A secondary question that i have is, what is salvation if it’s not accompanied by practicing righteousness?

I resource I use often: Got Questions

Paul says those who have true faith in Jesus Christ will be “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). To return to Ephesians 2, immediately after teaching that we are saved through faith, not through works (Ephesians 2:8–9), Paul says that we were created “to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Salvation comes by God’s grace through faith, and that faith is made manifest in good works. The works follow the faith and are a proof of it.

Being “saved” is entering into and continuing in a relationship with the Living God and Savior, Jesus. In Revelations 3:20 He says “ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” that implies an ongoing relationship and not focusing on hearing the knock. Yes, the initial acceptance has to happen for anything else to follow but it’s like being conceived and born. We celebrate birthdays but we don’t focus on that singular day all the time. We focus on our relationships with parents and siblings then friends and colleagues and it expands as we grow. Same for the salvation experience. At that point we are “born again” as Nicodemus was taught. But it’s the “follow me” that is the entire purpose of being born again, or saved, as you refer to it. I guess I took the long way around to say being saved from the consequences of the negative aspects our basic human nature is not an end in itself. I realize I made a long post.

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Originally posted by Bentonville:
Being “saved” is entering into and continuing in a relationship with the Living God and Savior, Jesus. In Revelations 3:20 He says “ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” that implies an ongoing relationship and not focusing on hearing the knock. Yes, the initial acceptance has to happen for anything else to follow but it’s like being conceived and born. We celebrate birthdays but we don’t focus on that singular day all the time. We focus on our relationships with parents and siblings then friends and colleagues and it expands as we grow. Same for the salvation experience. At that point we are “born again” as Nicodemus was taught. But it’s the “follow me” that is the entire purpose of being born again, or saved, as you refer to it. I guess I took the long way around to say being saved from the consequences of the negative aspects our basic human nature is not an end in itself. I realize I made a long post.

I agree that it’s a continuing relationship. Just like a marriage, if you’re not saying “I love you” everyday AND showing it, is it even real?

I’m not so sure concerning the “experience” being the point of being born again though.

A couple of questions come to mine when you said “follow me”, follow Him in what way? Similarly, when Jesus said to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”, disciples of what? I think both questions have the same answer.

Well, I'm not a Christian, but I'm with the band:

I think some people have exact moments. I think many of us are more hard headed.

The parallel I find the most useful at the moment is that we are addicted to sin in the way addicts are addicted to substances.

I have drawn the same parallel. It's a mental and physical urge.

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Originally posted by chellim1:
Jesus saves us, and we do not deserve it.

This statement reminds me of a conversation I had with a very good friend recently, in which he described his work with a nearby prison ministry. I said, "Tim, man, I feel absolutely unworthy." And Tim said, "we're ALL unworthy. It's all by His grace."

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Originally posted by Aglifter:

The parallel I find the most useful at the moment is that we are addicted to sin in the way addicts are addicted to substances.

It is our default position.

Jesus/God knocked on September 13, 2012 when I was in a recovery program for alcoholism. I desperately answered. He saved me and continues to spare me from my alcoholic drinking and thinking on a daily 24-hour basis.

Still got a lot of work to do on other things.
Pursuing the very heart of God and Jesus has been at the forefront of all I do, ever since.

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Originally posted by MtCowboy:
Romans 10:9-10 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

I was raised in a Christian home and confessed/was baptized at an early age. I can’t tell you what that date/time was. I don’t have the great story of turning from drugs, crime, etc that some have who come to faith in Christ in later years. That was a concern of mine when I was younger if I had been really saved until I realized that all sin, no matter how bad we think it is, separates us from God and requires redemption.

To me, not being able to remember the date means nothing as I believe now and there is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in my life causing me to grow in grace and knowledge of my Saviour.

This mirrors my story and my belief.

So to answer the original question, I did say a prayer at a very young age asking Christ to forgive my sins and come into my life, but my Christian life has been a gradual progression of growth. There's not a single defining moment in time that I can look back on and say that this is when my course changed from eternal punishment towards eternal life.

None of us is good enough to save ourselves. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. The good news is that through Christ's sacrifice, forgiveness and salvation is available to anyone who wants it.

It's a matter of the heart more than a single moment or act, and true belief yields an ongoing desire to know Christ more and to do as he commands. As a person matures in their belief it's not so much that we do the right thing because we have to, but rather because God has changed our hearts so that we want to. Yes, sinful desires and temptations still exist and we still fail, because we're imperfect humans, but the more we get to know him the more we desire to follow his will. This is the purpose of the practices of prayer, studying scripture, worship, fellowship and accountability, etc...to bring our hearts and minds closer to Christ.

Mark123 has already used the example of a marriage, and I think that's a good one, because Christ used it in the Bible as well. I've been married to my wife for almost 20 years. It's not always easy (especially at the beginning), it takes work, and sometimes we disagree and argue. But we love each other, forgive each other, bear with each other, and at this point in my life I can't imagine living without her. That's a product of years of doing life together and an ongoing desire to know and love each other better. That's why the church often calls it a "relationship with Christ"....it's not simply a one time decision (some may have that as well), but something that continues and develops throughout your entire life.

