Expert: Phillip Senn - 1/21/2009

Question
QUESTION: When you say "believe on Christ",do you mean trust in Him?

And also,there is a such thing as backsliding,does that sound like where I am at in this?

ANSWER: CGLLR,

Yes, to believe on Christ is to trust in His work on the cross for your Salvation. If you have done that, you can trust Him (have total confidence in Him) in every other area of your life.

There is a thing called backsliding. It usually refers to those who have come to faith in Christ, spent time maturing in Christ, and then lose the zeal for the Lord. It can also mean someone that falls into deep sin. In any case, it can be dealt with simply by looking back at the work of Christ. He heals our backsliding. He does that as we confess our sins (come into agreement that we have sinned, that God hates sin, that God provided for an atonement for our sins through Jesus, that Jesus fully paid for ALL of our sins, and that through faith we have Eternal Life. This assurance can be used against the attacks of Satan every time. When the victory is in Christ, and not in our performance, we are always able to have victory, because Jesus was victorious over death.

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well sometimes I am unsure of whether or not I am saved and I ask GOD to tell me if I am or not for sure but I don't get anything,does that mean that I am not saved?

ANSWER: To make it easier for you. If God came and said, "You have trusted my Son's death on the cross for you, you believe that He was buried, and that He arose the third day. What more do you need to do to be saved?"

Would you argue with Him? Or would you simply say, "Thank you Lord. I do believe, and I do praise you for making me one of your children."

Satan is always casting doubts on the Word of God. He attacks God's children with all types of accusations. The primary accusation is, "You didn't really mean it when you confessed Christ".

The best way to answer him is simply to tell him what you told me, "I know that Jesus died for my sins, and was buried, and was raised from the dead."

If you know that, someone (The Holy Spirit) convinced you of that. If He convinced you of that, and you have trusted in Him as your Saviour, then you are a child of God, and will always be a child of God. Now is the time to start acting like a child of God and begin to trust Him that started a good work in you, that He will perform it unto the day of redemption.

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What is the day of redemption exactly?
And do you believe that baptism is also required to be saved?

Answer
CGLLR,

The "Day of Redemption" is when the Lord Jesus comes to claim that which He purchased with His Blood. It is what is referred to by Evangelical Christians as "the rapture".

I do not believe that Scripture supports the teaching that "water baptism" is necessary to receive Eternal Life. Scripture indicates that a person has Eternal Life if they believe. In Scripture, faith always precedes water baptism. Those that have Eternal Life, the ones that have been created in Christ Jesus unto good works, should do good works. Water baptism is one of those good works that every believer should do.

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn