AboutScott Talbot Expertise I have studied the Bible and Bible-related topics since the time I was very young. My education includes a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Bible, and a Master of Divinity degree. I enjoy delving into deep theological issues and always enjoy a healthy debate. But more importantly, I like working with people and helping them to find the answers that they are looking for. And I am convinced that these answers are available in the Bible.
Experience By the grace and mercy of God, I have been saved, born again, adopted into the family of God. God has given me a love for the Bible, and for Bible-related subjects. In addition, He has blessed me with ongoing training in the Scriptures, from my youth on up. The more I learn about God through His Word, the more I want to share!
Question My husband was raised in the baptist church, and even attended a baptist school from 1-12 grade. I, however, was not raised in any church and had no religious background. I knew from an early age that I was on a path to enlightenment, I just always followed the wrong paths. I am 32 years old and just got saved a couple of months ago. I was also baptized. I know I have the Holy Spirit. I smoked cigarettes for 17 years and after getting saved just put them down. I have seen things in the past few weeks that I view as absolute miracles that have occurred. Anyway, it seems my whole lifestyle has completely changed and I am loving it. I read the Bible at least 4-5 hours a day. I am confused about one thing. The bible says (I can't quote scripture and verse yet, but I know it's in here) that all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you are saved. But what about sanctification and all of that? I'm asking because my husband says his name is definately written in the Book of Life, but yet, he never reads his bible (yes, I know I'm judging him), and none of his actiions speak sanctification? So, I guess my question is: Can you just believe that Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead (and that's it) and still be granted life eternal in Paradise? Can you be a believer but not be saved?
Answer Hello Sarah,
It's nice to hear from you. I am THRILLED to hear that you have recently become a child of God, and that you're growing in your relationship with Him.
You asked, "Can you just believe that Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead (and that's it) and still be granted life eternal in Paradise? Can you be a believer but not be saved?"
To answer that question, let's consider James 2:14-26:
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Look at verse 19 in particular: "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder." What James is saying here is that simply believing something is not all that is required to meet the definition of "faith." Faith is much more than simply acknowledging the factuality of something. It isn't BELIEF, but rather TRUST.
When the Bible talks about believing in Jesus Christ for salvation, it doesn't mean that it's enough to believe He's the Son of God and that He died for me. No, I must go beyond belief and put my TRUST in Him. Trust is not an action, but rather something that is evidenced by action. If I truly trust Jesus to save me, I will turn to Him and receive His gift of salvation.
What James is trying to explain in this passage is this. Not only is saving faith evidenced by the action one takes based on that faith (receiving God's gift of salvation) ... but sanctifying faith as well is evidenced by action (sanctifying faith being the ongoing trust we put in Christ to enable us to be the person He wants us to be--see Romans 1:17 - "The just shall live by faith").
Now it's important to understand that works neither save us nor keep us saved (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). What James is simply saying is that there is a general principle--genuine faith is evidenced by outward action.
Is that to say that the lack of outward signs is proof of the absence of faith? Not necessarily. But it would be accurate to say that a lack of signs would be an indication for concern.
Let's talk about your husband. You have some concerns about his salvation because you're having difficulty seeing outward evidence of his faith. Is that correct? Let me try to respond in two ways.
On the one hand, it's important to remember that works are not required in order to receive or keep our salvation. And, while the absence of outward signs may create some concern, it's possible to be a Christian but simply not be growing in our walk with God the way we should.
Christians experience varying levels of success in the area of discipleship. The best of us will not achieve total perfection in this life, and the worst of us could easily end up looking like the world. (Consider the Corinthians who, though they were addressed as fellow believers, struggled with a long list of serious sins generally associated with the unsaved world.)
So your husband may very well be a Christian but perhaps has experienced little growth. Salvation may not be the problem. It's likely that the issue may be that of discipleship--committing to follow Christ. This is a separate matter.
On the other hand, though your husband may be saved, God is not satisfied with His salvation alone. Sure, he will get to heaven if he truly placed his faith in Jesus Christ to save him. But God's ultimate desire is to mold him into the image of His Son, Jesus. (See Romans 8:29.)
It's possible for one to be a Christian but to not live like a Christian ought to live. But there are many reasons that this is not good. It is a slap in God's face. It reflects ingratitude. Poor choices produce harmful consequences. Jesus' goal of the abundant life will be missed. One's testimony will suffer. One will miss out on intimacy with God. I could go on.
One more thing. Be careful not to demand that your husband live a certain way, as if to say that that lifestyle will make him a better person. What happens on the outside is only a reflection of what goes on in the heart. If the heart changes, the outward actions will follow. (When I say "heart," I'm referring to a love for God that motivates one to draw closer to Him and please Him.) So the most important thing you can do for your husband is to pray for God to soften his heart, and to look for possible ways to encourage this.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back.
