Are We Truly Saved Or Deceived?
Updated: Aug 28
4th March 2025 l Ava J Dearden
Are we truly saved or deceived?
It is probably thee most important question we will ever need to reflect upon, our eternal destinations rests on the answer.
If we are saved, we feel it, we know it, we are changed from within. God's Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are His children. We can only judge and assess our own position in Christ. Only He knows our hearts. Someone who may appear to be the farthest example of how some perceive a Christian should look and behave, could well be one of His anointed. Conversely, someone who has been attending church all of their life, who quotes scripture, volunteers, helps out at the local charity, prays the loudest may in fact not be saved at all.
With God, it's all about our hearts
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Can a prayer really save us?
The Bible teaches yes, we can say a prayer and be saved. Although it isn't the prayer in itself, there is no formula, ritual, right or wrong way. A prayer is a conversation with Almighty God, we need to be real, a prayer must be from the heart with a genuine desire to be saved, to live for God and to turn from sin.
Once I am saved, am I always saved? - Yes, no, maybe
Yes:
This is a question that is still, to this day open for debate in the Christian world. In my own personal experience of becoming lukewarm; then yes, once saved we are always saved, however there are consequences for sinful behaviour. Jesus took me in hand, disciplined and chastised me, but I'm figuring that's because He knows the real me, I have a personal relationship with the LORD. I know that I'm saved, His Holy Spirit lives in me. If we are His, He never let's us go, and won't ever give up on us. His love is relentless.
He knows how much I love Him and want to do right by Him, even when my flesh tells me otherwise and it rises up against my LORD and Saviour. I still, with everything that I am work to love Him with all of my heart, soul mind and strength, and others as He commands. I try my very best to obey and please Him. I consider my eternity to be of far more worth than anything this world can offer. If we don't care, maybe we are not truly saved to begin with.
1 Peter 4:18 - “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
John 10:28-30 - I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
No/maybe:
Conversely; just two examples of what some Chrisitans, including myself believe 'may' point to us being able to lose our salavation if we continuously turn our backs on the grace of God.
If we are able to continue living in sin, then why would Paul command a church member be turned over to satan to save his soul? Could it be that the member wasn't truly saved?
Hebrews 6:4-12 clearly states that it is impossible for someone who has shared in the Holy Spirit to return to repentance after falling away. Is there a limit, does is depend on the hardness of someone's heart?
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." — Deuteronomy 29:29For me, after possibly being turned over to satan, living through His judgement, 'as it begins with the house of God', it simply isn't worth debating. God reveals to us what He sees fit, He is the LORD Almighty, and some things He has us ponder so that we keep on seeking, to draw us in closer to Himself.
If we knew for a fact that we couldn't lose our salvation, human nature dictates that we would use that information for our own selfish means. We would live without eternity in mind, in the world, being ok with sin and wicked behaviour. We may choose to wait until our death beds to repent, but God will not be mocked, He knows our every intention.
1 Corinthians 5:5 - Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.
Hebrews 6:4-12 - For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.
When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.
Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
Being saved is only the first step on our journey. Salvation is a lifetime process.
Salvation is a free gift from God. It's a process that sanctifies and changes us so that ultimately we become more like Jesus. He saves us, sets us apart and makes us holy. If God isn't changing us, then we need to look inwards and reassess if we are truly saved. The process starts the day we are saved and ends when we are taken home.
Salvation - starts the day we are saved and ends when we leave this mortal coil. It encompasses a process that God uses to save and sanctify us. Salvation is thought of by some as being the whole Bible from the beginning, the plan of redemption for mankind. |
Being saved - is the first step in our salvation. We pray to God from a genuine heart to be saved. He hears our prayer and our journey with Jesus as a born again Christian, a new creature in Christ begins. |
We are justified - God declares us righteous when we are saved. Jesus's righteousness is imputed to us because of our belief in Him and the sacrifice that He made to take away our sin. We are reconciled to God. |
Discipleship - is an ongoing part of the process. It requires a Christian's response to the promptings of God's Holy Spirit by obeying His teachings, renewing our minds, taking our thoughts captive, praying, reading, meditating and studying His Word. It requires our participation so that our faith strengthens and we grow closer to our Heavenly Father. |
Sanctification - God sanctifies us, sets us apart to make us holy. He may do this by orchestrating or allowing trials, test, sometimes tribulations in our life. It is a part of discipleship and growth. We can't be made holy if we refuse to listen His voice and we can't truly love Him if we aren't willing to sacrifice and obey His teachings. |
Saved by grace through faith
Ephesians 2:8-10 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
But are we using 'saved by grace through faith' as an excuse to continue in sin?
Ephesians 2:9 teaches that salvation is a gift from God, it is not by our works, nothing that we do. But Ephesians 2:10 seems contradictory as it declares that God created us to do good works. There are different types of works:
Works of the law - which man attempted, and failed to carry out in his own strength. These were religious works such as abstaining from unclean food, keeping the sabbath...These are the works spoken of in Ephesians 8:9. We are not saved by these types of works.
Works that God created us to do - We will judged on our works. We are called to do good deeds, to use the gifts that God has given us so that we may benefit others through our actions. Neither are we saved by these types of works, but if we are not living for God's Kingdom then it's time to reassess our position in Christ. We may have become lukewarm, backslidden in our faith.
Parable Of The Talents
Matthew 25:28-29 - “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
Christians are expected to do good works, to use our God given free will and giftings for the good of others.
In doing good works we glorify our Heavenly Father. We are obeying His commands. We cannot earn our way into Heaven, but everything that we do here on earth will be reflected in our rewards and eternal roles in eternity.
Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Attributes of a true Christian
Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Does God's Spirit testify with our spirit that we are saved?
Do we love God and put Him first in everything we think, feel, plan and action?
Are we striving to live righteously?
Do we obey God’s Word, and when we're struggling do we ask ask Jesus to help us?
Are we practising selfless love. Do we put others before self?
Are we living in the world but not of the world?
Do we love the truth?
Are we willing to suffer persecution for our faith?
Do we forgive as we have been forgiven?
Are we bearing good fruits?
Do we hate sin and evil?
...and if we can say yes from a genuine heart and God's Spirit testifies with ours that we are His children, then we are truly saved.
Romans 8:16 - For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
Comments