children getting saved

Since Carly and Isaac were conceived, we have prayed for their salvation. Since they were born, we have worked for their salvation. We have exposed them to gospel truth. And even though we've failed (and continue to fail) many times, we have strived to live our lives as such examples that would bring honor to Christ. As parents, we have no greater desire for our kids than that - to be saved.

I have wrestled with this question: How can I lead our kids to Christ? And then...How do I know if my child is saved? In all raw honesty, I have used bedtimes to manipulate our kids to come to Christ. We've read through the children's Bibles; we've talked through all aspects of the Gospel. They know the right answers. And with each child, I have prayed a little prayer with them for Jesus to come into his/her heart, whether or not this is good or bad for a parent to do. But are they saved?

Do I know what that question really means? What I'm really asking is...Is God working in the life of my child unto salvation? You see, what I'm beginning to understand is that salvation is a divine work of God, not a work of Mom or Dad. John MacArthur believes that a prayer, such as the one mentioned above, "is basically a human act and not necessarily consistent with the working of God."

MacArthur says, "You can't look at any event, at any specific prayer, at any specific formula, at any particular confession that they might make that in fact they have asked Jesus into their life or they've made a decision for Christ. That is not an indicator of salvation. You cannot look at any such event to know your child is saved. And I think that it is important to say because so many parents having heard their child pray such a prayer or make such a decision in early childhood then wonder how it is that the child reaching junior high, or high school, or college years completely turns their back on the Lord or treats God with indifference or is disinterested in the church and roams off into the world... And they wonder how in fact that could happen if they were saved at some point in time past. But you cannot look at an event as an indicator of salvation. The only thing you can look at is evidences of the working of God in the life."

So what he's saying is that the only thing we can look at are the evidences of God's work in our children's lives, and even then only God knows the true state of the heart. I found these evidences to be helpful [very summarized, of course]:

1. Honest, personal conviction of sin. Not because of their fear of our parental punishment or disappointment. This conviction should lead them to repentance. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. Understanding and belief of the Gospel. This is the fact that each one of us is sinful, in need of forgiveness - a Savior. Jesus Christ bore the punishment of God - the punishment that we deserved. To grasp that truth also requires the work of the Holy Spirit.
3. Sanctification. A pursuing of obedience - not because they want to please us, but because they want to honor God. Only by the help of the Holy Spirit is this even feasible.
4. God produces fellowship within believers. A desire to be around other believers. That desire comes from the work of the Holy Spirit as well.

Side Notes

I'm not saying that #1-4 SAVE.

God saves.

#1-4 are evidences of salvation already occurring.

A recurring phrase that is the whole point of this............"work of the Holy Spirit" or "God working." I get it. I can't save my own kid. (I say "my own kid." They're not even from me - they're God's children.) The prayer I prayed isn't a magic formula that will give them the ticket to Heaven. So what's our job? As parents, we will continue to provide the truth of God's Word, in which the Spirit of God can work in their hearts to bring about a miracle of salvation.

have you ever wondered...

...about the prayer in Gethsemane? Before Jesus was arrested to be crucified, he prayed.

"[Jesus] began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to [his disciples], 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.' And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said 'Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'" (Mark 14:32-36, ESV)

Quite perplexing how Jesus was so horrified and dismayed and so sorrowful. Until yesterday, I figured that he was distressed because of the physical anguish he was about to go through. Being God, Jesus knew the outcome; he knew he was about to be beaten and crucified. And he knew he would rise again. I thought that surely this was distressing to him. But the book Knowing God poses a different perspective, which makes much more sense.

J.I. Packer writes, "It was because Jesus was to be made sin, and bear God's judgment on sin, that he trembled in the garden, and because he was actually bearing that judgment that he declared himself forsaken of God on the cross. . . . the unique dreadfulness of his death lies in the fact that he tasted on Calvary the wrath of God which was our due, so making propitiation* for our sins."

