AboutDean Gade Expertise I can answer questions concerning the translating of specific words and translations of the New Testament. I can give the etemology of Greek words, primarily in the Koine Greek, but also in Classical Greek. I can also give explanations of much of the Bible having read it many times and written many Bible studies.
Experience I studied Greek in earning my BA at a university and my DTh. and MDiv. at an accredited seminary. I was a diviity student at both the university and seminary, spending most of those eight years studying the Bible.
Question QUESTION: I was thinking today and it bothered me about my salvation because I am unsure about it.
I said the Sinner's Prayer.
I believe and confessed that Jesus is the Son of the only Living GOD and died for my sins.
I asked Jesus to forgive me.
I do believe that GOD and Jesus exist.
I did this three times.
I confessed all of it with my mouth.
But I did it because I didn't want to go to hell.
I was also baptized when I was younger.
I never really tried to develop a close relationship with Him though nor have I really wanted to but yet I know that He is trying to have one with me.
I used to try and read my Bible and go to church and I do pray to GOD every night.I wish that I had a heart to seek Him more but how do I get that kind of heart?
Am I not saved now?
Oh and in your opinion,do you think that Barack Obama is the antichrist or something?
But every time I find myself wanting to draw closer to GOD.I sometimes feel like I do it still because I don't want to go to hell.As I said,I did what it ays in the BIBLE and when I confessed that I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again and still lives,I meant it very much because I do know that is what happened.But I still don't know if I want a further relationship with GOD.I asked Him to give me a heart to want to seek Him more.Does this mean that I am not saved?
Well when I confessed my beliefs,I meant it but I also did not want to go to hell.I truly do know and believe that Jesus died for my sins and that He rose again.I'm 13 by the way.I'm not confessing it just to be doing it.I got saved in 2002,2008,and 2009 but now I still feel like it is still not enough.If I am not saved then what's the point of living?I am desperately trying to do everything to get saved.And I am still not saved?I've did what it says in the BIBLE to be saved!I do believe what I am saying when I say it.I just feel like I don't get saved in order to seek GOD but all I know is that I do believe that Jesus died for my sins and that GOD raised Him back up from the dead.And I know that Jesus is still alive too!But the truth is that I confessed what I said in the sinner's prayer because I truly do believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again and that He still lives and becaus eI didn't want to go to hell.So what is still wrong?
Someone just told me that if I had to ask if I am Saved then obviously I am not. I go to an Apostolic church but I am really Pentocostal.MY beliefs are that if you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and ask Him for forgiveness from your sins then you are saved.But of course different denominations have different beliefs on what actually makes you saved so if I went to a non denominational church it might make me confused. So if you don't mind,I will ask my question again.- Well when I was about 8,I asked for God's forgiveness but at the time,I did it because I didn't want to go to hell.I didn't really love GOD because I didn't really know Him that well.So then like 2 years later,I got the Holy Ghost but then I felt that my church was trying to really push me into it so I just all of a sudden shut down.About a year ago or a couple of months ago,I just decided that I didn't want to go to church anymore.I go once in a while but not every Sunday and I feel that if I am just going to make people happy and just to be there then that's a vain reason to go.If you're not there for GOD then there's no point in goingI tried reading my Bible and I started from the first chapter and tried to read the whole book in order.Well that got boring and I didn't understand anything so I stopped that too.So now,the only thing that I will do is pray and majority of the time,it's to ask for things.I'm not really sure if I love GOD because I haven't really got to know Him nor hae I really tried anymore.I know I have really backslided in that area.Does this mean that I am not saved?Or at least anymore now?So now I am not saved?!?!?!?!?!?!?!Now I might as well kill myself.The thing is that I don't know if my heart was into when I was eight,at the time,I Was a little willing to get to know GOD better but now I am hearing this?What are you saying now.Now I am not saved?Yes I do believe that He is the son of GOD and that He died for our sins so that we can be forgiven.I asked Him for forgiveness.At the time,I didn't want to go to hell but at the time,I was young and I wanted to I guess know Him better.But after that,I just drifted off.But now I don't even know if I am saved.Does it sound like I am saved?If I didn't ove GOD when I got saved then does this mean that I am not saved?Do I need to get saved again? I know this is terribly off subject.But now I am in even worse trouble if I am not saved.I feel even worse.They told me that I have to accept Jesus as my master which is what I thought accepting Him as my Saviour meant.It make sme want to commit suicide even more than before.Maybe my life is just going down the drain.I mean,I have everything academically and school-wise going for me.But everything else is just terrible. I live with my mom and she is on welfare and medical cards but yet my dad is rich.I don't live with my dad.But I live with my mom in an apartment building that my dad owns,he owns a lot. I guess you could say that my mom is middle class because we aren't poor.My dad always gives us the money to pay our bills and buy food and all of that stuff. So does this mean that I am poor? There are days when my mom doesn't have money.But we don't starve or don't have clothes but there are some days that there is nothing to eat (which is rare)because I eat up everything and she doesn't have time to go to the store or my dad hasn't given her the money. I am stuggling with my sexuality.I'm not pretty.I have bad thoughts and can not seem to get my mind together.And now I might