There are a lot of people in the world who think they are assured a place in heaven and are, well, pardon the expression, dead wrong. They sort of have the mentality that they have an easily acquired insurance policy. Seems pretty simple to categorize them into identifiable groups. So let me give it a whirl.
First, there are those who look at their baptism as the sole means of assurance for their salvation. It really doesn’t matters whether it was as an infant, youth, or adult. The act of baptism is not a stand alone means by which someone will get into heaven. Baptism is not a cheap insurance policy guaranteeing you’ll get into heaven. Guarantee ya that there are people that when you ask them how they are going to get into heaven they’ll reply, “My parents had me baptized when I was a baby.” Well that and $2.79 will get you a real nice cup of coffee at Panera’s.
The second group are those who when asked if they will get into heaven will say, “Well, I believe there is a God so I sure hope so.” Well even the devil believes that God exists! There are also many other world religions outside of Christianity that believe there is a God. Believing there is a God does not get you into heaven. It’s a nice starting place to believe there is a God but that can’t stand alone either. Simply believing there is a God and assuming this will get you into heaven is about the same as acknowledging that Donald Trump exists and therefore you ought to be rich.
The third group out there thinks their membership in a church body and/or attendance at worship will get them into heaven. I’m not the first one to think of these two analogies but that’s as silly as assuming you’ll be a car if you stay in the garage long enough or a football player if you attend the games. Doing things does not get you into heaven nor does it make you a Christian.
Those three groups aren’t too hard to identify but now we come to the next group, Category Four: those who went through the motions of confessing Christ as their Savior but never have a changed life thereafter. Now this group really thinks they came across some cheap fire insurance! They think because the words came across their lips they are saved for all Eternity. Saying the sinner’s prayer with no true inner conviction, no desire to make Jesus Lord of your life is making a mockery of God. Do not go there! God will not be mocked!
They are the ones who go right on doing the things they were doing before. They know they are doing things contrary to God’s will and His holiness and claim exclusion from judgment saying that they are “covered by grace.” There is no forensic evidence that could convict them of being a Christian yet they think they are saved because they “said the sinner’s prayer.” When you look at their life there is no evidence of a regenerated spirit. Confessing Jesus as your savior is not an excuse to go on sinning and it will not get you into heaven if that’s how you understand it!
What’s a regenerated spirit? A person with a changed life because they made a heartfelt profession of Christ as Lord and Savior. The regenerated spirit is changed in perspective, attitude and actions because they have given themselves over to Christ as their Lord after having understood and personally accepted how he could be their Savior. They are totally turned around or in the process of turning from who they were before. No one is perfect in their thoughts, words, and deeds immediately upon becoming a Christian but upon receiving the free gift of grace by faith alone in Christ alone there is transaction that has taken place. By accepting God’s grace, we recognize and acknowledge we were paid for at the highest price ever. In appreciation and gratitude for this free gift we voluntarily surrender our spirit, our will, our soul to Christ (the one who created it in the first place).
And that my friend is evidence of someone who will be in heaven. They believed enough in what a miserable sinner they were that they accepted Christ first as Savior, but also inseparably as Lord. It’s a person with an intimate personal relationship with Christ.
I’m thankful that we have a patient God because I know that I was a “Category 4” Christian for a long time before I “got it” and I’m still surrendering little pieces of “my ranch” that I’ve held onto that really need to be given over to the Lord.
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Romans 6:1-2
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
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