So, why was he distressed? Because of SO MUCH sin placed on him? Sin is bad. BAD! A perfect and holy God would not be just if He allowed it. Sin brings about the wrath of God, His perfect wrath. That's what sin deserves. Was Jesus so distressed because of the amount of terrible sin put on his shoulders? Or was he distressed because he realized the magnitude of God's wrath toward that great amount of sin? Clearly, the horror Jesus displayed was not only due to the physical pain he would go through. Packer writes, "The physical pain, though great (for crucifixion remains the cruelest form of judicial execution that the world has ever known), was yet only a small part of the story; Jesus' chief sufferings were mental and spiritual, and what was packed into less than four hundred minutes was an eternity of agony...."

Do we realize just how awesome it is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins? Or do we throw that idea around and not really grasp the magnitude and seriousness of it? Jesus became a curse for us. Justice has been done. Sins that will ever be pardoned were judged and punished in Jesus, and that pardon is now offered to us offenders.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation* in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26, NASB)

See also Isaiah 53.

Praise God!

*Propitiation (pr-psh-shn) n. Appeasement of God's wrath. Covering, putting away, passing over, rubbing out sin so it doesn't create a barrier between man and God, thus pacifying God's wrath.

what must i do...

...to be saved?

It's quite perplexing that the Bible never mentions the term asking Jesus into your heart. It never says accept Christ. Walk down the aisle. Raise your hand. Sign the card. Talk to the pastor/elder. It doesn't say ANY of those things as a recipe for being saved. In Mark 1:15, Jesus proclaimed the good news of God. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Now, because we (society and me) are task-oriented people, we take these two items and turn them into checklist-items.

• repent
• believe

Paul Washer describes it like this: "You were saved because you repented of your sins and you believed, and not only did you do that in the past, you continued to do it even until now . . . . A proper translation of that verse He gave is this: The Kingdom of God is come. The time is fulfilled. Now, spend the rest of your lives repenting of your sins and believing in Me. Conversion is not like a flu shot. "Oh, I did that. I repented. I believed." The question is my friend––are you continuing to repent of sin? Are you continuing to believe? Because He who began a good work in you will finish it. He will finish it." (Here's the rest of the sermon.)

At the end of this quote, Washer refers to God beginning a good work in us (Philippians 1:6), which brings up another crucial point. Our wise and sovereign Creator is the One who turns us to repentance and belief. This is what transforming grace is all about. When we deserve hell, He chose us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will (Ephesians 1:5). For many years, I believed that I was saved because I had asked Jesus into my heart and life. Wrong. I am saved because God loved me and God called me to repentance and believing in Him. Wow, that is humbling. (Charles Spurgeon talks more about election here, a really good sermon.)

THEREFORE, we Christians, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28), go on a lifelong journey of being progressively sanctified with the help of the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 say, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." Does that mean I will never again mess up? No. But I will spend the rest of my life repenting and believing Him. 2 Corinthians 13:5 warns us to examine ourselves. We are to test ourselves in the light of Scripture to see if we’re in the path, because a true Christian will be different.

my problem

Another lie I didn't realize I believed...

"The Truth is that only by accepting full responsibility for our actions and attitudes can we ever be fully free from guilt. As one writer said:

Sin is the best news there is, the best news there could be in our predicament. Because with sin, there's a way out. There's the possibility of repentance. You can't repent of confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by {your parents--you're stuck with them}*. But you can repent of sin. Sin and repentance are the only grounds for hope and joy**."

*Myra's note: I'd rather use the word "others" here. How could I ever blame my parents for inflicting flaws? That's unfair. They're human, just like everybody else.

**Myra's second note: This is only through God's grace, through the shed blood of Jesus.

the Holy One

Like a prize at the end of a race, this song "Glory to the Holy One" is at the end of R.C. Sproul's The Holiness of God. This is the next book I want to read and own. Here are Sproul's lyrics:

~~~

Seated on the ether throne,

Above all mortal view;

The King supreme in glory sat,

Bathed in refulgent hue;

Holy, holy, holy,

cried the seraph throng;

Glory to the Holy One,

Is the angel's song.

All around the mercy seat

The winged creatures sang;

Glory to our God on high,

Their poignant anthem rang;

Holy, holy, holy,

cried the seraph throng;

Glory to the Holy One

Is the angel's song.

With shielded eyes and covered feet,

The angels hovered high,

While glory shook the portal walls,

And smoke rose to the sky.

Holy, holy, holy,

cried the seraph throng;

Glory to the Holy One

Is the angel's song.

Woe is me, the creature wailed,

His face upon the floor,

dirty lips and loathsome tongue

His heart could stand no more.

Holy, holy, holy,

cried the seraph throng;

Glory to the Holy One

Is the angel's song.

Come, angel quick and purge my lips,

Make pure my soul anew;

And I shall rise and stand again,

And I will go for You.

Holy, holy, holy,

cried the seraph throng;

Glory to the Holy One

Is the angel's song.

