Jewish Salvation Without Christ

Writing in the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, in December 2000, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote, "As Christians we are the inheritors of their faith in the one God."

"Our gratitude," the future pope wrote, "must be extended to our Jewish brothers and sisters who, despite the hardships of their own history, have held on to faith in this God right up to the present, and who witness to it in the sight of those peoples who, lacking knowledge of the one God, 'dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.'"

Two years later, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Commission for Relations With the Jews, told a U.S. conference that Christians cannot ignore their core belief in the universality of salvation in Christ.

However, he said, "this does not mean that Jews, in order to be saved, have to become Christians; if they follow their own conscience and believe in God's promises as they understand them in their religious tradition, they are in line with God's plan, which for us comes to historical completion in Jesus Christ."

-Catholic News

Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice

An Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice
Nihil obstat: REV. M. G. FLANNERY Censor Librorum Brooklyn, N. Y
Imprimatur: IGN. F. HORSTMANN, Bishop of Cleveland, JANUARY 9, 1901

Which are the means instituted by our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of the Redemption?
The means instituted by our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of His Redemption are the Church and the Sacraments. The word "Church" here implies the religious society founded by Christ. The " Sacraments " may be regarded as the chief means by which the members of the Church receive divine grace.

By what means does the Church "sanctify and save all men?"
The Church sanctifies and saves all men by means of the Mass, the Sacraments, and special blessings and devotions.

What then must Catholics do to save their souls?
To save their souls, Catholics must: 1st, Believe all the teachings of the Church; 2nd, Keep the Commandments of God and the Church ; 3rd, Pray to God and worthily receive the Sacraments.

What, therefore, should we do in order to glorify God and save our souls?
In order to glorify God and save our souls, we should always: 1st, Avoid sin and all dangerous occasions of sin; 2nd, Attend carefully to daily prayers, to Holy Mass, and to frequent Confession and Communion; 3rd, Be faithful to all our Christian duties and practices, as loyal friends of Jesus Christ, and faithful members of His Holy Church.


Who is the visible Head of the Church?
Our Holy Father the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the Vicar of Christ on earth and the visible Head of the Church. Other names of the Pope: Sovereign Pontiff; Father of Christendom; His Holiness; the Pope calls himself, "The Servant of the Servants of God."

Why is he called "our Holy Father”?
The Pope is called our Holy Father, because he is the spiritual Father of all Christians, from whom they receive the means of holiness that are in the Church,

Why is he called "the Vicar of Christ”?
The Pope is called the Vicar of Christ, because He represents Christ, and acts in the name and place of Christ, over the whole Church.

Why did Christ found the Church?
Christ founded the Church to teach, govern, sanctify, and save all men.

By whom are the members of the Church governed?
The laity are governed by their priests; the priests, by their bishops; and the bishops, by the Pope.

Catholic Grace

"Grace does not force man's free will, but respects it, and leaves man free to act with it or not. Grace, therefore, does not destroy our freewill, but only helps it, and our own working with grace is required. "God who has created thee without thee, will not save thee without thee " says St. Augustine: and in Holy Scripture it is repeatedly stated that God will render to every one according to his works. A renovation which renders a soul renewed, pure, bright, amiable and endearing to God.

We stand in continual need of actual grace to perform good acts, both before and after being justified. "Without me you can do nothing," says our Saviour, and St. Paul declares that without God's grace we are incapable of even a good thought. The good acts, however, done by the help of grace without justification are not, strictly speaking, meritorious, but serve to smooth the way to justification, to move God, though merely through His mercy and condescension, to help us and render us better disposed for the same. But if, with the assistance of actual grace, good works are done by a person who is in a state of justifying grace, then they are acceptable to God, and merit an increase of grace on earth and an increase of glory in Heaven.

…All our merits, however, without any exception, are grounded on the merits of Jesus Christ, and on His grace, without which no one can move a step towards heaven.