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Originally posted by chellim1:

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I was raised Catholic: Baptized, educated, and confirmed. When I left home, I left my Christian faith behind as well. For ten years, there was a near-complete absence of Christianity in my life. I say "near-complete" because that underlying foundation (thankfully) never totally eroded. After that decade, my faith began to slowly make a resurgence.

This is not uncommon. At some point, as an adult, you either make it your own, or you leave it.

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I now attend a Baptist church that I have become quite fond of. I should make it clear that this is not a Catholic versus Protestant conversation. I am not invested in infighting. This is a conversation about a characteristic of the Christian faith that I don't recall from my Catholic experience: being "saved".

I agree; and I have Baptist friends who have used this language. In my Catholic experience of nearly 60 years, we don't really use that language of being suddenly "saved", except at Baptism.

The closest biblical thing I can think of as such a dramatic moment is when Saul becomes Paul on the road to Damascus. But that doesn't mean that we Catholics aren't "saved". It just seems like more of a gradual, life-long process.

The sacraments are Gods gifts to us, through which we become closer to Him. We are "saved" from original sin through Baptism. We accept the faith as our own through Confirmation. We are forgiven of our sins and renewed through Penance (or confession).

My question for those who use this language would be: If you've been "saved", can you become "un-saved"? The answer for Catholics is clearly yes, you can become "un-saved".
Through mortal sin, unrepented, you become separated from God.

This is my conception of salvation, too. Many evangelicals seem to require a particular moment of deliberate acknowledgement of salvation and acceptance. Perhaps I am wrong, but many would not seem to accept an infant baptism and a later confession of faith (say at age 10 or 12) as adequate.

However, this is what Catholics do and believe, and the same is true for many of the Protestant denominations. I was raised as a Presbyterian, and that tradition is similar. People in those denominations would be greatly surprised to learn that some Christians do not think they have been adequately saved, if that is the position of the evangelicals.

Could become you become unsaved, if you stop believing? (Although, if you stop believing, you wouldn't care any more.) If Christians are saved by God's grace, and not by their works (which is the heart of it, as I understand it), if you can be "un-saved" that implies God has withdrawn his grace, which is problematic, isn't it?

I am an apostate. God's children took their toll on me.

Millstones and stumbling and all that.

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Could become you become unsaved, if you stop believing? (Although, if you stop believing, you wouldn't care any more.) If Christians are saved by God's grace, and not by their works (which is the heart of it, as I understand it), if you can be "un-saved" that implies God has withdrawn his grace, which is problematic, isn't it?

Not so much that God has withdrawn his grace but that through grave sin (or mortal sin), like murder, you have rejected His grace. Of course, there is a path back, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation (also called Penance or confession).

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Originally posted by 12131:
I will know for sure on Judgment Day, and that is my God honest answer.

I think that's the most truthful answer.
We will all find out.

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Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I am an apostate. God's children took their toll on me.

Millstones and stumbling and all that.

I, also, have left “the church”. However, I am still loyal to the Father.

I care for you, Robert.

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Originally posted by mark123:

I, also, have left “the church”. However, I am still loyal to the Father.

Rev: 3:15-17 describes the church.

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Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Rev: 3:15-17 describes the church.

I don’t disagree. However, don’t let men and women keep you from a relationship with our Creator. Exactly concerning the topic at hand, you can be saved without the church.

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Originally posted by mark123:
A secondary question that i have is, what is salvation if it’s not accompanied by practicing righteousness?

Too much here to cover but salvation as described in the Bible is being born into a newness of life, the old man dies and a new man emerges. It clearly describes a change and if that change does not equate to different desire (for the things of God), it does not line up with scripture. The Old Testament (and all of scripture) shows us that we have no righteousness of our own and need that of another - Christ. Scripture literally describes believers (Christians if you will) as the Greek word Doulos - slaves. Christ is the Master and we are the slaves to Him. What does a slave do? What the Master commands (Jesus stated if you love me, keep my commands).

So yes, “practicing righteousness” should follow salvation, if someone claims to be “saved” and does not look any different than before, there is a problem.

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Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:

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Originally posted by mark123:

I, also, have left “the church”. However, I am still loyal to the Father.

Rev: 3:15-17 describes the church.

That describes 1 church and many today could be identified with that. There are many others that do not identify with that. Keep in mind that the “Church” was created and implemented by Christ, not by man. Man has done well to mess it up thoug,

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Originally posted by mark123:

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Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Rev: 3:15-17 describes the church.

I don’t disagree. However, don’t let men and women keep you from a relationship with our Creator. Exactly concerning the topic at hand, you can be saved without the church.

Agreed. God's ideal for the church is that it not be like that, but people are imperfect and obviously even in the New Testament there were problems with the Church. The apostles repeatedly called them out for it throughout the New Testament.

Fellowship with other believers often involves exercising that same forgiveness and compassion that Christ showed us. Don't let the failings of those claiming to be followers of Christ damage your view of our Holy and loving God.