~~~

Every knee will bow.

forgetting the fire

Do you remember how it was at first, when you made that decision to make Jesus Lord of your life? When you felt the Holy Spirit's real presence? When this indescribable fire and passion burned in your heart to serve God?

I was convicted this morning when I read Hebrews 10. Verse 32 reminded me: "Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering." Years ago, I had circled the word "remember." But I so easily forget that fire that burns so hot at first. And I'm not even experiencing "the face of suffering" and the insult and persecution these people were. That may be the problem. These Christians had been imprisoned for their faith; their stuff had been taken. In fact, they "joyfully accepted the confiscation of [their] property, because [they] knew that [they themselves] had better and lasting possessions" (v. 34).

It's been 10 days since I finished this book Safely Home with a fire burning in my heart. This is a fiction book describing the experiences of the Christian Li Quan in China. Quan's whole attitude was summed up in one question he asked daily: "Is this the day I die?" Sounds morbid, but it's not. Quan lived for Yesu. He and his family risked their lives by worshiping in secret house churches. They risked their safety, their property, their lives by owning a Bible...not to mention how risky it was to spread the Good News to other people.

Toward the end of the book, Quan's American friend visits Quan in prison. He asks Quan, "When you pray for me, what do you ask?"

Quan answers, "That you will face persecution....and that through it you will grow. That you will learn to stand strong. That you will know you are in a war, and that you will put on your armor and learn to use the sword of the Spirit, God's Word."

The American responds, "So, while I'm praying you will suffer less, you're praying that I will suffer more?"

Quan answers again, "We both should pray that the other will live in a way pleasing to Yesu. I do not wish to see my friend suffer. But I believe it may be the only way for you to learn how to serve. In house churches we have little to hope in but our God. In America, you have much to hope in besides God. None but he can bear the weight of your hope. But that is often forgotten. The test of prosperity is not easily passed."

That's precisely the problem. We're too comfortable here in America, and it's hurting us spiritually. No, I don't wish to suffer, but it would sure help me remember my first love. How easily I forget. The Church of Ephesus was judged for this in Revelation 2:4-5. "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first."

So, what can I do? Repent and stuff myself with the Word daily, actually every hour of the day - instead of merely strawberry shortcake and whipped cream. Saturate myself with "things above, not on earthly things" (Col. 3:1-2). Humble myself and have that attitude of Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5-11). Suffering may come, and if it does, I pray that I stand the test.

urgent message

A link to Paul Washer's message was posted on Cammie's blog. It is well worth your time. Paul's message from Matthew 7:13-27 is urgent. Click here to listen. If you'd rather read it, here is the written version. With passion, Paul pleads for non-believers to see the Truth and for believers to evaluate our life, examine our hearts. (This message was for a youth audience, but it applies to all.)

Does our life honor Jesus Christ?

Do we look into the Word to find out how we're supposed to live?

Are we bearing fruit?

salvation: simple or complex

Sister #2 and I have been discussing this very thing. While we scratched our heads and wrinkled our eyebrows on opposite ends of the phone, we semi-concluded that salvation is a semi-simple concept with complex reasoning: Salvation comes through belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are unworthy sinners. God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. While salvation cannot be earned, it is received by a personal faith in Jesus Christ and true repentance.

This belief seems simple, but there are so many underlying details within it all. With the belief of the gospel (not just the profession...the true belief) comes the commitment to making Christ the ultimate manager of our life. This church explains it well: Salvation "begins the moment someone commits their life to Christ, continues as God grows in us to be like him, and will be completed at Christ's return to earth." This concept seems to become more complex the more you think about it...not to mention any question starting with "Why?!"