The merit of a good action performed in a state of grace, as being in consequence of justification, and in union with our Lord, is truly our own merit, because that good action is really performed by us, by our co-operation with God's grace; but it is also, and principally, a merit of our Lord, as a grape is the fruit of the branch, and yet also and principally the fruit of the parent vine without which, or if not connected with which, the branch could not produce any fruit, or indeed have become a branch at all. Our merit, therefore, does not take away from Christ's merits, for without Him we can do nothing. We merit through Christ, Christ makes us merit; or still more properly, Christ merits in us, and therefore all the glory is His…

JESUS CHRIST died for all mankind; He truly died that "He might taste death for all." (Hebrews ii. 9.) Yet we know that all men will not be saved, but only those who do His will; for we read in St. Paul : "And being consummated, He became to all that obey Him the cause of eternal salvation." (Hebrews v. 9.) And so, notwithstanding Christ's redemption, it is stated in the gospel that some "shall go into everlasting punishment." (St. Matt. xxv. 46.) St. Paul did not say that God will save all men, but, "Who will have all men to be saved" (1 Timothy ii. 4), implying thereby that for salvation, man's will and co-operation is required to fulfill the conditions, and use the means appointed by God Himself for the purpose.

Only those who "have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Apocalypse [Rev.] vii. 14), that is, who have the merits of Christ applied to them, and who persevere to the end in doing what is commanded, will be saved.

The direct means instituted by Christ Himself for applying His infinite merits to the souls of men are the holy sacraments, which are so many channels instituted by Jesus Christ to convey to men His grace purchased for us at the price of His most precious blood: "You shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountains." (Isaias xii. 3.)"

-The Glories of the Catholic Church (1895)
Imprimatur: Michael Augustine, Archbishop of NY

Catholic Quotes on Salvation

"The Holy Spirit is not only present in other religions through authentic expressions of prayer. “The Spirit’s presence and activity”, as I wrote in the Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, “affect not only individuals but also society and history, peoples, cultures and religions” (n. 28).

Normally, “it will be in the sincere practice of what is good in their own religious traditions and by following the dictates of their own conscience that the members of other religions respond positively to God’s invitation and receive salvation in Jesus Christ, even while they do not recognize or acknowledge him as their Saviour (cf. Ad gentes, nn. 3, 9, 11)” (Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue – Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Instruction Dialogue and Proclamation, 19 May 1991, n. 29; L’Osservatore Romano English edition, 1 July 1991, p. III).

Indeed, as the Second Vatican Council teaches, “since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of coming into contact, in a way known to God, with the paschal mystery” (Gaudium et spes, n. 22)."

John Paul II, General Audience

Catholic Quotes on Salvation

"Here I repeat what I wrote to the Fifth Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences: 'Although the Church gladly acknowledges whatever is true and holy in the religious traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam as a reflection of that truth which enlightens all people, this does not lessen her duty and resolve to proclaim without failing Jesus Christ who is ‘the way and the truth and the life'... The fact that the followers of other religions can receive God's grace and be saved by Christ apart from the ordinary means which he has established does not thereby cancel the call to faith and baptism which God wills for all people'".

-John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia

Catholic Quotes on Salvation

"For those too who through no fault of their own do not know Christ and are not recognized as Christians, the divine plan has provided a way of salvation. As we read in the Council's Decree Ad Gentes, we believe that "God in ways known to himself can lead those inculpably ignorant of the Gospel" to the faith necessary for salvation (AG 7). Certainly, the condition "inculpably ignorant" cannot be verified nor weighed by human evaluation, but must be left to the divine judgment alone. For this reason, the Council states in the Constitution Gaudium et Spes that in the heart of every man of good will, "Grace works in an unseen way.... The Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery" (GS 22)...

...This affirmation of the Savior's "uniqueness" derives from the Lord's own words. He stated that he came "to give his own life in ransom for the many" (Mk 10:45), that is, for humanity, as St. Paul explains when he writes: "One died for all" (2 Cor 5:14; cf. Rom 5:18). Christ won universal salvation with the gift of his own life. No other mediator has been established by God as Savior. The unique value of the sacrifice of the cross must always be acknowledged in the destiny of every man.

