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Ask FGBC #5 - Are people who “chose” for Jesus actually saved?

Jim Butler · 2024-04-15 · 357 words · 10 min

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Summary

Qa

Sloppy or man-centered conversion language does not by itself disqualify a person from genuine saving faith, since God saves by his grace and not by the precision of a believer's theological vocabulary.

A listener asks whether people who speak of 'choosing Jesus' or 'accepting Christ' are necessarily unsaved because of that language, and whether such language betrays a works-based understanding of salvation. The response distinguishes between imprecise theological vocabulary and a genuinely defective view of salvation, arguing that God's grace saves people who may articulate that grace poorly. The answer touches on the relationship between sloppy speech, theological precision, and the question of perseverance implicit in how one frames conversion.

Key quotes

Thankfully, we're saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not our ability to articulate God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Applications

  1. Resist the reflex to unchurch believers on the basis of imprecise theological vocabulary alone.
  2. Distinguish between sloppy speech and a genuinely defective doctrine of salvation when evaluating another person's profession of faith.
  3. Pursue theological precision in your own speech about conversion so as not to obscure the sovereign grace of God.

Questions this sermon answers

Does saying 'I chose Jesus' mean a person is not truly saved?

Not necessarily — the speaker argues that salvation depends on God's grace through faith in Christ, not on whether the believer can describe that grace with theological precision.

Is imprecise conversion language a sign of a defective view of salvation?

It may reflect a lack of theological training rather than a false gospel; the speaker distinguishes between sloppy speech and a genuinely works-based understanding of conversion.

Can someone be genuinely born again and still use Arminian-sounding language?

The speaker suggests yes, noting that many who use 'I chose Jesus' language appear to be genuinely godly and intellectually engaged believers, even if their vocabulary is imprecise.

Question Introduced

next question i have it's a similar one we just answered in another video called uh is accepting salvation a choice um but it's worded different i think there's some other issues in it so are people who chose for jesus actually saved so tara asks in the greater rounds of christian conversation i hear a lot of when i chose jesus or when i accepted jesus as my savior or some other such language as they decided to be a christian are those people so fundamentally fraud flawed as to not be saved or is it just a simply a matter of word choice because many of them seem very intellectual and godly minded as to be born again christians but this language has caused me to think that they believe they can choose to turn away from sin and as such there is no possible way to be saved correct that's a long question almost got to understand the question infer some parts out a little bit. Sure. Well, let me just take a stab at it. Thankfully, we're saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not our ability to articulate God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

So I agree with Tara. I agree that there's a lot of sloppy speech out there. And I would want to encourage that we realize that most people, well, most, some, they're just not, I don't know how to say this as gingerly as I can. Maybe they're not as skilled or schooled in theology and Bible as perhaps we'd like, right?

I mean, people say sloppy things. I think about, you know, ministry in the past to old folks home and hearing, you know, an old doll say, you know, the Lord spoke to me. Well, there's a reflex in me to say, well, the Lord doesn't speak anymore. We've got the 66 books, both Old and New Testaments, canons close.

Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Study notes

Theological terms

  • Canon
  • Cessationism
  • Perseverance of the Saints
  • Sola Gratia