In his Hard to Believe book, John MacArthur describes the cross as "hard truth." Many churches have conformed this message and their entire belief systems to a customer-satisfaction mentality. Many have developed a consumer mind-set. "The church service is too long, you say? We'll shorten it... Too formal? Wear your sweatsuit. Too boring? Wait'll you hear our band! And if the message is too confrontational, or too judgmental, or too exclusive, scary, unbelievable, hard to understand, or too much anything else for your taste, churches everywhere are eager to adjust that message to make you more comfortable." This is NOT GOSPEL-focused! What is it all about anyway? Not US! Correct answer: Christ! (Have I gone off on a rabbit trail?)

Society has distorted the message of salvation. In an interview regarding his book Willing to Believe, R.C. Sproul stated, "One of my great concerns is that we've got to understand the difference between a profession of faith and faith. Everyone who has faith is called to profess faith, but not everybody who professes faith has faith. We are not saved by a profession of faith. A lot of people, it seems to me, in the evangelical world, believe that if they have walked the walk, raised the hand, signed the card - that is, made some kind of methodological profession of faith - that they're saved. And that's scary! [And why is it scary?] Because salvation comes through trust in the gospel. Now, I don't think God requires that we ourselves understand how we come to faith in order to be saved... In other words, I believe that I came to faith through the pure, unvarnished, sovereign work of God, by an immediate, supernatural work of regeneration in my heart, that my heart was a heart of stone and utterly incapable of making any positive response to Christ until God the Holy Spirit changed my soul by regeneration.... Just because my doctrine is right - and I believe it is - doesn't save me. Likewise, another person, who I believe comes to faith the same way I came to faith, through the sovereign, immediate work of the Holy Spirit - they may not understand all the nuances of that, and they may be deceived about how they came to faith, but that's not the issue that's going to keep them out of heaven. The question is, "Do they have saving faith?" Not how they understood how they got there."

Seem complex? Yep. Perhaps because God is sovereign--a term we'll never fully grasp. His "greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3b); His "understanding is inscrutable" (Isaiah 40:28b). But even so, we who have that salvation are charged to allow Christ to be preeminent in our lives.

"And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me...'" Matthew 18:2-5

Simple or complex? Or both?

my testimony

When I was 15 years old, a sophomore, I found a notebook under my sister’s bed. It had only one or two journal entries. I don’t remember the details of the content, but it said something about how she had become a Christian. I remember my initial shock of her proclamation—she thought she was a Christian. All my life, I had preconceived notions that a person had to accomplish certain tasks before becoming a Christian, and Rachel certainly hadn’t completed those prerequisites. I had mistakenly believed that the only way to Heaven was to do certain things, wear certain things, and act a certain way. I had never heard of the term “relationship” or the concept of God wanting a relationship with me, and I had never understood that there should be a change in my heart and mind. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). At this point in my life, there was no heart-change; there was no denying self. Puzzled about the journal entry, I talked to a friend about what I had found in the notebook. This conversation led me to believe that becoming a Christian was easy stuff—all I had to do was pray a prayer and I would be saved. I just had to “accept Christ.” I didn’t really understand how I could be saved—how “accepting Christ” would be enough, but I prayed that prayer anyway. Nothing changed in my life. Two years went by. I thought that MAYBE I was a Christian, but my life hadn’t really changed. I was a pretty “good kid.” I thought I believed in God, but many of my thoughts and actions didn’t really reflect Christ-like behavior. I was prideful, selfish, full of myself. By February of my senior year in high school, I had gotten to a low point, living in sin. I came to realize that I wasn’t in control of my own life. There was something a whole lot bigger than me—God. And God was in charge of my future. I became embarrassed and sorry for the dirt I had become. I remember falling to my knees in my bedroom one night, shameful and repentant, confessing my sin, my desperation for God, and asking Him into my heart. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” When I went to college, my relationship with the Lord grew more intimate. Falling back into my past sin was a constant temptation, but many people encouraged me and my Bible study leaders discipled me. And I’m sure many people prayed for me as well. I never felt complete peace until a year after Jared and I had been married. Jared and I were baptized on October 11, 2009. We pray that God would help us to “conduct [our]selves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27).