...For those, however, who have not received the Gospel proclamation, as I wrote in the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, salvation is accessible in mysterious ways, inasmuch as divine grace is granted to them by virtue of Christ's redeeming sacrifice, without external membership in the Church, but nonetheless always in relation to her (cf. RM 10). It is a mysterious relationship. It is mysterious for those who receive the grace, because they do not know the Church and sometimes even outwardly reject her. It is also mysterious in itself, because it is linked to the saving mystery of grace, which includes an essential reference to the Church the Savior founded.

..Religions can exercise a positive influence on the destiny of those who belong to them and follow their guidance in a sincere spirit. However, if decisive action for salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit, we must keep in mind that man receives his salvation only from Christ through the Holy Spirit. Salvation already begins during earthly life. This grace, when accepted and responded to, brings forth fruit in the gospel sense for earth and for heaven.

...What has been said, however, should not lead to the conclusion that her missionary activity is less needed in these situations--quite the contrary. In fact, whoever does not know Christ, even through no fault of his own, is in a state of darkness and spiritual hunger, often with negative repercussions at the cultural and moral level. The Church's missionary work can provide him with the resources for the full development of Christ's saving grace, by offering full and conscious adherence to the message of faith and active participation in Church life through the sacraments."

-John Paul II, General Audience

Catholic Quotes on Salvation

"The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all. But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the gospel revelation or to enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. For such people salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his Sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his or her free cooperation."

-Redemptoris missio

Pope on Salvation

Salvation is open to all, but the way is not easy, pope says:

"Salvation through Christ is open to all, but the way is not easy because it requires a real commitment to love and justice, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope, speaking Aug. 26 to hundreds of pilgrims at his summer residence outside Rome, said that when Christ told his disciples the gate to heaven was narrow he did not mean it was for the privileged few. "Christ's message goes in the opposite direction: Everyone can enter into (eternal) life, but for everyone the gate is narrow ... because it requires commitment, renunciation and mortification of one's own egotism," the pope said. Christ made clear that people will ultimately be judged on the basis of their works in this world, he said. "The evildoers will find themselves excluded, while those who have done good and sought justice through sacrifice will be welcomed. It will not be enough to declare oneself a friend of Christ," the pope said."

Catholic Bishops: Holy Disorder

I knew it would not be long before someone would complain that my post on the Catholic Bishop was not fair because he doesn’t faithfully represent the Catholic Church. While I would usually agree that individual beliefs are not always accurate representations of official Church teachings, claiming that the comments of an ordained Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church are not a reflection of the Church is just another example of the inconsistency of Catholic doctrines.

Read the quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church below. If what is claimed for the high level and power of a Roman Catholic Bishop are true, then how is it that they cannot be considered a fair representation of their Church? It seems that the “Catholic faithful” are to entrust their eternal salvation to the Bishops but not trust them to accurately portray the Catholic teachings in their behaviors or commentaries.

1548 In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis: It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister truly represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is truly made like to the high priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself (virtute ac persona ipsius Christi). Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a figure of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of Christ.

1549 Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers. In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father.

1558 "Episcopal consecration confers, together with the office of sanctifying, also the offices of teaching and ruling. . . . In fact . . . by the imposition of hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such wise that bishops, in an eminent and visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and priest, and act as his representative (in Eius persona agant)." "By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, bishops have been constituted true and authentic teachers of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors."

1560 As Christ's vicar, each bishop has the pastoral care of the particular Church entrusted to him, but at the same time he bears collegially with all his brothers in the episcopacy the solicitude for all the Churches: "Though each bishop is the lawful pastor only of the portion of the flock entrusted to his care, as a legitimate successor of the apostles he is, by divine institution and precept, responsible with the other bishops for the apostolic mission of the Church."

