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Go
to 4 different denominational churches and get 4 different answers. Why
is this so hard to answer? Many scriptures answer this question. Acts I
think this is the root of the problem in understanding the question "What
must I do to be saved?" People get the impression that there is just one
thing they need to do in order to be saved and then it's a done deal. Not
So! You
must hear the word, believe, repent of your sin, confess Jesus Christ is
the Son of God, be buried in Christ's death through baptism and live righteously
to the end. See "What
is the plan of Salvation?"
Definition
of the suffix “ed”
ed (1) suffixUsed to form
the past tense of regular verbs: tasted. You
are saved but only up to your present condition. To be saved eternally
would be a future event that will be determined when we die, looking to
our pass life. Let
me give you an example.Say you are
in a burning building. A fireman tells you “you shall be saved”. This is
a past tense phrase used for a future condition.He
comes and rescues you and you are safely on the ground. You say, “you saved”
my life. This is past tense.I
have been “saved”. This is past tense. You then turn walking away waving
goodbye not paying attention walk back into the build as it collapses,
killing you.In a class for fireman,
they are taught, people “are saved” from fires by firemen.But
after they “are saved” from the fire they have to stay away from reenter
the fire until there is no more fire. Most
verses clarify saved
as “shall be saved”. Look
at what the word "shall," means. Definition
for "Shall" shall (shl) Used before a verb in the infinitive to show:
Something that will take place or exist in the future: We shall arrive
tomorrow. Mark Notice
in Mark 16:16. He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved; but he that believeth not shall
be damned. Now answer this. Those who believeth not, are they damned right
away? Is it over for them from that point on? - No, not until they die.
If they change their believe before they die, and fulfill the complete
plan of salvation, then they will be saved. They are damned if they continue
to not believe until the day they die. Same thing, they are saved as long
as they continue to believe until the day they die. If they change their
ways before they die than they too will be damned. In this verse
"shall be saved" and "shall be damned" will happen at the same time (When
you die). You are saved if you believe and are baptized and damned if you
believe not. There
are a few verses that could mislead someone to believe “saved” is something
that is from now and forever. 1Co
15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in vain. At
first this verse could mislead one to think, “are saved,” means presently
and forever, but notice what the next word is. “IF” This clarifies the
word “saved” as again being something only up to the present condition.Other
verses use the wording “are saved” but they are referring to what your
condition will be if you continue to obey Gods commandments.There
are to many verses which deny the condition of never becoming lost,
never being able to change your fate. We
have an example of someone being saved and then the sin enters in and he
is told he would perish with his money. That's right Simon the sorcerer.
In Acts 8:9 Simon has not yet believed nor has he been baptized. Ac
8:9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the
same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out
that himself was some great one: Simon
was taught or heard the word and believed and was baptized.
Ac 8:13 Then
Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with
Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now
Simon witnessed Philip performing miracles. Philip was not an apostle and
could not pass the gift on. When the apostle heard that Acts8:14
¶ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria
had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who,
when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the
Holy Ghost:
This is when
Simon sinned, he not only want what Philip had but wanted the power to
pass the gift of the Holy Ghost on to others. This lust and desire
he had was a sin. He covet the gifts of the Apostles and offered
money for them. I'm sure he was thinking he could sell these gifts. Acts
8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the
Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this
power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. This
sin separated him from God. God forsake him just as he did Jesus
when the sins of the world was on him. Acts
8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou
hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Not
only did he not receive the gift to pass on the Holy Spirit, he received
no gifts either. Acts Now
because he was baptized and because Jesus die for him, he has the mercy
of God if he repents for the sin he committed. This is were many
people fall short of the truth. He can sin, fall from grace or have
God to forsake us due to the sin, but through Jesus Christ we can receive
forgiveness of that sin and be reconciled or made whole again. It's
not automatic. You must repent from every sin and pray for forgiveness
just like the example above shows us. Grace and Mercy is something we receive
in prayer when we ask for forgiveness. there is no more Grace and
mercy after we die. Being
saved is something that happens when this life is over. Being in a saved
state of presents is something that has to be endured to the end. (Matthew
10:22) Matthew It's
a race as the writer of Hebrews puts it. (Hebrews 12:1) Hebrews
12:1
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Another
misconception people have is the meaning of the word "BELIEVE". Webster
defines "believe - to accept as true, genuine, or real". This is not what
the original Greek word means. Strong’s translates the Greek word “pisteuo”
<4102> below: 100
pisteuw pisteuo pist-yoo’ -o from 4102; TDNT-6:174 , 849; v King
James-believe 239, commit unto 4, commit to (one’s) trust 1, be committed
unto 1, be put in trust with 1, be commit to one’s trust 1, believer 1;
248
Commit
unto is not, something you do once and than it's a done deal. This
is the same thinking that misleads people in believing that they can not
fall from grace. Thinking, "believing only" saves them and that nothing
can change their salvation. There are just too many scripture that tell
us we can fall from grace. Courtesy
of http://www.rmcoc.com/faq/faq.htm
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