Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: timh@linus.uucp (Tim Hoogasian) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: How did you become a Christian? Message-ID: Date: 12 Aug 90 08:49:15 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: IDE, San Francisco Lines: 74 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article walsh@astro.pc.ab.com writes: >In article , kday@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Day) writes: > >Out of curiosity, could the poster of this or someone who shares >his philosophy explain what "saved" means in this context? Is it >an experiance so intense you remember what day of the week it was? >Can you come to believe and not remember it was on a Wednesday? "Saved" (to my understanding) indicates "owning" the salvation of Jesus Christ. To wit, having confessed one's at-root sinful nature and recognized that you can't save (perfect) yourself, and having (sincerely - which is something only you and God can really "know") asked Christ to forgive you those sins and assume Lordship of your life. it can be a "lightning-bolt" experience, or not. honestly, i don't recall the day/date that i asked Jesus into my life - i was a small child. it is an unfortunate fact that many lifelong Christians feel like second-class citizens when "testimony time" comes around, since they (i am included here) often feel like we've somehow "missed out" on something by not feeling able to say "My life was until Jesus saved me." >Can you become "unsaved" after being "saved?" Swaggart and Jimmy >and Tammy come to mind. They were "saved", but acted like they >needed a little more salvation, so can i assume it's not an absolute >term? you've managed to hit on a theological bomb here. Biblically, we are assured that our salvation cannot ever be taken away from us. the way i understand this is literally - our salvation may not be removed from us by anyone or any power. however, if i walk away from Christ, back into continual willful sin, i believe i can "throw away" my salvation. (how else to understand Peter (if i remember correctly?) charging that those who were once saved but threw away the gift cannot be saved again, lest Christ be crucified twice?) >Does "saved" mean becoming a member of a church? ^^^^^^^^ no. not at all. to be a Christian is to have a personal walk ("relationship") with Jesus Christ - to love and serve Him as Lord of your life. If so, it seems >to imply that this is the ultimate, final act of salvation. Does one >who is "saved" need to work on himself or improve himself in any way, >or is this no longer important? again, another knotty issue. Christ's salvation is final, yes. We are justified by Him through his Grace (Unmerited Favor). We don't (can't!) "earn" salvation. However, this must NOT be construed to indicate that we have now a carte blanche to sin "so that grace may abound." those whose names are in the Book of Life (those who have accepted Christ) will not be Judged as others who have rejected Him (and hence condemned themselves), but they will still be called to account for their actions. so yes, it is by all means still "important" to work on yourself (some would phrase this as having the Holy Spirit work on *you*). Perhaps it's done on the day of the >week he remembers when he was saved? as the bumper sticker says so eloquently, "Christians are not perfect - just Saved." >Hope this doesn't come across as disrespectful. I'd just like >an explanation for terminology that's very common, but which i don't >really grasp, not coming from that background. hope this helps, then. > ando. Tim | ARPA: timh@ide.com Hoogasian | UUCP: sun!ide!timh (415) 543-0900 =============================================================================== #define DISCLAIMER "Are you nuts? I don't represent anyone, let alone myself!"