Articles
What It Takes to Be Saved – Man’s Part - Faithfulness to One’s Commitment
What It Takes to Be Saved – Man’s Part - Faithfulness to One’s Commitment
Mike Willis
In this final article of the series on “What It Takes to Be Saved,” I want to emphasize that Jesus taught that one must persevere to the end of his life in order to be received in the eternal kingdom.
The Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23) illustrates that it takes more than a mere statement that one accepts Jesus as his personal Savior in order for him to be saved. The seed that fell on both the rocky ground and the thorny ground brought no fruit to the Sower. The rocky ground hearer was “one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” The thorny ground hearer was “one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” Neither can expect to receive eternal life.
Consider these passages from Scripture that emphasize one’s need to remain faithfully committed to the Lord for the rest of his life in other to be saved.
“But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 24:13; see parallels in Mark 13:13; Luke 21:9).
“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (Heb. 10:36).
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).
We deceive ourselves if we believe that, because one prayed “the sinner’s prayer” that he has a guaranteed ticket to heaven regardless of how he lives thereafter. The false doctrine of “once in grace, always in grace” or “one cannot fall from grace” is not taught in Scripture. We should manifest the same attitude as the Apostle Paul said about himself, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:24-27).
If a person lives very long after making the good confession that Jesus is Lord and obeying the gospel in repentance and baptism, he will most likely stumble. John explained what one is to do when that happens: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-9). Do what Simon the sorcerer did when he stumbled into sin—he asked that prayer be offered on his behalf that he could be forgiven of the sinful act he had committed (Acts 8:24).
I do not say, “Good luck in your Christian walk” because “luck” has nothing to do with it. Rather, the Lord promised this blessing from God: God “will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8). You persevere and God will do His part!
