Why This Question (Part 1)…
By: Joseph Steel
Tags: Faith, Spiritual, Christian, God, Salvation

Why?

Why the question… “…Are You Saved…”?

There’s someone who has known me since I was in my mother’s womb who, when I asked her if she was a Christian, told me that she’s been a Christian since she was born.

I asked her this question in relation to what she had said on another mutual friend’s Facebook page in response to this person saying that their believing in Jesus, angels (and commanding angels to do things for her), and the power of crystals, was fine in her view.

See, Judeo/Christ scripture is clear, commanding angels and believing crystals have some kind of magic power is just not according to having the mind of Christ, which is an aspect of the central thought related to salvation — being a Christian… And yet one friend was saying she believed in both, and my other friend was pretty much saying that was fine to do. And both claim to be Christians.

Now specifically regarding my friend saying that she had been “…born a Christian…”… I know her parents were quintessential “…Bon Catholic…” (good example of a Roman Catholic believers), so she was raised as a Roman Catholic believer — which in itself has many contradictions related to being a Christian, but that’s for another day.

Okay… But “…born a Christian…”?

No, right… According to scripture, a person needs to make a decision to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9–10) in order to become “…of Christ…”; which is what the Greek word translated into English as “…Christian…” means.

And no, it doesn’t mean someone who follows Christ… It means someone who is “…of Christ…”, meaning… Born anew of the Spirit… This Spirit being the Holy Spirit… The Spirit of God… Who, in the following scripture we’re told what this Lord, Christ Jesus, is…

2 Corinthians 3:17… “…Now the Lord is the Spirit…”.

Did you know that scripture tells us that “…the Lord…” — which is a title used to refer to Christ Jesus — is “…the Spirit…”?

Not many people, even Christians, are familiar with that scripture verse.

And yet there it is; and yes, I’m very familiar with the matter of the triune (another way of saying trinity) being of God in relation to God’s creation… But what is being said in 2 Corinthians 3:17 is something more specific to God’s salvation of man.

But back to the original matter…

Can a person be a Christian apart from being “…born anew…” (born again of the Spirit/God)… Meaning, can a person be humanly born a Christian?

And I’m presenting this because it is related to the foundation of why Christians may ask a person, “…Are you saved?…”.

Asking… Are you a Christian = Are you saved?

Which is to say…

Asking if you are a Christian = Have you been born again of the Spirit/God?

So when someone answers… “I have been a Christian since I was born…”, it kind of sounds a bit odd… As in… Unscriptural.

See… To be “…born again…” requires making a conscious choice to receive Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior… And a new born baby can’t do this.

Yet… Hold that thought and check this scripture out…

Ephesians 1:3–12… “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ, . . . Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, . . . Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, . . . To the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He graced us in the Beloved; . . . In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses, according to the riches of His grace, . . . Which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and prudence, . . . Making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, . . . Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him; . . . In whom also we were designated as an inheritance, having been predestinated according to the purpose of the One who works all things according to the counsel of His will, . . . That we would be to the praise of His glory who have first hoped in Christ.” — Recovery Version Bible

Specifically this…

“…Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…”…

And this…

“…Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,…”…

And this…

“…the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, . . . Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him; . . . In whom also we were designated as an inheritance, having been predestinated according to the purpose of the One who works all things according to the counsel of His will,…”. — Recovery Version Bible

Taken together… They all seem to be telling us that even before we were knit together in our mother’s womb (Psalms 139:13)… God had already chosen for us to be Christians.

So was my friend correct in saying that she was a Christian since she was born?

Hmmmm…

Acts 16:31–32… “And leading them outside, he said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? . . . And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” — Recovery Version Bible

And…

John 3:14–18… “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, . . . That every one who believes into Him may have eternal life. . . . For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life. . . . For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. . . . He who believes into Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed into the name of the only begotten Son of God.” — Recovery Version Bible

Or…

“…I have been a Christian since I was born.”

Which is it… What’s going on?

I’ll continue this in a following post.