Goodboy
Won't Be Long Now!
I have always been saved
Once when I was sharing salvation on the streets I cam across a Catholic and asked him the question I usually start with of “Do you know what Jesus did for you?” With a smile and proud expression he stated that yes he did and was a good Catholic. At this point I figured that he was saved and just thought I would continue the conversation for a bit. So I asked him when he got saved and figured I would follow-up with how that happened. To my surprise, his answer was “I have always been saved, as I have always believed.”
This was so unexpected for me that I was not sure what to say next. So I then asked him if there was some point that he accepted what Jesus did for him. Again he stated “No, I just have always believed.” At this point it was clear that if I pressed further that I would be challenging his statement and inferring that he was a liar. So as not to get into an argument with him, I just said God bless you and let him alone.
So do you think this guy was saved? I could be wrong, but I don’t. You cannot have always been saved, just like you cannot have always been married. There needs to be a point in your life that you believe and accept what Jesus has done for you. I am not saying that you have to remember the date, but you should at least remember the experience. While this guy may believe, it would appear that he has never accepted God’s free gift.
Let’s look at a passage in James that is misunderstood by many.
Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Now let’s focus on James 2:20 below.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
First of all James was really using his point to stir up into action saved believers who claimed to have strong walking (not salvation) faith. His point being that if their walking faith was truly strong, then they would be doing something with it. He did refer to salvation faith which also requires a work, but the work in the grace age is only acceptance. So let’s ask a question this way to try and make the point more clear.
Which of the two guys in my example below would you say are saved?
Guy one says “Yes I do believe in God and Jesus, but have never accepted him as my Savior.”
Guy two says “Yes I do believe in God and Jesus, and accepted him as my Savior when I was 25.”
Hopefully you would understand that guy one is not saved and guy two is, assuming he was sincere. So when James says that “faith without works is dead” this is what he means.
Walking faith is dead without some type of evidence or works.
Saving faith is dead without sincere acceptance.
While is it clear from the Bible that salvation is a FREE GIFT, you still need to not just believe in the gift, but also accept it in order to possess it!
One could say that anyone that truly believes will also accept the gift!
Goodboy