1581 This sacrament [holy orders] configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ's instrument for his Church. By ordination one is enabled to act as a representative of Christ, Head of the Church, in his triple office of priest, prophet, and king.

1585 The grace of the Holy Spirit proper to this sacrament is configuration to Christ as Priest, Teacher, and Pastor, of whom the ordained is made a minister.

1586 For the bishop, this is first of all a grace of strength…: the grace to guide and defend his Church with strength and prudence as a father and pastor, with gratuitous love for all and a preferential love for the poor, the sick, and the needy. This grace impels him to proclaim the Gospel to all, to be the model for his flock, to go before it on the way of sanctification by identifying himself in the Eucharist with Christ the priest and victim, not fearing to give his life for his sheep:

“Besides the power of order, bishops possess that of jurisdiction; they have the right to prescribe for the faithful the rules which the latter must follow in order to obtain eternal salvation. The power of jurisdiction is of Divine origin, in the sense that the pope is held to establish in the Church bishops whose mission it is to direct the faithful in the way of salvation. The bishops have then in their dioceses an ordinary jurisdiction, limited, however, by the rights that the pope can reserve to himself in virtue of his primacy. But this jurisdiction is independent of the will and consent of the faithful, and even of the clergy.” Catholic Encyclopedia

Catholicism: Necessary for Salvation

Catholic Catechism:

1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation…

1277 Baptism...is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself...

183 Faith is necessary for salvation…

1129 The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation…

980 …This sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation…

846 ...the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation...

1816 …Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation…

1259 For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.

837 …Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved.

2036 The authority of the Magisterium extends also to the specific precepts of the natural law, because their observance, demanded by the Creator, is necessary for salvation…

2068 …so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments.


Council of Trent:

CANON XXXII.-If any one saith, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life,-if so be, however, that he depart in grace,-and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema.

CANON IV.-If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation, but superfluous; and that, without them, or without the desire thereof, men obtain of God, through faith alone, the grace of justification;-though all (the sacraments) are not ineed necessary for every individual; let him be anathema.


Catechism of St. Pius:

39 Q: What are the conditions necessary to obtain Heaven?
A: The conditions necessary to obtain Heaven are the grace of God, the practice of good works, and perseverance until death in His holy love.


Compendium of the CCC:

207. What is life everlasting?
Eternal life is that life which begins immediately after death. It will have no end. It will be preceded for each person by a particular judgment at the hands of Christ who is the Judge of the living and the dead. This particular judgement will be confirmed in the final judgment.

208. What is the particular judgment?
It is the judgment of immediate retribution which each one after death will receive from God in his immortal soul in accord with his faith and his works. This retribution consists in entrance into the happiness of heaven, immediately or after an appropriate purification, or entry into the eternal damnation of hell.


Baltimore Catechism
Q. 476. Is grace necessary to salvation?
A. Grace is necessary to salvation, because without grace we can do nothing to merit heaven.

Q. 477. Can we resist the grace of God?
A. We can, and unfortunately often do, resist the grace of God.

Q. 478. Is it a sin knowingly to resist the grace of God?
A. It is a sin, knowingly, to resist the grace of God, because we thereby insult Him and reject His gifts without which we cannot be saved.

Q. 479. Does God give His grace to every one?
A. God gives to everyone He creates sufficient grace to save his soul; and if persons do not save their souls, it is because they have not used the grace given.

Who Then Can Be Saved?

I believe that the Bible clearly states that salvation is by faith alone. Through faith in the Lord Jesus we receive eternal life.

In response to that belief, I had a question on one of my last posts that I would like to answer here. The question was:

Do you believe that we can ignore the commands of God and then still expect go to heaven? When you read Mt 19:17-18, do you think Jesus was telling us that we can be certain we will enter life even if we break the commandments of the Father by committing adultery or murdering?

Let’s take a look at Matthew 19:16-26 (the rich young ruler) stepwise:

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?"

Note what the man asks, what good deed (work) must I do to have eternal life.

