Hello
Jesus talked a lot about who would be saved and who wouldn’t.
What does it mean to be saved?
The word that is translated “saved” in our modern English Bibles can also be translated “rescued”. The same word can also be translated “healed”: for example when Jesus said, “your faith has healed you” to both the woman who touched his cloak (Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:34), and a blind man (Luke 18:42).
So, overall, “saved” can mean being brought back to health and safety. I think it means being restored to the safe and healthy relationship with God that he always wanted, and intended, us to have. We see this theme repeatedly in Jesus’ teaching; perhaps most clearly in his story of the lost son (Luke 15: 11-32). The young man breaks his relationship with his loving father, but when he comes back his father runs to greet him, hugs him and restores him to his place as his son.
What is Jesus’ role in salvation?
Jesus made it clear that he, and he alone, will decide who is saved and it is Jesus himself who will save them.
“…the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father”. (John 5:21-23)
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (John 17:1-2)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18. See also Luke 10:22.)
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John. 10:9)
Please note that, in all these verses, Jesus and only Jesus decides who will be saved. We are not saved by our own actions, our own faith, our own beliefs, or because we belong to a particular church or denomination. We are saved only because Jesus decides that he will save us. In this context it is important to remember that when God looks at us he looks at our heart:
“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
Who will be saved?
As I said at the beginning of the article, Jesus talked a lot about who would be saved. I’ve listed many of these passages below, and it is certainly worth taking the time to read them, but I can’t address all of them in this one article. Overall, Jesus said that it is those who obey God who will be saved, and I go into more detail about that in the article “What did Jesus say about obeying God?” (Link below). For now, I’m going to look at just a couple of case studies of people who asked Jesus what they must do to be saved, because I reckon this gives us a clear understanding of what Jesus taught about being saved.
The two people are an expert in the law (Luke 10:25-37) and a man who is described (in three separate accounts) as being young, rich and a ruler (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23). Both these men asked Jesus what they should do to be sure of having eternal life. Jesus’ immediate response to their question was to tell them to obey the Jewish religious laws. But, when they asked for further clarification, Jesus gave them different answers. He told the expert in the law the story of the good Samaritan and told him to look after others the same way the Samaritan had looked after the victim of the robbers. But he told the young ruler to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor and follow him.
I think it is very important to note that both these people started by asking a question about their own wellbeing, but Jesus eventually responded by telling them to be concerned for the wellbeing of others and, in the young man’s case, to follow him. Jesus, who is God, said the first and most important command is that we love God and the second is that we love others, (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-33; Luke 10:25-28). So, if we want to be followers of Jesus, our focus should not be on our own wellbeing. Jesus warned his followers not to be concerned about their own wellbeing.
“For those who want to save their life will lose it, but those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24)
The context of this verse, in all three passages, is Jesus saying that, if anyone wants to follow him, they must be prepared to give up their own desires and ambitions, and even their own life, to do so.
I think “What must I do to be saved?” is the wrong question. It is, essentially, a sinful question because it is a selfish question. Jesus tells us to focus on loving God and loving others, not on our own safety. So, what is the right question? I would suggest two questions: “How does God want me to love and serve him today?” and “How does God want me to love and serve others today?
I think the best attitude to salvation I have come across was expressed by Brother Lawrence – a truly humble follower of Jesus who worked as a cook in a monastery in Paris in the 1600s.
“I walk before God simply, in faith, with humility and with love; and I apply myself diligently to do nothing and think nothing which may displease Him. I hope that when I have done what I can, He will do with me what He pleases.”
May our loving, heavenly Father walk with us, encourage us, and guide us safely into his truth.
Peter O
Related articles
“What did Jesus say about obeying God?”
“What does Jesus want his followers to do?”
“What did Jesus say I must believe?”
“What did Jesus say about loving God?”
“What did Jesus say about loving others?”
……………………………………………………………………………………..
Some passages in which Jesus talks about who will be saved:
Luke 18:29-30 (see also Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:29-30); Luke 19:10; Matthew 24:12-13; (see also Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13); Mark 16:16 (Check out the article on the meaning of the word translated “believe” in this, and other passages: “What did Jesus say I must believe?”); Luke 13:23-30; John 5:28-29; John 5:39-40; Matthew 25:31-46; Matthew 19:25-26 (see also Luke 18:26-27).
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Hi Peter O.
CS Lewis wrote (paraphrase), “We know that we can only be saved through Christ, but we do not know who Christ is capable of saving…”
I’ve always thought this quote to mean that Jesus can save whoever He wants, even if they do not specifically trust Him as Savior. Someone who truly loves God for example and loves his neighbor, but does not specifically surrender to Christ(perhaps someone who is psychologically displaced or whose religion of origin prohibits them from worshipping outside of their teaching etc.).
Thank you for clarifying as your article here, in general, reminded me of that Lewis quote.
With Love,
John
Thanks John. Glad to be of service.
Thank you for responding Peter. So, is there any merit to the idea that Christ can save Whom he chooses, whether they may miss a formulaic, traditional “acceptance of Jesus…?” Thoughts. Truly respect and appreciate your opinion Peter.
I think the passages in the article, under the sub-heading, “What is Jesus’ role in salvation?” make it clear that Jesus can save whoever he chooses. Who does he choose? Well, it looks like he chooses those who do the will of his Father. What is that will? Love God and love others. To put it simply, just love. Pray. Tell our Father that you love him and you want to love him more. Be generous, kind and helpful to others.
I’m not sure if you’ve had time to read the “Related Articles” listed above. “What did Jesus say I must believe?” and “What did Jesus say about obeying God?” are particularly relevant to what you are asking. Also, the thoughts of Brother Lawrence are always good.
Hope this helps.
Peter O
Thank you. Excellent Peter. Is Brother Lawrence someone who is active in the blog?
John
Errr… Probably not. He died in 1691.
Thank you. Smiles at Brother Lawrence comment!
Did Jesus say we need to be baptized to be saved?
Hello Ted
Good question.
I think the answer is “No”, Jesus did not say we need to be baptized to be saved.
In Mark 16:16 we read Jesus saying:
“Whoever trusts and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not trust will be condemned.”
This is the only verse that even comes close to saying we need to be baptized to be saved. However, taking it literally, this passage clearly does not say that salvation is impossible without baptism. It says salvation is impossible without trust.
There is another problem with this verse. It is part of what is known as the second ending of Mark. The last 12 verses of Mark’s Gospel, verses 9-20 of Chapter 16, do not appear in the oldest and most reliable copies of the gospel. So most scholars agree it is likely that these verses were not part of the original gospel but were added later by someone else.
Biblical scholarship is a complicated business and determining the truth about these things is near impossible. But we can be certain that our heavenly Father loves us and will guide us and will teach us the things we need to know. All we have to do is trust him and follow the teachings of his beloved son, Jesus.
May our loving Father bless you and strengthen you.
Peter O
I believe I read that the only way to the Son is if he is sent to him by the Father. Then the only way to the Father is through the Son. But the first step is that God the Father sends you to the Son. Then thought Jesus teachings you learn about God the Father. Jesus even says that he will not lose 1 single soul that the Father has given him. Did I understand this correctly and did anyone else read this. I was discussing this with another Christian and he never heard that before. I think It was in Either Genesis or John. Maybe I saw it on a utube episode ? I can seem to find it now? Has anyone else read this in the Bible and where to find it? Could it mean that God the Father has to send the Holy Spirit to a person first before they have a desire to seek out Jesus,.. or does the Holy Spirt come to you after you accept Christ as your Lord and savior? Sorry if this is a dumb question,.. I have just started to really read and try to understand the Bible for the first time in my life ???.
Dear Brother David
Thanks for this comment. I pray that our loving Father will bless you, and keep you safe, and encourage you, as you learn to walk with him.
It is easy to get distracted by what you read in our Bibles. There is a huge amount of stuff in there, some of it is helpful and some is not helpful. Jesus cuts through this problem. He doesn’t tell us to study scripture. He never told his followers to study scripture. He even criticized religious people of his time for trying to find the way to eternal life in the scriptures:
“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39-40)
Jesus also said he is our only teacher:
“You have one teacher; the Christ.” (Matthew 23:10)
So, if Jesus doesn’t tell us to study scripture what does he tell us to do? Pray. Be humble. Love.
David, in your situation, I reckon you will find the answers to your questions through prayer. You are even likely to realize, as you learn to pray, that most of these questions are not important. Prayer is where we meet with God, not reading the words in our Bibles. Jesus’ core teaching on prayer is found in Matthew 6:5-15. It includes the prayer that we call “The Lord’s Prayer”. Don’t just say the words. Pray it from your heart. And if you have trouble praying it from your heart, pray that you will learn to pray effectively.
Experiment with prayer. God loves to hear his children talking to him. Really. He does.
I’ve got lots more to say about this but that’s probably enough for now. You might like to check out the articles in the section titled “Prayer” and also the article “What did Jesus say about obeying God?” in the section “Loving God”.
God bless you.
Peter O
Thank you for your reply ?
You’re very welcome.
I look at ‘exactly who Jesus forgives during His life’; maybe I’ll find more if I review, but the group that I remember is ‘the citizens who called for His crucifixion’ (whom He asked Father to forgive “FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY ARE DOING”)—implying you can only be saved if you don’t know you need to be.
Are they considered ‘forgiven’ if they don’t ask-for nor accept the forgiveness given?
(Oh, there’s also ‘the woman who was accused of adultery’ (whom He told, “I don’t hold your sins against you; go, and sin no more”).)
Dear Jay,
The citizens called for crucifying none other than God Himself. Think of our condition if Jesus has not seen the implication of their call and have not forgiven them. His forgiving them was necessary for the coming generations (me, you and all who were yet to be born) in getting saved.
It is obvious to me that God is real and that He exists— both evolution and atheism fail completely in trying to explain what are purpose here on earth is. I can never believe atheism, evolution or some other religion besides Christianity— they all fail on so many levels. I believe that there is a heaven and hell, and believe in God and Jesus.
If I may ask, isn’t belief or trust in Jesus the only thing that is required for salvation? How do you interpret John 5:24, John 3:16, John 6:47? These verses seem very clear to me that one can be saved right now simply by trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. John 5:24 says we can be saved instantly the moment we believe— no future obedience or commitment required because we have passed already from death to life. Other verses such as Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 11:6, and Romans 4:4-5 support we are saved by grace and not by our works, or promise of future works. How you read these verses?
I just want to be saved from hell and don’t want to burn for all eternity. Sorry if this sounded offensive that was not my intent. I’m just trying to figure out exactly how to be saved— a lot of people give off different gospel messages and I can never figure out which one is correct— so I simply believe in faith alone that can be alone.
Although we should follow Christ and serve Him, we don’t have to in order to be saved from hell. At least that’s how I interpret the Bible.
Hello Bob
Thanks for your comment and questions. You ask important questions.
You rightly point out that different people give different gospel messages. We are all human beings taking part in a discussion. That’s all we can do. No human has ever got it all right. We are all looking for the same answers you are looking for.
First, I think the NT Greek word which is translated “belief” or “faith” in our modern English bibles should be translated “trust”. I think trust is the closest word we have in modern English to the meaning of the 1st century Greek word in our Bibles. And, yes, the verses you refer to do say that one who trusts Jesus/God has eternal life. But is it possible to truly trust Jesus without surrendering to him? Can I say that I trust if I do not want to obey Jesus’ commands? God looks at our hearts. If I can be sure that my heart wants to trust and obey him then I am confident that I am safe. Of course, I will rebel sometimes but, at those times, he is waiting patiently for me to get back on the path he wants me to walk with him.
Jesus says that the two core commands he wants us to obey are to love God and love others. What must I do to be saved? Answer: Love. This is where prayer becomes really important. God will always give me what I ask for in prayer if I am asking for something he wants me to have. This is what praying “in the name of Jesus” is all about. So, if I pray that I will love God more (and I do pray that prayer), he will answer that prayer. And if I pray that I will love others more (and I pray that prayer too) he will answer that prayer.
Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” and “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching”. Is he saying that anyone who loves him must make sure that they obey his teaching? Or is he saying that anyone who loves him will automatically find themselves obeying his teaching? I think it is likely that both are correct. If we love Jesus then, through the activity of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we will find that we are becoming more and more obedient to his teachings. But it is also true that, if we love him and trust him, we will make an effort to be obedient to his teachings and we will pray that we will be obedient.
What must I do to be saved? Love and trust God, and love others.
I think I agree with what you say in your last paragraph. At least, I don’t think you have to believe certain things about Jesus in order to be saved by him. Jesus/God is more generous than that.
I’m just a human being trying to love, trust, and serve God – and these are my thoughts. I go into more detail in the articles listed at the bottom of the article above.
Brother Bob, I pray that God will bless you, give you peace, and answer your prayers. I pray that you will know that you are safe in his arms. Personally, I have no doubt that you are. As I said, God is generous.
Sincerely,
Peter O
I’m new to this but I have the same question. I read that faith is more important than works. But then I read that any branch that does not produce fruit will be pruned and discarded. If we sin and ask for forgiveness and repent, we will be forgiven,.. but if we continue to stumble (like someone with a addiction who wants to get better,.. but occasionally relapses),.. they are not following Christ,.. thus they are not true followers. I understand that a saved person should want to change their life(born again),.. but I’m sorry to say this,.. but it is not that simple. I guess that’s why we have to tell on ourselves to our Father and repent,.. and hope that we are forgiven and that God and Jesus is working with us sinners to live a more Holy life. Then there’s the once saved always saved debate. God wants us to fear him,.. but I think we should turn to Christ out of a sincere desire to for Christ and not do so because we are afraid of God’s wrath and fear of eternal damnation. I think doing something out of avoidance of punishment is doing something for the wrong reason. But I guess we humans need a reason to behave ourselves. Without laws and rules we would have chaos and rampant lawlessness. I don’t have the answers,.. I’m just a sinner who is trying to figure out the best way to live my life, find God and to be forgiven for my failures ?.
Dear Bob,
We need to believe that Jesus spoke God’s words that instruct men as what to do to get saved.
Then we should diligently follow Jesus’s commands. He says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Mat 6:33
This appears very difficult those manage living in this world, with their efforts. But for one who follows the commands, the life and spirit in God’s words will bring in the necessary change of heart. Men with attitude such as selfishness, greed, ambition, pride and lust will obtain by the transformation wrought upon by the life and spirit a new heart will be of qualities of being just, merciful and humble before God. When the heart is new every action of ours will be out of love to God and our Neighbour. Then the experience in the normal course of one’s worldly activities, God’s blessing will give success in everything attempted. In God blessing us we will be blessing others with whom we are associated.
You will note that Jesus is God’s word (John 1, Rev 19:13) and when the word (Jesus) reveals then only we will know God. (Mat 11:27)
We should be very conscious that God sent Jesus into the world to instruct men for their salvation. God did allow weeds also to grow along the wheat and they coexist until the harvest.
Raja
I appreciate your comment Bob and I can certainly relate. I’m trying to succinctly write a paragraph or two on how to explain salvation to a non-believer and it’s tougher than I thought. At a quick pass, the verses you pointed out seem straight forward (John 5:24, John 3:16, John 6:47). As Peter mentioned in a different post the word “believe” has more weight to it than how we currently use it. When you look at the historic meaning that includes surrender and commitment, those key verses become more complex. “Belief” meaning understanding is different from “belief” meaning to surrender and commit. Also verses like Luke 14:25-33, Mark 8:34-36 and Luke 9:23 where Jesus is basically saying a person needs to “count the cost” on what it means to be his disciple seems to be important when discussing salvation. I can see where the Lordship Salvation term comes into play from John MacArthur who wrote The Gospel According to Jesus.
A few months ago a 57 year old gentleman in my small home group said he was not a believer. One evening he commented that he was “weighing everything out” and trying to figure out “what he was truly committing himself to.” When you read verses from the epistles like “Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live..” it sure can make a person take a step back compared to verses like Romans 10:9 or Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…” Lordship salvation vs. Easy Believism. We also have to factor in sanctification in all this because without the Holy Spirit a person will not become more Christ-like.
I found this site because of this paragraph that I’m trying to write. I will definitely be incorporating a summary of Jesus’s commands. I do think that it’s important that if you’re going to believe/commit/surrender to Christ you should know what He expects. I appreciate this site and the dialogue.
It’s important to remember what Jesus said about a works based faith. Jesus wants nothing to do with people who believe in Him but also think it’s their good works that get them into heaven. Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 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 in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
So what did Jesus say is the will of the Father?
John 6:40 And this is the will of the One who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him shall have everlasting life; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Belief/commitment/surrender to Christ. That seems to be the key!
In this verse Jesus is making it clear that their good deeds have nothing to do with their salvation.
Blessing to all.
Eric
Hello Eric
Thanks for this. I’m very glad you are finding the site helpful.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Peter O
Shouldn’t we consider the context that Jesus was speaking to Jews who were still under the law?
Do you only use the first 4 books of the bible?
Thanks.
Read the entire chapter of Acts 2 all the way down to the last verse. It’s evident what everyone must do.
Hello Ben
Forgive me if this sounds disrespectful.
The name of the Website is followtheteachingsofjesus.com. The purpose of the website is to encourage Christians to follow the teachings of Jesus.
The title of the article is “What did Jesus say about being saved?”
So, the website and all the articles on it focus on the teachings of Jesus. That’s why the website is here.
Why are the teachings of Jesus important to Christians? Because we believe that Jesus always was, is, and always will be, God.
Luke, who wrote Acts was a human being, just like you and me. In Chapter 2 he quotes Peter who was a human being, just like you and me. I’m not saying that they didn’t have important things to say but they were humans and Jesus is God.
So, I’m going to keep right on encouraging my brothers and sisters to focus on the teachings of Jesus.
God bless you.
Peter O
Brilliantly written!! It is what I’ve been mediating with The Holy Spirit on. Most churches teach a theology of faith/ belief that is selfish in it’s core. Much more say, a good conversation for a nice meal in the fresh air of a cool evening 🙂
Thankful for your platform to express this this thought provoking truth
Thank you.