not be saved?But why is there something in the back of my head that tells me that I really didn't want Jesus as my saviour?Is that the devil telling me that? I know that Jesus is the only saviour and I was willing to give Him my life too. I also gto saved because I was interested in getting saved.But I didn't want to go to hell eithe rbut I didn't do it to form a relationshipw tih GOD but now I am trying to form one with Him.No one made me get saved either.I decided to but I wonder if I did that because I didn't want to go to hell.Did I get saved for the wrong reasons and am I not saved? I do believe in GOD and Jesus. I also believe that when I pray that GOD listens. I don't know how to have a close relationship with anything and I asked GOD to give me a heart to desire to seek Him and love Him. I want to have a heart to seek Him and love Him. But sometimes I question myself do I only want a relationship with GOD because I don't want to go to hell.Is that a bad reason? What's happening and am I not saved anymore?And sometimes I feel that I don't want to have a relationship with GOD but I asked Him for a heart filled with desire to seek Him more because I desperately want a heart like that.When I got saved,I got saved because I wanted to be saved and because I didn't want to go to hell.I really want to have a heart filled with desire to seek Him,I really do and I don't know if I have it yet.I didn't really get saved in order to have a relationship with Him,let's be honest but now I want a heart that seeks Him.What's happening,so am I not saved?"
Well I was talking to another expert and she told me what the Holy Spirit said.She said that He said that I have not accepted Him so now I am afraid,scared to death.Oh Lord,I am in trouble.I was never saved?!All I did was try!I tried!I asked GOD for a heart filled with desire for Him and I still don't know if I have it.I ask Him over and over again.It hurts to think that all of this time I was never saved.I'm crying right now,that's how much it hurt.I really wanted to be saved.And I did everything it said in the BIBLE,I did!It's not that I don't want Him in my life,I just don't know how to really love Him or have a relationship with Him and to know that He said that scares me TO DEATH.I just don't know how to have a relationship with Him or if I want one right now.I know that I need Him in my life but this makes me think that I am not saved all of this time then I can't get saved in the future.It's scary and it hurts!I did EVERYTHING it said in the BIBLE in order to be saved.I did it all!I don't know what mor eI could do.I really don't.I talk to GOD a lot and still I don't get a reply.I asked Him to show me if I was saved or not but I guess He just did and that's the answer that I wanted to hear.What if I get left behind?!I can't take it anymore,everyday,I wonder about this.Some people tell me that I am saved and others say no that I am not.I am better off dead than go to hell.I just don't know what to do anymore!I really don't.I know time is running out and I have always tried to make sure that my soul goes to the right place.Always.I can't even breathe.I am just now starting to read my BIBLE.I pray every night.I accepted Jesus Christ.I can't do this anymore.I tried to have a relationship with GOD.I don't know how to hunger after Him with my whole heart and soul because I am never sure.Never.So I have to do everything over again and it just hurts,I wanted to be saved.I really did and still do and now I have to do everything over again.I just can't live with this worry.I literally just can't breathe right now.I asked GOD for a heart filled with desire for Him but I don't know if I have it yet.I wanted to be included in God's people and now I am outside of the circle.Maybe He has just given up on me.I don't know what to think or what to do!But why is there something in the back of my head that tells me that I really didn't want Jesus as my saviour?Is that the devil telling me that? I know that Jesus is the only saviour and I was willing to give Him my life too. I also gto saved because I was interested in getting saved.But I didn't want to go to hell eithe rbut I didn't do it to form a relationshipw tih GOD but now I am trying to form one with Him.No one made me get saved either.I decided to but I wonder if I did that because I didn't want to go to hell.Did I get saved for the wrong reasons and am I not saved? I do believe in GOD and Jesus. I also believe that when I pray that GOD listens. I don't know how to have a close relationship with anything and I asked GOD to give me a heart to desire to seek Him and love Him. I want to have a heart to seek Him and love Him. But sometimes I question myself do I only want a relationship with GOD because I don't want to go to hell.Is that a bad reason? What's happening and am I not saved anymore?And sometimes I feel that I don't want to have a relationship with GOD but I asked Him for a heart filled with desire to seek Him more because I desperately want a heart like that.When I got saved,I got saved because I wanted to be saved and because I didn't want to go to hell.I really want to have a heart filled with desire to seek Him,I really do and I don't know if I have it yet.I didn't really get saved in order to have a relationship with Him,let's be honest but now I want a heart that seeks Him.I jstu want a heart to seek Him and want Him in my life.Every single time I said the Sinner's prayer,I meant it with all of my heart.I know that Jesus died for my sins and rose again from the dead and still lives today.That's what it said that I must do to be save din the BIBLE.I'm sorry,I'm jsut having a hard time dealing with this.I can't deny anything if the Holy Spirit gave you that.And that's what hurts even more,because I know that He is telling the truth and if He said that I am not saved,then I am not saved.What must I do to be saved?I tried every single thing there is to do!I just want to be saved and included in GOD's family.I don't want to go to hell and I am trying to have a relationship with GOD.I really am.I will do anything to be saved,I really would.My soul matters more to me than the earth does.I just can't take not being saved.I am seeking GOD because if I wasn't,I wouldn't be asking Him for a seeking heart.I am just so unsure right now.I'm crying because I never expected it.What does this mean?Please respond quickly!"
