Are You Saved?

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There are certain generally accepted principles or core beliefs derived from the New Testament which are generally accepted among Christians, for example, the sinless-ness of Christ, His divinity, His all-sufficient grace on the cross, substitutionary atonement, and so on. These core beliefs constitute a body of biblical doctrine defining what it means to be a Christian. Because they are held to be the unchangeable teachings of Christ derived from the Bible, there can be no watering down to something more generally acceptable among non-believers. Doctrine matters.

But while doctrine matters, the Bible warns against doctrines which create unnecessary burdens. In Mark 7:6b-7 Jesus said, “This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me.” The writer of Hebrews advises in Hebrews 13:9, “do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be (fed) by grace, not by (doctrines) which have not benefited those devoted to them.” And in Matthew 23:4 and 23:13 Jesus criticized those who load people down with difficult doctrines: “For the bind heavy burdens grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers…. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you permit them who are entering to go in.”

Fortunately, biblical doctrines are fairly straight forward, unlike the doctrines taught by the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus time. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

If you are struggling with doubt regarding the efficacy of church doctrine, there may be a reason for it. There may be a problem with either the doctrine, or the manner in which it is being presented to you. Do not be misled by the doctrines of man. Seek God’s pure and simple doctrine found in Jesus Christ alone. If anyone is teaching doctrines which do not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, that person is “puffed up with conceit, knows nothing; has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth…” (1 Timothy 6:4-5 RSV). Feel free to walk away from such teachers, going instead directly to the New Testament and giving the Holy Spirit a chance to illuminate your understanding. “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Now, let me ask the question. Are you saved? Don’t be confused or intimidated by this question. I am not asking if you accept every doctrine propounded by this or that ecclesiastical authority. I’m asking if you feel at one with God, reconciled, understand the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, and accept that as a free gift that has been given by God directly to you. Your only obligation is to love. Love is the primary commandment given to all disciples by Jesus. Love is not only the greatest good, it is the most central and enduring quality of who we are—it is the part of our identity which is capable of bearing all hardship, even when other things, our intellect, our reputation, our will, our confidence, even our most cherished beliefs may falter. As the Apostle Paul puts it, faith, hope and love endure, but the greatest of these, is love.

I know there are things that can cause us to doubt, times when we might even wonder if we have lost our faith. Remember, love will endure even when our faith is shaken and our hope seems lost. And, while we are saved by faithful responsiveness to the Lord’s voice, accepting His plan of salvation when it is offered, the ultimate thing by which we are sustained is God’s love for us and our love that has been quickened in us because He first loved us.

“Do you believe?” As the Apostle James points out, “even devils believe” (James 2:19). That being the case, belief in itself is not necessarily the ticket into eternal life. The ultimate question may well be, “Do you faithfully love God, and are you thankful for his gift of new life?” Can you say yes to this even though there are clouds of questions darkening your understanding of various church doctrines? If you can, this is what it means to be “saved”.