And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.”

There is only one who is good and that is Jesus (Rev 5:4-5). In other words, all have sinned (Rom 3:9-20).

“If you would enter life, keep the commandments."

“If”? Doesn’t sound too promising for doing it on your own.

He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

These are some of the ten commandments. The law.

The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?"

I guess this guy missed the sermon on the mount (Mt 5:1-7:29). No one can keep all of these commandments (Rom 3:20). As Jesus explained, if you have lust in your heart you have already committed adultery (Mt 5:28). If you are angry with someone you have committed murder in your heart (Mt 5:22). This man was not admitting his own sin before God.

Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Jesus exposed this man’s sin. The man loved his possessions more than the poor (his neighbors). Second, Jesus is testing this man’s faith to give up all he owns to follow Jesus (Matt 16:24).

Now, pay close attention to Jesus’ explanation of this whole exchange:

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying,"Who then can be saved?"

Here is the million dollar question. This man said he had kept all the commandments and his wealth may have been seen as a blessing from God. If he couldn’t get himself into heaven, who could?

But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Jesus’ answer to “who then can be saved” is “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” It is impossible for man to get himself into heaven (Eph 2:8-9). Only God can do it through the work of the cross.

So to answer the commenter, “do you think Jesus was telling us that we can be certain we will enter life even if we break the commandments” : I think that Jesus was telling us that we can never follow all of the commandments. If salvation were based on some cooperation or work on our part, we would all be doomed (Gal 2:16). With man it is impossible.

Which is precisely why Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins. If we could redeem ourselves or somehow contribute to our salvation, then why would the father have sent his only beloved son to be tortured and killed? He did it because there was no other way (Rom 8:3).

And after making such a huge investment, knowing that we can never merit righteousness on our own (Gal 3:10-11), why would he then require some righteousness on our part to keep his gift of salvation (Rom 8: 32)? His sacrifice, his gift, would be a waste because no one would be able to keep it in the end (Gal 2:21).

Saving faith (Eph 1:11-14), the kind that results in following Christ’s example, comes from God (Phil 1:29; 2 Pet 1:1; John 6:44). If we have true, saving faith then we are heaven-bound (Heb 10:19-22; John 5:24; John 6:37; John 10:27-28; Rom 8:38-39). Whatever works come after that, whatever commands are followed, are because of a transformed heart (Eph 3:17), a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), and a spirit-filled life (Romans 8:9) all of which are indicative of the saving faith, not a contribution towards it (Eph 2:10; Phil 1:6; Phil 2:13).

Discernment and Salvation

There were some commenters in my post on assurance who are still unconvinced of the permanence of salvation. I wonder how many verses it would take to convince them.

Unfortunately, no matter how many verses I post or how many arguments I make, there are simply people who do not “get it”. Up until now I think I assumed that people who don’t “get it” had never read the Bible, but clearly there are people who know their Bible and yet still miss the boat on the basic Gospel message.

And these people come in all kinds of flavors. You will see the academic scholarly types on some Discovery Channel show who have a PhD in New Testament studies but clearly don’t understand the Gospel message. How do I know this? Because they always have some weird theory to downplay the facts of the Bible. Some way to explain away God.

We have the Jehovah’s Witnesses who pick and choose the parts of the Bible to believe based on what the Watchtower tells them. You have the Mormons who supersede the Bible with their own book, but do still consider the Bible as the Word of God when interpreted properly. And of course there are my favorite naysayers here, the Roman Catholics who add “tradition” to the authority of scripture and believe that only their magisterium (popes and bishops) are qualified to interpret the Bible.

All of these groups to different degrees nullify the Word of God. And when you deny the Word of God you are denying God himself. That is serious. I want all of my Protestant/bible-believing brethren to understand the seriousness of this.

Do not assume that because someone claims to be a follower of Christ, that they are a true follower of Christ. What?! Isn’t that judgmental? Where is the grace in that? Where is the love?

