Expert: Tom Schott - 6/29/2006

Question
How would you answer a fundamentalist type who asks if you've been "born-again" or "being saved" or if there was a moment that you've "asked Jesus into your heart"? I know that we believe that our infant baptism is when most of us are born again, but it seems like the fundamentalists have a point- there should be a point in our adulthood somewhere when we do make a conscious decision to follow Christ. My own answer, which I didn't think of until an hour after the question, was that I think that "being saved" is a gradual process that one experiences, with ups and downs, throughout their life, but if there was a single moment when I made a "decision" to accept Jesus, it was the first time that I obeyed Him when no one else was looking. I don't know if that's a sufficient answer though. What do you think?

Answer
Jeff,

 We are "saved" by the blood of Christ shed for all of us for all time. That happened 2,000 years ago. We are born again of water and the Spirit in baptism (you are correct). We all make a conscious decision to follow Christ when we're mature, but this is more in the nature of ungoing conversion which never ceases and continues throughout our lives. So you are correct that there's a gradual process involved, but it's not one that saves us. Rather it's a growing realization of what that salvation means.

 For the record, I never argue with fundamentalists on any question whatever because they already have the answer and are not really interested in our understanding. I never argue Scripture with anyone, but especially fundamentalists. You cannot ever convince somebody who's already got all the answers.

 God bless.

Pax Christi,
Deacon Tom