Question: Isn’t it over-simplifying things to... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Matthew 7:21.

Question: Isn't it over-simplifying things to maintain that one is saved for eternity, just because one is a Christian?

Answer: Yes, only those are truly saved who believe in their heart and have come to this point through an earnest examination of their conscience. Nor is a mere assurance that one is a Christian sufficient to be saved, for simply having Christian parents or belonging to a church does not mean that one has eternal life. Someone can believe in God and admit that heaven and hell exist; he may acknowledge that he will one day come into judgment, and yet not belong to Christ.

To be saved, one must be "born again" (John 3:3). This means being appalled at the sin that there is in our life, understanding that we cannot rid ourselves of the guilt and therefore deserve God's punishment. Above all, there must be the appropriation by faith of Jesus and His vicarious sacrifice. In this way one is born into eternal life and receives the Holy Spirit, which gives us the assurance that we are God's children (cf. Romans 8:16). God cannot be deceived: He seals with the Holy Spirit only those who truly belong to Him (cf. Ephesians 1:13).

Many call themselves Christians; they claim to know God, "but in works they deny him" (Titus 1:16).

So, in fact, they are lost. The profession of being a true Christian must be accompanied by a genuine conversion to God and faith from the heart in Jesus Christ. Only then is one saved.

Today's reading: Joshua 6:15-27 · 1 Corinthians 4:11-21