Subject: Am I going to Hell for attending UMC |
Bible Note: Azure I would say we must understand what that verse is saying and particularly the Greek word Pisteuo which is translated believe. This word means far more than head knowledge belief in Jesus Christ. It means they have become so dependant in their belief of Jesus Christ that their very lives are encompassed by Him. In other words their lives (those to whom 1 John is written) is so committed to Jesus that they don’t consider whether they are saved or not. For them it is not about being saved or not saved, it is about being in service to Christ and trusting that Christ will make all things work to their good. Here John is writing telling them that this Pisteuo belief has assured their salvation. Look at the three Hebrew Children being taken and thrown in the fire. They did not know their outcome, they only knew they were to serve God. They didn’t care if God would save them to allow them to burn, they only cared that they served God. They only knew two things, they weren’t going to worship anything other than God and that they were going to be thrown into the fire. The end of the story had not yet been written, but there was no question in their minds, there was only a total dependency on God. Today too many are dependant on whether they said the sinners prayer, walked the aisle, had fruit in their life, didn’t sin, etc. They think they are saved because that is what they have been told. However they never made themselves dependant on Jesus Christ to the point that the question was never considered because all that was important to them was serving Christ. Many will go to the wedding dinner without having the proper clothing and when asked why they will be speechless because they listened to man instead of the word of God. They have said the sinners prayer, they had walked the aisle, they had fruit in their life but they never had total dependence in Jesus Christ. Salvation should be our hope but our dependency should be in our trust of God. I believe we must be able to answer like Job, “though he slay me I will trust in God…” When we are at that point the question, “are we saved or not”, does not come into existence. |