When is The Alien Sinner Saved?

 

 

Introduction

Salvation is the most important aspect of the gospel as it makes us right with God and sets us on a path to heaven. However, when talking to different people about when one is saved, you’re going to get different answers.

The alien sinner is one who hasn’t heard the gospel and has, therefore, alienated himself from God by his sin. This also includes those who are of the denominations. They’ll tell you that they are Christians; according to the bible, but if you talk with them long enough, you’ll see that their life does not conform to scripture. Below we have examples of those who say they are Christians and when they have become saved. There is also the example from scripture itself.

 

When You Say the Sinner’s Prayer

This is one of the more frequent answers that people will give; usually after you “accept Jesus into your heart.” An example of this prayer is…

"Jesus, I believe that you are the holy Son of God. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and that you rose from the dead. You are my salvation. Please wash all my sins away and make me a child of God. I give my life to you today. Amen" (from the tract: What Is Meant by Salvation?)

There are other prayers, like this, that have different wording but you get the idea. The confusing part of this particular prayer is the fourth sentence; Please wash all my sins away and make me a child of God. Exactly, how does God wash away your sins with a prayer? For the alien sinner, it can’t be done! For the Christian, we look at 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Furthermore, as a scriptural support they use for the Sinner’s Prayer, they turn to Luke 18:13 which says, “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' It goes on in the next verse stating that this man went home justified. Jesus is the one who gave this example thereby validating this method.

However, if you back up to verse 10 it says, "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.” The temple was utilized by Jews only and, being under the Old Law, a prayer like this was acceptable by God’s chosen nation. However, it won’t save the alien sinner.

It would seem to me, and the honest bible student, that this can’t be the right mode for salvation. Therefore, you can’t be saved with a prayer.

When you believe Jesus is the Son of God

Like the Sinner’s Prayer, this comes before the prayer but doesn’t necessarily have to include the prayer. All one has to do is believe. And, like the ones above, they claim to have scriptural support for this. They turn to the thief on the cross in Luke 23:42-43, Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." People say, ‘I want to be saved like the thief.’ Again, this method is under the Old Law and thereby acceptable. As the Son of Man, Jesus; while still on the Earth, had the power to forgive sins (Luke 5:21-24). Today, we are forgiven by God through Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:12).

 

When Jesus returns in the Second Coming

A lot of you will say, “Hold on a minute, this isn’t possible. By the time he returns, it’ll be too late.” You’re absolutely correct on that, however, let’s look at a passage of scripture and discuss this option.

In Acts 2:16-21, the apostle Peter is quoting a prophecy from Joel 2:28-32. Let’s look specifically at verses 20 and 21 of Acts 2, The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.' In reading this passage, a certain religious group states that this is a literal darkening of the sun and the moon turning to blood. They also say this is referring to the Second Coming of Jesus. If this is true, then the next verse states that you call on the name of the Lord when he returns in the Second Coming. Again, if this is true, then the rest of the book of Acts is a work of fiction! All through Acts you read of many people, especially those in chapter 2, have been saved of their sins and have become Christians.

If the prophecy of Joel refers to the Second Coming of Christ then NO ONE is currently saved and have to wait until His return for it to happen. For the honest bible student, the study of prophetic language shows that this is figurative language and that this reference to the sun and moon is judgement language. It’s in reference to Jesus’ time on Earth and him ultimately going to the cross. It brings about the end of the Old Law and ushers in the New Law. Read Col. 2:11-14 for further understanding.

 

When Does the Bible Say the Alien Sinner is Saved?

The honest bible student will then ask, “What does the bible say about when a person is saved from his sins?” They will make the effort to follow what the scriptures say and not attempt to alter, or take anything out of context.

First, we read what Jesus said after he was raised from the dead, before he ascended into heaven, in Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Noticed the word ‘and’ between believes and baptized. That is a conjunction which puts both words together deeming them necessary, at the same time, before you are saved. This further refutes the ‘thief on the cross’ method.

Second, on the day of Pentecost, when Peter came to the conclusion of his sermon, he said in Acts 2:36, “…that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” the Jews asked, “…what shall we do?” (vs. 37). Peter replied in verse 38, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” So, they did what he said and in verse 47 it reads, “…And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

Finally, when Paul was brought before the Jews; accused of bringing a gentile into the temple, he recounted his conversion. In Acts 22:16; what Ananias said to him before he was converted, 'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

 

Conclusion

According to scripture, when you believe, AND confess, AND repent of your sins, AND are baptized, then your sins are washed away, and this is when you are saved. Too many people look for shortcuts or a way around being baptized as they don’t see it as essential. Paul stated that it was essential in Rom. 6:3-7, Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.

It couldn’t be any easier than that. Make the decision today to become a True Bible-based Christian by doing what the scriptures say in regards to salvation.