Trusting Jesus for my Salvation
When I was in my early to mid 20’s, I went through a phase of doubting my own salvation in Jesus Christ. I lost faith in him and desperately wanted it back. My lack of faith came from the string of broken promises that are in the Bible. Consider this whopper, from the Great Commission of Jesus to his disciples:
Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” - Mark 16:14-18 (NASB)
There are many other portions of scripture like this (John 14:12, Matt 17:20, Matt 18:19, Matt 21:21, Mark 11:24, etc), where the followers of Jesus are promised that they will be able to accomplish miracles and wonders with the power of God. I believed this as a youngster, but as I grew older reality set in. The world around us tell us that these promised miracles never occur. No matter how devout we are, no matter how much faith we have, the promises of the miraculous never occur.
But it grew worse then that when I prayed for, not the miraculous, but base and simple things. I prayed fervently for the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit to help me witness to my friends at work. After a while, I felt as though I were merely talking to myself; pumping myself up with confidence, “I can do it with your strength, I can do it with your strength, I can do….” But I felt no overwhelming power than that which I could muster up from my own being. This worried me. I felt that I was being ignored by God, despite my living as sinless and faithful life as I possibly could.
Many attempts are made to reconcile these portions of Scripture with this fact of reality. I have heard that the promises only apply to the original Apostles. I have heard that the promises are applicable to Christians as a whole, and may not apply to individual members. I have heard that we cannot perform miracles today because we are a sinful and faithless bunch of Christians. I have heard ‘casting out demons’, ‘serpents’ and ‘deadly poisons’ allegorized to mean things like alcoholism, and ‘speaking in new tongues’ allegorized to mean speaking in love. All sorts of attempts have been made to excuse the Bible for what we witness in our natural world.
I have long ago lost patience in trying to rationalize these troublesome portions of Scripture, because I found in it something far more serious. There is a small phrase in the Great Commission that really concerned me:
“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”
If Jesus did not keep his promises concerning the obviously miraculous, or even simple and mundane requests in prayer, what kept him from keeping the promise of salvation? If the promises were only given to the Apostles, was his promise of salvation only to the disciples? If everything in the Great Commission is allegory, should Jesus’s promise of salvation be allegorized also? If that is true, what does salvation even mean?
I was thrown into a real crisis of faith. If all these elaborate arguments needed to be made to excuse the Bible’s broken promises for the believer, if these promises of the miraculous are never fulfilled, or my mundane prayers seemed to be ignored, what is to keep Jesus from fulfilling his promise of Salvation? Was I really at the whim of a God who will show mercy on just those whom he will choose? (Exodus 33:19, Rom 9:15). Was I saved by God’s grace or not?
In the end, I decided to just forget all that troublesome clutter and just have faith in Jesus. I guess that is called ‘resting in his grace’. I decided that these passages of Scripture were probably never going to be reconciled in my lifetime, but if I were just to be saved by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I should just trust in that and not worry about the complications.
In other words, I pretended those broken promises did not exist. I ignored the contradictory passages of Scripture that promised great things and never delivered. Frankly, I ignored those passages out of fear. Who am I to question God?
Now that I am out and openly questioning these difficult passages, I again ask these same questions. The Scriptures which make promises of this type make no sense to me. Can I trust Jesus for salvation when trusting in him in other promises avails nothing? Is the concept of salvation just an allegory for the disciples’ ears? Is there even any such thing as Salvation?
[footnote: Now that I have done more reading, I am well aware that many modern Scholars consider Mark 16:9-20 to be spurious. If that is true, that opens up a whole nother can of worms, but that does not negate plenty of other passages of Scripture which promise us Salvation through Jesus and answer to prayers.]
March 30th, 2007 at 7:02 am
**I am well aware that many modern Scholars consider Mark 16:9-20 to be spurious. ** Even if it’s considered spurious, the problem is that it’s backed up by the first few centuries of Christianity. Acts are full of the disciples performing works to convince crowds. James said that if anyone is sick, s/he should go to the elders and that person will be healed. So those words meant exactly what they said.
Based on what I’ve read, it kind of looks like the healing element was lost after Christianity become the goverment religion, and the church got all the political power. The focus seemed to change. I find the timing interesting.
March 30th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
There is a lot to question when it comes to faith, God, and religion. Personally I was raised and lived as a Christian for 35 years. The questions, the cognative disonance, the lack of logic all grew too much for me and in the end after much searching I finally cleared my head. Now ten years later things are much better. I have a lot of empathy for you. One suggestion, don’t deny your rational instincts.
Peace,
John
March 30th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I’m with HeIsSailing fully on this: if God cannot be trusted in one area, he cannot be fully trusted in any area. The same goes for the Bible.
Forgetting our questions as “troublesome clutter” is just what has made Christianity the farce it has become.
Heather, your point is interesting. I hadn’t considered it like that, but I’d like to give it some thought. I don’t have any issue with the Acts miracles but there appears to be a lot of fakery and hocus pocus with the miraculous in today’s world, so it’s not a clear cut thing in my mind, but it sure is a good question to ask.
March 30th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”
That scripture was added into the bible in Mark 16 - and those other weird promises - however some people in the early church must of believed this to add this in. I won’t answer the Mark passage since I have very little to do with that scripture.
However, I though of something really awesome today about basic human nature (actually I was taught it today). Our spirituality is part of the life - and directing questions there to change the incongruencies is the best thing to do (we also have other sections like mental, emotional, and physical which all effect out total lives). The thing I was taught today was about ‘values’ - and why we choose what we do as our main values. Why is the bible used as a value system or important to us?
I thought about this today and realized - I like the teachings since they helped my confused mind have a value system (a paradigm) - and I fall back on those things and they haven’t destroyed me yet (nor caused me detriment). My value system is really well formed and causes me to do ‘good’ things for others and myself - as part of my spiritual focus in life.
But their are problems with biblical contradictions - however - no one said the disciples were perfect or without ‘error’ - thus we find problem after problem. What doesn’t seem to change is the values they teach and their faith in God (spiritual focus) - that seemed to be very strong and focused - and well…’good’? I am yet to find something in the gospels that just destroy’s the story of faith in Christ - yeah I have some real good questions (mental and emotional) - but those questions are more for clarity than for anything else…not so much about doubt (or fear).
But I guess my questions would be something more basic - just what value(s) does this faith give you that you ‘could not do without’?
March 30th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
HIS,
I think Matthew 17:20 is the strongest case for your point here. The other ones leave the excuse, “Well, I did not believe hard enough.” Or “I didn’t have enough faith.”
But Matthew 17:20 says “And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” (NASB)
People have had things left undone that they asked for with lots of faith. And it does not take much faith to move a mountain, apparently.
March 31st, 2007 at 2:27 pm
heissailing, it’s pretty cool to see this question on your page - i had the same question as you earlier this week! my husband pointed out to me that Jesus wasn’t saying those words to all believers of all time - He was saying them to the disciples, specifically, the eleven. when you read, say, matthew 14:29, where Jesus is walking on the water and He says to peter, “come” - do you take that as instruction for you to go walking on the water? i would imagine rather that you see the principle of the story - to trust Jesus’ commandments given to you even when they don’t seem possible. your problem passage in mark, then, could be taken in the same way.
March 31st, 2007 at 3:57 pm
**He was saying them to the disciples, specifically, the eleven.**
See, it really doesn’t read that way to me, because I don’t see any time limit in there. Rather, it’s his way of saying this is the confirmation of showing those who really do trust, and what they’ll be able to do. Otherwise, why were there healings for a few centuries after those words? Especially since Jesus makes references elsewhere that people will be able to do what he did, and the epistles mention that healing is a common occurance
March 31st, 2007 at 11:11 pm
**No matter how devout we are, no matter how much faith we have, the promises of the miraculous never occur.
**
That’s a sweeping statement. Who doesn’t know someone who didn’t have a cancer disappear or some ailment go away? How would you explain natural healing to begin with? How does our bodies know what to do when a bone breaks or a virus enters us? All of our calamities are prayed for in some way. But it isn’t our faith alone nothing (kind of like a mustard seed) unless it is backed by the power of God? If not, then we are healed by accident, and good luck defending that idea.
**I felt that I was being ignored by God, despite my living as sinless and faithful life as I possibly could.
**
Me smelleth self-righteousness. Remember that if our own righteousness was placed on a checkerboard, we’d be two squares away from Adolf Hitler and 5,000 light years from God.
**If Jesus did not keep his promises concerning the obviously miraculous, or even simple and mundane requests in prayer, what kept him from keeping the promise of salvation? **
Jesus didn’t keep His promises? You seem to look at Him as some older brother who used to be the smartest but started doing meth! Higher view of God, my friend.
**In other words, I pretended those broken promises did not exist.**
Sorry for this, you sound like you once were one of those wierd over-the-top Christians that used to scare me (and others). This hiatus into doubt and unbelief may serve you well.
Please don’t be offended by my words. I enjoy your site and have a link to it. You raise some valid questions, particularly about Mark 16:14-18. The earliest versions ended with the two Mary’s running from the empty tomb afraid, afraid when they should be rejoicing - much like we do today.
Keep studying the Word and God bless.
April 1st, 2007 at 6:13 am
Jim sez:
“That’s a sweeping statement. Who doesn’t know someone who didn’t have a cancer disappear or some ailment go away?”
Yes Jim that is a sweeping statement, and I stand by it. I have lost all faith in answered prayer. Who does not know someone who didn’t have some ailment go away WITHOUT prayer? I don’t see a difference. See my article ‘My Miraculous Hangup’ for more details.
