Almost Christians – Born-Again-Christian.Org

Can you be half-saved?

Q: Why do some people seem to not get fully saved, even when they do the things required of the Gospel?

A: I know what you mean; there are folks like that in every fellowship, going through the motions with apparent sincerity, but missing the essential marks that set genuine believers apart from make-believers.

When you talk with them you perceive they are not merely spiritually cold, stuck in a denominational rut, or backslidden, they are actually still dead in trespasses and sins, not born of God, ignorant of vital personal redemption, even whilst confessing Christ as their LORD, and going through the motions.

You discover they are still stationary here, Ephesians 2:2-3 KJV;

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Instead of rejoicing here, Ephesians 1:3-14 KJV;

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Judge Not, That ye Be Not Judged

I’ve mulled this over since I was saved in 1988, because I often meet suchlike, but initially, could not fathom what was amiss.

A cautionary note is called for.

You and I are not The LORD Jesus Christ; He’s their Judge: Not us.

We are commanded to judge right from wrong and our own comportment, but not sinners (or other saints, except in cases of gross sin in the fellowship, as desribed in 1 Cor. Ch. 5:11-13 KJV).

Judgment of sinners is Jesus’ task, and I’m very relieved about that. I’m not responsible for them, everyone takes their own hide to market.

After The Fire

Christ is LORD yet so gentle and tender-hearted it causes us to weep when He speaks.

This reminds us of Elijah fleeing for his life, running to a gloomy Sinai cave, and asking God to take him to Heaven, because he felt himself an utter failure, having been terrified by Queen Jezebel’s threatening.

Almighty God gradually revealed Himself to the deflated and dispirited Prophet of Fire, 1 Kings 19:11-13 KJV;

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.

And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice

This is the same God who gently reinstated Simon Peter on the beach at Capernaum after the Apostle discovered how pathetically weak his resolve really was. Mtt. 26:35 KJV;

Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Have you found out yet how easily your flesh fails, when your desires stray from Christ’s words and Spirit?

You will baby Christian

The point is that, it’s vital to approach this with the tender-heartedness of Christ, just as He came to us when we were in sin, and He still does when we falter even as Blood-washed righteous saints.

To barge in like the fellowship busy-body, pointing, judging, gossiping, and condemning is vulgar sin, even when the desire is to get the person properly saved.

Candle in the Breeze

Instead; picture yourself carrying a flickering candle towards them whilst shielding it from draught, so it isn’t blown out; or catching a butterfly in your hands that’s trapped indoors, so you can release it outside.

The People God Uses

These are the people God looks for to correct the wayward.

You ask, “Why is it that some don’t seem to get fully saved, even when they outwardly do the things required of the Gospel?”

The answer is as you hint with the word outwardly.

Salvation isn’t a superficial event; not all who apparently give their lives to Christ mean it, so there is no salvation for them, no change of heart, or life: They remain Hell-bound sinners, just like the religious crowd.

The written contract sealed by God’s Blood says, Rom. 10:8-13 KJV;

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Failure to repent of unbelief in the resurrected Christ with a whole heart means the terms are not met, the two parties don’t agree, so no contract is sealed: There’s no salvation without wholehearted belief in Christ.

God is the Judge of our hearts, when the conditions are met He comes in every time: His written word says so right there.

Ditherers and doubters get nothing from God.

Believers inherit all He has.

Can anybody be half-saved?

Of course not!

Each of us is either; after the flesh, in sin, or after the Spirit, in Christ Jesus, either a child of God or a child of the Devil, either written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, or not, either in God’s family, or Satan’s. As is made clear in Romans eight, Rom. 8:1-9 KJV;

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

So what has happened to these almost Christians?

My present view, and it may change as the LORD teaches me, is that, just as in physical gestation, a baby in the womb may spontaneously die and abort, or it may perhaps reach term, but be delivered dead, similarly in the spiritual re-birth the person may abort, or be stillborn.

That is, they are drawn to Christ, and at first respond positively to the Gospel, but something goes awry in their heart, attitude, or mind, and they abort the process themselves, and so are not born again, or are stillborn, even though outwardly they appear to have fulfilled what’s needed to be saved.

LORD of All or None At All

The key factor is that Christ has not entered their heart, or become their LORD, so they do not have The Inner Witness that only God can impart: He knows when they have fulfilled the requirements for salvation, and when they are; holding back, hesitating, pretending, deceiving, or deluding themselves.

What are the requirements to be born again? Rom. 10:6-13 KJV;

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it?

The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

1) Repent of unbelief in The LORD Jesus Christ.

2) Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead bodily.

3) Begin confessing Christ as your LORD, and calling on Him to lead you in righteousness.

Father God has made it so simple to be saved and begin following Him in spirit and in truth.

Each of Us Has Broken God’s Law

A Jew I witnessed to objected, “That’s too easy!” he scowled, and continued his futile attempts to please God by obeying the Law, and climbing his way to Glory.

But these make-believers we are discussing, assume a momentary agreement is sufficient. Where the seeker kind of believes in their heart, but actually they either have mental assent, or they are unwilling to yield their whole heart to God.

They may get goosebumps, but they won’t get the Spirit of God on these terms: For with Father it is all or nothing. As scripture shows us repeatedly, Deut. 6:4-5, 11:13 KJV;

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jer. 29:12-13 KJV

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: Joel 2:12 KJV

Old Covenant principles endorsed by The LORD Jesus Christ under the New Covenant of Grace by Faith in Him. Luke 10:25-28 KJV;

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

The half-heartedness of make-believers soon manifests when they fail to walk in the light that they have, and stumble in sin continually, just as they have all their life.

How to deal with such people.

Avoid crushing them with what you’ve realised, let the LORD draw them to Himself just as He drew you when you were deep in sin.

Point them to the Holy Bible Evidence of Salvation, the love, peace, and joy, shed abroad in the believer’s heart, deep love for Christ, and our brethren, and joyful obedience to the nudges of the inner witness.

This requires tact and sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading. So, rather than confront them with the blunt truth, manifest Him in your flesh, so they become hungry for what He’s given you: Grace, mercy, peace, divine love, wisdom, and infinite patience.

Be patient, because Father’s patient with you.

They will want you to confirm that they are already saved, a Christian, but try to avoid that situation by getting them to decide if they have the bible evidence in their life, and encourage them to seek Christ in prayer for the reassurance they pine for.

Make Sure You Are Saved The Bible Way

Whilst we were sinners Father God sent His Only Begotten Son to Earth in order to buy you and me back into His Loving Arms forever.

The full price is already paid in full for every sinner to know Almighty God intimately, in genuine rapport, walking in His Presence, but you have your part to play to seal the contract.

You Creator must have your wholehearted consent or He will not confirm His Covenant in Christ’s Precious Sinless Blood with you.

If you find yourself praying the Sinner’s Prayer over and over, that proves you didn’t mean it the first time you prayed it.

Understand what you are doing, so that you satisfy the two simple things you must do to be genuinely saved the Holy Bible way.

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