The love is in identifying the lost and telling them the Gospel. If you stick with just the obvious unbelievers, you are missing a huge part of the mission field. You are leaving what I believe are sincere people trying to find God to the bondage of false religion. I ask you, where is the love in that?

About a year ago when we were looking for a church we attended a Baptist church and filled out the standard visitor card with our information. A few weeks later our doorbell rang and a group from that church was at our door. We talked with them for awhile and told them about ourselves and from the conversation I would have thought it was clear we were Christians. At least we said we were.

However, right before they left they asked us what must be their standard parting question(s). If you died tonight, where would you go? How do you know that? At the time I thought it was a bit odd to ask us that since we had identified ourselves as Christians, but now I see the brilliance in it.

Every saved person should be able to answer those two questions. If the answers are wrong, then you need to be concerned for that person’s soul.

Anybody can call themselves a Christian, anybody can think they are a Christian, but there is only one way to actually be a Christian and let’s make sure that is clear. We are not doing anyone a favor by allowing them to be wrong on that one.

The Assurance of Salvation, Part 3

I have given the verses that tell us that our salvation is assured, that once we have truly accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior we are sealed in our salvation. The next question is, can we feel that security? Can we experience assurance?

MacArthur uses the epistle of 1 John to develop a series of object tests to apply to your life to know that you are genuinely saved. As John said in his first epistle, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13).

Here are the eleven “tests” extracted from 1 John in question form:

1. Are you enjoying fellowship with God and Christ?
2. Are you sensitive to sin in your life?
3. Are you obedient to God’s Word?
4. Do you reject the world?
5. Do you love Christ and eagerly wait for his return?
6. Do you see the decreasing pattern of sin in your life?
7. Do you love other Christians?
8. Do you experience answers to your prayers?
9. Do you experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit?
10. Can you discern between spiritual truth and error?
11. Have you been rejected, alienated for your faith in Christ?

MacArthur goes on to quote Jonathan Edwards who nicely summed up these ideas in his A Treatise of Religious Affections by saying “the truly saved pursue holiness”. But the key is, we don’t pursue holiness to be saved, pursuing holiness is the inevitable outcome of entering into a saving relationship with Christ. As Edwards said “Your assurance then is based on the fact that you see in your life the pursuit of holy things”.

Our message at church today touched on the idea of false faith. There are many people who had an experience as a child where they heard the gospel message, maybe went forward for an altar call, and had professed with their lips that they wanted to accept Christ as their Savior. However, there was no change in their life after these “professions”. Later in their life when they truly understood their need for a Savior and made a true profession, they knew that they were in possession of a saving faith because of how their lives began to change through the work of the Holy Spirit.

So the big question isn’t whether salvation can be secure, because it mostly certainly can be. The question is, do you have a saving faith? As Paul said, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? --unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Cor 13:5).

(For details on the 11 tests, please see MacArthur’s transcripts linked in Part 1)

The Assurance of Salvation, Part 2

Before looking at the second question from The Assurance of Salvation, Part I (“can I feel secure”), I would like to just post a few more verses that support the idea that salvation is secure.

This particular topic has come at me from a couple of different directions this week, you know how God does that sometimes?

The Assurance of Faith:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Heb 11:1

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Heb 10:22-23

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13

which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 2 Tim 1:12

Sealed with the Holy Spirit:

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory. Eph 1:11-14

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Cor 1:21-22

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Eph 4:30

An Inheritance:

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7

to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Pet 1:4-5

God Will Persevere:

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Heb 10:14

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, Jude 1:24

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil 1:6

The Assurance of Salvation, Part 1

Can anyone be assured of their salvation? In other words, if I were to die tonight, can I be sure that I will be going to heaven?

I am going to use some more sermon transcripts from MacArthur which do a wonderful job of discussing the assurance of salvation. The transcripts I have are three parts of a larger series and specifically deal with the how a believer can be assured that they have the true saving faith which results in salvation.

