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| Michaelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica |
“’There is one thing more that troubles me,’ I said.
‘Most persons know the exact moment when they begin real Christian lives. But I
do not know of any such time in my history. This causes me many uneasy
moments.’” – Stepping Heavenward,
Elizabeth Prentiss
This quote perfectly sums up the confusion I went through
in junior high. Because of the prevalence of how-to-get-saved tracts in my
childhood that had a standard prayer written out in the end, I really thought I
was supposed to say that exact prayer before I could call myself a Christian.
I believe this is a deception from Satan. Making us focus
on some arbitrary milestone in the past distracts us from the present – from
asking if we are consecrating ourselves to God in the here and now.
The response to this worry in Stepping Heavenward follows on the same page: “I believe that the
children of Christian parents, who have been judiciously trained, rarely can
point to any day or hour when they began to live this new life. The question is
not, Do you remember, my child, when you entered this world and how? It is
simply this: Are you now alive and an inhabitant thereof?”
This is why I think we should stop asking people, “Are
you saved?” Or worse, “Have you been saved?” A better question would be, “Do
you love and follow Jesus?” The focus of the question is in the present, not
the past. It also reminds us that our God is a personal entity, not just a
get-out-of-hell-free card.
Unfortunately, there will be many who fall into thinking
they are saved when they do not know God. Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone
who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out
demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” These people may have indeed done good
works in the name of Jesus, but only for their own selfish gain and not because
they have submitted themselves as living sacrifices to God.
A young person may not know themselves well enough to be
sure whether or not they love God. That is all right; the teenage years are a
tempestuous phase, and often full of conflicting advice. I must once again draw
wisdom from Stepping Heavenward. In
the book, Dr. Cabot, the pastor, asks four questions of the confused young
protagonist:
1. Do you feel that you love God?
2. Do you like to be with God, in His loving presence?
3. Do you like to hear others praise the Lord?
4. Do you try to do things to please God?
If the answer to any of those questions is yes, there is
some love for God somewhere in a person, though it might be new and fragile.
After his questions (the last of which was the only one the protagonist
answered with a yes), Dr. Cabot proceeds to say, “You cannot prove to yourself
that you love God by examining your feelings toward Him. They are indefinite
and they fluctuate. But just as far as you obey Him, just so far, depend upon
it, you love Him. It is not natural to us sinful, ungrateful human beings to
prefer His pleasure to our own or to follow His way instead of our own way, and
nothing, nothing but love of Him can or does make us obedient to Him.”
Indeed! Jesus himself said in John 14, “If you love me,
you will obey what I command,” and again, “If anyone love me, he will obey my
teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home
with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”
I think we have shied so far away from legalism that we
forget that obedience is evidence of love for God.
Paul commanded the Philippians, “Continue to work out
your salvation with fear and trembling.” James said, “Faith by itself, if it is
not accompanied by action, is dead...Show me your faith without deeds, and I
will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good!
Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” Yes, we are saved by grace through
faith alone, but what good is a belief if it doesn’t impact the rest of your
life? If you truly believe that Jesus, Lord of the universe, loves you so much
that He took the penalty for your sins so that he could buy you back from the
devil, how could you live in indifference?
Reciting a script to ensure one’s salvation does not lead
to heart change – only a living relationship with the Almighty can do that. It
wasn’t until four or five years later that I began to understand what a
relationship with my Creator meant. I met God, and my attitudes about
friendships, romance, and academics all improved considerably. No longer did I
live looking down at others who were less mature or less intelligent. No longer
did I believe that a romance would fulfill my life while simultaneously
clinging to a fear of vulnerability. No longer did I think that academics would
ultimately determine my success in life.
None of that change came from reciting a tract’s prayer.
It was the belief that God loved me, that He took my punishment on Himself, and
that He wanted a close relationship with me that changed my life. Sure, I know
I’m going to be with God in heaven after I die, but for now He is with me on
earth. Obedience to God has kept me from a few destructive choices: eating
disorders, alcohol abuse, carelessly giving my body to another. Understanding
the personal aspects of Christianity was the biggest factor in my spiritual
formation as a teen, and merely asking, “Are you saved?” overlooks those
aspects.
Let’s ask more concrete questions: “Do you love God?” “Do
you know that God loves you?” “Do you believe that Jesus took the punishment
for your sins so you could be with God?” They’re not as tidy as “Are you
saved?” and would likely lead to some interesting discussions, but that’s okay.
Faith isn’t a tidy subject. Christians, and especially Christian leaders,
should not be afraid to ask difficult questions. Especially when someone’s
eternal fate is at stake.
