"SALVATION OR MISCONCEPTIONS?"

Hi Everyone!

I know it was just last night or night before when I said I wouldn't put another article on here, but I just can't think of anything to write about tonight. I hope tht I haven't posted this before. I know I just posted the Intimate Relationship article, which was actually the 2nd part of this, but I thought it would be better received to go first than this one.

The following is an Article which I wrote for Associated Content back in September. The last article I wrote for them was about my Tennessee Vacation. I think I'm just letting myself get too tired. If one of these times it seems like I let my post run a little long, it's because I'm trying to get it started in the morning instead of bed-time.

I hope you enjoy the article and that you will leave me comments on your thoughts about it.

Salvation or Misconceptions“Food for Thought”

If someone came up to you on the street and asked you, "If you die today, will you go to heaven"? What would you HONESTLY say? Unfortunately in this day and time Salvation has many different faces, and has become to a lot of people just a "word" with many meanings and as many ways to receive it. The spirituality of it is having less and less of an impact. If you ask ten people what Salvation is and how to get it, you would more than likely get at least six or seven different answers.

There are misconceptions that are liable to get people into trouble "salvation-wise", ideas such as "once saved always saved", or "I'm a good person, so I'll automatically go to heaven" to name a couple. In addressing the "once saved always saved" belief, in the Bible it speaks of people turning away from God over and over again and He turns them to reprobate minds. Second Timothy 3:1-6 talks of this problem and its consequences. It talked of people having an "outward appearance of godliness, but denying the power of it which describes doing activities not connected with having a relationship with Jesus Christ and it got continually worse from there. God got tired of trying to talk to them. If you're doing something wrong, and feel it in your spirit, or conscience, but keep doing it, eventually your conscience or spirit will be seared and you won't hear that little voice inside anymore. This is what is meant when it is a person has no conscience. A person can easily fall from grace at this point, so we must be vigilant in our walk with God.

To be "saved" according to His Word, (Acts 2:38) God's "plan of salvation" includes Him wanting us to repent which means to turn away from sin, in other words don't do something "wrong", go to church, say your sorry and ask forgiveness, then do the SAME thing again a couple of days later.


Repenting is to NOT do the same thing again intentionally. The next part of God's plan of Salvation is to be baptized in Jesus' Name for the remission of sins, (not titles such as Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but the Name of Jesus) the only time these 3 titles are mentioned as far as baptism is Matthew 28:19. In all other scriptures about water baptism, it's in the Name of Jesus. The last requirement that this scripture mentions is "and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (or Ghost). Receiving the Holy Ghost means the in-filling of the Holy Spirit (Ghost) which will guide us into all truths and teach us. Corinthians 2:13 says," These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but words which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. It is after these steps are taken that a person begins their life's journey of being saved by living for God and doing His will.

There is much more to being "saved" and receiving Salvation than "saying I acknowledge Jesus as my Savior or being a "good person". I hope to be writing more about it in the near future.

Reference: New King James Version Holy Bible
Second Timothy 3:1-6
First Corinthians 2:13
Acts 2:38

P.S. We had a guest speaker at church tonight as my Pastor had to go to Austin for some medical treatments. His dad who is a long time Sunday School teacher came and spoke to us. He discussed the "Newness of Life". In this discussion, he brought up when Paul was talking in Romans 6:4 where he spoke of "walking" in the newness of life. This one sentence speaks volumes about the "once saved always saved perception. When you walk, that takes time and growth. Therefore this tells us that it is an on-going process and not just saying "I believe" and then you automatically go to heaven. We must do as Paul did and "die (repent) daily and continually strive to live for God. I say "strive" because none of us are perfect, but the Bible tells us to strive toward perfection and to "be ye perfect as I am perfect" according to the Bible. PLEASE REMEMBER, this is just food for thought, seeds sown. I hope this has given you something to think about and that you enjoyed the article.

Good Night All and May God Bless.

PJ