Our Precious Faith: Tests of Assurance, Part 1
Our Precious Faith: Tests of Assurance, Part 2
Our Precious Faith: Tests of Assurance, Part 3


MacArthur opens with the 2 basic questions:

The subject here then is the assurance of salvation. And we have noted that there are basically two questions to ask. Question number one, is salvation forever? Is salvation forever? Is it secure? Question number two, can I feel that security? One is a fact and the other is a personal confidence. They are inseparable. And we have noted in our study that if salvation was not eternal, if salvation was not secure, then there would be no discussion about assurance because how could you be assured of an insecure salvation? But if salvation is forever and if it is secure, then you can experience assurance

So, for the first part of this discussion let’s establish the permanence of salvation. Does the Bible say that salvation is forever? MacArthur says:

Let's go back to question number one for a moment...is our salvation forever? In other words, once you have come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, is that eternal? The answer, of course, is yes. And there are many places in the Word of God where that is very clearly noted for us. Listen to just a few. John 5:24, "Truly truly I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life." If you believe you have eternal life you will never come into judgment, you have passed out of death in to life. And you will notice there is no fine print.

There is no fine print, I like that. MacArthur goes on to quote other verses from Jesus mostly from John 6. I like John 10:

Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." John 10:25-30

But I think my favorite passage on the permanence of salvation is found in Romans 8:

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39

Notice, nothing can separate us from the love of God and from the previous verse, we cannot be snatched out of God's hand. No matter how bad things get, we belong to God.

Saving faith, the kind that brings true salvation, comes from God and therefore cannot fail.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid... Isa 12:2

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thess 5:24

If we have true, saving faith, we have a guaranteed salvation. There is no fine print.

In Part 2 I will discuss the “tests of assurance” by MacArthur.

What is Saving Faith?

I have talked about “genuine faith” in a few posts and would like to highlight some points from a sermon transcript called “The Nature of Saving Faith” by John MacArthur.

On this blog I have seen two deviations from the biblical idea of salvation by faith (from commenters). The first is the Roman Catholic view of salvation by faith plus works. The second is the universalist idea of salvation for all, no faith or works required.

The key to the Protestant view of salvation is the idea of genuine faith or saving faith. So while only faith is required for salvation, a true faith will result in works which outwardly validate the faith.

But just as there is a true faith, there is also a false faith based on works which is highlighted well by a quote from Luther:

“Faith is not something dreamed, a human illusion although this is what many people understand by the term. Whenever they see that it is not followed either by an improvement in morals or by good works, while much is still being said about faith, they fall into the error of declaring that faith is not enough, that we must do works if we are to become upright and attain salvation. The reason is that when they hear the gospel they miss the point. In their hearts and out of their own resources they conjure up an idea which they call belief which they treat as genuine faith. All the same, it is but a human fabrication, an idea without a corresponding experience in the depths of the heart. It is therefore ineffective and not followed by a better kind of life,”

MacArthur goes on to describe a second false faith, a “dead faith” where there are no validating works:

“And then that most insightful of all passages with relation to this matter of faith, James 2. Let's look at it very briefly. James 2, verse 14, "What use is it, my brethren," very important statement, "What use is it if a man says he has faith but he has no works, what use is it? Can that faith...what?...save him?" What's the answer? No...no, can't save him.

Can faith like that save? What good is it? Can faith not accompanied by moral character save? Can faith not accompanied by righteous conduct save? Of course not.

Verse 19 really pinpoints it. "You believe that God is one, you do well. The devils also believe and shudder." That's tremendous statement. You believe that God is one? You do well. The devils also believe and shudder, they're one up on you. They believe and shudder. You believe and you think you're saved. They're ahead of you. Demons have all the right theology but they will not bow to the lordship of Christ. They will not bow to the sovereignty of God. They chose rebellion. They hate good and they cherish evil. In a sense, dead faith is inferior to demon faith, at least they tremble.”

So what then is saving faith? It is turning from sin and submitting to Christ. And a saving faith is required for genuine salvation.

