must be proclaimed so that the lost can believe and be saved (v.17). What will be the result if the Spirit has wrought a Godly repentance, causing the sinner to see his need and to see Christ as the Savior from all judgment? A changed life will ensue (2 Cor. 5:17-21; 1 Thess. 1:5-10). Are you saved? Are you sure? Make sure today.

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