Secret Christian

Posted by Dion Todd July 16th, 2023 3,257 Views 0 Comments

Secret Christian from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

I sincerely question any salvation that requires no action nor causes any change in your life. If they were arrested today and put on trial for following Jesus, many modern Christians would be set free because of a lack of evidence. Because knowing about Jesus isn't knowing Him. There seems to be some confusion over this, but look how clearly Jesus said it:

(Matthew 7:21–23 NKJV)  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Scripture makes it clear that we are all sinners who are saved by grace, not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We cannot "earn" salvation; it is a free gift from God. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Jesus said that we need to be born again in order to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). We are born again (saved) by confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Jesus said that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16).

 To be saved on that basis, we need to:

1. Acknowledge in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord.

2. Confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord.

3. Believe Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the grave.

4. Repent, turn away from our sins, and be baptized in the name of Jesus. 

All that you need to do to get started is to pray a simple prayer like this and sincerely mean it: 

"God, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness today. I believe that Jesus Christ died for me and rose again. Lord, please wash me clean from sin, shame, and guilt. Come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Guide me from this day forth, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray." 

Then you should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in a pinch, you can baptize yourself at home in a bathtub, but if circumstances permit, find a church to help and do it in public. They will be happy to. 

That is how we all begin our walk with the Lord Jesus, but now what? Is anything else required of us, and can we "undo" this? There are two extreme views of salvation, and I agree with neither. I might later if the Lord increases my understanding. 

1. For a few years I attended a church where if you did not repent on your knees at the altar every Wednesday and Sunday, they thought that you had backslidden. The entire message and focus were "repent or burn in hell," even for people who had been attending for twenty years. I was baptized often to get a fresh start, just in case. Members were taught that no one could be certain they would be saved. Though you lived your life every day for the Lord if you had a lustful thought, then pulled out into traffic and were killed in an accident, you would burn in hell over it. This was one extreme.

2. The other extreme is when people believe that they are eternally saved and that nothing they can do will ever change that. They believe that they are "sealed," and no matter what they do, the Lord is powerless due to the previous contract. They have a license to sin as much as they want once they have prayed the sinner's prayer. This is "greasy grace" and another extreme. This attitude scares me the worst.

To me, the truth is somewhere between those points. I know that God loves the world and wishes that no one would perish (John 3:16), though it is clear that many will. Jesus told His disciples this:

(Matthew 7:13–14 NKJV)  “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Most that preach eternal security use Paul's teachings as a basis, but to me, Jesus is greater than Paul, and if a doctrine does not agree with the teachings of Jesus, then I do not agree with that doctrine. The Apostle Paul came from the strictest sect of Pharisees who believed in obedience at all costs. I don't think that he would like people to use his teachings as a license to sin and to do the least possible. 

Paul was not a slacker, and you can't use him as an example of doing the least possible to get by. You would never call the Apostle Paul "lukewarm." He was a fiery preacher of righteousness who was beheaded for his faith. 

The Apostle Peter warned us that Paul wrote some things that were difficult to understand and that people would twist them (2 Peter 3:16). I believe that, in general, the church spends far too much time in the letters of Paul and not enough in the gospels. Yet, even Paul disciplined his body and kept it under control "lest after preaching to others that he himself may be rejected" (1 Corinthians 9:27).

I believe it is clear that we are to imitate Jesus, and our behavior should reflect Jesus as best we can manage. A tree is known by the fruit that it bears, whether good or bad (Matthew 12:33). Consider these words of the Lord Jesus Christ:

(John 15:5–6 NKJV)  "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."

(John 14:15 NKJV)  "If you love Me, keep My commandments."

(Matthew 10:32–33 NKJV)  "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

Those words seem pretty clear to me. The Apostle Peter said it this way: 

(2 Peter 2:20–22 NASB)  For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."

We need to find a balance in the middle. I am not promoting legalism, either. You cannot be saved by keeping a set of rules or by good works alone. You are saved by Faith, and it is a free gift, not earned, faith in Jesus Christ plus nothing. There is, however, no true faith that is not followed by obedience. If we really believe in Jesus Christ, then we will act accordingly. If we love Him, then we will keep His commandments. There will be fruit in our lives, and trees are known by their fruit. 

There is more to being a Christian than merely saying the sinner's prayer once and then never giving God another thought. To me, this is an ongoing relationship, much like a marriage. Whether you can lose your salvation or not, I honestly don't know. I do feel that it would be foolish to walk on the fringe and try and prove that you can't be lost by doing the least that you possibly can.

If you are trying to serve God, He will work with you, help you, and you will make it to heaven even if your life is still a mess. It's a relationship. You don't have to be perfect, but you should try to be. I just feel that professing to know Jesus but living like you don't is very dangerous. The lukewarm people that Jesus said He would vomit out of His mouth were part of the church, called themselves Christians, and felt they had need of nothing (Revelation 3:16). Know anyone like that?

(Luke 6:46 NASB)  "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

You can pray this with me if you like: 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for saving me! I want to know You in a deeper way. Please speak to me in a way I understand and help me be in tune with what You are doing on Earth today. Make what is important to You important to me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!