I said:
**I felt that I was being ignored by God, despite my living as sinless and faithful life as I possibly could.
**
To which Jim replied:
“Me smelleth self-righteousness. Remember that if our own righteousness was placed on a checkerboard, we’d be two squares away from Adolf Hitler and 5,000 light years from God.”
Jim, you are a committed Christian. Tell me you are not trying to live as sinless and as faithful a life as you possibly can. Tell me you are not trying to become more Christlike. Yes, I know you are doing it with the power of the Holy Spirit, so was I. I prayed constantly for the Holy Spirit to guide my life. It is what we are told to do. I strove to decrease so that Christ would increase. Telll me what you do differently to keep yourself from Self-Righteousness. If you smelleth Self-Righteousness on me, you smell it over every single committed Christian who tries to follow the commands of The Bible.
Jim continues:
“Sorry for this, you sound like you once were one of those wierd over-the-top Christians that used to scare me (and others). This hiatus into doubt and unbelief may serve you well.”
I don’t know what you mean by ‘over the top’, but you may be right about this. Our church lauded those who were “sold out” or “on fire” for Jesus. Is this over the top? Yeah, I guess so.
And yes, this “hiatus” is serving me well.
April 1st, 2007 at 6:19 am
beiner sez:
**He was saying them to the disciples, specifically, the eleven.**
Hi beiner. Yeah, I am with Heather on this one. I think this excuse that Jesus was only talking to the eleven was made as an excuse. I think the intent of the Mark to impart the Great Commission on all the readers. It is like Jesus breaking the 4th wall using a TV show analogy. When these promises that Jesus made obviously go unfulfilled, the excuses come in. I think that the interpretation that Jesus was speaking only to his disciples is just such an excuse.
Consider this also, if Jesus was only giving this command to his disciples, then he was only offering Salvation to his disciples. This is hopefully not true!!
April 1st, 2007 at 9:01 am
** Tell me you are not trying to live as sinless and as faithful a life as you possibly can. ** Jim, I’m not sure where you’re getting self-righteousness from this. He said that he was living the best sinless and faithful life that he possibly could, not that he was living a completely sinless life. Don’t all Christians do the best they can to live a sinless and faithful life?
**Jesus didn’t keep His promises? You seem to look at Him as some older brother who used to be the smartest but started doing meth! Higher view of God, my friend. ** I think Heissaling is using this in the context of those that have trust can also heal, deal with serpents, and drive out demons. In reading it, it comes across as a blanket statement that should be true even today. Anyone who has faith in Jesus should be able to do just that. Are their healings today still? Yes. But most are nothing like the healings back then — how many of those who were healed are surprised deep down that it worked? And what about those who had an equal amount of trust in Jesus who weren’t healed?
**I think that the interpretation that Jesus was speaking only to his disciples is just such an excuse. ** And if one is going to say that Jesus was only speaking to his disicples in terms of that, as heisailing said, that would mean that the first part — “Whoever trusts and is immersed will be saved” also only applies to the disciples.
April 1st, 2007 at 12:47 pm
I really enjoy the discussion HIS - this has become quite the hot-spot.
As a plug for another blog with some great discussion also - you might wanna check out http://fromthepew.blogspot.com/ - this dude is discussing some good things also.
April 1st, 2007 at 11:08 pm
**Consider this also, if Jesus was only giving this command to his disciples, then he was only offering Salvation to his disciples. This is hopefully not true!! **
heissailing, if you had only read that one passage of scripture, i could see your point. but Jesus offers salvation to all in other parts of the Bible (see John 3:16 for a famous example of “whosoever”) without the promises of healings and snake handlings thrown in. his speaking to the disciples here in what people have titled “the great commission” certainly does not negate passages such as john 3:16, nor does john 3:16 negate this passage in mark.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Heather said **Don’t all Christians do the best they can to live a sinless and faithful life?**
The words “the best” were added by you. Also, the fact is that whatever we do will never be enough. If I were to judge my economic blessings since becoming a committed Christian, I couldn’t be too positive. Since starting into the children’s ministry almost two years ago, my business hasn’t earned a dime. It’s as if the more I commit to my faith, the more I lose. Christianity has not “worked” for me at all but I wouldn’t consider anything else. I believe God is using dark providence to move me to another field that pleases Him, and He knows that dark providence is the only thing that will ultimately get me off my butt!
HIS said, **Yes, I know you are doing it with the power of the Holy Spirit, so was I.**
Well, then, who left whom?
Perhaps you are not self-righteous, you are not feeling deserving of God’s favor. That could have been a typo.
**Our church lauded those who were “sold out” or “on fire” for Jesus. Is this over the top? Yeah, I guess so.**
I think it becomes a competition, especially when you start logging the altar calls. And I truly believe that we can’t connect with others if we are “wierd”. Granted, the Holy Spirit can still use us in certain cases, but if we think nothing of ourselves (if we’re truly humble and honest) then people will not have that facile excuse to discard what we are saying.
Profound discussion. Keep up the good work.