MacArthur gives 4 characteristics of saving faith:
1. It is a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9)
2. It is permanent (Phil 1:6)
3. It is obedient (Phil 2:13)
4. It is humble (Matt 18:4)

MacArthur’s closing paragraph says:

“And people who cling to a memory, to a salvation based upon a memory of an emotional feeling sometime in the past but lack love for Christ and lack a deep desire to obey Him, don't belong to Him. And again I remind you of that tremendously haunting verse, 1 Peter 2:7, "To those who believe, He is precious." I'll tell you how you can spot a Christian, to that person Christ is what?...precious...precious. You don't have to debate whether he should submit to Christ, he's precious to Him. He longs to submit. And people who don't believe no matter what the past was aren't saved. That's why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, "Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith." May God grant you a true saving faith, a permanent gift that begins in humility and brokenness over sin and ends up in obedience unto righteousness...that's true faith. And it's a gift that only God can give. And if you desire it, pray and ask that He would grant it to you.”

If you do not understand the principles of saving faith, I strongly urge you to read MacArthur’s transcript in full.

The Gospel Defined by Romans, Part 2

After Paul has made a great case against us with regards to our unrighteousness before God (because of our sin) we get to the good news in Romans 3:21-26.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it (21)

Here is the good news. We were told in verse 20 that we could not justify ourselves (make ourselves righteous) by the Law. But God has provided us a way to obtain righteousness before him. This way was foretold by the Old Testament prophets and the Law pointed to it.

the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.(22)

Here is the way. We can obtain righteousness before God through faith in Jesus Christ. We are reconciled with God through our faith. To believe in Jesus Christ means to trust in him, rely on him, obey him. Genuine faith is not a one-time statement of belief, but an ongoing condition.

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (22-23)

We are all sinners and have no hope of attaining righteousness before God on our own.

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (24)

Justified means to be declared righteous. It is an unmerited (by grace) gift from God through Jesus’ death on the cross. The payment for our penalty was made by Jesus – we are redeemed by His blood.

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (25)

God’s offended holiness was appeased by the Jesus’ sacrifice. Our sins were placed on Jesus (who knew no sin) and his righteousness was imputed to us who believe. Jesus died in our place, he paid the penalty for our sins. God’s wrath is no longer on us if we accept his sacrifice through faith.

This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (25)

God could have passed judgment on Adam and Eve immediately (and with that destroyed the human race), but he withheld His judgment until Christ to offer us His mercy.

It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (26)

God’s great plan of salvation allowed Him to be just while also merciful to us since Jesus was punished in our place. Our sin was given to Jesus on the cross and his righteousness is given to us upon faith. Through faith in the Lord Jesus, we are saved and we are justified.


For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, Romans 1:16

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

The Gospel Defined by Romans

The unfolding of God’s salvation plan is beautifully laid out in the Book of Romans. After Paul briefly introduces the Gospel (1:16-17) he moves into explaining God’s wrath and judgment on the unrighteous which continues into the third chapter where it is declared that ALL are under sin:

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Romans 3:9-12

But not only are we ALL sinners, but there is nothing that we can do on our own to rectify this problem:

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. Romans 3:19-20

We have all sinned and are unrighteous before God. The Jews had the written law through Moses (Romans 3:2) and the Gentiles had the law written on their hearts (Romans 2:15). Through the Law we are made aware of the depth of our sinfulness and shown that we can not redeem ourselves. The verdict is Guilty – no one escapes the verdict and all incur the penalty.

But there is good news which is outlined in the next section of Romans:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26

The Gospel message is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). The good news (gospel) is that the penalty for our sins has been paid by Jesus’ death on the cross for those who accept the payment through faith. And through this faith we are also justified (declared righteous) before God, something we can not do on our own. Our sin no longer separates us from God (we are saved or delivered ) because of what Jesus has done for those who accept Him by faith.

In the next post I would like to go through Romans 3:21-26 in more detail.