This makes me want to do something drastic.Like suicide!I asked Him into my heart but at the time,it was because I didn't want to go to hell or anything.Am I not saved then?Do I need to get saved again?
Also I am wondering if I have blaspemed.Also I am wondering if I have blaspemed.Sometimes when I say the word gay or something similar,I suddenly look at a picture of Jesus even though I wasn't talking about Him.Sometimes when I say the word gay or something similar,I suddenly look at a picture of Jesus even though I wasn't particulary talking about Him.And sometimes I think things that are blasphemous.I don't mean to think that way.And if I think,I don't say it.But after I do all of this,I ask for forgiveness.But it says that real Christians don't commit blasphemy so that means that I am not a true Christian and that I was never saved.But that means that I have to get saved all over again and I am getting sick of doing it over and over and over!I don't want to blasphemy either because I know what happens to people that do.So what do I do?Am I not saved or a Christian?And sometimes I think about blaspemy.I don't think that I really mean it if I have ever said or else I wouldn't want His forgiveness.I wouldn't even care for that matter.But I do care.I certainly don't curse GOD outloud habitatly.I do have bad thoughts but I ask for forgiveness right after them because I know that I don't mean to even think them,they just pop in my head.If I have ever said anything against GOD or Jesus,I haven't ever meant it,that's for sure.But it just bothers me.So now I might not even be a Christian?"
Sometimes when I say the word gay or something similar,I suddenly look at a picture of Jesus even though I wasn't tlakign about Him.And sometimes I think about blaspemy.I also wonder if I have sold my soul.I sometimes think about selling it.And sometimes I say "If I don't do this then my soul is....."
I don't want to say the rest.I don't know if I have bet on my soul but yet I think that I have but I ask for forgiveness after it.I ask God to forgive me for it.But I don't want to sell my soul.Does this mean that I have?Please answer all of these questions!
ANSWER: Your salvation has been taken care of. Read the following words from the Bible carefully:
1 John 2:1-2
2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. HE IS THE ATONING SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS, and not only for ours but ALSO FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD.
NIV
Jesus atoned for EVERYONE'S sins. It's yours if you want it and you seem to be saying that you DO want all your sins removed from God's sight.
And yet you keep trying to SAVE YOURSELF instead of accepting that Jesus already did that for you. You keep writing that you "did everything the Bible said".......as if that was going to save you.
None of us can save ourselves no matter how much we do or how often we do it. But, praise God, Jesus DID EVERYTHING to earn our salvation.
Ro 5:6-11
6 While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man - though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. 8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.
RSV
God loved you before you were born. He predestined you to be saved. He called you to be His for eternity.
Eph 1:3-7
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
NIV
So now you can relax! You are God's child and He loves you.
Tell Satan ("the accuser of the brethern") to go to hell where he belongs. He is the one who is lying to you by telling you that you are not saved already.
You are saved!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: But what about the expert who told me what th Holy Spirit said?She said that the holy Spirit said that I got aved for the benefits of being saved so does that mean that I got saved for all of the wrong reasons?
Answer I'm not sure of what she meant.
I AM SURE that Jesus, the Christ, is the only One by which anyone can be saved. The Bible says of itself that it is "inspired" - which mean given by the Holy Spirit. And it says of salvation:
Ac 4:8-12
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is
"'the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.'
12 SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
NIV
1 Th 5:8-11
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but TO RECEIVE SALVATION THROUGH OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
NIV
Ro 3:22-25
There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT CAME THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
NIV
